When did you decide to go for lifetime gold with Qantas?

[NZflygirl]

I'm only 18 months into my QF membership so ... a lifetime away

I understand why people go for it. For me being so early into things I can't even fathom the idea of committing to such a goal at this stage.

Pretty sure even if I eventually moved to Oz which is a possibility but not imminently on the cards, I would probably move back to NZ come retirement time (also feels too far away!) so I know I'll end up flying NZ mainly when I retire. I'm also pretty sure even if I retire that I will do a bit of domestic flying in Oz (but much less frequent!)

Secondly, the game will likely have changed considerably by then so it's hard to commit to an unknown.

I think if I were to get close (not sure what I define as close?) then I'd consider it.


When did you consider going for LTG? People who hit it accidentally without knowing needn't respond j/k
What would you define as "close" enough to go for it?

 

[moa999]

I suspect for many it is a by product of targeting Plat or Plat1 in individual years.

 

[RooFlyer]

Gunna respond anyway ...

I didn't know LTG existed until I happened to look at a printed statement a while back. Mind you, I've been flying for a while ....

 

[ozmille]

I joined QFF just over 9 years ago when moving to Oz, originally it was going to be a one year thing... fast forward 9 years and I'm almost at 10000SCs. I didn't plan for LTG but should get it in a couple of years anyway

 

[bsb]

I joined in the first year of QFF when I lived in NZ for a few years. I never actually decided to 'go' for LTG until it was 1500 credits away. Then I just flew QF and OW hardcore to get it.

But I'd been WP for 2 years before and ever since and this is way more valuable to me. Plus I didn't get it until I was late 40's and no way on earth did I have a job or the income to do this much beforehand. I'd say just enjoy the ride

 

[whughes3]

I never decided to "go for LTG": I just flew when and where I had to and eventually they gave it to me!

 

[amaroo]

i never decided to "go for ltg": I just flew when and where i had to and eventually they gave it to me!

+ 14,000 (sc) :d

 

[snabbu]

I also didn't really go for it, it happened after 6 years of pretty serious work travel. As handy as LTG is as a fallback, for some strange reason I'm still in fear or losing my WP.

 

[blackcat20]

I'm not planning on it, and its a long way away, but I hope that it comes around eventually. I'm probably 2ish years off LTS assuming I maintain my current rate of travel.

 

[Pushka]

Not until after the Ansett saga where we had really high status and then boom, lost our Business class family flights booked for Christmas just 6 weeks out, plus membership.

Virgin dont have the required business timings for flights although recently Qantas has degraded those for Adelaide anyway.

MrP flies constantly, weekly, multiple times for work for Lifetime Gold came quickly for him even though most flights in the past are in economy although one client did pay across the world business class so those years were golden.

So basically, it just happened without planning for it.

Me? I think I might actively plan for it, but it is a lifetime away! Guess I'd better keep MrP around a little longer.

 

[bismarck]

Well I've "decided to go for it" in as much as I'll pretty much always fly QF domestically (since that's our preferred airline for work).

Starting young is a pretty big benefit....even if it takes 20 years, I'll still probably have half my flying life to enjoy it

 

[serfty]

It was simply introduced around the turn of the century - they were kind enough to backdate the SC tally and include the TC's earned from September 1998.

At the time I though it was a shame about the 250+ points earning flights I had taken before then - they are not included.

I thouth the 7K for lifetime PS was achievable - just - discounted LTSG altogether.

By mid 2004 I had about 3.8K ... then I can across AFF and FT ... now have over 30K.

 

[BacchusMarsh]

I had it before I had a chance to really think about it due to a combination of work, a protracted long-distance courtship, and numerous subsequent visits to my new extended family.

If starting out now I'd be focusing only on short-term goals (such as annual status), given the ample potential for rules to change along the way. But I've never really been one for mileage runs, prefer to just find the most comfortable and cost-effective option for any given individual trip.

 

[BCons]

12 years of Plat level meant that I was getting close to LTG without aiming for it. However, having made it, several things changed - not as much Intl work travel meant I lost Plat (to be fair, after a year's comp), the QF lockout, and Jetstar-isation of HBA flights turned me off a bit. Not getting into Q First lounge hurt a bit too.. These days I get by with VA Plat (easier to get and more choices ex Aust with SQ, EY, Delta) and pull out the LTG card only rarely.

 

[JohnK]

Never targetted Lifetime Gold. When I first joined QFF Lifetime Silver was out of reach. But then I reached Platinum and continued to just maintain Platinum every year except 2 years where I had Partner Gold and made Lifetime Gold a few years ago.

 

[samh004]

I hit LTS pretty quick as a result of a year targeting P1. However, I've always had LTG in my sights because I want to be safe (I know, airlines may not be in business forever) for the rest of my travelling life. Yes, I realise this will essentially lock me to Qantas, or at the very least oneworld, however I'm happy with Qantas and I hope they are happy with me.

I recall a talk I had with Justin Hyams at a QF lunch. I'd just hit P1 and was using benefits that no doubt cost them a lot, and would have had more than 6 months to go. I said to him, he could take it back and even my WP membership if I could have LTG in exchange right now. He wasn't keen and gave the impression that LT status wasn't worth it to them. That's what I took from it at least. I said it would lock me to them, as I wouldn't want to fly another carrier and miss out on lounge access/being treated nice. But I can also see where he's coming from that I wouldn't need to strive to get the status each year. That could be a disincentive eventually though if someone else came along offering status for less, while I'm happy to just blindly throw my cash at them. Alas, I digress.

That said, I've slowed down in my spending, but have signed up my wife, mother, sister and father since and they're all in the game. My father will likely hit LTS in a couple years, my mother not much behind that. Both parents in fact will be WP next year. So if they can analyse all that they would see as a unit, the family is good.

 

[RichardMEL]

I'm a bit like Pushka - I was a loyal AN man thoughnever had great status with them (I was a student then singing softly to myself "What more can a Poor Boy do?" - there's your kiwi reference NZFlygirl! ) but they went bust a week before I started a RTW issued on AN stock (luckily it was still honoured by the Star Alliance). I had been given a free QFF membership in 1994 due to CO pulling out of Oz and they "helpfully" migrated their OnePass members in Australia to QFF(at a poor exchange rate IIRC) so I think I had maybe 7k points or something but I barely flew QF/TN as I was far more an AN guy.

So anyway post 2011 I did more QF flying simply because I had one bad DJ flight(VA as it was then) and used QF for dom flights, but was still a Star guy internationally. I think maybe 2007 I may have had my first year of PS with QF (!) but then a lapse until 2011 when I again got to PS, then SG the next year - I had decided the grass was greener over at OW.

So in all that I think I hit LTS maybe in 2012 but didn't think much of it given the relatively low value. I was lucky enough to do a lot of flying and pushed up the SC counts to make WP for a few years, until P1 in 2014. I hit LTG in 2015 along with my P1 renewal but I didn't target it per se, just knew it would come along as I flew more (and as we all know the letter you get is so uninspiring it's like a form letter from the bank) so it's brilliant to have as a fallback, but I'll hopefully be WP for at least a few more years, and am only about 500 SC away from my 4th year of P1 so I will prob get that. I continue to look at other options, though things like BA LTG or GGL are a bridge too far I think at this point, so I'll prob keep flying a mix of QF and Star based on needs and see where it goes.

Heck in years to come NZ could take over QF (or EK could, or EY swallow NZ, or...) and the landscape could be totally different.

I'm banking those LTSC's now and well maybe a miracle will happen and they'll offer up LTP as something to strive for., but I'm not having any kind of target with QF except perhaps wanting to maintain WP, which I am easily so far.

 

[GDSman]

I took many (perhaps) 10 yrs to get to LTS and only 18mths more to get to LTG. I was doing a lot of J RTW flights but when I realized I was going to change job and relocate to Hobart I focused on it and added segments to build credits....fell over the line on my last RTW. Since then have dropped down from QF WP and got VA WP instead.... I like having LTG to fall back on and especially for lounge access with family trips...

 

[mviy]

I decided this year to aim for LTG but I don't intend to go for P1 to try and rush it excessively. I intend to make strategic use of 50% bonus SC and DSC offers to help get me there. When there is a good DSC year I may get WP, but other years may drop back to SG or perhaps PS or even NB.

I used the DSC promo earlier this year to get to PS and SG for the first time earlier than I would have otherwise and to get to WP for the first time.

It will likely take me a long time (I'm about 1/7 of the way to LTG at the moment), but in the past year I've probably close to quadrupled my lifetime status tally. I reckon I'm at least 10 years away from LTG but probably 20-30 years away.

I hope to never fall back to NB, but that may not be realistic. I'm still a long way off LTS let alone LTG.

 

[JohnM]

As handy as LTG is as a fallback, for some strange reason I'm still in fear or losing my WP.

I'm now 2.5X around the LTG dial and that's also my fear - clearly a reflection of a long continuous time as WP.

LTG just kind of happened about 10 years ago. I must admit, after AN's demise sending about 400K points down the gurgler, I was apprehensive that QF might 'enhance' LTG just as I approached it. Thankfully, that did not happen.

As a SFSC, P1 is out of reach so I have to be content with WP. Thankfully, I've never had to invoke LTG. How do I say it? SG just seems a step... down... too far just yet... :shock:.