Losing my WP status

[wisewoman]

After enjoying WP status (lifetime Silver) for almost a decade I am back to lowly Gold. Not because I don't fly enough. I do. It is a combination of being forced into EK flights between Perth and Europe due to difficulties booking through Qantas when you need to travel or change your flight at short notice, using some of my many QFF points for a few sectors of several long haul international flights or upgrades last year, and having to fly Jetstar on several domestic and international routes as Qantas doesn't fly the particular route from Perth.

I am also booked on a number of long haul international flights for this year as well as several One World flights within Europe.

I was hoping Qantas would take all of this into consideration on 31 Dec 2016 when my status came up for renewal. No such luck.

It does remove the incentive for me to stay loyal to Qantas. I have the choice with my work to use Qantas and the One World alliance or Virgin and the Star Alliance. So far I have opted for Qantas even when the cost of the other is lower or the Virgin flight might be at a better time. It's a more difficult decision now, particularly as I have noticed a further downgrading of my privileges on Emirates even when I held WP status.

For example I booked my Perth-Dubai-Paris and Venice-Dubai-Perth flights in October 2016 when I held WP status and was not able to access any exit aisles seats for the economy legs of the flights. I have also now found that on the Perth-Dubai leg the aircraft has been changed from an A380 to a B777!

Very disappointing.

 

[Squirrel.Monkey]

Do you mind me asking how many SC points you needed to maintain WP?

 

[opusman]

After a decade of WP you should be very close to lifetime Gold, so I would say don't give up on QF until you attain that at least.

 

[mviy]

If your flights to Europe are mainly to visit LHR then the QF PER-LHR flights starting next year may solve some of your problems.

 

[moa999]

Do you mind me asking how many SC points you needed to maintain WP?

https://www.qantas.com/fflyer/dyn/program/statusPrivileges

 

[JohnK]

For example I booked my Perth-Dubai-Paris and Venice-Dubai-Perth flights in October 2016 when I held WP status and was not able to access any exit aisles seats for the economy legs of the flights. I have also now found that on the Perth-Dubai leg the aircraft has been changed from an A380 to a B777!

Qantas Platinums are not able to preselect exit rows on Emirates flights. I have been able to get exit row on 2/2 Emirates flights at checkin.

 

[Squirrel.Monkey]

Thanks. I know in general but were they 20 or 30 off reaching it.

 

[oz_mark]

Were you comped platinum in a previous year?

 

[RichardMEL]

I have the choice with my work to use Qantas and the One World alliance or Virgin and the Star Alliance.

Small comment... Virgin Australia is not part of the Star Alliance, though it is partners with several of the main members - NZ, SQ and recently announced AC I believe. Does EY serve PER(I think they do) - that would be an option too if one was going with a VA strategy as well as SQ who are bringing the A350 to PER.

No doubt PER has been problematic for QF flyers for awhile, hopefully the PER-LHR service will help.