I Can achieve Silver is it worth it?

[Pug1]

Hi everyone,
my membership anniversary of the Qantas club/FF is 31 August and I need 35 status points and 4 QF legs to get to Silver. I could do this with say Syd/Canberra/Melbourne and return but wonder if it's worth the bother. What do you think? We are booked on QF in J to Osaka in November but have paid for that and don't have any other flights planned in the next 12 months. We have about 250K points between my wife and I and plan to use them for flights to Japan in August 2019.

 

[samh004]

I love these kinds of threads, because I was once in your shoes.

The first thing I notice from your post is that you're on 265SC for this year already, but seemingly have not flown on QF/JQ to get to this number. I find that interesting in itself.

If you were flying in Economy in November I would say do it, because Silver will give you the ability to select your seats. As you are booked in Business though, I believe you already have that privilege so it matters little for your upcoming flights. Those flights will earn you 240SC all up, leaving you 60SC short os Silver in your next membership year, or only 10SC away if re-qualifying, so that is something to consider depending on how much travel you plan to do next year and beyond.

Silver will certainly help with redeeming your points for award flight, but I'm not sure how noticeably.

The only other thing I would say is that your flights to Osaka will earn you 5200 more points all up as a Silver than as a Bronze, and you will get one access to a Qantas lounge, but I'm not sure that will be worth the 4 flight status run in your mind.

 

[Bundy Bear]

I don't see the value, in doing a status run for silver if you only have 1 trip planned for next year.

 

[RooFlyer]

I certainly wouldn't bother about it. Your J flight will get you the same or more benefits than Silver anyway, and with no other flights planned, there's simply no point (other than the additional points earn as sam004 mentioned).

Maybe be prepared to do the 'status run' sometime in the coming status year when combined with your J flight earn, it would perhaps lead to something useful. I think you'd nearly get to Silver with just the return Osaka flight in J, so maybe one more earning flight (plus two more for the 4 flight hurdle) and then you'd have Silver for the remainder of that status year AND be qualified for Silver for the next one too!

 

[mviy]

Flying J, even SG would give little benefits (basically just able to pick better seats on the plane if still available for selection, but every seat in J is much better than sitting further back in the plane).

PS doesn't make it a lot easier to use your points than NB. Sure you'd have a slightly higher chance of upgrades on QF metal, but that's about it. It's if you reach SG or above status that finding classic reward seats on QF metal may get a little easier but that depends on which route you're wanting to fly, how popular it is etc.

I'm a big fan of status runs generally but with your travel plans I think it's probably not worth it for you this year.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

I can't imagine having Silver for the upcoming year where you only have one flight, already in J, will add more value than the cost of a status run.

 

[RichardMEL]

I agree. There is no point(ha.. get it? ). Silver won't give you anything, and the J flights to Japan will give you as much as Gold status would so... with nothing else planned it would give you nothing except a few more SC towards lifetime status, but it sounds like hat's not anything of value either given travel plans Sao your dosh for Japan I reckon.

 

[Pug1]

I love these kinds of threads, because I was once in your shoes.

The first thing I notice from your post is that you're on 265SC for this year already, but seemingly have not flown on QF/JQ to get to this number. I find that interesting in itself.

If you were flying in Economy in November I would say do it, because Silver will give you the ability to select your seats. As you are booked in Business though, I believe you already have that privilege so it matters little for your upcoming flights. Those flights will earn you 240SC all up, leaving you 60SC short os Silver in your next membership year, or only 10SC away if re-qualifying, so that is something to consider depending on how much travel you plan to do next year and beyond.

Silver will certainly help with redeeming your points for award flight, but I'm not sure how noticeably.

The only other thing I would say is that your flights to Osaka will earn you 5200 more points all up as a Silver than as a Bronze, and you will get one access to a Qantas lounge, but I'm not sure that will be worth the 4 flight status run in your mind.

thanks sam004. Some good points I hadn't thought about. Our previous flights have been part of package deals and with allowances received it's financially difficult to do our own flights with Qantas. Secondly Qantas is nearly always the most expensive for overseas flights. Thirdly they don't fly to where we want to go when we want to go, i.e Vancouver. If we had nil points now it would probably be worthwhile switching to another airlines program for future. Sorry but I will not fly on JQ especially if we have a transfer to make.

I don't see the value, in doing a status run for silver if you only have 1 trip planned for next year.

tend to agree Bundy Bear also based on other responses.

I certainly wouldn't bother about it. Your J flight will get you the same or more benefits than Silver anyway, and with no other flights planned, there's simply no point (other than the additional points earn as sam004 mentioned).

Maybe be prepared to do the 'status run' sometime in the coming status year when combined with your J flight earn, it would perhaps lead to something useful. I think you'd nearly get to Silver with just the return Osaka flight in J, so maybe one more earning flight (plus two more for the 4 flight hurdle) and then you'd have Silver for the remainder of that status year AND be qualified for Silver for the next one too!

I think that's the solution RooFlyer. On reflection my wife's anniversary date is different to mine and I must check if she will be on Silver or close to it after the Osaka flights

I agree. There is no point(ha.. get it? ). Silver won't give you anything, and the J flights to Japan will give you as much as Gold status would so... with nothing else planned it would give you nothing except a few more SC towards lifetime status, but it sounds like hat's not anything of value either given travel plans Sao your dosh for Japan I reckon.

Agree. Really looking forward to Japan as we are going in a small group to some out of the way places in Shikoku and Kyushu. We are also looking forward to trying the new QF service to Osaka in J on their A330. Don't get me wrong with comments above we have always enjoyed our flights on QF but wish they had flight relationships with tour package companies such as Wendy Wu and APT. However we notice APT is now giving Qantas points with bookings.

Flying J, even SG would give little benefits (basically just able to pick better seats on the plane if still available for selection, but every seat in J is much better than sitting further back in the plane).

PS doesn't make it a lot easier to use your points than NB. Sure you'd have a slightly higher chance of upgrades on QF metal, but that's about it. It's if you reach SG or above status that finding classic reward seats on QF metal may get a little easier but that depends on which route you're wanting to fly, how popular it is etc.

I'm a big fan of status runs generally but with your travel plans I think it's probably not worth it for you this year.

agreed.

I can't imagine having Silver for the upcoming year where you only have one flight, already in J, will add more value than the cost of a status run.

again agree, see other responses. Thanks to everyone for the speedy advice.

 

[mviy]

Your QF account can remain active so long as you have qualifying activity. Expiry after 18 months of inactivity makes it pretty difficult to lose points if you keep on top of things.

A points earning credit card, Woolworths points converting to QF points etc. provide plenty of options. Family transfers can be used to move points away from accounts not likely to have activity over an 18+ month period.

In your position I'd probably target acquiring points from credit card sign up bonuses provided you can continue to successfully redeem the points for classic reward seats.

 

[RichardMEL]

That is a very good reminder to keep the account active.. still the J trip to Japan will count so you're going to be good till 2020 or so.