Faking Platinum One Status

It takes a lot of flying to achieve Qantas Platinum One status. But as one member recently discovered, there is another way. Well, kind of…

This member recently noticed that a colleague with Gold status was proudly displaying Platinum One bag tags on their luggage. When questioned, this colleague admitted to buying the Q bag tags on Ebay. They did it just so that other people would think they have top-tier status.

The majority of members find this practice a waste of time and money. While having a shiny white tag may make some people feel important, it does not come with any tangible benefits. Q bag tags do not permanently store any information relating to status, nor anything else. So, a Bronze member using a Platinum One bag tag would not receive priority baggage.

Our member believes that most people would not even know what a white bag tag represents. Those that did know might wonder why this colleague was in the Qantas Club (and not the Business Lounge). It would not result in better on-board treatment either, as the flyer’s real status would appear on their boarding pass and the flight manifest.

Despite the total lack of tangible benefits of using one, it seems there is a market for Platinum One cards and luggage tags. Those shiny white bag tags can sell for as much as $500 each on websites like Ebay and Gumtree!

At the end of the day, our members suspect that ego is this colleague’s main motivation.

Join the discussion HERE.

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.