It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
Feb 12th 2013, 3:08 am
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,107
It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
http://www.skywards.com/Member_Benefits.aspx?SkinID=2
Suddenly being merely gold feels so declasse...
Suddenly being merely gold feels so declasse...
Feb 12th 2013, 9:40 am
#2
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,107
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
I'm a bit surprised nobody has commented on this as there was a thread about the prospect many months ago which attracted quite a bit of comment and this latest development seems to have sprung from the ether (announced in an email to gold card holders from what I can tell).
The tier miles threshold is an eye-watering 150k so only those already flying fully paid in the front of the plane very frequently have any hope of qualifying. According to the chatter on FlyerTalk, about 5% of the whopping 110,000 current Gold members are likely to have qualified. Main benefit seems to be use of First Class lounges and better availability of mileage award seats. Hardly worth having to endure that many EK flights in any class I would have thought...
The tier miles threshold is an eye-watering 150k so only those already flying fully paid in the front of the plane very frequently have any hope of qualifying. According to the chatter on FlyerTalk, about 5% of the whopping 110,000 current Gold members are likely to have qualified. Main benefit seems to be use of First Class lounges and better availability of mileage award seats. Hardly worth having to endure that many EK flights in any class I would have thought...
Feb 12th 2013, 9:49 am
#3
Nothing doin' here
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 3,508
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
I saw 150,000 tier miles and switched off.
Feb 12th 2013, 10:14 am
#5
Nothing doin' here
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 3,508
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
Will it happen? Probably not then it's back to square one.
Feb 12th 2013, 12:55 pm
#6
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,467
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
My old boss has millions of points, well maybe not millions but a lot! He very regularly travels to the US and NZ. At one point the other year he had Emirates call him up and congratulate him on his points total then gift him free a free 1st class flight for him and his family back to NZ.
Not to shabby!
Not to shabby!
Feb 14th 2013, 9:38 pm
#7
Not an evil hypnotist
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,975
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
I guess no more First desk check-in for Golds then...
The 75% miles bonus is not bad for Plats, but that's a very high threshold. Gold was once ridiculously easy to reach but the Flex/Saver fiasco made it rather harder.
The 75% miles bonus is not bad for Plats, but that's a very high threshold. Gold was once ridiculously easy to reach but the Flex/Saver fiasco made it rather harder.
Feb 15th 2013, 1:59 am
#8
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,553
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
Hardly noticed by most, but as MAT suggests, the reduction of Gold benefits is the big story here. Deanetta has been Gold for years, but has now been told she cannot take our (now adult) son in to the Lounge with her even if she is flying First. That has always been possible, even if he was flying Economy.
Note to EK staff: she is flying out on the 26th Feb - prepare your eardrums for a concerted assault.............. she doesn't lose arguments, so it might be better to surrender quietly as soon as she comes into view............
Note to EK staff: she is flying out on the 26th Feb - prepare your eardrums for a concerted assault.............. she doesn't lose arguments, so it might be better to surrender quietly as soon as she comes into view............
Feb 15th 2013, 2:01 am
#9
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,553
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
............ and welcome back, by the way.............
Feb 15th 2013, 3:58 am
#10
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Dubai/Glasgow
Posts: 328
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
Hardly noticed by most, but as MAT suggests, the reduction of Gold benefits is the big story here. Deanetta has been Gold for years, but has now been told she cannot take our (now adult) son in to the Lounge with her even if she is flying First. That has always been possible, even if he was flying Economy.
Note to EK staff: she is flying out on the 26th Feb - prepare your eardrums for a concerted assault.............. she doesn't lose arguments, so it might be better to surrender quietly as soon as she comes into view............
Note to EK staff: she is flying out on the 26th Feb - prepare your eardrums for a concerted assault.............. she doesn't lose arguments, so it might be better to surrender quietly as soon as she comes into view............
I normally only fly economy so whilst i have managed to keep my gold status (told my company to book flex tickets and i would pay the difference), its very unlikely i will ever get to platinum (last year around 75,000miles)
Last edited by StublueKPL; Feb 15th 2013 at 4:05 am.
Feb 15th 2013, 4:07 am
#11
womble
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,675
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
told my company to book flex tickets and i would pay the difference
Feb 15th 2013, 4:14 am
#12
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Disneyland, Dubai
Posts: 15,887
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
Thats surprising. I have been gold for quite a few years now and I know they took away signing people in to the lounges but i was always under the impression that if you were business or first and they were flying on the same flight, you could still do so?? (last year was told this when trying to get my g/f into the lounge en-route to Maldives).
I normally only fly economy so whilst i have managed to keep my gold status (told my company to book flex tickets and i would pay the difference), its very unlikely i will ever get to platinum (last year around 75,000miles)
I normally only fly economy so whilst i have managed to keep my gold status (told my company to book flex tickets and i would pay the difference), its very unlikely i will ever get to platinum (last year around 75,000miles)
Feb 15th 2013, 4:15 am
#13
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Disneyland, Dubai
Posts: 15,887
Feb 15th 2013, 4:19 am
#14
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Dubai/Glasgow
Posts: 328
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
so as to keep my gold card. I fly around 20 return flights a year for work and for leisure.
I have a good record of free upgrades on my flights to and from south east asia (where my ship is at present). This has been because of my gold card. (estimate around 1 in 3 flights an upgrade). If i was silver, its extremely unlikely i would get this so often.
I agree, its rubbish that i have to do this as was so much easier before they changed the rules but to me it is definitely worth it to pay another roughly 2000 USD per year (i normally only do it on the work flights depending on the fare difference)
Feb 15th 2013, 5:21 am
#15
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,107
Re: It's finally here - Skywards Platinum
It does if you are flying in economy but not if you are in J. Same way those who qualify for Plat are probably going to be mainly flying F anyway so minimal value of benefits.
Apparently Emirates were forced to introduce Platinum to align with a similar tier that Qantas has. I hadn't realised the full extent of this new deal until recently but it seems pretty clear that EK is eventually going to swallow Qantas or at least suck all the life out of it until only Jetstar is left. Alan Joyce - my hero!! (
)
Apparently Emirates were forced to introduce Platinum to align with a similar tier that Qantas has. I hadn't realised the full extent of this new deal until recently but it seems pretty clear that EK is eventually going to swallow Qantas or at least suck all the life out of it until only Jetstar is left. Alan Joyce - my hero!! (
)