bmam7

This may be chutzpah but nothing ventured/nothing gained and I wanted to sound out the experts on here.

I am currently QF Gold/OW Sapphire but because I am retired and all my travel is for pleasure (and sometimes status runs) I've not been able to achieve the SC needed and will fall back to Gold at the end of August.

However I do have many trips already booked with QF and a couple with OW partners so that I will be more than halfway to Gold again by the end of the year. I'm also a QC member which will be renewed in December, having been "on hold" whilst I was Gold.

In the past, I have heard of QF asking about future travel plans and then leaving you at your current status depending on what they are (I've experienced it myself but it was years ago). Does this still exist or has it gone by the board?

Would I be totally wasting my time to phone FF and explain the situation and simply ask, can I stay on the same status - or am I just being greedy :-) ?

bmam7

Oops - that should read "fall back to Silver"

Dave Noble

If you have received a letter asking about future travel plans then you could try lying to them when you reply

If you have not received any contact , then I would not expect anything

There is a chance that if you have been gold for a while that you will receive an ex gratia renewal. If you check your membership details online what date does it say that status reassessment will occur?

bmam7

Thanks, Dave

I wouldn't actually have to lie to them - I will indeed earn SC on trips already booked and others most definitely planned to get back to Gold next time. My assessment period is up on 31 August. No letter so far - put perhaps in today's mail. Ha ha!

QF being more tight-fisted these days (unlike the days of old) I'm not really expecting anything. As I opened the thread - I did say chutzpah! :-)

On a more serious note though - I do, possibly illogically, see myself as a "loyal" QF customer, having flown them since the 70's and, in the main, at my own expense. But of course, they don't really care about folks like me - just the corporate accounts, whether that be at the pointy end or up the back. These passengers are not flying out of loyalty to QF, but because that's where their company or government department puts them. Not complaining about it - it's a business fact of life.

Dave Noble

It doesn't say 31 August 2015 does it?

If so then you may have been given a complimentary extension ; if not have you received one in the past

If not, well, then may just have to enjoy the benefits of silver status until you manage to travel enough to earn Gold again

sxc

I would just explain your future pattern to them, with no expectation that you will get anything complimentary. But if you do, then bonus! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Mwenenzi

What is your average SC's over 3 and 4 years?
Is is it higher than gold re qualification?
As you have not yet received a letter I would not be expecting to receive a letter now.

LTN Phobia

If they are "proactively" prepared to help you, you may well have (or possibly may in the future) received a letter outlining a "challenge" where they grant you the status subject to X number of SCs earned by X date.

I had a short period when I was overseas and crediting all OW flights other than QF (and JQ but that's not OW) to BA when I dropped from Platinum to Gold and they offered a "challenge". I qualified again even if I did not have the challenge anyway so it made no difference to me, but when they offered the challenge, I was not hugely far off requalifying for Platinum, having been a Platinum for probably 6-7 consecutive years (not sure but a fair few), lifetime Gold, and most (may have been 100%) of the SCs the previous membership year had been earned on QF and JQ as well as previously earning quite well in excess of the minimum SC requirement for Platinum, so I suspect they thought they may be able to retain me if they offered an incentive.

I do think that the SC requirements are there for a reason and I doubt QF would be prepared to give everyone who asks a complimentary retention of status, unless there is a good reason to do so in an individual case. So, maybe you will be able to get QF to agree, maybe not. You could only but ask, but I would not be too hopeful as the answer may well be disappointing.

bmam7

Thanks for all the comments folks. Much appreciated. I phoned the QF FF consultant and he was going to "put a case" up the line. He advised that there was no guarantee but as I had shown "loyalty" to QF with many years of Silver and I have 10 bookings already in the system, both domestic and as far afield as Chicago and London, there may be a chance.

He also mentioned the possibility of an extension of Gold provided I undertook to actually make Gold again by the end of August 2015 (which I will do in any case).

I won't be disappointed if it's turned down - as I said right at the beginning, I thought I was perhaps being a bit cheeky but as sxc said, "nothing ventured, nothing gained." I must say the consultant was very helpful and I feel will do all possible but, qué será será! :-)