Platinum One - Worth it for 400SCs?

[samh004]

Still, I'm hopeful of some invitations, Christmas gift, some upgrades over the next year or so. And I'll start asking in a few months if nothing comes my way.

There's another thing I forgot. They sent me a lovely Christmas gift, a bottle of red they serve onboard in First.

Slowly the little things add up, but do they add up to what you'll need to spend for 400SC?

 

[rory breaker]

And as another ex P1 my only thing to add to this conversation is that the only way it might be worth it is, if you're not already LTG and the SCs don't go to waste in the big scheme of things.

Currently half way between LTS and LTG - no wasted SCs

 

[UP4014]

There's another thing I forgot. They sent me a lovely Christmas gift, a bottle of red they serve onboard in First.

Slowly the little things add up, but do they add up to what you'll need to spend for 400SC?

Be smarter to go out with someone who works in a bottle shop

400 I would say not worth it, 200 maybe.

 

[kermatu]

There's another thing I forgot. They sent me a lovely Christmas gift, a bottle of red they serve onboard in First.

Slowly the little things add up, but do they add up to what you'll need to spend for 400SC?

There were books last year I believe. My year - nothing. But I did get two bottles of wine on free sign-up to Epiqure. I had no invitations, and most of my requests (for seats, shadows, or flight changes) were failures. Not all were within control of QF but the responses and occasional poor, "nothing we can do" attitude, were.

But, yes, the positives do add up. And clearly there are some on this forum and a couple of (now former) P1s I know who had much better 'luck' with P1, including a few upgrades with messages from the P1 team, invitations to events etc.

 

[samh004]

Be smarter to go out with someone who works in a bottle shop

Wise words.

There were books last year I believe. My year - nothing. But I did get two bottles of wine on free sign-up to Epiqure. I had no invitations, and most of my requests (for seats, shadows, or flight changes) were failures. Not all were within control of QF but the responses and occasional poor, "nothing we can do" attitude, were.

But, yes, the positives do add up. And clearly there are some on this forum and a couple of (now former) P1s I know who had much better 'luck' with P1, including a few upgrades with messages from the P1 team, invitations to events etc.

Most got books last year... I got the bottle of red.

I recall when I flew down for the flight simulator experience, OOL-SYD-OOL, both legs I had upgrades.

I've only recently got into the chocolate giving onboard, but I always hand over my flight logbook to be signed by the pilots and if in J they would occasionally come out and have a chat with me (presumably this will not happen anymore thanks to German Wings).

 

[kermatu]

Wise words.



I recall when I flew down for the flight simulator experience, OOL-SYD-OOL, both legs I had upgrades.

I've only recently got into the chocolate giving onboard, but I always hand over my flight logbook to be signed by the pilots and if in J they would occasionally come out and have a chat with me (presumably this will not happen anymore thanks to German Wings).

Did you ask for the simulator experience or was it an invitation? And I assume the flights were your cost?

I love the choc giving idea, but it wouldn't be natural for me so I have resisted - I couldn't help but feel I was doing it to try and get favourable treatment in return. That is not meant to be a criticism of anyone who does it. I have once given a gift to someone in a lounge (spur of the moment decision) who helped me. And I want to do something similar for a gentleman in the Syd F lounge who helped me last month - which I will try and do next visit. In the lounge you may have time (to go get something!) or more certainty you'll see them next visit. So I'm more inclined toward the retrospective thanks.

 

[RichardMEL]

+1 for the "probably not worth it" camp based on your stated travel patterns.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

I want to add some sunshine into your plight for P1 - even though I hold my own views on P1 and how it's likely cost QF a bucket-load of cash when it could have been a phenomenal revenue generator for the company.

Under the following conditions I believe Platinum One may be worth while doing a 400SC run...

- You have mostly international Y/Y+ flights with QF metal on QF flight numbers (ie: 60%+ of your flights are intl).
- Your travel over the next 2 years will be under 1,200 SC/pa
- You want to fast-track LTG and place real value on this (very subjective and personal to you)
- You have FOMO

However if none of these appeal to you - I'd save the cash and spend the extra time with family.

 

[Steady]

And I assume the flights were your cost?

I'm also interested in the answer to this - I actually assumed the opposite

 

[Ansett]

Flight Sim was not automatically offered one had to enquire about it. The cost of flights to Sydney and return is your responsibility and not covered by QF.

 

[RichardMEL]

I was offered the sim up front when I first attained P1 and the first contact from the SST was to offer me that.

 

[froggerADL]

I was offered the sim up front when I first attained P1 and the first contact from the SST was to offer me that.

I had to ask for the sim and I paid for the flights to MEL. I got upgraded on both legs.

I was P1 for 3 years and loved it (I owned 4D ). I wouldn't chase 400SC for it now that J/F ASAs have gone.

 

[kermatu]

Perhaps non-Syd or Mel folk have to ask, otherwise it may look cheap to offer an experience but please pay your own way there? Surely no harm in offering it anyway. I was in Melb for a few days a fortnight ago - perfect time for an invitation had anyone been paying attention to where their P1s were flying.

Good to know though that it's ok to ask.

 

[boomy]

Perhaps non-Syd or Mel folk have to ask, otherwise it may look cheap to offer an experience but please pay your own way there? Surely no harm in offering it anyway. I was in Melb for a few days a fortnight ago - perfect time for an invitation had anyone been paying attention to where their P1s were flying.

Good to know though that it's ok to ask.

I was told P1 sim only done in SYD this year on every last Thursday of every month.

It wasn't cheap to fly BNE-SYD-BNE with +1 include hotel, restaurant and shopping but would definitely do it all over again if I could

 

[kermatu]

Thanks boomy. Better ask sooner rather than later. Melbourne would suit me better, and a non-work day. Maybe it's not to be.

 

[JohnK]

Interesting suggestions. Overwhelmingly don't go for it.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Interesting suggestions. Overwhelmingly don't go for it.

Honestly I'm heartbroken the majority don't think it's worthwhile.

400 SC is 9% of the required for P1 and if was a question of "Platinum - worth it for 110 SC?" the overwhelming majority would say yes.
I'm sure the aim by QFF is to keep an exclusive vibe with the P1 product but in reality if you don't care about status and naturally pass the bar by normal flight activity then there's no need to make it exclusive in the sense QFF likely is aiming for. In fact I would argue it's counter productive to the overall profitability of the group.

 

[JohnK]

Honestly I'm heartbroken the majority don't think it's worthwhile.

400 SC is 9% of the required for P1 and if was a question of "Platinum - worth it for 110 SC?" the overwhelming majority would say yes.

Personally I think 400 SCs is worth it for Platinum so it would be a no brainer for Platinum One.

 

[RichardMEL]

Comment: given the OP's travel profile, as described (ie: ex-CBR, more QFlink than QF mainline etc) the "value" of P1 may be not that much for someone in that situation. Sure P1 is great don't get me wrong (just got my new card for the next year) BUT you have to consider if it's worth it in one's specific situation.

The difference between 400 SC (or 150 or whatever) for Plat over Gold is a very different thing to me. For example, the overall benefits of Plat over Gold are more obvious than P1 :-

* QF J lounge access dom over QC
* OWE benefits, inc F lounge accesses over usual J
* higher priority of upgrades and recognition by OW carriers
* extra free bag allowance in the USA over Sapphire.

and so on.

The jump to P1 mostly affects QF services; ie: EK and OW carriers see no difference between Plat and P1 in terms of how they treat you.

Now, having said that, I would probably do a run to retain P1, but everyone's different and the value of it may not be there for the OP, or others. I travel a lot to the USA and on AA so if I was sitting at say 900 SC it would be a no brainer to go the extra SC to retain Plat for those OWE benefits, but I may think if I'm at 3000 or 3100 SC that it may be too much of a spend for P1 over Plat. YMMV

just my 3 cents

 

[kermatu]

I should note that when I knew my travel would get me close to P1 this year I did a couple of things to ensure qualification - some extra / indirect US flights in F; and a final JASA run involving trans tasman and domestic sectors. So it was 'worth it' for me, but mainly for soft landing purposes as I had already resolved and booked to fly on other carriers more in future (price reasons mainly). In the absence of being in the US and now no more MASAs, I doubt I'd have bothered.

A few more flights coming up in the next fortnight or so, so let's see what P1 treatment I receive.