So does this mean that everyone's qualification / review is until March 31 to get platinum? Or was it their previous qualification / review period? :confused:

The qualification period will be 150k in previous 12-13 months for everyone ( same as silver/gold) and , I assume, will start being calculated as from the day when the tier becomes effective. Once qualified, then will be 12 months from start of the next month to meet the requalification requirements

Why does anyone think it won't be just the past rolling 12-13 months as currently for Silver & Gold??

Because the current re-qualification period for Silver/Gold members is NOT a rolling 12-13 month period. It is a fixed 12 month period.

The QUALIFICATION period however is a rolling period. However, once you qualify your year is fixed at whatever month you first qualify.

So its safe to assume you have to reach 150k BEFORE 12 months from March 31?
I guess its all speculation unless we get some confirmation from Skywards itself.

Yes, but as it's a new tier there will be no re-qualifications when it comes out. Therefore we are all talking about qualifications, and therefore they would come under the 12-13 month period.

Sorry if my query didn't come across as genuine though, it was, I was just trying to work out if I had missed something

Only to get made Platinum on 1st April.

Otherwise, whenever you reach 150K within any 12-13 month period you will get it then.

Official reply from EK
 

Anyone that has earned 150,000 tier miles in their rolling 12-13 months will receive Platinum membership.

Since Platinum is launching on 1 April 2013, entry into the tier at that point will be based on the number of tier miles earned between March 1 2012 and March 31 2013. If members have already earned in excess of 150K tier miles since March 1 2012, they will automatically be upgraded to Platinum for a 1 April 2013 start

To view their tier miles members simply have to log into Skywards.com and view ‘My Statement’ https://www.skywards.com/acc_detail.aspx . They can then complete the ‘Transaction Details’ as follows and select ‘Search’.

From 1 April, members will be able to track their balance on ‘My Tier Status’

Emirates Skywards Members Soar to New Heights With Platinum
 

Emirates Skywards Members Soar to New Heights with Platinum Tier

DUBAI – 11 February, 2013 – Emirates Skywards http://www.emirates.com/us/english/S.../skywards.aspx, the award-winning frequent flyer programme of Emirates Airline, today announced a significant enhancement to its offering with the introduction of ‘Platinum’, a new tier which sits above Blue, Silver and Gold. The Platinum tier has been developed to enhance the travel experience for frequent travellers and to offer additional benefits to members who have earned over 150,000 Miles.

"This is a significant development for Emirates Skywards. The new tier is designed to show our most valued customers how important they are to Emirates and to offer greater recognition and benefits to those who choose to fly with us on such a frequent basis. The additional benefits have been introduced to add an even higher level of comfort, flexibility and convenience for our Platinum members. On top of our superior product, world-class service and fast expanding network in six continents with 18 new destinations opened in the last 15 months and two new destinations, Algiers and Haneda, to be added soon, the new Emirates Skywards Platinum tier is definitely another reason to make Emirates the airline of choice.” said Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales Worldwide.

For the first time, Platinum members will receive exclusive benefits usually reserved for First Class passengers, including First Class check-in, baggage delivery and access to the First Class lounges in Dubai with a guest. They can continue to use all Emirates Lounges around the world, also with a guest, and they will receive 20kgs of additional baggage, regardless of their class of travel. To enable Platinum members to share their benefits with the rest of their family, a Gold ‘Partner’ card has been introduced, which means that family members can enjoy Gold privileges even when travelling separately. Platinum members will be guaranteed an Economy Class or Business Class commercial seat at Flex fares and receive access to an Economy Class or Business Class ‘Last Seat’ Flex reward.

Gold Emirates Skywards members who are eligible for Platinum status will be automatically upgraded to the new tier and will start receiving benefits from 1 April 2013. To qualify for Platinum status, members need to earn 150,000 or more tier Miles within a rolling 12-13 month period, compared to the existing qualification criteria of 50,000 Miles for Gold members. Based on current figures, it is estimated that the top five per cent of Emirates Skywards’ Gold tier will be eligible for Platinum status. Skywards has 8.6 million members worldwide.

Emirates Skywards continues to develop its programme across all membership tiers with recent enhancements to its reward offerings including partnerships with Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and easyJet, TAP and more in the pipeline for 2013.

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Nice....makes things a lot clearer now. Is this in their FAQ page, or its a response to a query sent to EK?

Email response

Thanks Zol for making that clear. I have 136.6k tier miles since March 1st 2012 and ~20k planned travel through March 31st so I should be OK. My wife just qualified for Gold, so I'll probably give the Gold membership to my Dad who doesn't travel much any more and has dropped down to Silver.

Ignore, question answered above

Just got the email....

"Dear Mr whimike,

I am extremely pleased to congratulate and welcome you as one of the first members of our brand new and exclusive Emirates Skywards Platinum tier.

With Emirates Skywards Platinum you can experience a a new level of recognition and privileges designed to offer you an enriched and effortless journey...

First Class check in and baggage delivery to speed up your arrival and departure
from the airport
The luxury of Emirates First Class Lounge in Dubai and all Emirates Lounges around
our network, with a guest
A generous additional baggage allowance of 20 kgs
A guaranteed seat in Business Class when you need it the most*
A Skywards Gold membership for your partner to enhance their journeys when travelling on their own
An increased tier bonus from 50% to 75%

Membership Number:
xxx xxx xxx

Skywards Miles:
xxxxxx (As of 09/02/2013)

And more...

Your Platinum benefits will be available from 1 April 2013, along with your new membership pack. For complete details on the benefits that await you, do visit your Emirates Skywards account online.

My team and I look forward to bringing you an even better experience when travelling with Emirates and hope to welcome you on board soon for your Platinum debut.

Best Regards,

Thierry Antinori
Executive Vice President Passenger Sales Worldwide"

Yep, just received mine too!