QFF status soft landing. I have been downgraded by QF from Platinum to Gold after having earned more than enough status credits to retain Gold, but not enough to retain Platinum. To me this seems a bit harsh, as it is my understanding of the “soft landing policy†that I would still be downgraded to Gold if I had earned zero status credits in the past year. Has anyone in the same situation had any success in asking QF to reconsider or reverse their decision?
Not sure I understand what your point is here or what you expected to happen?
If you don't re-qualify for a status level in any particular year why should they comp you another year and not just soft drop you to gold? I assume by earning enough to qualify for gold you will keep it for more than just the 12 months they would comp you if you didn't fly at all last year.
Yes, but if he doesn't make Gold min s/credits this year they will keep him at Gold for another year, whereas if he had soft landed to Gold with 0 s/credits and doesn't make enough to keep Gold this year they would drop him down to Silver or Bronze.
After all, if you don't earn enough to stay Platinum, you don't stay Platinum. Otherwise what's the point in having thresholds??
I think you've cut to the heart of the issue. I shall distill it as follows:
1) Platinum Member: If you do not maintain enough points to retain Platinum in a qualifying year, you "soft-land" to Gold. If this occurs (2) will not apply and you "soft-land" to Silver/Bronze, if appropriate points are not maintained. (Can anyone confirm this?)
2) Gold Members: If you do not maintain enough points to retain Gold in a qualifying year, you retain Gold for another year. This will not apply for two consecutive qualifying years. You "soft-land" to Silver in the consecutive (3rd) year.
3) Silver Members: If you do not maintain enough points to retain Gold in a qualifying year, you retain Silver for another year. This will not apply for two consecutive qualifying years. You revert to Bronz in the consecutive (3rd) year.
4) While you retain Gold and Silver, you are automatically bumped from Platinum to Gold, when appropriate points are not maintained during a qualifying year.
Would Qantas reps want to confirm this understanding? Informal policies are such a pain in the back-side!
I think it is relevant to know how close F8 got to 1200SC, and how many years he has been platinum. E.g. If he's been platinum for several years and reached more than 1000SC, I think there is some hope that a Qantas rep can look into it, and there is some management discretion. If he has been platinum 1 year, and reached 800 SC, clearly he has not been hard done by, and there is little he can do to change the situation.
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QFF status soft landing.
F8
F8
Member since 04 Sep 2012
Total posts 70
QFF status soft landing. I have been downgraded by QF from Platinum to Gold after having earned more than enough status credits to retain Gold, but not enough to retain Platinum. To me this seems a bit harsh, as it is my understanding of the “soft landing policy†that I would still be downgraded to Gold if I had earned zero status credits in the past year. Has anyone in the same situation had any success in asking QF to reconsider or reverse their decision?
AngusM
AngusM
Member since 04 Mar 2013
Total posts 3
Not sure I understand what your point is here or what you expected to happen?
If you don't re-qualify for a status level in any particular year why should they comp you another year and not just soft drop you to gold? I assume by earning enough to qualify for gold you will keep it for more than just the 12 months they would comp you if you didn't fly at all last year.
TheRealBabushka
TheRealBabushka
Member since 21 Apr 2012
Total posts 2,058
I believe F8 is feeling gutted because:
1) If he had spent $0 this year with QF he would have attained Gold through "soft landing",
2) Instead having spent $X and qualified for Gold, he still got bumped down from Platinum.
Ergo, he would have been better off spending $0 as the outcome would have been the same i.e. attaining Gold.
alex_upgrade77
alex_upgrade77
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 08 Sep 2012
Total posts 47
Yes, but if he doesn't make Gold min s/credits this year they will keep him at Gold for another year, whereas if he had soft landed to Gold with 0 s/credits and doesn't make enough to keep Gold this year they would drop him down to Silver or Bronze.
After all, if you don't earn enough to stay Platinum, you don't stay Platinum. Otherwise what's the point in having thresholds??
TheRealBabushka
TheRealBabushka
Member since 21 Apr 2012
Total posts 2,058
I think you've cut to the heart of the issue. I shall distill it as follows:
1) Platinum Member: If you do not maintain enough points to retain Platinum in a qualifying year, you "soft-land" to Gold. If this occurs (2) will not apply and you "soft-land" to Silver/Bronze, if appropriate points are not maintained. (Can anyone confirm this?)
2) Gold Members: If you do not maintain enough points to retain Gold in a qualifying year, you retain Gold for another year. This will not apply for two consecutive qualifying years. You "soft-land" to Silver in the consecutive (3rd) year.
3) Silver Members: If you do not maintain enough points to retain Gold in a qualifying year, you retain Silver for another year. This will not apply for two consecutive qualifying years. You revert to Bronz in the consecutive (3rd) year.
4) While you retain Gold and Silver, you are automatically bumped from Platinum to Gold, when appropriate points are not maintained during a qualifying year.
Would Qantas reps want to confirm this understanding? Informal policies are such a pain in the back-side!
AngusM
AngusM
Member since 04 Mar 2013
Total posts 3
Golds who don't earn enough status credits to retain status get dropped too. It is not a situation that is unique to platinums.
TheRealBabushka
TheRealBabushka
Member since 21 Apr 2012
Total posts 2,058
I have anecdotal evidence from colleagues that they retain Gold even if they do not maintain the required status credits.
So if your experience suggest otherwise, then perhaps there is an added dimension to the Qantas "soft-landing" logic, which we have not accounted for.
By that I mean the length of time a member has held Gold, or the number of status credit accrued in the current year etc etc.
AngusM
AngusM
Member since 04 Mar 2013
Total posts 3
That must be the case, it is certainly not done in every case, I would actually suggest being comped would be a rare event.
moa999
moa999
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 02 Jul 2011
Total posts 835
Totally agree. F8 failed to meet the requalification hurdles, thus loses status...
spinoza
spinoza
Member since 01 Feb 2012
Total posts 221
I think it is relevant to know how close F8 got to 1200SC, and how many years he has been platinum. E.g. If he's been platinum for several years and reached more than 1000SC, I think there is some hope that a Qantas rep can look into it, and there is some management discretion. If he has been platinum 1 year, and reached 800 SC, clearly he has not been hard done by, and there is little he can do to change the situation.