Using non Qantas post WP loss

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mrsterryn

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Please let me preface this is NOT a Qantas bash. Just curiosity
Next year husband and I are unlikely to retain Platinium
So pondering the possibility of using other airlines (possibility came quicker than I thought)
I don't have LTG still a few thousand away, so I am considering that
However no Platinium means no 1st lounge which I do like
Our long distance travel is usually in Business or first
Has anyone cut the ties , not in anger, and gone to other lines for particular reasons?
 
Please let me preface this is NOT a Qantas bash. Just curiosity
Next year husband and I are unlikely to retain Platinium
So pondering the possibility of using other airlines (possibility came quicker than I thought)
I don't have LTG still a few thousand away, so I am considering that
However no Platinium means no 1st lounge which I do like
Our long distance travel is usually in Business or first
Has anyone cut the ties , not in anger, and gone to other lines for particular reasons?

Many people have. Either because of dropping status, work changing, or just don’t like flying a certain airline anymore.

If LTG is worth it for you, then try to fly Oneworld airlines to keep getting a small amount of SCs (and possibly renewing gold with the 4 QF ~). Otherwise look at the other airlines that fly your usual routes, pick a FF program which works for you (either good redemptions, easy status, lifetime status, etc).
 
I think you will find some members who reach LTG make that conscious move to a more bi-partisan approach to their hard metal travel (when they have choice) and you’ll get some comments from them!

I fly alot to Europe for work where QF has limited presence for now (well none outside UK) so personally I’m more often than not flying other airlines. Luckily oneworld spoils me with great premium airlines for the routes I fly like Cathay and Qatar, and of course the QF/EK codeshare deal. US and Asia QF covers a majority of my destinations well (or at least an entry point), with good services. That is all work travel so I don’t look at the price I would note.

The one non oneworld airline that creeps in a bit is SQ which I highly rate, the new as hard nails J bed though has me worried (not yet tested just reading the not so kind reviews). Etihad used to be a solid T2 airline but have really dropped the ball of late so I’ve cut them out.

Domestically VA is still too ‘patchy’ an offering for me to really back although I do fly them quite a bit due to travel rules. Patchy is the best word I can think of and applies to everything, their service, IT/web, FF program, lounge coverage, reliability etc. When they are good they are good. In comparison I don’t think QF domestic is perfect but overall a much much better oiled machine and averages out better, for me and what I need as my travel supplier as I shuttle around our country :)
 
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As much as status is most valuable for international travel, I also want status when I fly domestically.

Until such time that Virgin joins one of the main alliances (their patchwork alliance doesn’t cut it for me) then there is no alternative to Qantas.

I was actually an Ansett / Air NZ guy before Ansett collapsed.
 
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As much as status is most valuable for international travel, I also want status when I fly domestically.

Until such time that Virgin joins one of the main alliances (their patchwork alliance doesn’t cut it for me) then there is no alternative to Qantas.

I was actually an Ansett / Air NZ guy before Ansett collapsed.

Though if you got SQ status you could use it on VA or *A
 
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As someone who will never probably reach LTG I switched to other airlines a long time ago. I have just dropped back to SG and can’t see me ever being a WP ever again. Most of my domestic flights are with VA and it has been years since I’ve flown OS on QF metal. I do love the EK codeshares and do fly OW with other alliance members though so will try to keep SG each year.
A lot of our flying is to Asia so more and more we have found SkyTeam airlines getting our patronage but I’m happy to try other airlines and have found some airlines that are just ok and some that are fantastic.
 
A lot of our flying is to Asia so more and more we have found SkyTeam airlines getting our patronage but I’m happy to try other airlines and have found some airlines that are just ok and some that are fantastic.
Our flying is pretty much Asia and Europe
USA is likely to go off our destination list for a variety of reasons
 
Our flying is pretty much Asia and Europe
USA is likely to go off our destination list for a variety of reasons
Yeah pretty much the same.
Our trips to Asia mainly consist of GA, VN or CI now with a splattering of MH or CX. To Europe it’s normally EK but have a couple of really fantastic trips with WY
 
Has anyone cut the ties , not in anger, and gone to other lines for particular reasons?

Indeed. Status simply isn't worth it when F return to Europe is AUD4483 via Lifemiles (plus a couple hundred dollars taxes depending on the destination). That's a saving of $8K per trip, per person (being generous to QF in using their ~$12K sale fares in F) - which would be a hard price to justify for QF F lounge time (and SQ's and TG's F lounges do the job ok).
 
I guess it really depends on your travel habits - The SQ + VA combo might work well for lots of Europe travel.

I mostly go to the Americas, and oneworld has 53% of the market share between Aus/NA and 100% of Aus/SA. I also quite like AA as a domestic carrier and find them almost equal to Qantas - and in some respects better (again - talking about domestic, I'd much rather fly QFi).

I guess there are options with SQ, either flying Virgin, United or Air New Zealand - but they all leave you flying United within the US. You could hold VA status and fly VA/Delta, but personally I find VA status to be too fluid (just ask all those VA status holders flying Air NZ).

Notwithstanding, I don't class VA as a full service airline (I guess closer to a US full service airline) and I don't like their pre-security lounge in MEL.
 
Gold is the sweet spot in the QF program, yes the F lounge is nice but at the end of the day it's just a lounge, once you've had some food and a bit of booze you're just sitting there waiting like you would anywhere. If you travel J or F anyway I would stick with QF long enough to get LTG gold locked in (shouldn't take that long) as OWS is very useful when travelling in Europe or USA.
 
Some level up to WP at the start of their membership year, do the 4 ~ QF sectors the next membership year to get a soft landing to SG and then once they fall to PS/LTS try to quickly level back up to WP again. If you want to try other airlines that could be an economic way to have QF lounge access most of the time.

I'm expecting to drop back to SG when my year runs out and then might let my status slide to PS though I do want to progress towards LTG.
 
I am LTG also being WP1 with the complementary WP will see us using OW but not always QF until I fall to WP and MrsM takes a hard landing to NB. After getting LTG within a short time frame was burning points and purchasing revenue fares with other OW carriers and using SQ more often. For domestic I am also VA WP so they get a good look in as well.

All of our medium haul and long haul is in J or F so these days I am not actually fussed who I fly with. In my experience as a WP1 I am not treated, nor do I expect to be than any other PAX in J or F when flying QF. On other carriers which I have no status I have not noticed any difference in the way I am treated or level of service than other PAX also in J and F. IMO it does not matter how the PAX got into these cabins, rewards upgrades or revenue, they have all paid in some way shape or form to be there.
 
LTG is massively overrated when the cost of earning it is considered. If you do not spend a single additional cent to earn it (or use it) only then it is a 'bonus'.

I will use my LTG status for the first time in April, 18 months after dropping back from WP. Even now I am only using it as BA are really the only game in town on LHR-DUB.
 
Normally you wouldn't do anything "special" to earn LTG that you wouldn't be doing anyway if you valued status at all (e.g. WP). It just happens over time.
 
Normally you wouldn't do anything "special" to earn LTG that you wouldn't be doing anyway if you valued status at all (e.g. WP). It just happens over time.

However, if you pay say $50-$100 more per flight to fly QF on the justification that you are working your way towards LTG, you could of paid tens of thousands of dollars more to earn it.

Some here appear to do LTG status runs...
 
Part of my justification for going for WP is that it helps with progressing towards LTG. If/when I achieve LTG I expect I would find it harder to justify going for WP unless there’s a LTP introduced.
 
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