Gold Elite Retention
Apr 23, 2016, 2:42 pm
#1
Ambassador: Air New Zealand
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Wellington NZ
Programs: NZ Elite, EK Gold, Qatar Gold, Amex Plat, Accor Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,426
Gold Elite Retention
Frequent flyers going to extreme lengths to hang on to their air miles
Article in Sunday Star Times on Hilary Barry, TV3 Presenter, requiring 34 Status Points to retain her Gold Elite Status so she came to Wellington for a couple of hours last Monday.
Article in Sunday Star Times on Hilary Barry, TV3 Presenter, requiring 34 Status Points to retain her Gold Elite Status so she came to Wellington for a couple of hours last Monday.
Apr 23, 2016, 3:22 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: New Zealand
Programs: NZ*S plus various hotel programs
Posts: 945
I'd hardly call a day trip to WLG "extreme lengths", especially when you read about people here doing a lot, lot more on mileage runs.
The comments certainly make interesting reading too.
The comments certainly make interesting reading too.
Apr 23, 2016, 3:46 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: NZ*Elite *G, QF*G, SPG*Platinum, Accor*Platinum, Hilton*Gold
Posts: 1,006
Lol extreme lengths to retain Elite. Going from Gold to Elite 2 months I wouldn't say it would be hard to retain Elite. She just isn't travelling as much as she should. Domestically it would be difficult to retain Elite
Last edited by dadig; Apr 23, 2016 at 4:01 pm
Apr 23, 2016, 5:21 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: New Zealand
Programs: NZ*S plus various hotel programs
Posts: 945
With a peak time AKL/WLG/AKL trip netting about 55SP using fully flexi tickets, it takes about 27 round trips to re-qualify. Credit card SP earn will help.
It is making a banked year that is pretty tough, needing about 44 round trips, which with 4 weeks vacation a year means you can only miss 4 weekly trips without needing credit card SP and holiday flying.
I've qualified / re-qualified elite a few times on just domestic flying and it's certainly a lot easier than it was just over a year ago when the SP got more aligned with $ spend.
It is making a banked year that is pretty tough, needing about 44 round trips, which with 4 weeks vacation a year means you can only miss 4 weekly trips without needing credit card SP and holiday flying.
I've qualified / re-qualified elite a few times on just domestic flying and it's certainly a lot easier than it was just over a year ago when the SP got more aligned with $ spend.
Apr 23, 2016, 5:52 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,118
SP is only aligned with $ spend on main trunk jet routes. Everything regional is a combination of spend, route and aircraft type.
Regional pax can spend way more than main trunk jet pax and get a mere fraction of the SP.
Regional pax can spend way more than main trunk jet pax and get a mere fraction of the SP.
Apr 25, 2016, 2:44 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Programs: Etihad Guest
Posts: 1,549
It's a false economy not to do a status run, especially if you use your Recognition Upgrades usually.
Apr 25, 2016, 4:46 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,118
Apr 25, 2016, 9:37 pm
#13
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: Nz*G
Posts: 105
100% this is the only reason that makes elite valuable. Buy a sale y fare (not grab a seat) and throw a $220 apd at it and you're in premium ( so long the availability is there) It's excellent. Also gifting is better in Elite . But that's about it.
Apr 27, 2016, 5:13 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: NZ*G, United.
Posts: 194
Patchy availability of upgrades has degraded the value to me. Partly because of the routes I fly where either no better class available (A320 trans tasman and those are short flights anyway) or popular. Means my RUs have once again gone unused this year.