Question to you:

Suppose that I would have reached 70.000 level miles before 1 April 2015 - I would be platinum for 2015-2016 and back to gold on 31 March 2017.

If I would do the same thing in 2017 (reach platinum level again before 31 March 2017), platinum would again be reached for 2017 - 2018 and again to 31 march 2019 (for now just assuming same conditions would apply, klm would still exist, etc etc).

Would this qualify for platinum for life?

For starters, LTPE requires ten consecutive years of PE.

Johan

Ok, so what Johan is saying is that even though you have maintained platinum status in practice, the system only makes the year qualify for plat for life if you have actually met the criteria for each year.

makes sense, I just thought there was maybe a shortcut in the system.

But you haven't.

In your example, you are:

2015: Gold - > Platinum [based on 2015's flights/segments]
2016: Platinum [based again on 2015's flights/segments]
2017: Gold -> Platinum [based on 2017's flights/segments]
2018: Platinum [based again on 2017's flights/segments]


In your example, you only achieved the criteria for Platinum twice - during 2015 and again during 2017. That means that you would start 2017 as a Gold [even if you managed to qualify for Platinum again in the first 3 months of 2017, before your "old" status expires].

You must have ten consecutive years of earning Platinum within each calendar year, January-December. Earning platinum in the first 3 months of every other year will NEVER give you platinum for life (even if, as you say, you technically are platinum the entire time - given that the status of your card "lags" the calendar year by 3 months). You must put together ten consecutive years of reaching platinum in each calendar year. If you let any calendar year go by in which you don't earn platinum - and this is the case for you in 2016 in your example - then you break the chain, and your "lifetime years" clock reverts back to zero.

Thanks IrishGuy28 - that's clear and does make sense. I have been gold/ plat / gold/ gold/ plat etc since 2007 and have recently started to fly more in premium cabin which will make it easier for me to qualify for plat continuously the next years. Have been thinking about switching to star alliance, one world many times but still consider AMS as most practical option with direct connections - hence skyteam.

I guess many of you have had the same thoughts in the past as the grass is always greener......