Qantas Platinum One experiences?

[aus_flyer]

To all the newly-minted Platinum One frequent flyers out there... I'm curious to hear... what's been your experience so far?

Anything different?

Free upgrades?

... or all hype?

 

[Matt_01]

White tie dinner with chef Marco Pierre White.

And if you cannot make it can I pretend to be you I am sure I can wangle my way to NZ.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

And if you cannot make it can I pretend to be you I am sure I can wangle my way to NZ.

You're forgetting NZ is small so people know who I am

 

[lsmi4126]

You're forgetting NZ is small so people know who I am

Ms Ardern? Is that you?

 

[RichardMEL]

Wow NOT the Ponytail. I'm even more impressed!

 

[flyingfan]

Not wanting to take the QF First check-in further OT so posting here. AFAIK F lounge spa appointments aren’t a P1 benefit so you don’t get the call the day before unless flying F.

Having said that I’ve just emerged from a spa treatment after being offered one on arrival as a P1

 

[defurax]

As a newly minted P1 I was wondering what to expect about timing of upgrade confirmation for international flight. I imagine flights showing I9 might be upgraded a week in advance, but what about other cases e.g. J8C6D0I0? Is there a batch of P1 upgrades processed at T-60 which seems to be the earliest a WP can get upgraded.

 

[RichardMEL]

As a newly minted P1 I was wondering what to expect about timing of upgrade confirmation for international flight. I imagine flights showing I9 might be upgraded a week in advance, but what about other cases e.g. J8C6D0I0? Is there a batch of P1 upgrades processed at T-60 which seems to be the earliest a WP can get upgraded.

Yes, that's a reasonable assumption but it's always at the whim of Revenue Management if they release seats or not, and of course how many others are in the queue at P1 or CL status.

In general I've had flihts clear a week out, sometimes a few days and even once down to the wire on day of departure.

As with everything it's a lottery, but you do have the odds weighted in advantage as a P1 heavily. You're Catness in the Hungergames

 

[Borisdog]

Well, I just had a rude awakening at 0130 to say that myself and Mrs BD's flight ex TSV-BNE this morning had been bumped backwards 2.5Hrs. Resulting in a missed connection to HKG and other nasty flow-on effects after that.

Straight onto the P1 batphone and Gay from the P1 team had it all sorted inside 10 minutes - with both of us put onto a VA flight to BNE allowing us to make the QF flight to HKG in Bris.

So - very nice recovery from Gay there and a considerably happier wife for me.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

As a newly minted P1 I was wondering what to expect about timing of upgrade confirmation for international flight. I imagine flights showing I9 might be upgraded a week in advance, but what about other cases e.g. J8C6D0I0? Is there a batch of P1 upgrades processed at T-60 which seems to be the earliest a WP can get upgraded.

Well over 90% of my points upgrades clear 7 days out, sometimes with a lag of up to a day. The others clear a day or two out, except for very rare times when they don't clear at all.

 

[RichardMEL]

So yesterday (Sunday) I received a surprising email from the SST - an Invitation to use the BNE CL (yes, CL) prior to my flight today to MEL. A one time only offer for myself and a guest to use the lounge. This was really surprising and a great notion.

I've since found out others have had offers, and from a discussion with the CLangel it seems this is a new initiative (or maybe trial) to some (it was suggested not all P1's are getting invitations) to us the CL and they are measuring feedback and experiences and amount of time spent in the lounge by P1's.

I was so absolutely surprised by this invite and had such a lovely time in the lounge (dare I say akin to a "mini first" lounge) with the usual culprits on the menu (S&P squid, pav in a glass, club sanga etc) and the super quiet and comfy atmosphere and very attentive staff and service. Unfortunately they could not maintain the shadow they'd tried to keep for me (flight went out over by 1 apparently) but hey that's life - I still had a fine flight home in Y.. but this was an extra lovely start to my trip.

Anyway obviously I have no idea how widespread this is, or how long it will go for, or even if it might be an ongoing or regular thing in the future, but I got the impression they're looking to reward actual flying P1's (apparently CL can bring two guests in, who do not need to be flying...) and well they get my vote. This was a really great unexpected surprise for me but definitely greatly appreciated and I may never get another one, but I never thought *I* would ever get near a CL let alone an invite, so I think this was really good and maybe if QF are considering perhaps wider access for P1 members on a more formal basis this could really make a difference for the domestic road warriors.

Thanks, QF!

 

[levelnine]

an Invitation to use the BNE CL (yes, CL) prior to my flight today to MEL.

Was the lounge busy? I wonder if they are restricting the P1 invites to quiet times.

Admittedly, the only time I've seen a CL busy was on a Monday morning at SYD, and that's a big lounge.

 

[nutwood]

I put the CL question to the test a few weeks back. Friday, late afternoon Melbourne in the Business lounge. There had been discussion on this thread regarding CL access. I arrived in the lounge to find there were absolutely no seats to be had without fairly heavy duty intrusion tactics.
I approached the service desk and put the question; P1, no seats in the lounge, is CL access possible? Much consternation, phone calls with hand overs. Result was that CL access only possible with invite.
Actually worked out well. Whilst I was at service desk, lady departed from prime seat and I nabbed it

 

[Matt_01]

So yesterday (Sunday) I received a surprising email from the SST - an Invitation to use the BNE CL (yes, CL) prior to my flight today to MEL. A one time only offer for myself and a guest to use the lounge. This was really surprising and a great notion.

I've since found out others have had offers, and from a discussion with the CLangel it seems this is a new initiative (or maybe trial) to some (it was suggested not all P1's are getting invitations) to us the CL and they are measuring feedback and experiences and amount of time spent in the lounge by P1's.

I was so absolutely surprised by this invite and had such a lovely time in the lounge (dare I say akin to a "mini first" lounge) with the usual culprits on the menu (S&P squid, pav in a glass, club sanga etc) and the super quiet and comfy atmosphere and very attentive staff and service. Unfortunately they could not maintain the shadow they'd tried to keep for me (flight went out over by 1 apparently) but hey that's life - I still had a fine flight home in Y.. but this was an extra lovely start to my trip.

@RichardMEL I would like to think this may be a change for the better. Back in early Aug I posted This and although my tip was disrupted it was nice to be given access to the CL lounge. I hope QF do not try to overthink how to address the general dissolution with the P1 program when in fact it is quite easy to resolve - offer us something that is significantly better from a traveller perspective than a few extra points at 5000SC’s or 7000SC’s or all jokes aside LTP at 75K SC’s.

Apologies, my rant is over.

 

[Daver6]

Hopefully this works out. As a mere WP, I don't want to have to share the J lounges with the P1 riff raff

 

[RichardMEL]

Was the lounge busy? I wonder if they are restricting the P1 invites to quiet times.

Admittedly, the only time I've seen a CL busy was on a Monday morning at SYD, and that's a big lounge.

I did wonder too tbh. While far from full, in fact I reckon 20% full (though 2/3 meeting rooms were in use too) but there was a steady stream of people in and out for the 90 or so minutes I was there. It certainly was not overstressed in any way, but nor was it a barren wateland of entitlement

 

[lsmi4126]

I've been invited to use the CL in CBR a few times in Jan/Dec when the are doing "maintenance" on the biz lounge (read: have closed it as passenger numbers are extremely low ex CBR). Only started happening when I was P1. Had to slum it in the QPub as a WP.

Has always been one of the lovely CBR lounge attendents (usually Sonai) escorting me over there when I've rocked up at the QPub desk.

 

[Chalkie]

Any idea how long it takes for P1 to disappear from your profile on the website if you've not earned enough SCs? As I retired at the end of 2018 and stopped flying as much as once did, I only earned enough SCs to be WP. 31 October was my anniversary date. My profile had a message which said "congratulations you've retained P1" and it still shows me as a P1, but my SCs have been wiped and I am assuming that's something that my status needs to wash out in the system.

Have there been instances of P1 being kept notwithstanding not enough SCs? I have been a P1 almost since the creation of P1, but the decline in my flying would have been obvious to anyone at QF who looked.

 

[calmelb]

Any idea how long it takes for P1 to disappear from your profile on the website if you've not earned enough SCs? As I retired at the end of 2018 and stopped flying as much as once did, I only earned enough SCs to be WP. 31 October was my anniversary date. My profile had a message which said "congratulations you've retained P1" and it still shows me as a P1, but my SCs have been wiped and I am assuming that's something that my status needs to wash out in the system.

Have there been instances of P1 being kept notwithstanding not enough SCs? I have been a P1 almost since the creation of P1, but the decline in my flying would have been obvious to anyone at QF who looked.

It took till the 10th or so for my P1 to disappear from my account, I had a few flights in between me loosing P1 and it updating and my BP reflected P1 right up until around the 10th

 

[Chalkie]

It took till the 10th or so for my P1 to disappear from my account, I had a few flights in between me loosing P1 and it updating and my BP reflected P1 right up until around the 10th

I thought something like that might be the case. Thanks for responding!

 

[kermatu]

Going back a few years when I first dropped back from P1 to WP the account showed the change within a day or two from memory "you have earned Platinum". BP stlll had P1 on Oct 1 but by my next flight (either 3rd or 4th) it was just WP. Couldn't wait to get rid of me clearly!

I'll use this post to note I received an invitation to a T20 international event. One of those "register your interest, apologies if you miss out" ones. Unable to attend (not because of travel, other reasons) so did not proceed with accepting/registering. Shame as I'll be pretty close by - just couldn't swing it. Nice to get an invitation after a long gap.