Originally Posted by
BA Humbug
One potential upside to staying Gold -- if your boarding pass says "Gold" on the FQTV even with KL / AF prefix, they will allow access into the Al Fursan First Class lounge in JED (as the highest tier in Al Fursan is Gold), whereas they won't allow Platinum as it's a "partner' program.
I have been to JED twice this year. As FB Platinum, and with no chicanery regarding thumb placement on my boarding documents (I handed over the SV boarding pass for a thorough inspection on both occasions), I have now twice been welcomed into the (pretty unremarkable) Al Fursan First Class section of the lounge in JED.
(The first time I wandered into the empty, unstaffed "First" area without realising what it was, and was eventually pursued by a flustered lounge agent to verify whether I should be shepherded back out or not)
That lounge doesn't strike me as in any way, shape or form to be worth sacrificing Platinum for - all the more so when it guarantees you Gold for the year after when you say you're not going to be able to get to Gold otherwise - even if you still doubt that you would be allowed into that section of that lounge, despite my experience showing that it's not going to be an issue.