747800intercon
Member
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2011
- Posts
- 147
It's been a good 9 months since the P1 service has been running and was looking back at the little black "benefits" book that came in the very strange and hastily arranged metal box with the just as hastily arranged P1 card. Let's run through these benefits as listed in the black booklet.
1. SPECIAL SERVICES TEAM - most of the time the call rings out or when they do finally answer you are referred back to Platinum Desk - FAIL
2. EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO EXTRA QANTAS CLASSIC AWARD SEATS - this one deserves EPIC fail. Have had zero success even day prior with flights being pretty wide open - particularly in F and J. FAIL
3. SAY GOODBYE TO AWARD ASSISTANCE BOOKING FEES - yes, however in a lot of instances the Plat Desk had to be reminded of this. In other instance I noticed on my statement award fees were charge. Also when attempting to change online it doesn't recognise your P1 status and goes ahead and charges award fees - FAIL
4.ENJOY A BETTER UPGRADE EXPERIENCE - this seems to be working well but it's across board even to standard Plat - SUCCESS
5. EPIQURE - Even most Plats were given this free of charge last year - so not really an exclusive benefit. FAIL
6. ADDITIONAL PREMIUM SEATING - this is a true benefit having access to row 1 in J domestic and row 4 (row 23 767) in Y domestic as well as access to virtually any seat in J and Y international including exit row - SUCCESS.
7.MORE FOR YOU - special invites - not one. Nothing. - EPIC FAIL.
So overall it one just one set of empty promises - apart from the preferred seat assignment. Considering QF wants you to fly 3 x more that standard platinum AND 2700 SC on QF marketed flights, that's a whole lot of flying for a whole lot of nothing. Virgin Australia must be very happy as QF has managed to anger the P1s by failing to deliver and even more damaging has managed to alienate the more signifcant number of Plats by diluting benefits and being treated as second class. Compare this with Virgin's status match Plat Level - real tangible benefits such as Elite level with Hilton or IHG, Hertz Elite and Sentinel.
It is obvious QF rushed this program in desperation after Virgin's Velocity relaunch...they announced it in May 2011 with very vague offerings since they really had no idea, and QF being the reactive rather than proactive airline they rushed up this half baked Plat One program which is frankly nothing short of a joke. If you are planning to aspire to this - DON'T - it's not worth it at all.
1. SPECIAL SERVICES TEAM - most of the time the call rings out or when they do finally answer you are referred back to Platinum Desk - FAIL
2. EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO EXTRA QANTAS CLASSIC AWARD SEATS - this one deserves EPIC fail. Have had zero success even day prior with flights being pretty wide open - particularly in F and J. FAIL
3. SAY GOODBYE TO AWARD ASSISTANCE BOOKING FEES - yes, however in a lot of instances the Plat Desk had to be reminded of this. In other instance I noticed on my statement award fees were charge. Also when attempting to change online it doesn't recognise your P1 status and goes ahead and charges award fees - FAIL
4.ENJOY A BETTER UPGRADE EXPERIENCE - this seems to be working well but it's across board even to standard Plat - SUCCESS
5. EPIQURE - Even most Plats were given this free of charge last year - so not really an exclusive benefit. FAIL
6. ADDITIONAL PREMIUM SEATING - this is a true benefit having access to row 1 in J domestic and row 4 (row 23 767) in Y domestic as well as access to virtually any seat in J and Y international including exit row - SUCCESS.
7.MORE FOR YOU - special invites - not one. Nothing. - EPIC FAIL.
So overall it one just one set of empty promises - apart from the preferred seat assignment. Considering QF wants you to fly 3 x more that standard platinum AND 2700 SC on QF marketed flights, that's a whole lot of flying for a whole lot of nothing. Virgin Australia must be very happy as QF has managed to anger the P1s by failing to deliver and even more damaging has managed to alienate the more signifcant number of Plats by diluting benefits and being treated as second class. Compare this with Virgin's status match Plat Level - real tangible benefits such as Elite level with Hilton or IHG, Hertz Elite and Sentinel.
It is obvious QF rushed this program in desperation after Virgin's Velocity relaunch...they announced it in May 2011 with very vague offerings since they really had no idea, and QF being the reactive rather than proactive airline they rushed up this half baked Plat One program which is frankly nothing short of a joke. If you are planning to aspire to this - DON'T - it's not worth it at all.
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