Double SC's - A mere Marketing tool or Doom for WP?

[k_sheep]

Hmm I thought school holidays were over?

I got the OOL DSC offer but unfortunately won't be able to use it. My requal date is May, but with a JASA to BKK I should make it back to SG ... though an unlimited DSC offer might convince me to make the jump to WP ... hello QF, are you listening??

Don't worry, I'll keep out of the way of all you "real" WPs. Because if people only get it via DSC, then they don't fly that much, so chances of running into them is fairly small.

 

[JohnK]

Re: WP for the first time ever

Well actually yes, this is something that QF should look at, at SQ if I am wait listed J, they will guarantee me a Y seat on that flight, I would like to see QF extend this so that CL and P1 are guaranteed a J seat, even if it means punting someone off

I thought this benefit was available on Qantas. As a Platinum and above one is able to purchase a guaranteed economy seat for themselves and a partner as long as they pay the full economy airfare.

 

[beardoc]

Re: WP for the first time ever

I thought this benefit was available on Qantas. As a Platinum and above one is able to purchase a guaranteed economy seat for themselves and a partner as long as they pay the full economy airfare.

Yes, this has been a benefit for years.

 

[beardoc]

Re: WP for the first time ever

My post was perhaps a little too subtle sideswipe at the WP's, myself included, who crave the exclusivity of "emerald city" only to find it is not as exclusive as it is supposed to be.

I am wondering, why do you crave it?

 

[simongr]

Re: WP for the first time ever

Umm guaranteed seating in J is not a P1 benefit as such if you respect the program you should not have asked for the seat:

Platinum One members enjoy access to more seating options in the first few rows of the Economy cabin (subject to availability) when using Advance Seat Selection‡ at qantas.com, on selected Qantas operated flights with a QF number on your ticket. Advance Seat Selection is available on qantas.com immediately after booking

If you had asked me to move I would have referred you to the FAs. If you had bumped me during the flight I would have again referred you to the FAs - if it happened repeatedly I would have asked the FAs to refer you to the AFP on landing.

 

[TonyHancock]

Re: WP for the first time ever

Isn't this really an across the board problem with platinum one. It all sounds exclusive. But the truth is that the lounge is full, there is someone else in my seat, I can't turf someone off a flight because I want a seat at the last minute.

Flying commercial seems to have its drawbacks.....

Sent from my GT-I9300T using AustFreqFly

I don't think it is particularly exclusive. In fact I think QF has a hard time marketing something with so many intangibles. As I have said elsewhere, repeatedly, I like certainty and comfort when I fly. Like many here I believe that earned status gives benefits and I use those benefits where I can.

Travel, not just commercial flying has its drawbacks, again as I have said repeatedly, it is an occupational hazard. I like to make my journeys as comfortable as possible.

I am wondering, why do you crave it?

There is a whole thread on it somewhere, probably in the "Best J seat on a 380" You'll find many of the WP's who posted in this thread commenting on it there. From my experience "emerald city" is quieter, receives the meal and drinks service earlier, and doesn't feel like a dormitory.

 

[simongr]

Re: WP for the first time ever

I personally always prefer 12E - I actually don't like 11F but I am more inclined to select it now.

 

[beardoc]

Re: WP for the first time ever

There is a whole thread on it somewhere, probably in the "Best J seat on a 380" You'll find many of the WP's who posted in this thread commenting on it there. From my experience "emerald city" is quieter, receives the meal and drinks service earlier, and doesn't feel like a dormitory.

I am wondering though about your comment, where you said

myself included, who crave the exclusivity of "emerald city" only to find it is not as exclusive as it is supposed to be

That's very different from choosing a seat where it's quieter and gets drinks earlier. "Exclusivity" is again perjorative, and it's what you said you craved, and that you find that it's not as exclusive as you thought it should be. After all, with non-OWEs sitting there, you still get drinks and food first, and it is quieter. What I wonder whether you're talking about is that there's a certain exclusive feel by being separated from those that are not WP or above. And that's heading into dangerous territory. Those other people are no lesser people than you. They are human beings too.

If you want exclusivity and privacy, fly private jets. I fly private jets a lot with work (Citation Xs, Beechcraft 350s, and various Learjets). Your choice of transport or your airline status does not entitle you to feel above other people. And you are not more deserving.

You have a status in an airline loyalty program. That's it. You are not a better person for it.

(And I realise that you're often very tongue in cheek about this, TonyHancock, and forgive me for directing this at you. Truthfully, it's not about you at all.)

 

[Fantic125]

Yes of course there could be hundreds of other people reading of ways to earn/retain status, but I'd say the large majority of WP etc would have earned it through weekly flying domestically or lots of international flights in J.

....or like a number of us in the forum, lots of international flights in Y.

My qualifying year for WP took 62 flights, 194,453 miles, 534 hrs BIS to achieve 1,750 SC's..... but from a particular persons perspective on this forum I shouldn't have the right to access the F lounge for frequent flyers because I'm not flying J or F.....

(Added) The other thing to consider is that even if I somehow managed to obtain a DSC offer for the entire year, I still wouldn't have qualified for P1, falling short by 100SC's. If, however, I had flown those same flights in J (as a certain poster here professes to only flying) then I would have achieved a total of 7,000 SC's; LTS in one year.

 

[beardoc]

....or like a number of us in the forum, lots of international flights in Y.

My qualifying year for WP took 62 flights, 194,453 miles, 534 hrs BIS to achieve 1,750 SC's..... but from a particular persons perspective on this forum I shouldn't have the right to access the F lounge for frequent flyers because I'm not flying J or F.....

194,000 miles - that's almost double AA EXP! My hat goes off to you, Fantic125​!

 

[ReLoad]

Many years ago in a fund-raiser I purchased a "Brick" in the new building of my sporting team, both symbolically and as a fund-raiser to help the club. That brick now has my families name on it.

I rang the WP line today to ask about getting my name on seat 11F on all the A380's, the poor lady didnt know what I was talking about, I explained how WP1's get to have their own seat and that it should be at the expense of other more lowly WP's. She transferred me through to some WP1 staff who also had never heard of this benefit.

So I guess I'm a little lost here......

 

[yohy?!]

Re: WP for the first time ever

I am wondering, why do you crave it?

im wondering also, never seen the appeal of emerald city - everyone goes to sleep early but you still get people (like me ) traipsing through to get a drink or to go sit in the lounge.

 

[TonyHancock]

Re: WP for the first time ever

That's very different from choosing a seat where it's quieter and gets drinks earlier. "Exclusivity" is again perjorative, and it's what you said you craved, and that you find that it's not as exclusive as you thought it should be. After all, with non-OWEs sitting there, you still get drinks and food first, and it is quieter. What I wonder whether you're talking about is that there's a certain exclusive feel by being separated from those that are not WP or above. And that's heading into dangerous territory. Those other people are no lesser people than you. They are human beings too.

If you want exclusivity and privacy, fly private jets. I fly private jets a lot with work (Citation Xs, Beechcraft 350s, and various Learjets). Your choice of transport or your airline status does not entitle you to feel above other people. And you are not more deserving.

You have a status in an airline loyalty program. That's it. You are not a better person for it.

(And I realise that you're often very tongue in cheek about this, TonyHancock, and forgive me for directing this at you. Truthfully, it's not about you at all.)

I can only reiterate that flying to me is an occupational hazard. When I travel I like to maximise the comfort available to me and use whatever FF status benefits I can. The forward cabin in J on the QF A380 has 18 seats in it, no bassinet seats, and I guess does have an exclusivity about it in that advance seat selection in this cabin is only available to WP's and above. You probably need to address your question to QF, I don't make the rules about who can and can't select seats in this cabin.

It is not about feeling "above" other people it is about utilising the benefits available, and yes, heaven forbid, questioning whether more benefits should be available.

I have taken a contrary position to the majority in this thread, partly because I don't particularly like the pack mentality that has occurred here, and partly because the OP has made some valid points that have been lost in his later posting and the melee of responses he has received.

Let's not forget that some of those so deeply opposed to the OP are the same people who think it funny to refer to pax preparing to board an aircraft as "gate lice". (Hence my, in retrospect, perhaps ill judged infestation jibe) I happen to believe the gate lice comment was meant in jest, but I also happen to believe that the OP has made many of his comments in jest. The very terms scum gold and wanker platinum were created in jest, but might be deemed offensive to newcomers on AFF.

I absolutely respect your moral stance and understand that you are not having a go at me.

You can spot my serious posts because I don't use the "stick out tongue" smiley. When you do see it I am typically being tongue in cheek or making a pitiful attempt at humour.

 

[yohy?!]

Re: WP for the first time ever

Let's not forget that some of those so deeply opposed to the OP are the same people who think it funny to refer to pax preparing to board an aircraft as "gate lice". (Hence my, in retrospect, perhaps ill judged infestation jibe) I happen to believe the gate lice comment was meant in jest, but I also happen to believe that the OP has made many of his comments in jest. The very terms scum gold and wanker platinum were created in jest, but might be deemed offensive to newcomers on AFF.

This is where I disagree - the OP's tone, choice of words and opinions-as-fact have been confrontational, not in jest. Poking fun at things that people have invested significant time and money in achieving and trying to establish some kind of Bourgeoisie-esque superiority.

I don't see any 'pack mentality' either in the response. People's responses have been measured and civil - just a lot of different debates in the one thread with the OP seemingly delighting in the attention and continuing to wave the red flag at people seen as 'beneath them'.

I won't use the T-word but it is all textbook T-behaviour...

 

[harvyk]

Re: WP for the first time ever

This is where I disagree - the OP's tone, choice of words and opinions-as-fact have been confrontational, not in jest. Poking fun at things that people have invested significant time and money in achieving and trying to establish some kind of Bourgeoisie-esque superiority.

I don't see any 'pack mentality' either in the response. People's responses have been measured and civil - just a lot of different debates in the one thread with the OP seemingly delighting in the attention and continuing to wave the red flag at people seen as 'beneath them'.

I won't use the T-word but it is all textbook T-behaviour...

Agree 100%... I've restrained myself from using the T-word. I've put together a few responses which have used that word but decided at the last minute not to post. There was an awful lot of red flag waving by the OP, which if what they have been saying is true (for example deliberately making a pax's flight uncomfortable because they got assigned the seat the OP's felt belonged to them and would not jump at the OP's order), makes them the first person on this forum which I would not share a beer with. (replace beer with alcoholic drink of choice)

 

[oz_mark]

Re: WP for the first time ever

I can only reiterate that flying to me is an occupational hazard. When I travel I like to maximise the comfort available to me and use whatever FF status benefits I can.

<snip>

It is not about feeling "above" other people it is about utilising the benefits available, and yes, heaven forbid, questioning whether more benefits should be available.

In my experience, Qantas pretty much delivers on what is says it would (with some problems from time to time), so I don't think that is the issue.

As far as benefits are concerned, it is quite reasonable to see the same problems as other people, that may impact on yout comfort on a journey. However, there is a difference in suggesting that the comfort may be improved by providing truly additional benefits, or whether the delivery of the current benefits would be improved by restricting the delivery of benefits to others on lower levels within the program.

So, while different people may see the same problem, how they articulate the problem, and the solutions they propose to those problems, can mean significant differences in the way that others will respond to them.

 

[NM]

Re: WP for the first time ever

[Mod Hat]
Time to get back to discussing the topic of this thread. Way too much moderation effort has been spent on this thread. As a reminder, the thread topic is "Double SC's - A Mere Marking Tool or Doom for WP?"
[/Mod Hat]

 

[serfty]

Re: WP for the first time ever

im wondering also, never seen the appeal of emerald city - everyone goes to sleep early but you still get people (like me ) traipsing through to get a drink or to go sit in the lounge.

I do like the front area myself.

FWIW I don't try to sleep on Transpac or the Long segments to Europe until ~10½ hours before expected flight arrival with a plan to awake 1½ hours before. I often see many go right to sleep (especially ex USA) and note those generally end up wide awake with 5 hours to go.

FWIW, 12E is my #1 preference ... 11F would be #16 on my list.

 

[simongr]

Re: WP for the first time ever

FWIW I don't try to sleep on Transpac or the Long segments to Europe until ~10½ hours before expected flight arrival with a plan to awake 1½ hours before. I often see many go right to sleep (especially ex USA) and note those generally end up wide awake with 5 hours to go.

I tend to be asleep on take off.

So going back to the topic - are DSCs doom and gloom for WP?

I personally do not think so. They have encouraged me to book flights with QF that would have gone to CX.

I do not know whether to be concerned about the WP level or not. Certainly PS/SG/P1 have been granted more benefits when some were taken from WP so I am not seeing large investment in the WP level.

The key things I see being removed from WP are:

- Front row of whY. My personal experience post pre-allocation of seats on DOM flights and pre-introduction of P1 was that I could book 3rd row of whY and at T-80 jump to the front row. Since P1 came in (and before I hit P1) I have not been able to snag the front row of whY.

- SIN F lounge - now we can debate the quality of the SIN F lounge for hours (days or weeks) but the decision now to not renovate it means that WP wont get their own lounge and will be in the J lounge (subject to whatever BA do about an F lounge there) and that to me is a reduction in benefits to WP

- Uplift of PG SC requirement from 2,100 to 2,400

- Change to status bonuses (note that on the assumption of giving PG to the wife I am 3000 points worse off under the new system)

With more time (and less work to do) I am sure I could think of more things like this where you see others getting a leg up (PS, SG and P1) an WP are either getting nothing or going backwards.

 

[samh004]

- SIN F lounge - now we can debate the quality of the SIN F lounge for hours (days or weeks) but the decision now to not renovate it means that WP wont get their own lounge and will be in the J lounge (subject to whatever BA do about an F lounge there) and that to me is a reduction in benefits to WP.

I think numbers will go down as its not as major a transit point anyway, so being in the J lounge might not be too bad in terms of an over crowding issue, plus depends what BA does, and what Emirates can offer up.

I'm still in twin minds about the loyalty bonus though, as its given me more points, twice, but the decision is wether I aim for 1500SC a year or forego an additional 8000 points.

From my flying in Y I earn about 120k points a year, without bonuses. And thats a lot of minimum 1000-point flights. So every little bit counts.


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