Steve_Hun

I'm afraid that we are again forgetting that the Average Joe is not a conscious buyer, who would be looking for the correct booking classes to optimize points earning, but instead will just choose the cheapest possible option (which usually earns close to nothing) and travels max 3 times a year. Therefore he has no chance in hell to earn status neither with points nor with segments...

We are (rough estimation) 50 people active here, many of us has this as a hobby, while others are travelling a lot for work. But again, out in the "real world" I happen to know only 4 people with any sort of status (one of them is my sister with my giveaway gold card), while most of my friends are talking about an airline status card as something mythical, almost unachievable.

Compared to the general population I travel a lot, compared to some of you I barely see an airplane. Yet, it still took me a lot of planning and exchanging points at the end of the tracking period to get to platinum. Easy? Maybe for some of you it is, but I wouldn't think so. When mainly travelling from own pocket not everyone can afford getting long haul J tickets (so far all my travels on J were upgrades and only planning my first paid J trip).

juhanh

Even flying for work I find it pretty hard maintaining my lowly Gold when the travel policy is "Use SkyScanner TravelPro and choose the cheapest fare". I usually add "on OW carrier" when booking.
But I only remain Gold because, from time to time, I need to fly with 2w notice and end up in higher fare classes. I do 70% ultra LH (between AU and EU).

FossilFlyer

Yeah this is the first time I'm going to hit silver with a mix of occasional work (cheapest direct full service carrier is roughly our policy, which means Finnair on most routes) and personal (cheapest full stop usually!) trips in Europe.

I'm still having to fly 4 legs HEL-STO-HEL-STO-HEL to fill the last 3 legs! (was planning an OH-LGG style ARN-HEL-PRG-HEL but the few dates I could make were much more than the €60 bargain basement tickets).

No J unless paid/points upgrades, no LH, usually no status!

I actually joined here after having to pay >€250 for a return HEL-STO-HEL for early Jan, it included one AY leg and one Norwegian, again dates and last minute meant that was the price but I probably could have done something with positioning flights etc if I'd known what I've learnt while on here - thanks to all that contribute!

Unsub

Sitting in Premium lounge and their 9pm dinner service includes: oven baked vegetables, potato wedges, borsch soup, vegetable samosa and carrot balls. So nothing but veggies! This is just unacceptable for a meat eater like myself...

jmmi

I've had that too – though as a vegetarian I didn't complain... until I my dinner on AY69 J was pretty much the same stuff

Steve_Hun

Flying to SIN this Saturday and it sounds like I better take some food with me from BK to the lounge to accompany the champagne

miamiflyer8

Good choice, I also hate all-veggie meals.

I wonder what AY's policy is on outside food and beverages in their lounges, US carries with the exception of AA seem to ban it.

wkndtraveler

I've once brought food from outside. I kindly asked if I could and the reply was "this time."

lkrt

I recommend you not to ask and I'm sure it will be okay then. It's not like it's a restaurant.

casper79

at least you cannottake food from normal lounge to the premium lounge.

Last year was with my 4 year old son in the premium lounge, he wanted bread with cheese because they only had this fancy stuff there.

So I went to look in the business lounge and they stopped me with the plate...

miamiflyer8

Well if you walked via the entrance then obviously they'll stop you. But you can walk thru the spa area where they most likely won't bat an eye.

miamiflyer8

Was this the Schengen or Premium lounge?

wkndtraveler

Actually it was non-Schengen J lounge as Silver.

intuition

Online upgrade tool is broken. Upgrading a longhaul with points does not always include the shorthaul. Tries to charge me 7500 point for the connecting flight...

intuition

It was even worse IRL. Online tool now shows completely false information.
I can see 9, 2, 5 and 2 seats on my 4 flights. When I call in they have all flights zeroed and can only offer waitlist.
Buyer beware!