How much and where are you flying for your status?

[WilsonM]

To those who have qualified for status with various airlines over the years (not necessarily this year), how did you achieve it? More specifically, the number of flights and what class was it (roughly!) - was the majority of it work-funded weekly economy trips between MEL-SYD, or are you flying return once a year to LHR in J? Or perhaps solely taking advantage of DSC offers?

As an example, this year will be my first attaining QF Gold, which is mostly due to a status run in J to NZ, a Y trip to NZ and another Y trip to Europe.

Would love to get an idea of the broad travel patterns of those who do have those coveted coloured cards, regardless of whether they're silver, gold or platinum etc. Definitely not looking for the 'best' or 'worst' ways of getting status at all, just interested in how you did it and whY

Thanks in advance!

 

[BAM1748]

For this current year status on QF so far from Sydney or Canberra for Platinum.

A bit rough and I’m sure I forgot a couple of trips.
Adelaide a few times in Y and J
Cairns Part Y and J
Melbourne 3 times Y
Brisbane 2 times Y
Mount Isa part Y and J
Whyalla
Dubbo
LAX in J

Have 350 to go and 5 months to do it, looking at a return to California in July.

 

[Rich]

My one and only time reaching QF gold was from a reasonable amount of work travel within Australia, all full fare economy. Most was between MEL and PER and at 40 status credits each way, it quickly piled up. I don't think any was from personal travel.

 

[Milefest]

International work travel in Flexi contributes to the bulk of my SCs with VA. I probably travel interstate fortnightly for personal travel too which comfortably bumps me up to plat.

 

[tdimdad]

I first achieved QFF Gold by being at the high end of Silver through work travel (mostly SYD-MEL or SYD-BNE in Red Deals). Because I had a bigger and better overseas leisure trip coming and wanted lounge access and priority security & baggage ("where available"), I added an extra NZ weekend in J. Next status year I'll be at the upper end of Gold already early in the year and I'll plunk in another NZ in J (or similar) using DSC to push me over the limit to Plat so I can enjoy that status for longer.

VA Gold was initially a status match but retained through work trips. A requalification for a new year was a domestic leisure trip which I booked in J because there happened to be a nicely timed DSC offer available. That was 80% of the requal done in one go.

I like DSC's because it takes away some of the planning of how to (re)qualify and makes life that little bit simpler.

 

[CaptJCool]

what we did in the past is not as easily doable now as the SC earn reduced down. Plus you need an employer if you're travelling for work><

Dog-leg flights in J appear to be the simplest formula - and especially if with DSCs. A couple of them at 200 per trip doubled for DSC gets you well over the re-qualification for QF G.... 3 trips (plus a side trip or two) and you're WP... from what others have mentioned in the past, they could find WP for a spend around $5k but I'm not so sure its feasible today (Points Club rewards flights earn SC so some can keep the love going like we used to do with ASA J/

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

QF - Mainly flex fares for work with a few economy international trips for leisure.
VA - Domestic work travel primarily, generally booking J as often times cheaper than QF Flex Y.
I would say I have 20+ return work trips a year, primarily Mel/ADL from Sydney but a couple of trips to Tassie and WA as well.

Jumped on the switcharoo and should be able to retain platinum for both this year. Japan and Hong Kong on QF for leisure, as well as a J Japan (via Singapore) trip on SQ to bump a few virgin SCs. I'm fairly lucky in that A: I travel a lot for work and B: I'm in charge of booking travel for work so can be very flexible.

 

[27mrpc27]

QF is the only airline I’ve had status with, and did it the hard way flying economy only domestically from 2007-2021. Almost LTG now and managed to snag Plat for a couple of years when living in Perth.

 

[twoharts]

self funded in J perth to sydney to auckland to santiago to bogota return equals GOLD.

Post automatically merged: May 25, 2023

should add, was on discounted fares pre covid, but still gave QFF GOLD

 

[Blinky]

Got VA gold and platinum mainly through work travel, and have been platinum for about five years. Having retired mid last year, it was more of a struggle, but managed to retain my status with business class return with my wife to Bali, Sunshine Coast and a couple of times to Sydney, augmented with flybuys top ups (and of course, combining my wife’s status credits with mine). It helped that business class fares over the past year have not been much more than flexi.

I doubt I can maintain Platnium this time, and a soft landing to gold will not be so bad. Hopefully can maintain gold for years to come.

 

[LetsJustGo]

I’m VF Gold, first year I qualified from international work travel in PE return (Syd to USA), and domestic trips from both work and personal. I think that was in 2017, same in 2018 & 2019. Then covid hit and status extensions helped a lot!
Maintained last year all through personal travel, mostly on Choice fares/planning travel around ideal SCs and having my husband pool his points to me. Hoping we can do the same this year! Haven’t had to do a proper “status run” as yet, hoping to avoid that

 

[flyingfan]

I get VA status through work flying Y mostly between east coast cities - a few dozen flights a year, plus a few credited from SQ J - enough to exceed platinum and gift gold (haven’t quite been able to gift plat yet)

My work flights through QF are also mostly around the east coast in Y and would barely get silver, so I do my own status runs in J to get P1.

 

[levelnine]

My work flights through QF are also mostly around the east coast in Y and would barely get silver, so I do my own status runs in J to get P1.

Ooof that's a lot of time/money spent on status runs. Do you think it is worth it given you only fly east coast in Y?!

 

[flyingfan]

Ooof that's a lot of time/money spent on status runs. Do you think it is worth it given you only fly east coast in Y?!

No but I like chasing status as a hobby.

 

[Forg]

No but I like chasing status as a hobby.

Y’see, this I understand!

I don’t understand people going out of their way & doing things that cost money in order to earn points that aren’t worth as much as they spent … eg. paying a yearly amount on a credit card which allows them to earn extra points that could be exchanged for goods &/or services that at best would cost less than the points cost.

But (and this is for status points rather than frequent flyer points) I do understand when people who’re in the air a lot find a way to turn that negative into a positive, and turn the drudgery of frequent international travel into a game & hobby which has them chasing extra flights.

 

[levelnine]

I don’t understand people going out of their way & doing things that cost money in order to earn points that aren’t worth as much as they spent … eg. paying a yearly amount on a credit card which allows them to earn extra points that could be exchanged for goods &/or services that at best would cost less than the points cost.

But (and this is for status points rather than frequent flyer points) I do understand when people who’re in the air a lot find a way to turn that negative into a positive, and turn the drudgery of frequent international travel into a game & hobby which has them chasing extra flights.

Funnily enough, my view is almost the complete opposite.

Points collecting is my primary flight-related hobby — getting as many points as I can for as cheaply as possible.

That allows me to fly business and first class for less than economy prices and means I either don't need to worry about chasing status because I get most of the benefits from my class of service or I don't need to worry about doing status runs because I'm earning status from my reward flights (thank you PC).

No way would I spend more money/time on a plane than is necessary to get me to my holidays/work obligations, and I love flying.