Diamond status questions
 

Hi all,

I recently just attained Diamond Club status for next year, pretty happy about it! I am curious what you think is the best benefit of Diamond Club?

Next year I am unlikely to fly anywhere near as much as I did last year and I'm also curious how I might be able to keep Diamond club into 2017.

Regarding ANA Credit Cards, is it beneficial to sign up for these to keep status next year? Can you get Premium Points any other way other than flying ANA/Star Alliance flights?

Thanks!

Welcome to the forum, majicka! I recommend you consult the Master Thread to learn a little bit more about ANA Mileage Club and the benefits of Diamond status. We would be happy to answer any more specific questions you might have after that.

Happy to share my thoughts on the topic.

First, I'll say, I think NH Diamond was worth more in years past. Service levels have been declining, food going downhill and Diamond benefits are not quite as good either.

That said, I am still going to earn Diamond again this year and until there's a better option, I don't plan on changing.

Regarding the best benefit? I fly 99.9% internationally, so for me it's the suite lounges at NRT and HND - you get access no matter what class of service you are flying and on any *A carrier (I believe). The lounges and showers are excellent. Food isn't amazing, but it's pretty decent. The airport food air side is pretty bad in my opinion at those airports, so the lounge isn't s bad option before your flight.

I also like the gift certificates for duty free shopping (value has gone down in recent years, and I often find I can't find anything I even want to by) - but it's a nice gesture. Certainly UA and other American carriers don't do this kind of thing to the best of my knowledge.

I'm no expert, but from what I would imagine, the only way to get PP would be to fly ANA or *A partners. Some airlines like United had ways to get some EQM from credit cards, but those promotions and cards are largely gone. They want you flying. Perhaps someone within Japan who knows more about the various cards and earning options could correct me, but otherwise, I think you'll be stuck flying or doing mileage runs to keep status.

One thing I will say, as both a Platinum and then a Diamond, I have a 100% upgrade record for the last 5 years. Even when I thought it wouldn't go through, they always did, sometimes at the last minute. This means that instrument (miles or upgrade points) supported upgrades from C to F or Y to C always went through, without exception. My upgrade record on UA as a 1K was nowhere near 100%. Not even close. So for this, I also appreciate NH. They protect their premium cabins for just these type of elite upgrades. Very nice.

Feel free to ask any other questions.

Definitely agree re the lounge access. For me, the priority boarding makes a difference. On my flights (weekly), it seems lately like more than half of the plane lines up in the business/SA Gold priority queue ...

Hi,
I was scanning the "AMC read first" post, and happened to come across the following statement:

Q: What other special benefits are available for Diamond members?
A: There are some unpublished/unpublicized special benefits provided to Diamond members when flying on NH, including:

Use of the crew/staff security lane at HND International Terminal (inquire at check-in)


I wasn't aware of this and don't think I've ever seen anyone other than crew using that rightmost lane or people running seriously late.

I am curious as to who has done this before, also now given their is a priority lane for First/Diamond and Platinum (although the other day the standard line was actually quicker...).

Not sure about others, but I am really noticing the security lines at Haneda to be getting longer and longer...I'm finding Narita much better in that regard.

Regards

I also feel I should highlight the First class counter checkin for Diamond - especially at Narita (counter "Z"). This allows you to go through a dedicated security check and is much faster than the standard SAG path which occasionally isn't much better than the standard security check. I only just realized this, this weekend!:eek:

If you are SFC, PLT or DIA, you can also use the ANA elite priority security lane (to the far right of the "Z" area, behind the exchange counter). It connects to the same security lanes as the Z counters do, and NH elites can use it regardless of what *A carrier they are flying.

Ah, good tip! Thanks armagebedar!

Related to the unwritten "perks" for Diamond, I wondering if the available seats shown for selection differs by status, and if ANA specifically lock out seats to high revenue customers. I'm asking because I have experienced many times now where Business is showing as full or near full, and the seat next to me is taken, yet somehow I end up with a spare seat next to me, especially if I am seated in the first row. Or am I just getting lucky very often?

In my experience, the available seats are definitely driven by booking class. I never had my *A status with NH, so no experience on that count. You can potentially test via the website, start a booking for a full flex ticket and see if more seats pop up.

Domestically, yes -- the seats available for selection vary by status (up until a day or two before the flight, IIRC). Internationally, my experience hasn't been consistent, though I have requested seat blocking at check-in when flying economy.

I am considering switching from UA where I have almost 2 million miles and currently 1K. I travel for leisure and like upgrades. Have a spouse who sometimes travels with me. I travel to Asia quite a bit. Some flights to Europe, which I will still need UA for.

I understand elites can get premium economy standby. Does that happen frequently? How would that compare with Economy Plus? Any benefits here for my spouse?

In Asia, I tend to go to Bangkok and Shanghai. Do not expect to spend much time in Japan. I live in New York. Appreciate any thoughts.

Do you expect to fly enough to attain Diamond status? What types of fares do you normally purchase? I suggest you review the ANA elite member information on their website to better understand the benefits provided.

Yes I would fly whatever is necessary for Diamond. I have looked over their complicated website and looks okay.

I usually purchase mid-level economy fares (so I can get an upgrade), but sometimes go for the cheapest. Will purchase a good Z fare when I see one, but not often on United.

The benefit that seems most attractive is Premium Economy upgrades, but from a search of this site, I cannot figure out how frequent they are and other similar information.

With UA, I need to spend almost $15 thousand per year to stay 1K and that must be spent pretty much on UA. I like the systemwide upgrades though, but might prefer an airline that lets me fly other partners easily.

Of course, a problem here is assume no status match.

PY upgrades are on a space-available basis, so there's no guarantee you'll be upgraded (though as DIA you'd have highest priority).

To be honest, DIA is not a great value unless you live in Japan. You'll need 50K PP on NH metal of the 100K required to qualify, and the best value is if you are traveling domestically in Japan or in international paid business or first class. Since you don't plan to do much of either, and NH does not offer DIA status matches to individuals (unless you are a VIP), I would strongly recommend a different program.

FYI, I would assume a cost of at least 15 JPY per PP on average.