What's the point of staying loyal to Qantas?

Im a digital consultant and occasionally I get booked on interstate/international projects. I've been booked on an internstate project for the next 9 months and will be flying twice a week during the engagement.

It’s up to you. Your QANTAS status credits would still count towards LifeTime Status.

I assume you won’t miss the benefits of using QANTAS Silver from what you’ve said.

Have you considered buying a Qantas Club membership? This would be ideal for your situation. Twice a week for 9 months is about 70 flights which would make the cost of the membership fairly low when broken down by flight. Have you considered asking your employer to pay for a membership (it sounds like it would be a small expense in the scheme of the project).

Each case if different and provided VA have a lounge at your destination I would go VA, I am QF loyal after years of travelling but if I was just starting out I would go VA, lots of mid tier domestic flyers I know are going that way, certainly much quicker to achieve status.

as people suggested, lifetime status would be a worthwhile thing to chase that VA does not have.
I'd probably try to accrue with VA for the next 2 months and then chase with QF when your membership year restarts?

It all depends on how many SCs you may achieve within a year. If you can do 500 with VA, then go for VA Gold as it's easier to achieve. If you can do 650 with QF, then do QF (also to remember that after 500 SCs you can get a 50 SCs bonus).

One thing to consider is the fare classes with virgin with the lowest getaway fares only earning 5 SCs on the shortest routes while elevate earning 15 SCs and freedom earning 25 SCs so if you were being booked on the lowest earning rate would take 100 flights to achieve gold (assuming your only flying short routes and on the cheapest fares).

Originally Posted by daniesut

I disagree. QANTAS Gold has a number of benefits over QANTAS Silver. Granted that these may not mean much to you, but the differences do exist.

There are things such as priority boarding (where available and where it works) on QF Domestic flights.

Gold members can select better seats (i.e. further towards the front of the plane).

If flying internationally on a OneWorld (but not QANTAS) marketed flight you can still access the QANTAS lounge as a Gold member, however if you were a QANTAS Club member you couldn't. So if you fly to Hong Kong for example and the CX flight times suit you better you can get into the CX Business or QF lounge as a Gold member, but you'd be denied entry as a QANTAS Club member (QANTAS Club members can access the QF lounge if they are flying QF).

Gold members flying QF can choose to use a OneWorld lounge (subject to capacity constraints and opening times) of their choice rather than the lounge QF directs them to, whereas QANTAS Club members have no choice of lounge, only the one QF directs them to.

Gold members get an extra free checked bag for flying QF economy domestically. Flying QF Internationally (other than to North and South America) they get an extra 4KG of checked luggage regardless of which cabin they're in. I do try to travel light but for those who like to take lots of luggage this is a nice benefit that can add up to big savings.

Gold members earn more points when flying than Silver members (note this only applies where the status bonus would take the points earned above the minimum points guarantee - so for short domestic economy flights e.g. SYD-MEL there would be no increase to the number of points received due to having Gold status)

Gold members have higher priority for upgrades than Silver members. Also QF classic award seats are released earlier for Gold members and there's better availability.

You missed one other benefit.. Gold members also get priority at the security screening.

I certainly wouldn't recommend you switching. I have outlined my reasons for saying this in some other posts considering similar issues. I think it would be particularly unwise for you if, as you say, you continue to travel internationally. To the extent that international travel is with QF (or EK perhaps), it makes sense to keep your custom with the one carrier.

Switch you will not look back. Many benefits will flow your way, including lower SC points required to lift and maintain status, and ticket prices lower generally like for like. The lounges are fresh and modern.

Why don't you call Qantas customer service and see what they can do for you. No harm in calling Qantas. If you hit Qantas Platinum, the international lounges blows Virgin away. I was once a Virgin Platinum but realised there is no lifetime membership, No platinum lounges with family and no association with other airlines like one world. I am a Qantas Platinum and enjoying the benefit. There is no harm to piggyback with the Juniors in the Lounge.