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?

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Recently flew off peak SYD-BNE in row 4...

Upon boarding I asked if I could hang my (nice) jacket but was snapped at this service is for J only sorry. After being seated I again politely asked if it was possible to hang my jacket (I seemed to be the only person wearing a jacket) and was snapped at by the cabin crew 'no one behind here can hang their jacket' motioning to the last row of J. Once boarding had completed including J, seeing zero people on the flight had a jacket again I politely asked as I was holding my jacket across my legs at which point I was snapped at again something about J being full / sold out (again everyone in J was wearing a t-shirt/hoodie). My partner had enough and blurted something about P1...magically the CSM took over and politely took my jacket and asked if she could do anything for me Mr Maxwell "how about some rapport training for your friend over there"

 

[Andy_M]

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?

Don’t bother with p1 it gives no better service than gold. I’ve been p1 for quite sometime and lifetime gold and half way to lifetime platinum before Covid and the experience was very good. Post Covid it’s rubbish. Cannot get upgraded with points, seats next to me not blocked even though gold members were having their seats blocked, which I don’t understand at all, these on international flights. I’m back flying internationally again every 2 weeks again unfortunately but will now give qantas the flick and try other airlines. I was in the first class lounge in Sydney the day and the food was cough as well. So far in the last 4 months I’ve only had one decent trip with qantas . Also contacting help desk forget it. Flew Thai business and it was very good

 

[nutwood]

Recently flew off peak SYD-BNE in row 4...

Upon boarding I asked if I could hang my (nice) jacket but was snapped at this service is for J only sorry. After being seated I again politely asked if it was possible to hang my jacket (I seemed to be the only person wearing a jacket) and was snapped at by the cabin crew 'no one behind here can hang their jacket' motioning to the last row of J. Once boarding had completed including J, seeing zero people on the flight had a jacket again I politely asked as I was holding my jacket across my legs at which point I was snapped at again something about J being full / sold out (again everyone in J was wearing a t-shirt/hoodie). My partner had enough and blurted something about P1...magically the CSM took over and politely took my jacket and asked if she could do anything for me Mr Maxwell "how about some rapport training for your friend over there"

I have found this to be the problem with being P1. Most of us don't want to be a DYKWIA; and then you think "three times the SCs over WP? Hang the bloody coat!"
I once asked a FA if they could top up my wine. I was 1A and had been served first. The CSM was having a good old chat back at row 3 and I'd well and truly finished my meal and wine. I was quite abruptly refused and told I'd have to wait until the CSM came by. It would have been rude regardless, but viewed from a P1 perspective..?! As a pax, you have little ability to respond without being rude yourself and in my observations, very few people who fly regularly are rude people. Doesn't mean we don't remember though!

 

[New to this]

I’ve come to the conclusion that they don’t materially value the P1 income to the extent that it’s worth actually trying to keep those flyers.

Even worse now, when planes are full and the seat will likely be sold anyway. So, what do they care if the odd P1 drifts off to another airline…

Not saying I like it or agree with it, but then economics isn’t called the Dismal Science without good reason.

 

[nutwood]

I realised I seem to always being negative about P1 so thought I should throw in an upside. The Avis president's club has worked worked very well. Complication has been the lack of vehicular options. I book a Camry, they frantically look about to upgrade me and I end up in a diesel Prado. I appreciated the thought and the Prado was surprisingly economical. Only 2 L/100km more than the hybrid RAV I got next time.

 

[Matt_01]

Out of curiosity are shadows in J a new thing. I used to look at EF for shadows when in R4 but never really bothered if in J. I noticed this on EF today and the flight departure time is within the T-80 rules (around 44 hours to take of) I am assuming it will not stick.

 

[defurax]

I usually get a shadow in J if cabin is not full at T-80. Shadow often disappears closer to departure time with upgrades and/or crew paxing. But it has held on a few trips to DRW.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I usually get a shadow in J if cabin is not full at T-80. Shadow often disappears closer to departure time with upgrades and/or crew paxing. But it has held on a few trips to DRW.

Out of curiosity are shadows in J a new thing. I used to look at EF for shadows when in R4 but never really bothered if in J. I noticed this on EF today and the flight departure time is within the T-80 rules (around 44 hours to take of) I am assuming it will not stick.
View attachment 294379

I nearly always have that block on 1C but it nearly always gets filled on departure.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

I usually get a shadow in J if cabin is not full at T-80. Shadow often disappears closer to departure time with upgrades and/or crew paxing. But it has held on a few trips to DRW.

My experience too. Mostly flights are full, but if not get a shadow. Sometimes taken away last minute for deadheading crew.

 

[nutwood]

Very slightly OT but I'm chasing advice. Sometime next year, I have a daughter wanting to fly to Munich from Tasmania. I have a surplus of Qantas points so am happy to help. Easy enough to book but questions arise re class of flight and other such details. As a primarily domestic traveller I'm quite ignorant in this area. Previously, when in this situation, I contacted the SST and had a productive chat. My experience with the VIP team is that they will solve a problem. They won't anticipate a problem and explore its nuances but you present them a problem and, providing it's within hours, they'll kill it for you.
What is the best way for me to pursue the best outcome for my daughter? Should I forget I'm P1 and simply use my native intelligence to obtain a result or are there avenues I can exploit?

 

[rigram]

I know P1 can "gift" Platinum status, but what are the rules? - there's not much on the website.
If a members Platinum one membership year expires on 31OCT, can they gift Platinum within current membership year - and then gift AGAIN when the new membership year commences...? ie. have 2 gift memberships current at the same time...? (possibly with 2 different people).
Rang QFFF and they suggested it is possible - but the P1 member would need to gift platinum at least ONE MONTH prior to current membership year finishing. What is everyone's experiences please...

 

[Fergo747]

I know P1 can "gift" Platinum status, but what are the rules? - there's not much on the website.
If a members Platinum one membership year expires on 31OCT, can they gift Platinum within current membership year - and then gift AGAIN when the new membership year commences...? ie. have 2 gift memberships current at the same time...? (possibly with 2 different people).
Rang QFFF and they suggested it is possible - but the P1 member would need to gift platinum at least ONE MONTH prior to current membership year finishing. What is everyone's experiences please...

I am not sure with respect to your specific question, however in light of the COVID status extensions, my experience was I had gifted Plat to person 1, then when COVID extensions were enacted their status was extended meaning I was then able to gift to person 2. Given the recent announcement of further 'apology' extensions, I would think that it would be possible to do something similar.

I would note however, that you cannot have two concurrent gift status. Person 1 would have to have their membership extended in it's own right before you can gift again otherwise it would still show you having gifted status to person 1. Pre-COVID and the status extensions, the gifted status was meant to align to your membership year, not the person that you gifted it to. For example, if you had an April YE and the person you gifted to had a July YE, if you didn't retain P1 then the gifted person would lose their status at the same time you dropped from P1 (I do know of a couple of people that that this didn't happen for though).

 

[rigram]

Thanks Fergo747, your answers provided clarity. You indicate: cannot have two concurrent gift status - how is the gifted status linked to the P1 giver..??

 

[Fergo747]

Thanks Fergo747, your answers provided clarity. You indicate: cannot have two concurrent gift status - how is the gifted status linked to the P1 giver..??

Not a problem. It's on the status activity page under your current year earn (see below). I only noticed I could gift the status to another person when I logged in one day to find that Person 1 had dropped off. Before gifting to person 2 I did check with person 1 that they still had Platinum and they advised they had been extended per COVID extensions.

.

 

[Andy_M]

I know P1 can "gift" Platinum status, but what are the rules? - there's not much on the website.
If a members Platinum one membership year expires on 31OCT, can they gift Platinum within current membership year - and then gift AGAIN when the new membership year commences...? ie. have 2 gift memberships current at the same time...? (possibly with 2 different people).
Rang QFFF and they suggested it is possible - but the P1 member would need to gift platinum at least ONE MONTH prior to current membership year finishing. What is everyone's experiences please...

I don't personally gift platinum to anyone, It's a bug bear of mine, personal opinion only. I don't think it's fair on other platinum users who fork out hard earned money and do the miles to reach and attain platinum.

 

[mviy]

I don't personally gift platinum to anyone, It's a bug bear of mine, personal opinion only. I don't think it's fair on other platinum users who fork out hard earned money and do the miles to reach and attain platinum.

It was originally intended to just be for the spouse of the P1 member. That way the P1 member could indirectly benefit from its use as the extra points the spouse received could be transferred to the P1 member. If the spouse normally only travelled with the P1 member then this would have minimal impact on other WP/P1.

Of course some P1 don't have a spouse, and presumably QF received some complaints about this, so the eligibility as to who to gift WP membership to was relaxed.

 

[Princess Fiona]

It was originally intended to just be for the spouse of the P1 member. That way the P1 member could indirectly benefit from its use as the extra points the spouse received could be transferred to the P1 member. If the spouse normally only travelled with the P1 member then this would have minimal impact on other WP/P1.

Of course some P1 don't have a spouse, and presumably QF received some complaints about this, so the eligibility as to who to gift WP membership to was relaxed.

Not to mention that rival programs offer even more generous status gifting.
Eg BA who gives GGL one BA Gold (OWE) and two BA Silver (OWS)

 

[Fergo747]

I don't personally gift platinum to anyone, It's a bug bear of mine, personal opinion only. I don't think it's fair on other platinum users who fork out hard earned money and do the miles to reach and attain platinum.

Whilst you are entitled to your opinion, given the P1 requirement is 3x that of retaining WP (with a 2700 requirement on QF / JQ) then in my opinion it is entirely fair to gift the status. Given the additional nominal benefits of P1, you could argue that the P1 has effectively earned WP for their giftee.

I'd be interested to understand your thoughts on DSC and whether someone that earns WP through the use of DSC also doesn't deserve it.

 

[HarryTheFlyer]

Haven’t had any effort for quite some time now (since those ‘postcards’).
On some regional flights I might have been the only WP previously and no effort there either…

Those postcards made an appearance on a flight last month LAX>BNE on QF16. Kiwi based crew and Ryan the CSM was superb.

Both MrHarry and I got postcards. His one was to say congrats on hitting PS and that SG isn't too far away. Mine was thanking me for continued 'support'. Although my postcard was on the P1 collateral, he'd said he had run out of the WP postcards.

 

[maia200]

Ooooh, I don't know what happened ... QF WP here.

From my experience in Mar-Apr & Jul-Aug - CSM came to the flight, welcomed me, offered champers from J and in one instance (as I previously documented) took me to the front of the J cabin so that I can exit the plane immediately and run to catch my next connection.

That is most unusual nowadays. I am used to absolutely no recognition so don't expect it just maybe why I don't get it.. and certainly not even a thought of bubbles from J.