New to the Jetsetters! Can some one give me guidance?

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EI

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Sep 11, 2005
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Hi,

I have about 24,000 points on my QFF from a RTW trip last year.

However, I have just been appointed Technical Director (sounds posh, but it's not!) and I am finsing myself on a lot of trips internationally. My QFF ststus is only bronze, and I was wondering if I can buy club lounge passes to use until I have enough to get a free option with my next tier?

I would really like to make use of the lounges, as I have a lot of waiting around on trips coming up between meetings, and one of the waits is in Bombay and any kind of comfort would be appreciated!!!

Will wait to hear your suggestions!
 
Yes, you could buy Qantas Club membership (you can't buy individual pases), then it doesn't matter what is your FF status, you get into QC and associated lounges around the world. Prices here

Don't know your travel destinations, class of travel or frequency; but presume Asian destinations. As you are only Bronze QFF now, I don't think I need to tell you how much flying that would need to do to get to QFF Gold status. Alternatively, it may be worthwhile to look at joining American Airlines FF program and undergoing a Platinum Challenge. What is it - read the explanation notes here but a simple precis:

Basically, you sign up for the Gold or Platinum Challenge under the premise that you can demonstrate a quantity of qualifying flight activity within a limited time period that justifies your request for fast-tracked elite status...

This would get you to AA Platinum (equivalent to QF Gold) without additional cost to your flights. If you undertook it now and achieved it within 90 days (the limited time period alluded to above), you'd be able to get AA Platinum until 28 February 2007 (which gets you access to Oneworld lounges, Business Class boarding, extra baggage allowance, etc). What's also hugely beneficial is the AA's FF award redemption rate (currently 20K points gets you anywhere in Australia or NZ).

Can you afford not to take the Challenge??

Assuming you fly Qantas a lot, you simply need to look at what class of travel you are booking your flights. Here's the QF flight earning table from the AA web site.

The AA program's Q-points are similar to QF's status credits. Like you need 1,400 SC's to qualify for Platinum, you need 10,000 q-points under a Platinum Challenge to meet the challenge.

To give you a real life current example: my mother-in-law leaves tomorrow bound for London. She's flying BA's World Traveller Plus (premium economy) SYD/SIN tomorrow and SIN/LHR the following day. By the time she reaches LHR she's AA Platinum because she'll have accumulated more than 10,000 q-points. Two flights, total cost $1,975 for those two flights to that point. She gets a 200% mileage bonus for the last flight as she completes the Challenge with that flight. Thereafter, all her flights are earning Platinum statu earning rates. After returning from LHR next month, she'll have earnt 41,600 points - enough for 2 return tickets (economy) anywhere in Australia or NZ.

Plenty of members here have taken the Platinum Challenge after getting guidance here on this Board: Bob, rosesplus, MetroAir (to name a few), plus ones I have personally put through:

* My wife
* Her best friend
* My best friend
* His mother

Should you want any more details, let us know. Tell us what flights (and class of travel) and we'll show you how easy it is...that's why it's known to a few of us as the AA Lack of Challenge.
 
All good advise here from Lindsay.

Also note that if you choose the QF club scenario, your paid membership is suspended (not refunded) so that if/when you drop below Gold level, your paid membership kicks in again and your QC resumes for whatever time is remaining...

To emphasis the benefit of AA's Plat / QF Gold, you also attain oneworld Sapphire level which allows you lounge access at all the oneworld member airlines when travelling in Y. QF Club doesn't give you this...

Also as an aside, don't expect much from Mumbai airport - even in the lounges. Very basic. The one I had to use last year (travelling SQ as a PPS!) didn't even have its own toilet and had to go out and queue with the punters!
 
AlwaysUpThere said:
The one I had to your last year didn't even have its own toilet and had to go out and queue with the punters!
Not unique to India ... try the lounges at LAX at the TBI terminal :roll: .

Though I think it may be reasonable to assume that the LAX punter toilets may be in a different league to those found in BOM.
 
AlwaysUpThere said:
To emphasis the benefit of AA's Plat / QF Gold, you also attain oneworld Sapphire level which allows you lounge access at all the oneworld member airlines when travelling in Y. QF Club doesn't give you this...

Just to clarify, AA Plat doesn't get you access to AA lounges when flying on AA domestically (using AA's warped definition of "domestic"). Needs to be flying internationally the same day.

AA members also do not earn when flying on BA between the US and the UK (possibly also Canada-UK, although open to correction on that).

Dave
 
Plus EI, there is a stupendous deal on at the moment on BA - you might be able to take advantage if you are flying to LHR.

From BA's web site

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