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?

 

[TonyHancock]

I think QF has failed with P1 in one major regard - the lack of tangible benefits as SC's are earned over and above the 3600 threshold. BA delivers up to 9000 TP's (TP's are earned at roughly the same rate as QF SC's.) GGL is the BA equivalent.

BA delivers

One Gold and two Silver memberships to give to anyone upon reaching or re-qualifying GGL
Two "Jokers" Gold Redemptions upon reaching or re-qualifying GGL. These "force open" reward availability for up to five pax
Hilton Diamond membership
At 3500 TP's two GUF1's (Gold upgrade for one) are earned. These can be used on both revenue and rewards bookings and are valid for an entire itinerary, not just a single sector.
At 6000 TP's a further Joker is earned
At 7000/8000/9000 TP's one gets the choice of 2 x GUF1, Another GGL redemption (joker) or 50,000 Avios.

To qualify initially one needs to hit 5000 TP's and then 3000 to retain GGL. At 5000 TP's one also receives a Concorde Room Card, which gives access to BA's Concorde Rooms and Concorde Bars.

These are significant rewards and benefits for me. QF P1's are given little or no rewards in comparison.

The BA GUF's are excellent and by using a travel agent can be used to book into revenue classes. e.g. if A class is available one can book a business class fare and use the GUF to upgrade into First regardless of whether there is any reward availability.

 

[RichardMEL]

Tony makes very good points - the BA tangible benefits are streets ahead - they are also in a very different environment w.r.t competition.

to be fair to QF (well..) QF did enhance(!) the P1 level slightly with additional benefits at SC levels a year or 2 back:

5,000 Status Credits on Qantas or Jetstar[SUP]~[/SUP]	Platinum One bonus	75,000 Qantas Points
7,000 Status Credits on Qantas or Jetstar[SUP]~[/SUP]	Platinum One bonus	100,000 Qantas Points

Now bonus points are a bit ho hum when you're at this level you usually earn more than enough, but it's *something*

I think QF *should* offer more published benefits for sure and even make it the choice deal like the 2400 level.

What about 5000 SC's choice of 75k points, gift platinum status(if you have not given partner plat) or say 4 SWU type instruments

6000 SC say earn another 2 SWU or 50k points

Also on attaining or retaining P1 why not throw us a SWU or something? I know they give us the odd P1 comp upgrade - but it's pretty inconcistent - some have got them on things like SYD-DFW.. what have I had? MEL-BNE! LOL I'm not whining, but the value of a SYD-DFW upgrade either to J or to F is somewhat more than MEL-BNE If they gave us a confirmed upgrade we could use on flights of OUR choice then yes please.

As I noted earlier I think what is stopping QF giving more benefits to this uber top tier (as they make it out to be) is the lack of direct competition in this space. VA has nothing even close. There's almost zero incentive for QF to throw stuff at customers who are clearly either tied via corporate contract or other reasons to buying QF - essentially they are pretty much locked in to QF (or that's how QF sees it, despite high yield folks like Tony jumping ship and they don't seem to care/notice).

I think this is tied up with that marketing adage along the lines of it costs a whole lot more to get someone to be "loyal" to your brand than to retain them. I think QF pretty much considers P1 folks to be "in the bag" with them. Throw a few bones at them to keep them more or less happy but that's about it.

I'd note the fact that the SST as good as they can be (at times) is basically a 9-5 operation with one person on call at other times - I don't know how BA handle GGL but it seems that since QF doesn't have full time 24/7 cover they can't possibly meet the expectations they set out in the glossy brochure. Yes, I know that res is supposed to look after things, and automation and all that, and in general it does to varying degrees, but weekends oz time are definitely a lower point for P1 "service" IMHO.

There's much QF could do to improve, but I think they lack the incentive (and probably cost pressures from the bean counters too)

 

[QF WP]

P1 has been around for 5 years now.

Looking at this thread, not a lot has changed. Thoughts?

Still remember fondly the P1 party in SYD that we attended

 

[JohnPhelan]

Apart from a couple of cabin managers coming and having a friendly chat, I've seen absolutely bugger all change from Platinum.

Highly over-rated status.

You're very fortunate then - the main advantage is the availability of the SST when you need something special/urgent. Clearly you've not had that need, which is great.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Apart from a couple of cabin managers coming and having a friendly chat, I've seen absolutely bugger all change from Platinum.

Highly over-rated status.

I get what you mean but the domestic J lounges are way ahead of the QP. Maybe not MEL as much but I do like transiting through SYD domestic J, it's a very nice lounge and much better than next door. We are very cossetted here in Australia and it is nice to have WP or P1 and receive a good service when you're doing a SYD-MEL, which is essentially a bus service.

I've toyed with going for P1 this year or maybe the next, just for the fun of it. Maybe just to get an op-up sometime, just maybe.

 

[Abdul_A350]

I get what you mean but the domestic J lounges are way ahead of the QP

But available to Platinum and Platinum One as well.

SYD-MEL is a train or at very least a tram, CBR-SYD is a bus.

 

[Jobu]

Tony Hancock - interestingly I also signed up to BA a couple of years ago and am also GGL.

I mainly did this because I was travelling alot on BA and found that I would rarely get looked after on BA as a QF FF - even with CL.

I would add to the benefits you listed, the ability to earn lifetime Gold (equivalent to lifetime WP) and even the ability to earn lifetime GGL (equivalent to earn lifetime P1). For me the jokers are very useful. Even when I was P1 I struggled to redeem 5 rewards seats on a single flight.

As a result of crediting most OW flights to BA, I finally dropped down from P1 - having been P1 since inception. For what it's worth, at least the special service team tried to help, although I found they were often unable to do anything.

 

[Kangol]

As a result of crediting most OW flights to BA, I finally dropped down from P1 - having been P1 since inception. For what it's worth, at least the special service team tried to help, although I found they were often unable to do anything.

What type of situations did they try to help in?

 

[juddles]

Although I enjoy being P1 (mainly for the geek/afficionado factor - have not had/needed anything really from the P1 team), I crunched a few numbers/concepts today and think I will ride out 2017 with P1 status and meanwhile in 2017 do LATAM status to Black Signature - their P1 equivalent. Am already QF LTG and as so many others have said, there is nothing left to aim for. The last 2000 SC I earn this year with QF have absolutely ZERO meaning - surely that indicates a flaw in the system?

I am a special case, in that I am based overseas (Colombia) and do lots of flights back to Aust - am sick of the QF system where I cannot select BOG as my starting point for a return fare - can do BNE-BOG with BNE as the start, but not what I need - BOG-BNE with BOG as the start. Why that is the situation with the QF site is beyond me.... And their codeshares transpac with LATAM are a nightmare - seat selection impossible. Yes, it is a first world, whatever problem, but if I cannot book QF flights via the QF site, and because I am thus forced to book the same metal with other parties, I cannot do seat selection, well that does not impress me.

 

[ReLoad]

got an invite yesterday to the boxing day test, however rather ironically flying SYD-PVG on a QF plane

 

[Solid]

The conspiracy theorists will say that was deliberate!

 

[juddles]

BTW, not that it REALLY matters, but with LATAM Black Signature they pay attention to small meaningless details that are actually well received. When I made P1 with Qantas I got a "welcome email" and a couple of trinkets. When my brother renewed LATAM Black Signature he got a nice suit carrier, a framed world map with pins, etc, and other stuff. Getting a metre-long parcel delivered is a bit more impressive than the QF equivalent. Meaningless, yes, but IMHO, to give a welcome pack worth maybe $100 to a customer that spends $50,000 - $100,000 minimum on your business does not really have a "wow" factor.

 

[juddles]

And last rant for the evening (it is night here), with Avianca (Lifemiles), as one of their top-tier pax, I get some guaranteed upgrade certificates each year to be used at my choice, plus I get guaranteed space-available upgrades from Y to J on every flight. I hear that as a P1 you average 1 in 10 op-ups - with Avianca I get 9 out of 10 op-ups.

 

[RichardMEL]

got an invite yesterday to the boxing day test, however rather ironically flying SYD-PVG on a QF plane

for which day just out of interest?

a few years back I got an invite to day 3

 

[ReLoad]

Days 1 and 2.

 

[RichardMEL]

And last rant for the evening (it is night here), with Avianca (Lifemiles), as one of their top-tier pax, I get some guaranteed upgrade certificates each year to be used at my choice, plus I get guaranteed space-available upgrades from Y to J on every flight. I hear that as a P1 you average 1 in 10 op-ups - with Avianca I get 9 out of 10 op-ups.

Absolutely agree the lack of a SWU/confirmed upgrade instrument is poor. Many others do it for their top tier and it would really improve the value of P1. QF are working to keep it exclusive as a top earned tier... they could definitely do more

but as I always say there's no pressure on them to do more for P1's.

 

[RichardMEL]

Days 1 and 2.

great offer btw! Sure beats day 3!

and I've had no offers this year.

conspiracy theories may continue as - I am not leaving MEL during that time!!!

 

[Per_Travels]

Early Christmas present from QF - bottle of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2006 arrived via courier this morning. Thanks very much.

 

[RichardMEL]

ah hah! And so it begins!

 

[Per_Travels]

ah hah! And so it begins!

Yes - always a fun little diversion in December. I got the Krug last year, but only after weeks of painfully watching as others get their presents (yes - I am that shallow).