What happens next?

[Aussiewombat70]

I am a frequent traveller. I normally reach platinum within 2 months of any year and for the last 4 years I have tripled the platinum requirements. This obvious leads to lots of FF points and lifetime gold status. I have no problems using my FF points on QF flights of choice. But I was sitting back over the weekend and wondering - Why continue flying Qantas at every opportunity? I can understand doing this each year to reach platinum, but maybe I should spend dollars on other airlines since I am never going to be given Chairmans Lounge access.

Last week I just spend $21,000 on a rtn business class ticket from Melbourne to NYC. Now that is a ridiculous amount of money for a two segment flight each way, but that is what Qantas charges. Surely my loyalty to Qantas is not in my best interest anymore when they charge these sort of airfare prices. Also - in all of my flights over the last 6 or so years (probably more than 1000 segments) I have only ever been upgraded once. I have business partners that get upgraded regularly, particularly with US airlines.

I am not whinging here, I am just wondering what happens next after lifetime gold? Are Qantas just expecting us to keep paying very high airfares for FF points? I am interested to hear other FF experiences. Are Qantas FF points worth it anymore with the rapid inflation in the redemption rates and the stagnant earning rates? Are there better options around for a global flyer based in Melbourne?

 

[Happy Dude]

At the risk of being flamed and branded naive, can I suggest you write a letter to QF explaining your predicament and requesting CL status (politely drawing their attention to your QF history)? There will always be bigger fish in the QF ocean than you, but you'll never know without asking.

Also, you may be better off crediting to AA with regards to reward redemption and fuel fines. And I reckon it'd be convenient to have high status on multiple airlines too.

Good problem to have though Aussiewombat70, and welcome to AFF...

 

[serfty]

Welcome to AFF.

Qantas rely on the Mushroom principle ... (you keep know, dark, feed on Sh... etc).

Hang around here enough and you'll find you can travel MEL-NYC in J on Qantas for ~ $12,000. (with Business class side trips to London, Frankfurt, Singapore, even Anchorage ("First Class") if you desire).

 

[wandering_fred]

And to add to serfty's comment - If you willing to take a (probably a one time) positioning flight to SIN/BKK or NRT - you can lower that $12K even a bit further. And Indonesia would lower even that number......

I find that even for ordinary tickets it makes no sense to purchase my tickets in Perth....... There are quite a few of us who are quite happy with exSIN ordinary tickets.

Wander a bit - travel is supposed to broaden one's horizon's
Pity I don't have the time / money to do more of it :mrgreen: especially since getting there should be half the fun

Fred

 

[docjames]

Did you try CX via HK which goes direct to JFK from HK? And brings cost down considerably (can do as circle pacific).

You leave night beofre, but arrive late morning into JFK (instead of leaving following day, but arriving evening JFK). Overall travel time is only a couple of hours longer.

 

[simongr]

Did you try CX via HK which goes direct to JFK from HK? And brings cost down considerably (can do as circle pacific).

You leave night before, but arrive late morning into JFK (instead of leaving following day, but arriving evening JFK). Overall travel time is only a couple of hours longer.

Also you get a lie flat bed (which is great unless you are a fat a$$) and transit at a decent airport and don't have to do the shuffle of collecting bags in the US when arriving at LAX.

Mind you you wont get status bonus crediting to QF.

Back to the decision of whether to spread the love a little. Personally if you have the flexibility in who you can travel with I would go for top tier in a couple of programs - Star Alliance and Oneworld. That way you are always guaranteed* a pleasurable travel experience.

S


* Guarantees subject to availability and in no way guarantees that all travel will be pleasurable.

 

[Mal]

Although Qantas does some things for their 'uber flyers' - ie occasional Christmas pressies of Wine or similar, invites to certain functions etc, and some possible hidden benefits (eg seating rights/upgrade rights when having to do operational upgrades) they really don't have anything to reward these uber flyers with.

Share the love around. Investigate gaining top tier on either the Cathay Scheme (if you're interested in flying Cathay a lot), or the American Airlines scheme. AA has lots of benefits over the Qantas scheme.

Or start looking at alternative routings to the US - eg SYD-AKL-<US> with Air NZ (quite a nice way to fly in their Business equivalent) or SYD-SIN-<US> and get status with Star Alliance through one of their schemes (eg BMI/Singapore/Air NZ etc)

Lots of possibilities. Qantas doesn't seem to give you the love when you fly them lots - so you should look at ways to use the additional flying.

There are a couple of members here who are/were top tier Qantas/American Airlines, and I think another couple who are top tier Star Alliance/Qantas (or American Airlines) members. Quite possible if you do the huge amounts of flying that you seem to be doing.

 

[glider]

This seems to be a lot like the other threads highlighting Qantas not caring about its customers