QFF Status - Near enough?

[carpenteria]

A quick question out there, as I’m relatively new to QFF status (last business I worked for used VA more often so my experience is more with Velocity). Been quickly rising through the status points this last year, but realised I’m going to be annoyingly close to the magic 700 to get to Gold before the end of my membership year - 15 short in fact. Bad timing with my upcoming work fights!

(This includes doing that whole green tier thing to milk a few extra SC’s).

Is there any precedence for QFF to go “near enough/good enough” in cases like that or is it a hard line in the sand? I know I got a pass by one year with VA, but that’s VA so…

Would rather not have to spend any more time in airports than I have to considering… *gestures vaguely at the state of airports* but can understand that’s probably the name of the game here.

 

[Joy6328]

They won’t give it to you… I would say either a status run or see if you can upgrade a ticket that would give you the additional status points?

 

[encryptededdy]

Have you taken into account the loyalty bonus in your calculations (assuming you are on track to earn it)?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Waffly here:
QFF is status credits... not status points.
AirNZ use status points.
QFF points are another thing, not related to tier.
But you want tier, so it's status credits.
If you are not an ABN holder, then flying a mid Aust dom sector will work.
One way QFF return can be LCC JQ.
MEL - BNE or BNE - ADL in redE class, which gives 15SC, can't be MEL - SYD unless flexY $$$ but gives 30 QFF SC I think.

 

[RichardMEL]

Back in the day QF used to offer a "buy up" for missing SC's with points and such (but it was steep).. but that seems long gone, as were any comp status extensions and the like unfortunately.

It is annoying but it seems gone are the days of getting you across the line.

You'll likely need to do a status run if applying loyalty bonus SC's (as above) do not help get you there.

 

[Hvr]

15 short in fact. Bad timing with my upcoming work fights!

Ouch that's close. But Qantas aren't known for their generosity for first time status attainment.
Where are you based? There may be a cheap status run to be discovered.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Can't edit.
SYD - MEL even in flexY is only 20 QF SC.
Thought it was 30.

 

[NickCorr]

I have been known to do a $200 Saturday morning run from MEL to SYD/Brisbane to maintain gold, just treated it as a time to enjoy the lounges at both ends and watch a movie on the way... Annoyingly, one time, as I was in the MEL lounge sipping my coffee, I recieved a message from Qantas stating that as I was close, they were going to extend my status for the year even though I was short of Status Credits..
Cannot complain...

 

[samh004]

I have been known to do a $200 Saturday morning run from MEL to SYD/Brisbane to maintain gold, just treated it as a time to enjoy the lounges at both ends and watch a movie on the way... Annoyingly, one time, as I was in the MEL lounge sipping my coffee, I recieved a message from Qantas stating that as I was close, they were going to extend my status for the year even though I was short of Status Credits..
Cannot complain...

ISTR if you then achieve it on your own you get to put the comp retain back in your pocket for another year, or so anecdotal evidence said.

 

[justinbrett]

put the comp retain back in your pocket for another year

I think a lot of people reported this turned into a comp "we'll let you retain but it will cost you points".

 

[CaptJCool]

Had this near enough good enough twice.

the overall spend on the family (no family pooling) is likely to have had something to do with it

 

[carpenteria]

Thanks for the suggestions all! That’s about what I figured, no easy way out of it. As my remaining work flights are already flex there’s not an out there either (upgrading to business on these would not be cheap - they are to DRW!).

Might just have to do a status run unfortunately. Day trip to SYD I guess? Seems to be a special on at least

Have you taken into account the loyalty bonus in your calculations (assuming you are on track to earn it)?

Unfortunately yeah, not going to help here!

Ouch that's close. But Qantas aren't known for their generosity for first time status attainment.
Where are you based? There may be a cheap status run to be discovered.

Thought as such - also assumed there wasn’t an altar I can prostrate myself before to beg for consideration either! But am in BNE so shouldn’t be too dire to find something manageable without being too pricy.

 

[33kft]

Annoyingly, one time, as I was in the MEL lounge sipping my coffee, I recieved a message from Qantas stating that as I was close, they were going to extend my status for the year even though I was short of Status Credits..

I'd guess a combination of having a forward booking that you'd already checked in for the first leg of that would put you over the requalification line probably just gave the system enough confidence to make that call early - the timing suggests it was no coincidence.

 

[JohnK]

ISTR if you then achieve it on your own you get to put the comp retain back in your pocket for another year, or so anecdotal evidence said.

I had 2-3 early comps in May previous and made it in my own right.

I'd be interested to see how that works going forward. Highly unlikely I will make Platinum by May 2023.

 

[mviy]

Guessing BNE-SYD would probably be cheapest but you could look at intra-QLD flights to make sure.

If you can easily get to OOL you could also compare OOL-SYD pricing with BNE-SYD.

 

[teleri]

How about the 50 status credit bonus from completing Green Tier? May not have enough runway in terms of time though.

 

[justinbrett]

If your work trip is BNE-DRW, any chance you can reroute through SYD?

 

[Captain Halliday]

If your work trip is BNE-DRW, any chance you can reroute through SYD?

Another option is BNExCNS-DRW. This one has added a few SC to my tally over the years.

 

[samh004]

Highly unlikely I will make Platinum by May 2023.

I am also unlikely to hit it again, but knew that one day I would need to clip my own wings and focus on home life, so I've been psyching myself up for a while to lose it. Might have to do a jaunt to SIN and back before my year ends just to enjoy the F lounge(s) a final time.

 

[serfty]

I am also unlikely to hit it again, but knew that one day I would need to clip my own wings and focus on home life, so I've been psyching myself up for a while to lose it. Might have to do a jaunt to SIN and back before my year ends just to enjoy the F lounge(s) a final time.

I did that a bit over two decades ago as a "Final Hurrah". Award First to SIN(Hi-8 Videos), return in Business.

It was a transitional period after Qantas redefined levels, introducing Platinum - the new criteria meant I would likely be consigned to a future of Sapphire=Gold (until then it had been Emerald=Gold).

A few years later I joined AFF ...