These threads always make me feel like an extreme outlier. I fly on OPM but only about 1/3 of over ocean flights are booked in J—many require Y (not even O).

If I never came OOP, I would hit about 18k PQP and 24 PQF so hit Plat. Instead, what I do when Y is required pay the difference in cash for J when flight time >10 hours or is overnight and R for all other international flights, then apply 30+P for J. My employees get the rest of the +P, with a 50/50 shot of a Y-J UG.

That strategy gets me to $24k PQD. In the meantime, I get upgraded 4-5 times a year, saving $1500-2500/segment by doing so, so min $6k savings, max $12000. The remaining +P are easily consumed by employees at a savings of about $2500/segment. (My business partner does the same thing and we’re about to use 200+P on group travel Y-J upgrades on a transpacific in a few weeks)

Net net I am spending $6k/yr of my own money instead of $12-18k to fly in J in practically every intl flight plus getting another $10k or so a year in residual value in employee upgrades that pay dividend in terms of happiness and retention.

Granted 75% of my costs are OPM, but the value of 1K is so ludicrously good I would be silly not to stretch to requalify.

Humorously, I end up at #5-10 on CPU list every domestic segment. Haven’t seen a CPU for at least 2 years now.