First off, I do plan to continue to fly and to fly with EK, and do fly monthly. I do appreciate what Gold delivers to me and cannot see any extra major benefits that Platinum will deliver and would agree that pushing for it to most isn't valuable.

Getting Platinum is a bucket list item, once I have got it, will be rather happy to slide back to Gold. I am currently so close it would be a shame not to push it to get Platinum by the end of July.

I currently buy some flex fares to gain and maintain Gold status, and if I will always land back to Gold after 12 months as a Plat, then I can justify it easily by not buying any flex fares trying to maintain Gold for the 12 months I am Plat.

The main thing I value in status is lounge access, however the most valuable benefit is luggage allowance - I use it/need it and often prior to status paid excess baggage charges or paid to courier stuff I need before I traveled and often choose what flights now to upgrade on with miles if I need even more than my 46kg + 7kg carry on.....

I do fly 100% for work, for my own company. So I have fixed from and to locations, and rather fixed time frames that I do have to fly when I do.

Some of the status running I am looking at doing between now and July is for example paying $2,000USD flying to KIX to pick up my full luggage allowance in product to fly home that we would otherwise be paying $1,200USD to freight out to us and gaining 23,000 SC & the 34,500 miles in the process.

I have in all the hunting I have done, that you will pay around 10 cents per status credit or more, with the best option is $1,800 for 25,600SC with a flex fare.