Chasing Platinum Qantas frequent flyer status, worth it?

Excellent value status runs can be done on intra-Asia flights on Malaysia Airlines. I knew I had lots of international travel ex-SYD coming up this year, so in January I did a few return flights (eg MNL-KUL-CGK) in Malaysia business class which were purchased during one of their regular sales. Each USD550 return trip netted me 240 Qantas status credits... the same number of credits for a $3300 Qantas Australia-Asia business fare. Quickly got me up to Platinum, and throughout the year have particularly enjoyed the SYD First Lounge and all the additional luggage allowance I've needed.

Although Qantas has been slowly chipping away at Platinum privileges over the years, there are several things which stand out especially for someone who travels cattle:

Hell yes!

1. Status bonus accellerates your earning towards lifetime gold
2. The First queue jumping is terrific (express through australian immigration)
3. Qantas First Lounges (especially Sydney International) are terrific (My partner laughs at me for leaving to the airport early now, so I can have a meal in the Sydney First Lounge before I fly)
4. Treated very well by oneworld partners, especially AA (who I travel a lot).

Worth taking the extra flight for it. Definitely.

I agree with the statements that platinum is only worth it on overseas One World flights. I held QF platinum for 2 years and it was great to get into the first class lounges. Also the airline staff appeared to treat me like a special customer. Otherwise not worth the spend and chase. Gold is much easier to obtain, keep and the business lounges ae acceptable.

Ahh, hard one. If you're in Sydney and flying a lot internationally the first class lounge is lovely and, as all things luxury food and manufactured experience focused, it starts to become rather so so after a while. I don't think the LA or MEL lounges are the same amount of fun/pampering. 

Some people prefer the First Class Lounge in Melbourne. Others the one in Sydney. It's personal preference.

I have been to the Melbourne lounge on multiple occasions and have found it to be excellent.

If you try Platinum and don't like it enough to keep it there is the soft landing back to Gold.

Platinum is certainly worthwhile for International flights. I fly often with Cathay and get upgrades for FREE! quite often. Domestically Platinum was devalued by Qantas when they decided to charge Platinum FF's for Exit Rows, Once I have platinum this year I will putting points to my Cathay (Gold) account and see if I can get Platinum with them. More beneifits!

Corn Fritters and French Champagne before a flight - changes the tone of any business trip :)