James1715

Qualified for Platino last year for the first time by collecting 6250+ elite points. Was given a card running for 2 years until 31st March 2021.

I was trying to achieve 6250+ points again during this first year as I was on the understanding if I did this before April 2020 I wouldn’t need to do the full 12500 by 2021.

Having just crossed the threshold to 6475 elite points now, I wonder if the rules have changed. My account is still showing that I have 6475 elite points, but says I have until 31st March 2021 to collect the remaining 6025 to make 12500 in 2 years.

Is this normal - has anyone else had this?
if so it is a major disappointment as I was working to get requalification done in the first year and it would mean quite a few wasted EP runs. There is a good chance I won’t make enough next year as travel plans have changed.

craigthemif

https://www.iberia.com/es/iberiaplus/platino/

I would have thought that you re-qualified correctly, but the IB+ website in English is rubbish and in Spanish it now says 6250 EPs en el ultimo año. Which could be the second year of your cycle but is really rather vague.

Doesn't seem right at all, but I have never qualified for Platinum to know for sure.

tobsw

That's how it works. It is a pain. You would expect that if you achieve 6.250 Elite Points in you 1st year Platino at least you would get another 2 upgrade vouchers (which are in reality kinda pointless anyway), but no, you don't get them either.

It's basically a 2 year status, that cannot be renewed in the 1st year.

James1715

Thanks for replies. I wasn’t sure about it hence why has asked here before. This is a real pain that it works this way and goes against a lot of the general thinking of the FF community (see below).. so it seems I will have to enjoy it until Mar2021 and then the soft landing to gold..

https://insideflyer.co.uk/2019/03/qa...f-iberia-plus/

Platino (re)qualification question

Might have a moan to the IB service desk but that has rarely got me anywhere with ticketing issues..!

tobsw

Perhaps the FF """""community"""""" is wrong?

craigthemif

Unfortunately there aren't many actual Platinos around an English language website such as FT.

Mea culpa for misunderstanding how the renewal process works. It's different from the other 2-year status cycles I'm familiar with and, quite frankly, somewhat counter-intuitive.

keitherson

So what the heck do people do the 1st year? Just credit to a different program?

tobsw

It doesn't really matter since you have the status already for +1 year. The tipping point is whether you can achieve 6.250 EP in the "second year".

James1715

FYI.. I had emailed Iberia for clarification to this effect, and also cursed to the extent of 'what is the point of crediting points in the first year if only 6250 in the second year is needed'..

The response email was :"According to the e-mail that we have received in reference to your Iberia Plus Platino card, we confirm you that your Iberia plus level is valid for two years. The first one expires March 31st 2020 and the second one, a year later.

In order to maintain your Iberia Plus Platino card, you have to obtain 12.500 Elite Points during the validity of your card or 6.250 Elite Points during the last year. For example, if you obtain 9.000 Elite Points this year, in order to maintain your Iberia plus level it would be necessary to obtain only 3.500 Elite Points during the second year as Platino member.

We confirm you that there is no additional advantages for our Platino members when they maintain their level for the next two years.

We encourage you to continue accumulating Elite Points in our Iberia Plus Programme because there is an Iberia Plus Infinita card that can only be obtained once you get 125.000 Elite Points since you signed up our programme. This card hasn’t expiration date so, will be for life. Our Infinita members have all the benefits of Platino forever.

As a Platino cardholder, you can also give an Iberia Plus Oro card for one year to a beneficiary of your account if you earn 12,500 Elite Points in an Iberia Plus year.

We inform you that we will send your suggestion toour Iberia Plus department in order to study any improvement in our Programme in reference to the current criteria to obtain or maintain the Iberia plus Platino level"

ndwint

Hi James1715.
Like you I also qualified for Platino for the first time in April 2019.
Also like you, I was somewhat confused by the re-qualification criteria as , yes, the English version of the site is not clear in its explanation. As I do speak reasonable Spanish, I realise now that I should have checked out the ES version of the site as it is much clearer there.
So, with my lack of clarity, I did a points run from AGP-MAD-DUS (Ret) in January to get a further 600 points, believing (as you did) that getting over the 6,250 line would extend my Platino status for another year.
So, as it turns out, Euros plus Avios (for discount) potentially wasted.
Being typically frequent flyer minded, I am actually contemplating more stupidity now by doing another run to Germany or Switzerland just so that I can see that I need less than 6,250 during my 2nd year.
At least I would feel that my TP runs accounted for something and this time I will actually try to enjoy a full morning where I go instead of getting the 1st flight back to Madrid.

I do actually like the IB Plus scheme for Platino in that it seems (as per your email from them) that this status is a "rolling" two year status but with control of how we do it in our own hands. ie. just do the 2nd year or go for a high amount during the 1st year so that the 2nd year is reduced.
In my opinion, with this flexibility it is better than the traditional ways of "requal every year for another year of status."

dyinginthesun

hi same issue with me.i got more than 12.5k punto elite for the first year but based on the website membership expire till the second iberia plus year.

James1715

I think though as you have done 12.5k in year one, you should have re-qualified as you need 12.5k in total across both years.
So your membership year 'should' renew on expiry (for another 2 years).

I'd be amazed if you earn 12.5k in year 1 and that alone isn't enough to requalify at the end of year 2. It would make the scheme even more bizarre!

I flew enough in year 1 to exceed 6250, but haven't flown much since, partially due to travel plans, partially due to COVID-19.
Be interesting to see if they grant any status extensions, from other posts on the forum Iberia don't seem very generous!

dyinginthesun

talked with the agent from call center yesterday but they didnt know nothing yet.
maybe at the end of the second ib plus year you could send email to them to ask.