New strategy for FB Platinum ?
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,901
Your calculations seem correct to me. But I think that if you want a status, you should maybe target gold which will grant you already most of the perks. If you don’t hold any status yet (my understanding), Plat for life is a very long way to go and so may not worth the efforts and spending if this is all some kind of “mileage runs”. If you think, with a good level of certitude, that your “natural” travel pattern for work + holidays for the next 10 years will make you renew a platinum status easily, then fine go for it, but if you are not sure or if this will be mostly mileage runs (or I should rather say XPs runs), then forget about it and if you really want a status, target Gold.
#3
Join Date: May 2015
Location: RBA / TBS
Programs: AF Gold / Accor Gold / Hilton Diamond / TP Silver / A3 Gold
Posts: 2,740
so If I am not mistaken it's cheaper for me to take advantage of cheap intra-european flights transfer from whether from AMS or CDG to save up 60 segments before the 1st April, which could after transfer to 7 x 60 = 420 XP with the cost around 120Euro X 15 = 1800 Euro, does that mean I will get platinum til the end of 2019 ?
If you are crazy enough to fly twice a week , or if your jobs require this , yes !
I have friends who are doing this , not because they love it , but because they have to ... and trust me thats a pain in the @$$
And even , if you do fly through AMS or CDG twice a week , you will be around ~15 segments short to reach platinium
Me i wouldnt because this is a waste of energy , health and money . Many people will be able to reach silver or gold by miles or segments before april 2018 , however platinium will require too much by such way
Or you are already rich and dont care about such joke as FB platinium
Last edited by fifty_two; Nov 7, 2017 at 5:20 am
#4
Join Date: May 2009
Location: AMS
Posts: 2,054
If OP wants to get to LTPE from currently being ivory then this would be a good head start as it will require more time to do after april 1 (when he will first need to reach silver, then gold, then plat).
Note to OP: if you are a French resident you must connect through AMS; domestic segments don't count unless you are an Abonné member.
Last edited by CyBeR; Nov 7, 2017 at 5:58 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,679
If you are really serious about going for Platinum for Life - a target that requires 10 consecutive years of Platinum membership, and which is there a monumental commitment, but whatever - then you would be advised to decide right now if you are actually committed to this, and to prepare for a busy 5 months of flying.
If you can get to Platinum this calendar year, i.e. by 31 December 2017, then 2018 will count as your first year of 10. However, if it is too late now for you to get to Platinum this year, then you really should ensure you get to Platinum in 2018 before the change to the new system on 31 March 2018.
In 2018, if you manage to rack up 70k status miles, or 60 segments, prior to 31 March, you will have achieved Platinum in the fastest way possible. After 1 April 2019, it won't be possible to achieve platinum that quickly anymore - though retention will remain just as easy.
Therefore, you really should aim to achieve Platinum under the current scheme, whether that is already in calendar year 2017, or in the first 3 months of 2019.
if you delay attaining Platinum for the first time to any period on or after 1 April 2019, you will have to do far more flying than is currently the case.
(I would advise, though, against setting out with the goal of attaining Platinum for Life when you don't even currently have Platinum. 10 years - and all that flying each year - is far too much of a commitment [with rollovers, you may be able to "slack off" in some years, but only if you do even more flying in the preceding year(s)]. Who knows what your future holds next year, let alone in 5 or 10 years? Who knows if Platinum for Life will still be "accepting" new members in 2028/2029?)
If you can get to Platinum this calendar year, i.e. by 31 December 2017, then 2018 will count as your first year of 10. However, if it is too late now for you to get to Platinum this year, then you really should ensure you get to Platinum in 2018 before the change to the new system on 31 March 2018.
In 2018, if you manage to rack up 70k status miles, or 60 segments, prior to 31 March, you will have achieved Platinum in the fastest way possible. After 1 April 2019, it won't be possible to achieve platinum that quickly anymore - though retention will remain just as easy.
Therefore, you really should aim to achieve Platinum under the current scheme, whether that is already in calendar year 2017, or in the first 3 months of 2019.
if you delay attaining Platinum for the first time to any period on or after 1 April 2019, you will have to do far more flying than is currently the case.
(I would advise, though, against setting out with the goal of attaining Platinum for Life when you don't even currently have Platinum. 10 years - and all that flying each year - is far too much of a commitment [with rollovers, you may be able to "slack off" in some years, but only if you do even more flying in the preceding year(s)]. Who knows what your future holds next year, let alone in 5 or 10 years? Who knows if Platinum for Life will still be "accepting" new members in 2028/2029?)
#6
Join Date: May 2015
Location: RBA / TBS
Programs: AF Gold / Accor Gold / Hilton Diamond / TP Silver / A3 Gold
Posts: 2,740
However the more i think about it , i still cant understand the meaning of 60 segments in 90 days (except if hes required to do so for business/family reasons)
Edit = He may be able to reach Platinium thanks to conversion rates ( 1000 status miles = 5XP and 1 qualifying flight = 7XP) . So if he combine both he could reach Platinium.
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
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Anyone with 60,000 level miles, or 43 level segments, in their account on 31 March 2018 *should* be elevated to Platinum on 1 April 2019, despite these amounts being insufficient in the old scheme for Platinum.
Hence, the fastest way to achieve platinum - faster than the current scheme, and faster than will be possible in the new scheme - is to have 60k level miles [60 * 5 = 300XP] or 43 level segments [43 * 7 = 301XP] earned in January, February and March of 2018.
Therefore, my advice of the previous post in this thread - to get the full 70k level miles or 60 segments by the end of March - is incorrect. It's enough to just have 60k level miles or 43 level segments, and let the "conversion" to XPs automatically elevate you to Platinum.
#8
Join Date: May 2009
Location: AMS
Posts: 2,054
Edit = He may be able to reach Platinium thanks to conversion rates ( 1000 status miles = 5XP and 1 qualifying flight = 7XP) . So if he combine both he could reach Platinium.
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 5
If I am not mistaken it's cheaper for me to take advantage of cheap intra-european flights transfer from whether from AMS or CDG to save up 60 segments before the 1st April, which could after transfer to 7 x 60 = 420 XP with the cost around 120Euro X 15 = 1800 Euro, does that mean I will get platinum til the end of 2019 ?
#10
Join Date: May 2015
Location: RBA / TBS
Programs: AF Gold / Accor Gold / Hilton Diamond / TP Silver / A3 Gold
Posts: 2,740
Mine is to reach gold , which is quite possible without pain in 3 months , then keep the extra XP points to maybe reach platinium until april 2019 , but i dont know yet what will happen
Yes , as when i do these 4 segments trips in europe i usually receive 900-1300 status miles , as KL is more generous than AF . But if he use his status miles ( 1000 of them gives 5xp ) then by earning at least 800 per 4 segments this will help him reach platinium easier
Me neither !
Better to use it as a base , then it will be easier for keep platinium if he travels a lot before april 2019
Therefore, my advice of the previous post in this thread - to get the full 70k level miles or 60 segments by the end of March - is incorrect. It's enough to just have 60k level miles or 43 level segments, and let the "conversion" to XPs automatically elevate you to Platinum.
Better to use it as a base , then it will be easier for keep platinium if he travels a lot before april 2019
Last edited by fifty_two; Nov 7, 2017 at 8:42 am
#12
Thanks for detailed outlook with my plan, the only reason I think I have the energy and the limited expenditure required itæs that it will cost me 1800 Euro for getting the Plat for at least til the end of 2019, and then every renew would cost 5 rt biz intra+europe which it´s like 2000 Euro for each new year where it gets me 15 x 4 x 5 = 300 XP, the cost of plat for life in the end would be 1800 Euro + 2000 Euro x 9 = 19800 Euro the least.
I am currently just over 20 yrs old, which means this could ensure me well over a few decade to enjoy the benefits of ST gold throughout their network.
I don´t have high hopes for high valued redemption options coming out of FB, thus I could save other trips milelage on other programs, btw I live in Norway, so AF and KL both serve flights for connection via their hub, so it couldn´t be more perfect.
I am currently just over 20 yrs old, which means this could ensure me well over a few decade to enjoy the benefits of ST gold throughout their network.
I don´t have high hopes for high valued redemption options coming out of FB, thus I could save other trips milelage on other programs, btw I live in Norway, so AF and KL both serve flights for connection via their hub, so it couldn´t be more perfect.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,679
As long as you have Silver locked in for next year, then nothing will change for you next year, really. Or not drastically. A similar amount of flying is required to get up to Gold.