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?

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Not much of an experience per se but on leaving yesterday's BNE-MEL flight the CSM did say goodbye and tacked on a "Thank you for being a Platinum One" which was a nice touch. Unexpected though so I think I said something stiupid like "no worries" in response. WTF?! I just didn't expect it !

It was my requalification flight too so I'm P1 till September, 2018.

The CSM comment could have been due to them knowing it was your requal flight? I'm fully expecting fire engines on the apron giving the aircraft a water salute when I qualify in July. Okay, maybe not.

 

[Princess Fiona]

The CSM comment could have been due to them knowing it was your requal flight? I'm fully expecting fire engines on the apron giving the aircraft a water salute when I qualify in July. Okay, maybe not.

I'm sure there will also be Comtes De Taittinger on board too

 

[juddles]

Flew into Australia last week on QF28 SCL-SYD. Sat in 1A. Initial service was lacklustre (seems the norm on that route now), and a few hours into the flight while everyone slept, I hit the call button to ask for food. It is my experience recently on these flights that cabin crew do not tend to do a walk-around ever. 15 min later still noone had appeared so I hit the call button again. A flight attendant appeared this time, and I asked for the "fish cakes". These were one of the two "anytime during the flight" meal/snack items. The fa informed me that she "thought" they had run out of both the fish cakes and the other option (a chicken sandwich?), but they had some bags of chips and there was some "leftover cheese"!! What??!! Three hours into a 14 hr flight? They have run this line on me a couple of times this year. My face must have expressed growing anger and the fa said she would check. She reappeared a few minutes later with a COMPLETELY different attitude. Suddenly I was being offered both choices, actually she recommended to have both as the fish cakes were a small meal, and offered wine, etc. The change in attitude was amazing, so I suspect she may have done a status check or something. In any case it did not make me feel great for being P1, it just made me sad how J pax are treated on those flights.

For anyone familiar with the first row in the non-refurb 747's, 1A is a stand alone seat. To the right across the aisle there is a small table that sits in front of the two middle seats in row two. After about an hour I wanted to get out of my seat but no crew had come past to collect the plates/glasses/etc, so I leant over and put it all on that small table. It was still sitting there uncollected a couple of hours later when I finally decided to take a nap.

I don't sleep much on planes, even those long haul flights. I know that is not the norm, but it is truly sad that QF staff are able to make you feel like being a pest for daring to be awake during the bulk of the flight. In the past I have encountered really wonderful staff on that route, but for the past year or more I have not exactly been enchanted.

After arriving at SYD I got QF552 up to BNE. A short flight, but the bloke who served me on that leg was just perfect - reminded me why I fell in love with Qantas to begin with.

Sorry, starting to ramble on - really I should write a letter to Qantas about the absolute piss-poor experiences I am getting on QF27/28, and also maybe I should have written something to congratulate the guy on QF552. But to be honest, that would take up my time and I know I will just get some standard "thank you for your feedback - we will pass on <good comment> / strive to improve <negative comment> I just can't be bothered.

No good treatment as a P1 on long haul in my experience.

 

[juddles]

And I write this as I get ready to do the reverse trip tomorrow - and I don't look forward to it. That is yet another level of feeling jaded with QF. I love flying, have always been a QF fanatical fan, but now I am completely unexcited, even dreading, another flight, even though it is in row 1 on a 747, even as a P1!!! How has it come to this?

 

[Pleb Status]

And I write this as I get ready to do the reverse trip tomorrow - and I don't look forward to it. That is yet another level of feeling jaded with QF. I love flying, have always been a QF fanatical fan, but now I am completely unexcited, even dreading, another flight, even though it is in row 1 on a 747, even as a P1!!! How has it come to this?

When I was doing a bit of regular long haul flying on QF as a P1, I found the only way to get an 'anytime' meal was to place an 'order' with the CSM at the start of the flight and they would put it aside for me.

I generally went hungry on the occasions when I forgot to preorder.

 

[Matt_01]

Upgraded this morning MEL-SYD it was operational as plane switched from 332 to 737.

 

[RichardMEL]

Upgraded this morning MEL-SYD it was operational as plane switched from 332 to 737.

Geez that suggested they had bugger all paid pax in J. A switch the other way I could see a ton of op ups but downgrade is a new one. If one has to be switched to a 73H this is some compensation

 

[Matt_01]

I spoke with the loung staff and it was a last minute change due to an unwell pilot. They seem to be working overtime as the downsizing left them with an over sold plane. I only found out at the airport.

 

[njba]

The change in attitude was amazing, so I suspect she may have done a status check or something. In any case it did not make me feel great for being P1, it just made me sad how J pax are treated on those flights.

Gosh, it's so superficial and transparent when FAs act like that. Customers weren't born yesterday and can see through it, surely.

 

[boomy]

No, I expect Brisbane CLs will stay in the current CL until the new one is ready. Then the current CL space is being handed back to BAC.

I got the info from QF staff. Maybe the plan is to hand back that CL space earlier, before new lounge opens.

 

[boomy]

Missed connecting PER-BNE flight last week due to initial outbound flight being delayed 2 hours.

End result, 7 hour wait in Perth for next flight which was the red-eye.

Travelling on Fully Flex fare, received no compensation or comp upgrade and was placed in row 27.

Could be worse. I missed the exact same flight few years ago and all window/aisle seats on red-eye 737 were taken so best they could do for me was 4E. An added bonus was 7 hour wait in the old horrible lounge where pax had to queue up to get 1 drink each time.

 

[juddles]

And I write this as I get ready to do the reverse trip tomorrow - and I don't look forward to it. That is yet another level of feeling jaded with QF. I love flying, have always been a QF fanatical fan, but now I am completely unexcited, even dreading, another flight, even though it is in row 1 on a 747, even as a P1!!! How has it come to this?

And yet another "ho-hum" experience. Yet again great staff on the domestic leg, and bored staff on the long-haul. The CSM was good but the rest of the staff - not.

 

[boomy]

And yet another "ho-hum" experience. Yet again great staff on the domestic leg, and bored staff on the long-haul. The CSM was good but the rest of the staff - not.

P1s don't get any special treatment on Dom flights for years now, at least not me nor the ones around me on my flights. On Int I noticed no special attention in F, the usual F wine in J and the usual J wine in Y.
Generally QF service ranges from OK to Great.

 

[RichardMEL]

P1s don't get any special treatment on Dom flights for years now, at least not me nor the ones around me on my flights. On Int I noticed no special attention in F, the usual F wine in J and the usual J wine in Y.
Generally QF service ranges from OK to Great.

Re domestic.. I've found slightly more verbal recognition over the past year (I don't really care either way but I note it) but I have noticed there has been an effort by some to ensure full choice of meal options, even if in row 3 of a 737 (eg once was explicitly told "I made sure to keep one of everything") and usually on the widebodies where CSM's tend to visit pax in J they will make note in the greeting (I think this suggests the manifest issue has been resolved ).

I certainly don't recall the last time I've not been able to get my first option on a dom or international flight

I'm not sure what other services could be offered tbh.. specially on domestic there's only so much one can do.

I will agree that the days of being comp'd the odd bottle of wine seem to have gone for a few years now (I bet this is more about what's boarded).. for example years back if I remarked I really liked a certain wine being served if they had a spare rarely it would be presented (a really nice touch IMHO) but have not seen that for a long time (but then again if offered a Shaw & Smith I'm not sure how I'd feel ). I don't expect stuff like that mind you but I can't think of another way the crew could explicitly offer something special

(I take mostly J flights which probably impacts since I can't really comment on what P1s get in Y.. I certainly recall the last Y flight I took a jam packed MEL-SYD 73H and there was no room for anything but I didn't really care)

 

[Princess Fiona]

P1s don't get any special treatment on Dom flights for years now, at least not me nor the ones around me on my flights. On Int I noticed no special attention in F, the usual F wine in J and the usual J wine in Y.
Generally QF service ranges from OK to Great.

Every time I travel with Shrek (that's not very often) he gets amazingly attentive service

 

[boomy]

Re domestic.. I've found slightly more verbal recognition over the past year (I don't really care either way but I note it) but I have noticed there has been an effort by some to ensure full choice of meal options, even if in row 3 of a 737 (eg once was explicitly told "I made sure to keep one of everything") and usually on the widebodies where CSM's tend to visit pax in J they will make note in the greeting (I think this suggests the manifest issue has been resolved ).

I certainly don't recall the last time I've not been able to get my first option on a dom or international flight

I'm not sure what other services could be offered tbh.. specially on domestic there's only so much one can do.

I will agree that the days of being comp'd the odd bottle of wine seem to have gone for a few years now (I bet this is more about what's boarded).. for example years back if I remarked I really liked a certain wine being served if they had a spare rarely it would be presented (a really nice touch IMHO) but have not seen that for a long time (but then again if offered a Shaw & Smith I'm not sure how I'd feel ). I don't expect stuff like that mind you but I can't think of another way the crew could explicitly offer something special

(I take mostly J flights which probably impacts since I can't really comment on what P1s get in Y.. I certainly recall the last Y flight I took a jam packed MEL-SYD 73H and there was no room for anything but I didn't really care)

Most of my Dom flights are in Y. It's the company policy and, apart from A330 to PER, I find little value in using points to upgrade from row 4 on B737.
Service in Dom Y seriously deteriorated in recent years compared to service in Int Y which remained attentive. On a recent flight to HKG (the odd $599 fare) CSM and FAs went out of their way to make the flight special by practically providing J service in Y.
Thankfully I don't do too many Int Y flights but it was good reminder to how great P1 recognition could be.

 

[RichardMEL]

Every time I travel with Shrek (that's not very often) he gets amazingly attentive service

Nobody wants an angry Ogre on their flight though!

 

[La Mouette]

A lot of the more memorable service experiences I've had with QF have been with people who don't know my status - the porter who always recognises me at the SYD Intl terminal, the spa therapist who knows what treatment I always have and sets the room up for it in advance, etc. My favourite this year was on a LHR-SYD flight. The FA asked what I'd like to drink. Apple juice, please. Orange juice? No, apple juice, please. A few minutes later he arrived back with orange juice. I didn't say anything, but my amusement must have showed on my face right as an engineer who was fiddling around in the cabinet in front of me looked up. He went back towards the galley and two minutes later the FA arrived back and silently replaced my orange juice with apple. When he'd finished his checks, the engineer came back, checked that I had apple juice, and gave me a thumbs up before leaving the plane! Unfortunately I then had to be nice to the FA for the next 7 hours ... Would have preferred the engineer! I wish QF would understand that these are the sorts of things that make flying bearable when you're flying a lot, not a CSM greeting.

 

[Matt_01]

Second week in a row scored an upgrade, but also due to some type of system issue. As I went to boarding there was an error, somehow 2 PAX seated in 4C. After a few minutes wait at the service desk allocated 1F.

 

[ReLoad]

P1 has been real hit and miss of late.

I've done some long haul in whY;

MEL to LHR no points upgrade cleared, but had 80K so was as good as whY gets, the CSM gave me a F amenity kit and was ace!

MEL to LAX the other day, again no points upgrade clearing and had the best part of zilch different service or welcome.

Also the MEL F lounge was full with a queue so didn't even get a good brekky before departing.

I've flown a lot this year and been really spasmodic in terms of P1 anything - with one very notable exception; Gay in the SST, she's a true gem.