Originally Posted by
SQ325
I certainly disagree here. Generally to my experience it requires a certain flexiblity with the dates to get the award you want. If you require to fly on an exact date, especially if it is on a weekend, it can get quite challenging to get award spaces. Certainly not in the class you wanted. And PPS surely gives you not the guaranteed access to award space as it is often suggested here. I have not gotten the award space I wanted for too often in seven years of PPS.
My experience echoes more of SQ325's than SMK77's. I'd say only half of my waitlists cleared in my six years with the PPS programme. And not for the lack of actual (not award) space, as I have seen the cabin I was after depart unfilled. But then again I was only QPPS and not Solitaire, so it could be different. Do note that Solitaire now requires S$50k spend per year to maintain, unless you were grandfathered into the old terms. Ouch.
What matters though, is if you are travelling in a pair -- you on a paid booking, and a partner (redeeming using your miles) on an award booking. Those awards almost always immediately clear waitlist if you send a chaser, even on popular routes like LHR.