ziek

I only fly Business, am currently Gold and one more flight with QR will push me over the QPoints required for Platinum, and there are 2 return flights I have to take in the next few weeks

The dilemma is, QR is more expensive when compared to other carriers (where I have no status) for the same destinations so the question I am grappling with is - do I take the more expensive flight with QR and get Plat or save my money?

Soliciting opinions, do you think it is worth being Plat? Any special perks or privileges worth mentioning you would normally not get when just being Gold + flying in Business?

stargold

Al Safwa access and more Qcredits are the only two examples that immediately come to mind.

KingCanute

Perhaps it's coincidence but my customer service requests tend to get dealt with much faster than many report here. And I have had 2 operational upgrades in my last 5 sectors. Putting my tin hat on for the incoming, but in my purely personal experience treatment of plats has improved a lot recently.

ziek

The AS access is only if you are in a premium cabin, or economy as well? And the website says 2 guests, they need to be in a premium cabin or will coach suffice?

ziek

What about on board? My Gold does not really get any kind of recognition except being able to use priority lane (which I can regardless as I am in Business). On EY, they always addressed me by name when I boarded, and always asked me for food preferences first before the other passengers. In some of the India cities (BOM DEL HYD BLR) they also always gave me an escort through immigration and security without having to ask - QR has never done that..

That being said, I dont think i have heard of a meal choice not being available on QR, never happened to me anyway

KingCanute

I can't say being greeted by name is all that high up on my list of priorities, but I seem to remember it always happens. Probably for most if not all other J people too. We've all seen the ipad greetings...

Meal choices run out. Happened to me last week. Sometimes crew will take orders from plats first, sometimes not. And sometimes they say it has run out and then "find" one, and sometimes they don't. I suppose occasionally another passenger may be more "important", or just ordered first.

If you need an escort through the airport you can book the al maha service for free (I believe also for goldmembers). When they used to provide that for F passengers at the new Doha airport I found it a little uncomfortable personally, although back in the day the private car to and from the aircraft for all F passengers at the old airport was rather nice.

At the end of the day oneworld emerald isn't really all that special compared with having a paid First Class ticket or 5,000 qpoints or being called Al Thani.

The usual advice is to log most of your travel to the airline you use most, which may garner CS and irrops benefits. And if QR treat all J passengers more or less the same on board, for me that is a good thing. We've all paid to be there that day, one way or another.

nomadabroad

I am QR gold, flew 6 flights in Y the past few months and on each flight I was 1) greeted by name pre-takeoff, 2) meal choice and drink order taken before take off and 3) thanked for flying before landing. Seems pretty consistent in Y at least the FAs do it by the book.

ISTFlyer

I would say 80% success for myself, I had crew members that didn't care and did not ask my meal choice at all where I had occasions when I have left with one meal choice left at second services where the trolley comes from the back to the front or occasions where the CSD didn't greet me both before/after departure and before landing. However, most of the time, the experience is pleasant with fabulous crews which some of them would go beyond the line, such as offering me an empty row of seats when available without seating anyone else in Economy, offering snacks and hot sandwiches if I miss the service as soon as I wake up, etc...

hahaboy123

Based on my experience, as QR gold, I always got welcomed by pursers on all my flights with QR in Y and twice they took my order before departure. Once, I asked for slippers for a long-haul midnight flight and they gave me the slippers from BIZ.
I always got personal greetings as well with "welcome back" on my business class flights.

florin

You get most elite benefits when you fly J; the key differences are the ones pointed by stargold above.
As Gold, I've had good experiences onboard with the status being acknowledged. It's a nice touch. I can live without that; what I like best is the ability to "reserve" a meal that I want. This step has been skipped by some FAs, but that's been the exception not the norm.

Crisu69

You also get:

1. More miles are credited to your account when flying QR.

2. Access to other Oneworld first class lounges, even when fly economy. For example i got first class BA lounge in LHR access when i was flaying from LHR to Zagreb in economy or i also got in the first class lounge "The Wing" in Hong Kong when i was flaying economy from BKK-HKG-BKK with Cathay.

Qsing

Pretty similar experience for me. I have felt that one’s QR status is most recognised when flying in Y compared with J (gold member).

Al Maha ‘meet and greet’ take or leave really.

I appreciate being able to select front row seats without paying a fee in Y class. I could do this as a silver member a few years back but not sure if there is now a charge for this based on PC member status.

avm2806

I definitely value my QR Plat status having had for a few years. When flying biz - you get the al safwa lounge. I book Al Maha free service on tight connections (golds get this too if I am not wrong). Also there's the QR Platinum whatsapp number which is brilliant for handling all requests, flight changes etc. They are very responsive and so efficient. Also the mileage bonus is great on QR flights.

SullyofDoha

They have a whatsapp number? I need to recheck my dashboard to find that! :-)

ziek

The AS access for Plats is also valid if you are on a Business Lite fare?