QFF: shoot for Silver or cop out and buy QC?

QFF: shoot for Silver or cop out and buy QC?

I think you need to shoot for Gold, as you get a complimentary QC membership....As a silver, you only get 1 invitation pass... 

I need to give more background. I'm a student who is sitting on 190 SCs and is on DSCs to the end of his membership year, 30 Nov.

I can do a status run to hit Silver, or I can spend a similar amount of money (around $500) and buy QC on the discount promo posted on AusBT on Friday.

Which do you thinkis the better option?

Your argument is illogical. The outcome for obtaining Silver or QC is not the same.  So on what basis would you consider either to be a better option? 

Are you suggesting that attaining Silver is on par with a year's worth of lounge access? 

I have two roads to choose, and the two options currently have equivalent cost. No, they are not equal. Far from it. If they were equal I would not be asking this question. The comparison is based on expense rather than result.

Because my current position is such that the relative value of lounge access is diminished, but where travel is already going to happen, I am choosing the option of some additional travel to hit Silver.

I can survive without a lounge domestically, and in any case I will be earning more points, which can be put to either redemptions or upgrades, which would in turn grant lounge access via J travel.

DSCs?

Sorry, double status credits.

My personal opinion, i would join the QC as hitting silver does not give you access to the Qantas Club.  As i presume you would be flying more after this year anyways, you'll probably hit silver in due time, so you would benefit more from the QC membership immediately when you travel.

I'm only in my second year, and my 190 SCs are drawn from an op-up in June. As such, I won't be doing much serious flying requiring lounge aceess for at least two-three years.

As far as I'm aware, Qantas Club membership gives you all the benefits of Silver FF status (service desk check-in, Q bag tags), plus added benefits of lounge access and the ability to request an on-departure upgrade at the Qantas Club or at self check-in.

It seems like Qantas Club membership is much more valuable than silver Frequent Flyer status.

But if you aren't flying often, then why waste your money on either?

Right. So you're weighing the option of lounge access versus the opportunity of 50% status bonus for flights for the next 12 months. 

Given that you will not be flying much in the next 12 months, the opportunity to use the lounge is diminished. Consequently the value expected out of the QC membership will not be realised (assuming 100% value is not realised from just one visit).

However the status bonus earned upon attaining Silver would remain in your account for longer than 12 month. Therefor you would be able to realise the value of these points through redemption or upgrades in the near future beyond the 12 months period.

On that basis I would suggest investing funds towards attaining Silver instead of QC membership.

Since you're not doing much flying for next 12 months, you'd lose much of the benefit of QC as well as being silver, because you will bump down to bronze again.

So my advice is to save your $500.

Alternatively, buy $500 worth of holiday or hotel package that attracts QFF points, on a credit card that will also funnel points. That way you will get nice memories AND points that will last longer than 12 months' of silver or QC membership...my 2c

I like travelling, and I'm very near Silver anyway due to an op-up.

I've taken the decision to chase Silver, but because I've been frustrated enough by Q&A threads all over the internet that have been solved but never explained, I'll explain why I've taken this decision.

Almost my flying will be domestic. I intend to take a few short trips on sales over my next membership year, but domestically the value of lounge access isn't as great. As such, I can survive the outside terminal. I intended to take a trip to Melbourne around October anyway, and extending it a little into a status run isn't objectionable to me. This is what I mean by "I won't be doing much serious flying requiring lounge aceess for at least two-three years."

I will, however, be using Qantas Cash as well as flying to rack up points, and therefore the status bonus on flight earn of 50% is a worthwhile pursuit. I'm already sitting on thousands of points, anyway.

I agree with TRB's argument that the points bonus and the points are a better and more long-term benefit compared to immediate lounge access when I'm not flying much more than several times a year domestically, and no more than once a year internationally.

I am particularly interested in the use of the points for upgrades and/or redemptions, hence the appeal of that option.

While I would certainly love lounge access, I believe that in a stoush between a couple of sale fare hops as a status run and QC, in the current situation I am going for the status run for Silver. (A sale was launched today, too.)

While I can certainly buy the idea of getting nice memories as well as points, I should point out that doing a status run would be the nice memory for me. Yes, I'm a tragic.

Thank you all very much for the advice and assistance.

Please consider...just some idle thoughts:

1) Forget silver and the QC and aim for gold!

2) Decide which is more important to you - points or status or your cash: there has to be compromsie if budget is limiting!

3) Be patient!

If status:

Use your points to "buy" status: look for multi- sector status runs on QF on any seat awards accessing classic award inventory for business class and use some existing points balance whilst on double status (e.g. CNS-BNE-PER-BME for 200 base status credit tghus netting 400 total: keep your cash to pay the cash component, others include ADL-BNE-PER-KGI, MEL-BNE-CNS, etc).

If points:

Save your cash - buy the QF gift vouchers for 10 point per dollar bonus usually sold just before christmas and seek multi-sector/long distance routes for optimise your dollar spend. Make use of sales fares as available.

If cash:

Forget status until you can safely spend $2,000 - $3,000 on overseas travel (e.g. JQ to HNL and AA HNL-ORD-MIA-BGI return netting around 800 status credits: enought for gold)

In the meantime:

If you that "hit" of elite travel treat youreslf to the odd business class ride when business class is on sale (like now)

My membership year expires 30 Nov, though.