Go to Platinum or Stick to Gold?
Nov 22, 2016, 6:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: KLM
Posts: 4
Go to Platinum or Stick to Gold?
Hi All,
First time post so please ignore any newbie mistakes. I'm currently on KLM FB and have something like 69,800 miles. Platinum is 70,000 miles.
My question is whether I should go for Platinum or stick with gold. My reasoning is this:
1. If I go to Platinum, very few miles carry into 2017 and in 2018 I'll be back to silver (I don't plan to travel as much next year as I did this year).
2. If I stick to gold, 29800 miles carry into 2017, so I'll be gold in 2017 and should find it easy to earn enough miles to be gold in 2018.
Does this make sense, or am I thinking about it wrong? Basically, I feel like the choice is between one year of platinum or two of gold.
Any thoughts appreciated, thank you!
First time post so please ignore any newbie mistakes. I'm currently on KLM FB and have something like 69,800 miles. Platinum is 70,000 miles.
My question is whether I should go for Platinum or stick with gold. My reasoning is this:
1. If I go to Platinum, very few miles carry into 2017 and in 2018 I'll be back to silver (I don't plan to travel as much next year as I did this year).
2. If I stick to gold, 29800 miles carry into 2017, so I'll be gold in 2017 and should find it easy to earn enough miles to be gold in 2018.
Does this make sense, or am I thinking about it wrong? Basically, I feel like the choice is between one year of platinum or two of gold.
Any thoughts appreciated, thank you!
Nov 22, 2016, 6:32 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YOW
Programs: Flying Blue Plat, Accor Gold
Posts: 392
Hi All,
First time post so please ignore any newbie mistakes. I'm currently on KLM FB and have something like 69,800 miles. Platinum is 70,000 miles.
My question is whether I should go for Platinum or stick with gold. My reasoning is this:
1. If I go to Platinum, very few miles carry into 2017 and in 2018 I'll be back to silver (I don't plan to travel as much next year as I did this year).
2. If I stick to gold, 29800 miles carry into 2017, so I'll be gold in 2017 and should find it easy to earn enough miles to be gold in 2018.
Does this make sense, or am I thinking about it wrong? Basically, I feel like the choice is between one year of platinum or two of gold.
Any thoughts appreciated, thank you!
First time post so please ignore any newbie mistakes. I'm currently on KLM FB and have something like 69,800 miles. Platinum is 70,000 miles.
My question is whether I should go for Platinum or stick with gold. My reasoning is this:
1. If I go to Platinum, very few miles carry into 2017 and in 2018 I'll be back to silver (I don't plan to travel as much next year as I did this year).
2. If I stick to gold, 29800 miles carry into 2017, so I'll be gold in 2017 and should find it easy to earn enough miles to be gold in 2018.
Does this make sense, or am I thinking about it wrong? Basically, I feel like the choice is between one year of platinum or two of gold.
Any thoughts appreciated, thank you!
But still, since Platinum has very similar advantage as Gold, except for free emergency and C+ seat selection. If that's going to be important to you, it would not be hard to find a 180EUR R/T to get 200 miles.
Otherwise, I will say I would prefer staying in Gold rather in Platinum unless you are going to be sure you have 10 years to achieve PFL.
Nov 22, 2016, 6:39 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: AF/KL FB Plat ; A3 Gold ; HH Gold ; IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 2,380
If you travel 71000 miles en 2016 and 60000 miles in 2017, you will be platinum in 2017, 1000 miles carried over, and gold in 2018, and silver in 2019 without any miles carried over.
if you only travel 69000 miles in 2016, you will have 29000 miles carried over in 2017 as gold, you still travel 60000 miles in 2017 so you will be platinum in 2018 and gold in 2019.
So depending on your expected number of miles earned in 2016 and 2017, it might make sense to avoid reaching platinum this year.
if you only travel 69000 miles in 2016, you will have 29000 miles carried over in 2017 as gold, you still travel 60000 miles in 2017 so you will be platinum in 2018 and gold in 2019.
So depending on your expected number of miles earned in 2016 and 2017, it might make sense to avoid reaching platinum this year.
Nov 22, 2016, 6:44 am
#4
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,342
200 miles should be easy to get; for far under 180 euro. I'd say that if you plan carefully you should be able to find something under 100 euro.
Like posted above you will not go back to silver. As long as you fly at least one flight, you go down only one level - meaning from Plat to Gold. So you will have one year of Plat, one year of Gold.
Being plat does have some advantages, like free Economy Comfort seating. If you are planning to fly long-haul, being able to get free Economy Comfort may already save you more money than the 200 miles would cost.
Like posted above you will not go back to silver. As long as you fly at least one flight, you go down only one level - meaning from Plat to Gold. So you will have one year of Plat, one year of Gold.
Being plat does have some advantages, like free Economy Comfort seating. If you are planning to fly long-haul, being able to get free Economy Comfort may already save you more money than the 200 miles would cost.
Nov 22, 2016, 6:54 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SJJ/AMS
Posts: 4,647
Welcome to FT, agentred.
Whilst it seems that your travel patterns for the forthcoming year will not be significant enough for you to enjoy the benefits that the new tier has to offer (and indeed, as a Platinum member scoring an average of ~150 flights a year on AF-KL+partners, I'm quite happy with the economy comfort/extra legroom seats), the 200 miles required to reach the new status are certainly not a major hurdle and, as others have already mentioned, you would be able to make the most of Gold status in 2018, even in case of very limited activity during the year to come.
G
Whilst it seems that your travel patterns for the forthcoming year will not be significant enough for you to enjoy the benefits that the new tier has to offer (and indeed, as a Platinum member scoring an average of ~150 flights a year on AF-KL+partners, I'm quite happy with the economy comfort/extra legroom seats), the 200 miles required to reach the new status are certainly not a major hurdle and, as others have already mentioned, you would be able to make the most of Gold status in 2018, even in case of very limited activity during the year to come.
G
Nov 22, 2016, 8:21 am
#6
Join Date: May 2009
Location: AMS
Posts: 2,064
Wrong. Since FB has a soft landing policy, the choice is between one year of platinum + one year of gold or two years of gold. The only requirement for both options is to fly at least one qualifying segment in 2017.
The choice eems easier now, doesn't it?
Nov 23, 2016, 2:18 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,742
Getting Platinum for 2017 means you are automatically guaranteed at least Gold in 2018 - all that is required is that you take one level-mileage earning flight in 2017.
Nov 23, 2016, 7:26 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: AF/KL FB Plat ; A3 Gold ; HH Gold ; IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 2,380
however, as i demonstrated above, depending on your travel pattern in 2017 (at least 40200 qualifying miles but less than 70k), it might be worth staying gold, moving excess of miles to 2017, reach platinum during 2017 for 2018 and back down to gold in 2019, whereas a platinum-first strategy would lead to silver in 2019.
Nov 23, 2016, 8:02 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,742
The OP says:
and
where this latter must be read as starting from an opening level miles balance of 29800 [so, requiring only 10,200 miles in 2017]
Hence, there are no "excess miles" to move to 2017, and for the sake of 200 extra miles in the next 6 weeks, Gold into 2018 would be lost.
and
where this latter must be read as starting from an opening level miles balance of 29800 [so, requiring only 10,200 miles in 2017]
Hence, there are no "excess miles" to move to 2017, and for the sake of 200 extra miles in the next 6 weeks, Gold into 2018 would be lost.
Nov 23, 2016, 1:26 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: KLM
Posts: 4
Thanks all, really useful posts!
It sounds like platinum in 2017 is the way to go. Saving the miles and getting platinum in 2018 is also a good strategy, but planning that far is always complicated by unforeseen changes in airlines/jobs etc.
As for getting the final miles... I'm based in Amsterdam, but can also just buy 2000 miles for EUR55 from the KLM site, so that seems like the easiest option, right? If there's a cheaper route I'm all ears,
Thanks again for all the thoughts and info,
It sounds like platinum in 2017 is the way to go. Saving the miles and getting platinum in 2018 is also a good strategy, but planning that far is always complicated by unforeseen changes in airlines/jobs etc.
As for getting the final miles... I'm based in Amsterdam, but can also just buy 2000 miles for EUR55 from the KLM site, so that seems like the easiest option, right? If there's a cheaper route I'm all ears,
Thanks again for all the thoughts and info,
Nov 23, 2016, 1:43 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,742
You need level miles to gain status. Level miles can only be obtained by flying. Buying award miles will not help.
Any KLM flight will earn at least 187 miles per sector (flights of 750 miles or less in the cheapest economy classes earn at 25% of the minimum 750 miles, giving 187 level miles per sector).
The cheapest possible return ticket on KLM that you can find for which all travel is completed by 31/12/2016 at the latest will get you Platinum status.
Or do you need 2000 miles, which contradicts the first post?
Any KLM flight will earn at least 187 miles per sector (flights of 750 miles or less in the cheapest economy classes earn at 25% of the minimum 750 miles, giving 187 level miles per sector).
The cheapest possible return ticket on KLM that you can find for which all travel is completed by 31/12/2016 at the latest will get you Platinum status.
Or do you need 2000 miles, which contradicts the first post?
Nov 23, 2016, 4:34 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2012
Location: AMS
Programs: BA KL LH Hilton Marriott
Posts: 1,233
Your post #11 has me wondering if you have 69,800 level miles, or 69,800 award miles, in which case you will be disappointed. I hope for you that you are not mistaken.
As for the choice between keeping Gold or making Platinum, this topic crops up every year and just about all advice available has already been given. Platinum has it's advantages but it is easier to keep gold for multiple years if your travel plans work that way. Keeping Platinum is obviously the best but will not be realistic if you will be travelling less.
As for the choice between keeping Gold or making Platinum, this topic crops up every year and just about all advice available has already been given. Platinum has it's advantages but it is easier to keep gold for multiple years if your travel plans work that way. Keeping Platinum is obviously the best but will not be realistic if you will be travelling less.