Status run - waste of money [if work pays for J travel]?

[FL360]

Hi fellow FFers,

Just want to see if you concur.... that personal status "top-up" run, just to achieve / keep a status for future benefits especially for Y travel is a waste of money, I believe for most of us

1. work pays for J travel, in this case all the benefits such as lounge access / priority bags / additional bag allowance / seat selection are already there.

however my point is if you need to achieve / keep a status using personal money so you can travel Y better later, that is not worth it, for example if you spend 1,500 - 2,000 to achieve / keep a status so you can have lounge access / seating preferences when flying Y personally, the same can be done via paying for lounges and buying better Y seats.

1,500 to 2,000 can be a lot of paid lounge access / paid exit row seats.....

what I have experienced is that even as a WP / OWE, the lounges worldwide can be disappointing even for OWE, and the seating in Y is not always guaranteed !
however cash can buy you these....

I have tried the OWE lounge in LHR T5 and the *A Gold lounge in SIN, they are terrible...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It depends how much you pay for your status credits. Flying domestically in Australia may not get you the best value. But consider London to Venice return on British Airways, currently a little over AUD150 each way, nets you 80SCs return and it can work out quite cheaply to do a top up if required to keep gold. Especially if you are going that way anyway. Sri Lankan Dubai to Jakarta is a little over AUD500 each way for 320 status credits round-trip.

Starting from scratch I’d probably agree that status runs for the sake of it may not be a good investment. But using them to top up can work out good value.

The *Gold lounge in SIN isn’t crash hot, But it is an economy class only lounge. The business lounge is a slight improvement.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I think it depends on two things.
First what your goal is, and second what measures you are taking to acheive it.
Taking the second point first, I have never done a pure status run in the sense of a flight from A to B and return, purely for status credits, with no other activity.
However I have chosen to take holidays at specific times, or to fly to specific destinations, with status credits firmly in mind.
When VA flew to Bali, I used to structure a holiday in SE Asia to keep my status with both QF and VA.
For example I once flew PER-DPS return with VA, then took advantage of cheap MH J fares to fly DPS-KUL-HKT return, with a HKT-KUL-HKG return nested in the middle. But I did not only receive status credits. I had a great holiday spread between Bali, coughet and Hong Kong as well.
Unfortunately this sort of strategy for dual status has gone by the wayside since VA dropped PER-DPS flights.
This year I had flights booked to Nouméa shortly before my QF membership year end (today).
However I overlooked the fine print on a DSC offer which expired on 31 August 2019 and my plan to attain WP would have fallen just short as a result.
Realising this in August, I booked flights PER-SYD-CNS on a Friday returning PER-BNE-CNS Sunday which put me back on track.
But I also went on a day trip to the outer reef and did three (scuba) dives on Saturday, and caught up with a good friend for dinner Saturday night.
So, again, I feel I got a lot more out of the trip than just SCs.
Earlier this year I flew to Paris with a friend for whom J was not an option. Flew over on QF codeshares on EK metal to give him the cheapest fare on the day.
But returning on my own I flew CDG-LHR-SIN-PER to maximise status credits and use a double SC offer (again).
I don't know if the extra money I have spent is more or less than I could have spent on paid lounge access and seat selection.
However I do know there are other benefits such as extra baggage allowance, priority baggage handling, priority check in and priority security lanes, which you can't buy. If I am flying in J most of these benefits come with the cabin. But they were very useful on the trip to Paris in Y, for example.
I used my extra baggage allowance to check all our bags in under my name and we thereby received the benefit of priority baggage handling and were among the first PAX to retrieve our bags in Paris. More subjectively, I have always received superb treatment flying on OneWOrld flights as a WP. CX in particular have gone out of their way to welcome me onboard, even if I have been flying in Y (mandated by work for short flights such as HKG-PVG), with the CSM or equivalent coming to chat to me and on more than one occasion telling the cabin crew to keep me supplied with champagne from business class throughout the flight. I have to admit that my own airline, QF, does not accord me the same treatment. Which is one reason why I prefer CX for international flights - with access to the First Wing Lounge in HKG another! Not all these benefits can be bought!
Finally making an effort to keep status each year is part of my longer term strategy to acheive QFF lifetime WG before I retire. When I have no employer to pay for my flights, and I am on a fixed income and can't afford to fly business, it will be nice to have lifetime lounge access and other privileges.
So to answer your question, I agree that mindlessly chasing status at any expense is a fool's errand.
However if you have a sensible strategy based on a realistic understanding of status benefits, and a reasonably proportionate limit as to the amount of time and money you are prepared to spend, then I think retaining status can be worthwhile.

 

[aikman]

I think that for some people, there is plenty of satisfaction to be had just knowing that they have a WP card in their wallet.

 

[FL360]

Thanks for your inputs....
I do think that SC with a reason is worth it (you are flying it anyway).

also I think SCs run is easier if you don't base in SYD / MEL....

 

[drron]

We are a couple of OWEs that really have become a little jaded with lounges but still value status for seat allocation,availability of awards and help with irrops.
We don't do status runs as such but will fly MIA-DFW-LAX rather than MIA-LAX and NRT-HKG-BKK rather than direct because of higher earnings in SCs and TPs.

 

[Ade]

Thanks for your inputs....
I do think that SC with a reason is worth it (you are flying it anyway).

also I think SCs run is easier if you don't base in SYD / MEL....

I find that QF status runs out of ADL & CNS are good in value. Anyone else has any other suggestions for QF status runs?

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I find that QF status runs out of ADL & CNS are good in value. Anyone else has any other suggestions for QF status runs?

Anything in J combining a domestic sector with an international sector.
For example PER-(SYD/BNE)-NOU return costs between $2000 on sale and $3000 normally, for between 280 and 330 SCs.
Whereas PER-SYD costs between $2000 and $3000 one way for a maximum of 90 SCs!
This is one reason why PAX starting from SYD or MEL can find it difficult because they have more direct international flights and often have to pay a premium to add a domestic sector.

 

[Pushka]

If you don’t fly J then status offers great advantages. Everyone has different circumstances. And flying in Y without status is plain hard work internationally.

 

[mrsterryn]

Ok all our flights come out of our pocket.

Having said that I think it would be fun to do a status run around the world just for the heck of it
I like seeing new places and knowing status credits are happening also appeals

Would I do a trip Syd to Melbourne if I was 20 credits short of retaining platinum.....you bet I would
I would also finally get that baby onesie for my grandson lol

 

[Ade]

If you don’t fly J then status offers great advantages. Everyone has different circumstances. And flying in Y without status is plain hard work internationally.

Agree on this.

I fly Y internationally at least once every 2 months and having status has made the journey much easier and comfortable. I'm not offered an upgrade every time I request for, but I somehow land an exit row or a bulk head seat and get to go different lounges to relax before and after a long flight in Y

 

[Ade]

Hi fellow FFers,

Just want to see if you concur.... that personal status "top-up" run, just to achieve / keep a status for future benefits especially for Y travel is a waste of money, I believe for most of us

1. work pays for J travel, in this case all the benefits such as lounge access / priority bags / additional bag allowance / seat selection are already there.

however my point is if you need to achieve / keep a status using personal money so you can travel Y better later, that is not worth it, for example if you spend 1,500 - 2,000 to achieve / keep a status so you can have lounge access / seating preferences when flying Y personally, the same can be done via paying for lounges and buying better Y seats.

1,500 to 2,000 can be a lot of paid lounge access / paid exit row seats.....

what I have experienced is that even as a WP / OWE, the lounges worldwide can be disappointing even for OWE, and the seating in Y is not always guaranteed !
however cash can buy you these....

I have tried the OWE lounge in LHR T5 and the *A Gold lounge in SIN, they are terrible...

Personally, I think "personal" status run makes sense when you are "that" much to attaining the next tier. And, if by attaining the next tier you are be exposed to an array benefits and perks - then yes, a personal status run is beneficial.

As an example - for me having QF Gold, improved the way I travel in Y. And this year, with 3 more months to go for my anniversary, I'm 170 SC away from QF Platinum for the very first time. If time and money permits, I'm thinking to do a personal status run to get that 170 SC to get to Platinum. But if for some reason, things don't work out, I'd simply be happy with Gold as I've retained my Gold until end of 2020 anyways

If QF could release a "personalised" DSC, then I'd get 170 SC in a weekend. One can only wish

That being said, it's always a nice feeling to have a Platinum in your wallet

 

[opusman]

I like seeing new places and knowing status credits are happening also appeals

That sounds like... a holiday?

 

[mrsterryn]

That sounds like... a holiday?

Ummm mabbe lol
Mind you I think all trips are now holidays

 

[Denali]

Ok all our flights come out of our pocket.

Having said that I think it would be fun to do a status run around the world just for the heck of it
I like seeing new places and knowing status credits are happening also appeals

Would I do a trip Syd to Melbourne if I was 20 credits short of retaining platinum.....you bet I would
I would also finally get that baby onesie for my grandson lol

Sometimes I watch the Border Security show and someone has flown with connections, stopping for only a day or 3 and the staff are like, "Thats not normal".

Meanwhile Im sitting on my comfy couch, surfing AFF and say to no one in particular, 'Yes it is. Someone flew to the UK for lunch on the new QF route and then flew home. Ive read of people flying to LA for a burger and then back home'.

We have done a status run, SYD>MELB>HBT on Christmas day because hubby needed the sectors/had enough SCs. One of the most fun and relaxing Christmas days we've ever had.

 

[mrsterryn]

Excatly @Denali .
At this point in time husband and I are making amazing memories and having fun.
Fun for us is travelling....from when we check the flights and the status credits and the various airports we go through , then the flights ...the locations
Even to just have a burger in LA
So to do a status run going through all these various places...sounds amazing

 

[justinbrett]

I have tried the OWE lounge in LHR T5 and the *A Gold lounge in SIN, they are terrible...

Do you mean the BA First Class lounge in T5? There is no oneworld lounge in LHR.

If so, looks like you're at the "beyond lounges" stage and thus beyond all help.... Even their J lounge is pretty good (much better than SYD T1 J IMHO).

 

[FL360]

Yes, that's the lounge I went to, the one with a horse decor in front.

I went through first class check in area as well. The ba agent tried not to give us priority bags tag because we fly y, even I show him the qf WP owe card. Decide not to argue with him and given our destination we don't want it bags tagged as such so I let it go. Funny though our bags did come out before the j pax at the destination anyhow.

The problem with that BA first lounge (not the Concorde) was that it suffers from extreme over crowing when we were there, some can't even find a seat !!

It would be a nice lounge if 60% of passengers are not there.

BA First Class lounge in T5?

 

[Lynda2475]

If i had the time and the cost of a status run to somewhere i wouldn't mind spending a weekend to keep gold was less than the cost of a year of qantas club renewal then i would definitively do the status run.

Having lounge access for work y trips where its the only place to get a real coffee before a 6am deparure, and having lounge access for a shower on long haul y connections makes travel better.

 

[oz_mark]

It all comes down to whether or not the benefits are worthwhile in your individual circumstances. Not everyone will come to the same answer.

My own view is that they are generally only worthwhile if you are going to fall a bit short. But what 'a bit short' means is like asking how long a piece of string is.