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?

 

[RichardMEL]

LOL that's pretty funny

it implies CL can though... (kidding)

 

[RichardMEL]

So am I the only one who finds the latest edition of the Platinum One Briefing to be even more lame than the others? No decent discount offer(that I can see).. a reminder to "Tell us when you're flying"(ie: put your FF# into bookings - duh) - but they then will ignore anyway when it comes to things like event offers.. and speaking of which the chance to win a 747 (which I guess will soon be retro) flight sim experience.. huh? did it not used to be that when becoming P1 a flight sim (maybe 737 not 747 but still) experience was the first offer on joining? I was offered it.. I know others have.. and some have even done it multiple times.. now they're offering a "chance to" do one? "Enhqancement"?

Honestly this one, to me anyway, is a real waste of e-space.

What am I missing?

 

[GoldCanyon340]

So am I the only one who finds the latest edition of the Platinum One Briefing to be even more lame than the others? No decent discount offer(that I can see).. a reminder to "Tell us when you're flying"(ie: put your FF# into bookings - duh) - but they then will ignore anyway when it comes to things like event offers.. and speaking of which the chance to win a 747 (which I guess will soon be retro) flight sim experience.. huh? did it not used to be that when becoming P1 a flight sim (maybe 737 not 747 but still) experience was the first offer on joining? I was offered it.. I know others have.. and some have even done it multiple times.. now they're offering a "chance to" do one? "Enhqancement"?

Honestly this one, to me anyway, is a real waste of e-space.

What am I missing?

What are you missing? Not much, although the name gives it away.... BRIEFing.

I understand giving a friendly reminder to Bronze FFs about putting their number into a booking, but P1s?

Just very uninspiring.

 

[kermatu]

To say underwhelming would be the understatement of the year.

And here was me thinking the relative delay in receipt of the briefing might signify some positive developments in response to our feedback last time.

I'm in the middle of an approx. 4 month QF hiatus, so haven't really been thinking about P1.

 

[juddles]

I am so disappointed with the Briefing. Ihad hopes it would be something new, fresh, interesting, different.

It is none of those.

On the contrary, it appears to me to be written by someone who has ABSOLUTELY no understanding of P1 people.

Talk about almost childish, trivial, scornful, shallow rubbish.

The talk about how exciting it is to have 787's?? Really? I do not disagree with the QF habit of not putting in a new aircraft type until they are proven, and in QF's case they put the Jetstar needs first which was sound IMHO in their business. But to talk so much about the start of a fleet upgrade that is so many years behind their competitors is ridiculous. A bronze pax may not know this, but I suspect most P1 pax have been aware not only of the existence of 787's for so long, but also have watched other airlines introduce them way before QF. Do you really want to harp on about them? their "new car smell"? That the crew are so inspired by them? Maybe that is because the crew get jaded flying 747's that are almost older than the staff.

And as per RichardMel. a CHANCE to get a flight sim??? This is only my third year as P1, and have never got a flight sim, and with this I feel it will never happen. And the "winner's package" includes just an economy flight to get there?? How many P1's would get thrilled by an economy flight? And would the real cost to QF be of putting them up the front? Christ, my cost apart from occupying the seat on the last dozen domestic business flights was two cups of tea per flight....

As GoldCanyon says - WTF reminding me to put my FF number on my ticket??? Seriously, who writes this stuff???

As for other content, a 10% discount would not inspire me to feel elite in any program or business.

And the interviews with "real" P1 members just get worse and worse. Honestly, it is complete rubbish. I suspect 95% at least of P1's would either not waste the minutes of their life reading these, or would, as I did, feel I had just wasted those minutes of mine. I almost felt nauseous.

My interest in reading these cough advertising rubbish items has now become one of just contemplating how ridiculous they are - sort of a morbid obsession. Is that what QF wanted??

 

[GoldCanyon340]

And here was me thinking the relative delay in receipt of the briefing might signify some positive developments in response to our feedback last time.

I seriously convinced myself in the last few weeks that was the reason for the delay

 

[juddles]

Please, if there are any P1's on this forum that like the newsletters, can you speak up?

How many P1's are in AFF anyway? Does anyone know?

 

[RichardMEL]

I've met a few in person, including a new one (as in new to me ) last weekend. I'd say there would be 10-20ish active members who either have or still are P1 (so I'm including the likes of TonyHancock)

I note this is the first "Briefing" (I know it's only the 3rd one, so hardly a long standing effort) post Lesley Grant and it's gone downhill from a fairly low starting base.

As President Trump might tweet: Sad.

 

[Happy Trails]

How many P1's are in AFF anyway? Does anyone know?

There was a poll, a few years ago now, where 17 put their hands up.

What Qantas Frequent Flyer status level are you ?

 

[Matt_01]

I saw the QF email this morning and just ignored it. After reading the posts from the usual suspects I felt compelled to take a look and I had nothing else to do on the way to the airport. I believe I killed two birds with one stone, wasted 30 minutes in a taxi and at the same time wasted 5-10 minutes reading the messages. I must be getting better at multitasking.

I am also on a bit of a QF hiatus. Since about last Nov mainly flown VA, SQ and a smattering of EK and QF. Almost all my travel to the end of Jul is also with VA and SQ with a few QF thrown in for posterity or if it made better sense however all of the flights could have gone to QF.

Come Aug I will most likely go back to QF fly 4-5 months with them, lock in P1 to Jul 20 then go back to VA and SQ. Personally I have no interest in flying VA however in Yx my shadow rate is higher than QF R4. I am also not a fan of SQ, sure the service is good but I do not like the J seats, that foot hole and being partially ADL based their 333 product is ok for the day flight but appalling for the return night flight. I do like the VA FF earn rate and the ability to transfer to KF as well as the ease and cost of SQ rewards and other*A airlines. MrsM and MissM who use the rewards flights do not really care who they fly as long as it is in J.

I went a bit OT and almost into a rant. I am just becoming more dissolutioned with the whole QF program.

 

[sudoer]

There was a poll, a few years ago now, where 17 put their hands up.

Going slightly off-topic but I'd love to see how the poll results would look these days. I'm thinking simpler & fairer may have had a decent impact on WP & SG numbers, although the P1 number is unlikely to have moved much given the 2700 SC on QF requirement

 

[Matt_01]

How many P1's are in AFF anyway? Does anyone know?

I have met 3, 2 maybe/are no longer P1. Only current is GoldCanyon340 who I met in the SYD F lounge mid last year via AFF.

Met and/or know other P1s outside of AFF. There are a number of us around

 

[Jet2727]

I am the P1 RichardMel met on the last EK flight to Auckland and back on Saturday. We had a lovely chat, he is the second P1 I have met and the other one was a random chat in Y on a Perth flight.

The Briefing is so lacking in content, why bother. Providing a link to the benefits we already know, why bother.

I was offered the simulator experience when I gained P1 last year, I couldn’t attend and haven’t heard a word since despite being advised I would be listed for other opportunities.

I will requalify for P1 for next year but not likely going forward as work has largely switched to Virgin and even with my many personal trips to NZ, no EK F will make it difficult and not sure it’s worth it. Not a fan of Virgin when flying multiple legs to and from regional QLD with tight connections, don’t pretend the snacks are anything but very average tokens. Business food is very good. I am running very high on shadows in Y plus. I do miss the Qantas service but probably not enough for 3600k status credits.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

So am I the only one who finds the latest edition of the Platinum One Briefing to be even more lame than the others? No decent discount offer(that I can see).. a reminder to "Tell us when you're flying"(ie: put your FF# into bookings - duh) - but they then will ignore anyway when it comes to things like event offers.. and speaking of which the chance to win a 747 (which I guess will soon be retro) flight sim experience.. huh? did it not used to be that when becoming P1 a flight sim (maybe 737 not 747 but still) experience was the first offer on joining? I was offered it.. I know others have.. and some have even done it multiple times.. now they're offering a "chance to" do one? "Enhqancement"?

Honestly this one, to me anyway, is a real waste of e-space.

What am I missing?

I too found the "tip" to add FF number to bookings to be very insulting.

No event offers from QF as NZ-based P1.

While the draw for flight sim experience at first glance appears to be open to non-Australians (the prize draw T&Cs refer to the prize not including any travel to or from Australia), when take a closer look they are only available to Australian residents (the prize draw T&Cs incorporate by reference the flight simulator T&Cs which in turn requires Australian residency amongst other things).

 

[TonyHancock]

I drop down to LTG at the end of July this year. I have had the benefit of two years of Platinum on the back of three years of P1 status.

I had a year of GGL with BA and P1 combined and know where the benefits are for me. I just passed the 25k mark in TP's with BA and expect to hit LTG with BA at the end of 2019. (Assuming Cruz doesn't see through the rather generous BAEC and wreck it completely.)

I rather liked P1.........until a couple of years of GGL highlighted the "Mickey Mouse" P1 status.

 

[juddles]

I drop down to LTG at the end of July this year. I have had the benefit of two years of Platinum on the back of three years of P1 status.......

TonyH, I was wondering about this - does this mean that your first year after P1 was a "soft landing" to WP, and the second year again WP based on a three-year average of SC?

 

[La Mouette]

And the interviews with "real" P1 members just get worse and worse.

My cat has a more interesting profile than Mr Lego

 

[TonyHancock]

TonyH, I was wondering about this - does this mean that your first year after P1 was a "soft landing" to WP, and the second year again WP based on a three-year average of SC?

Yes that is exactly what happened to me.

 

[calmelb]

Please, if there are any P1's on this forum that like the newsletters, can you speak up?

How many P1's are in AFF anyway? Does anyone know?

I can say that by late April I’ll become P1 (possibly youngest P1 on AFF at age 19?) thanks to the timing of my membership year and the last two double SC offers. Don’t stand a chance retaining it but I’m interested to see what the year is like.

From what I can gather... not super special

 

[RichardMEL]

P1 is not that special until you need them to come through for you and it seems people's experiences when in a pinch have been (mostly) positive. I've never really been in a irrops hole where I've needed them, and I've had very good ground and in the air treatment from QF staff (within the limits of QF's usual levels of service anyway). From reading various people's experiences and talking with others it seems they have done well most of the time in sorting out snafus or aiing to get people out of a pickle. Yes, there have been a few very poor examples(just read this thread) but in general they seem to be fairly good with that sort of thing.

I think we need to take the invites, flight sims and all that "extra" stuff out of the equation when defining the "benefit" of P1. To me, when I've been able to make same day changes, even to apparently full flights, or had things waved, or recently an F seat opened up at shortish notice has proven the worth of P1 in respect of the operational side of the travel experience. The extra stuff is nice(when we get it) and all, but I do not see it as the core of what P1 is.

many road warriors I think would appreciate things like same day changes, flexibility and yes upgrade priority(they almost always clear) as being useful and clear benefits.

Of course, having published and definited benefits like GGL has over at BA would be amazing.. sadly QF has no incentive to offer these things (same with LTP).. their closest competition has nothing even close, so again nothing giving incentive for QF to make more efforts.

Would I see P1 as worthy to attain in and of itself? Not really. Platinum is a very very nice status with the F lounge access, priority, perks on partners like AA and the like. If flying and getting there comes as part of it.. great. I'm on 3320 SC for this year and likely will fll over the line again which is nice, but I don't think I'd cry if I missed out. At least I wouldn't have to put up with Sendle again!