Not the most important issue in the world I know but I've always thought with the QFF 'metals' for status that the platinum card is a bit dull.
On a recent flight I saw my gold luggage tags next to some plat ones in the overhead bin and just thought the gold looked better.
I guess Qantas' problem with going Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum was that they couldn't do a proper shiny platinum like on credit cards because it was taken by silver.
Perhaps they could have called the non-status tier 'red' and then gone bronze silver and gold, more like BA, or are platinum's happy with the 'understated elegance of their card'?
NM
Oct 8, 03, 3:25 am
At least they didn't follow AA's lead and feel the need for something above Plat! Perhaps they could have used Blue for entry level as many other programs do (BA, Hilton for example). Or gone for Diamond as top tier like Hilton do, with white coloured cards/tags.
I agree the Plat cards and tags look more like tarnished bronze to me.
Another funny thing I've just seen. Oneworld has Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. P&O's new loyalty scheme (The Portunus Club (http://www.pocruises.com/loyalty/) - who dreamt that one up after eating too much cheese?) has tiers called Ruby, Sapphire, and - wait for it - Gold. Beats me.
[This message has been edited by Globaliser (edited 10-08-2003).]
og
Oct 8, 03, 3:36 am
Personally, I dislike the bright SG colour (even though I have an SG card). I do, however, like the understated WP colours (one day!). I use an old QC bag tag because it is more subtle. If you have got that far in the system, is it really necessary to advertise it? The bright lights do nothing other than say ....... Its just like a gold Amex card - they buy the same as a common green one, just cost more and say "pretentious". I'll just keep feeding money to QF so I get a WP card!
Leumas
Oct 8, 03, 4:25 am
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Globaliser:
Marketing types are a bit of a mystery.
It's all cultural values and perception... Take HKG-based CX as an example, HK people generally value diamond, platinum and gold very highly (monetary value aside).
Now, I wonder CX diamond's luggage tags are like... A transparent tag but with the information printed on it will be quite cool, I reckon...
The second point is that, without all these levels, this place will be a lot quieter... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
willyroo
Oct 8, 03, 5:04 am
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BAe 146:
Not the most important issue in the world I know but I've always thought with the QFF 'metals' for status that the platinum card is a bit dull.
On a recent flight I saw my gold luggage tags next to some plat ones in the overhead bin and just thought the gold looked better.
I guess Qantas' problem with going Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum was that they couldn't do a proper shiny platinum like on credit cards because it was taken by silver.
Perhaps they could have called the non-status tier 'red' and then gone bronze silver and gold, more like BA, or are platinum's happy with the 'understated elegance of their card'?
</font>
QF's top tier used to be Gold - ie Blue, Silver, then Gold.
To get Gold, you had to travel on 80(?) revenue flights in a 12 month period. That then became 1700 status credits, an incredible total back then (1999: 8 SCs - BNE-SYD). When Platinum was introduced, the threshold was reduced to 1,400 SCs.
Platinum did co-incide with a major revamp of the QFF scheme, so maybe it was felt that new colours heralded the significance of the changes.
thadocta
Oct 8, 03, 12:36 pm
The ironic thing is that when they changed the program - from White/Blue/Silver/Gold to Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum - one of the stated reasons was to "standardise" the levels across their oneworld partners. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif
I agree about baggage tags though - I prefer my bright yellow "FlyerTalk" tags. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif
Dave
virtualtroy
Oct 8, 03, 1:04 pm
Worthwhile string, because I'm sure I'm not the first to notice that non-QF OW carriers have varying responses to the rather turgid colourscheme of the Platinum card, compared to the instant recognition of Gold.
Fellow WP'ers you must've all seen it - the lounge greeter who holds your card to the OW status chart squinting - now, perhaps, through bifocals given the OW status symbol has shrunk on new design cards.
General experience: AA - good; BA - F checkin / lounges excellent, J - variable bordering on suspicious; AY - any - excellent; EI - never flown 'em; LA - any - good to excellent, generally latter; IB - any - poor to excellent; CX - any - generally excellent.
martynriddle
Oct 8, 03, 8:51 pm
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Globaliser:
Marketing types are a bit of a mystery.
</font>
I resemble that remark!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/redface.gif
And long may it stay that way so that I can continue to earn a decent crust.
mad_atta
Oct 9, 03, 12:20 am
VirtualTroy, I know what you mean. I've always thought that the oneworld status symbol thingies are pretty small and difficult to see - especially, the difference between sapphire and emerald can be difficult to see on some cards, especially in the 'moody' lighting of some lounges. In this aspect I think the Star Alliance approach makes more sense: as well as a coloured symbol it actually says whether it is gold or silver etc.
While we're on the subject of Star Alliance, I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my Air Canada Elite card, having finally reached the dizzy heights of Star Gold status. The basic AC card is quite attractive, with a red maple leaf on a white background, but by all accounts the elite one is tack-a-rama (gold on black or something similar). This of course begs the question: what is more important, status or aesthetic sensibilities? (OK, this *is* FT, I know the answer already!)
Getting back on topic, whoever did the redesign of the QF cards last time didn't do a very imaginative job. There are some very stylish cards out there (the new bmi and AirNZ ones, for example) but the QF ones are dull, dull, dull... and the bronze ones (like mine - blush!) are a particularly virulent pinkish shade.
virtualtroy
Oct 9, 03, 1:08 am
I quite liked the old design of BA Golds, the new one looks like the cover of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells - all ethereal. Knowing BA, probably cheaper to produce http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
alect
Oct 9, 03, 9:24 am
I remember pre-Plat Qf days I was silver and was checking in for AA domestic flight. At that time there were separate lines for AA Gold (QF Silv equiv) and AA Plt (QF Gold equiv). I showed my QF Silver card to the person guarding the line and she thought it was an AA Plt card and directed me to that line. No complaints - just thought it was funny.
Leumas
Oct 9, 03, 9:40 am
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by virtualtroy:
I quite liked the old design of BA Golds, the new one looks like the cover of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells - all ethereal. Knowing BA, probably cheaper to produce http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif</font>
Don't you know? It's an enhancement...! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
thadocta
Oct 9, 03, 9:45 am
Shall I tell them - or shall you? - that "enhancement" is a euphamism best avoided as far as BA is concerned???? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif
Dave
og
Oct 9, 03, 4:29 pm
"Enhancement" is not just a BA euphamism for "reduction". Try any other business or government!
Wongo
Oct 9, 03, 6:38 pm
Did they check your boarding pass to find out that you are only silver and booted you out to the queue again? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/redface.gif
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by alect:
I remember pre-Plat Qf days I was silver and was checking in for AA domestic flight. At that time there were separate lines for AA Gold (QF Silv equiv) and AA Plt (QF Gold equiv). I showed my QF Silver card to the person guarding the line and she thought it was an AA Plt card and directed me to that line. No complaints - just thought it was funny.</font>
RichardMEL
Oct 9, 03, 7:58 pm
Stop complaining! Over in UA land the top (regular) tier - equivalent to Plat is a bloody WHITE card. True, it has tiny speckles in it, but none the less it's WHITE. The most interesting part is the Star Alliance Gold logo. The UA 2nd tier card is Gold, and looks much more impressive.
The ultimate over at UA is the UGS card (this is a chairman's lounge kind of scheme based on revenue). It's BLACK. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
------------------
RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.