20% Reduction in Platinum/Platinum One Retention Thresholds (July/Aug/Sept Membership Year Ends)

[jakeseven7]

I wonder if members are not being as loyal as in previous years in retaining status

I don't know, but what I do know is that demand is so high what we are finding is that quite often we are struggling to get bums on seats on preferred flights.

We had a lot of trouble getting people on trans tasman flights for a while and US flights in particular - big problems.

Obviously this is improving every week with more aircraft being added and routes opening up again.

 

[justinbrett]

Agree, while the comping needs to stop at some point, the lack of rollover into the year-ending-in-2024 is the main disparity, imo.

I wonder if it was supposed to be 20% off the 23/24 year. That makes way more sense.

They absolutely need to stop the rollovers, and I think Jul+ was fair enough, this was the group that probably benefited most from the first round of Covid extensions in 2020. You could say Apr+ but I'd say a good number of Apr-Jun members had already requalified (or at least booked) at the time the first extensions were rolled out.

 

[drron]

Yes cruising is different but for some of us that is what we travel for.
As well even now you have to have a negative RAT test to board a cruise ship in Australia or calling into Australia. Most of the world has got rid of that.
Masks are also mandatory when embarking or disembarking a cruise ship in Austalia and strongly suggested when ashore.
Past Covid infection is not considered to be an exemption for vaccination requirements to board a cruise ship. Also if you are unvaccinated but have an exemption you are not allowed to organise independent touring whilst in port.

Here is the QLD advice with a link to the protocols for cruising.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for the cruise industry | Business Queensland

www.business.qld.gov.au

So you don't have to travel OS to run up against compulsory testing, vaccination protocols and required mask wearing.
Basically Australia is a joke in the cruising world.

 

[CaptJCool]

Have to agree - Qantas are the ones that can see the numbers, and how everyone is travelling towards renewal.

We can “see” the numbers by the fare price Floors available by a look at the future dates

Adelaide - Melbourne still $129
Sydney - Melbourne $150
Etc

The standard practice is J flights don’t fill up with paying PAX but J prices go up a few weeks out so when your J Fare Is 2.5 times the competition, well ya might just be overpriced

The forward availability of the Red E-deals tells us how many cheap seats are still for sale
By now post Covid family reunions are done and If you’ve legit profiteered from those fares of people flying to stay with loved ones they will pay a bit more because accommodation is $0 FREE BUT can’t do a second go at it

 

[exceladdict]

I wonder if it was supposed to be 20% off the 23/24 year. That makes way more sense.

Agree, that would make more sense to me. Especially as this group already had a rollover into 23, which was a comped year itself.

Edit: I wonder if those who miss the retain threshold will get a soft landing?

 

[Lynda2475]

With a July year end and having more than qualified for Platinum (on track to finish the year with just under 1,700SCs) I would have much preferred that WP and P1s were given a boost of SCs for next year.

Borders have been open since Dec 2021; any WP who didnt meet 1200 SCs wasnt flying enough and that is unlikely to change next year. Whereas allowing a small roll-over will help keep the golden handcuffs on those who actually did fly.

 

[encryptededdy]

IMO the late announcement plus this being Platinum only means they must be seeing less WPs on the way to renewal compared to what they expected. With that said, doing only 3 months (of renewals) at a time and with less than half a months notice is just going to annoy a large amount of people.

It would be nice if the 20% reduced P1 threshold applied to existing WPs too.

 

[Pushka]

Borders have been open since Dec 2021; any WP who didnt meet 1200 SCs wasnt flying enough and that is unlikely to change next year.

For reasons I’ve outlined earlier re many countries just not as open as presumed here, that is pure assumption and also wrong in my case. And I personally know other FF who were unable to travel os this year for similar reasons but are well booked in 2024.

 

[Ade]

It would be nice if the 20% reduced P1 threshold applied to existing WPs too.

Yea, that'd be awesome ... motivation for the remaining trips to credit to QF

 

[oz_mark]

With a July year end and having more than qualified for Platinum (on track to finish the year with just under 1,700SCs) I would have much preferred that WP and P1s were given a boost of SCs for next year.

Borders have been open since Dec 2021; any WP who didnt meet 1200 SCs wasnt flying enough and that is unlikely to change next year. Whereas allowing a small roll-over will help keep the golden handcuffs on those who actually did fly.

Given Qantas call out their own and their partners network recovering, I take it that they see lower SC earn with folk who frequently travelled internationally, more so than what was happening domestically.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Big issue with QF from my experience in the past year has been the lack of the route network. Why is it I can fly United or Delta to the US but would struggled to find a single flight on the Roo stateside? Sure you can point out that right now you can take flights to destinations like San Francisco or New York on Qantas, but that wasn't the case just a couple of months ago. This likely explains the additional status support for Platinum and Platinum Ones who struggled to close the gap this year.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Pushka]

'Full flights' doesnt equate with business as usual for travellers, more like very restricted seat availability still. International Carriers simply haven't returned to pre Covid levels.

 

[Lynda2475]

But Qantas has now returned to pre-covid international flight volumes and added new routes. What other carriers do is largely irrelevant for QFF. If you are P1 you need to do the majority of your flying above WP level on QF metal.

And domestically all routes are up and running at pre-covid frequencies.

 

[Pushka]

But Qantas has now returned to pre-covid international flight volumes and added new routes. What other carriers do is largely irrelevant for QFF. If you are P1 you need to majority of your flying above WP level on QF.

Emirates offer same SC as Qantas for a much better experience and lounge when QF code used. They haven't returned to anywhere near full capacity and not returned to SA where every flight was full so likely pushing others on to Qantas. When that capacity returns many people won't bother with Qantas. I know you won't use ME carriers, but many others prefer them. Almost all of our flights with EK have been upgraded and none of our Qantas flights have. People might just transition their loyalty elsewhere.

 

[Lynda2475]

Reviews would suggest QF First Lounge is superior to the Emirates lounge.

You are correct I have zero interest in flying via the ME or on any ME carrier onany route as supporting their airlines and tourism industry says I am ok with their appalling treatment of women (and migrant workers); and I am not.

If there is a OW carrier who flies the route I need in the class I want I will always take them over a non-OW carrier. If I have to take a non-OW carrier it will be a non ME carrier.

Flying to EU via SIN, HKG, AKL, HND/NRT or the USA is always preferable for me vs transiting a country where a single women travelling alone will not be treated equally under the law should they be the victim of a crime and may be subject to physical assault simply for daring to transit to a new flight.

There will be a lot of WP and P1s who have done the required flying who would be mighty annoyed that now some are getting a free ride afte the fact.

If this was announced July last year fair enough everyone could have flown less; but throwing a bone to those who didnt fly enough 2 weeks before the end of the FF year is a slap in the face to those who did fly enough.

 

[exceladdict]

If this was announced July last year fair enough everyone could have flown less

Some might argue that's why they didn't announce it earlier. But I think it's more likely a reaction to more recent results

 

[justinbrett]

Emirates offer same SC as Qantas for a much better experience and lounge when QF code used. They haven't returned to anywhere near full capacity and not returned to SA where every flight was full so likely pushing others on to Qantas. When that capacity returns many people won't bother with Qantas. I know you won't use ME carriers, but many others prefer them. Almost all of our flights with EK have been upgraded and none of our Qantas flights have. People might just transition their loyalty elsewhere.

That's the whole point of the QF/EK alliance. It doesn't matter who you fly with, as long as you book through QF you still get status recognition and QF still gets a share of the profit.

I think QF's withdrawal from DXB (and possibly VA's from AUH) is evidence there's plenty of people who would prefer to avoid the ME. Not all, but a sizeable portion.

 

[Lynda2475]

Some might argue that's why they didn't announce it earlier. But I think it's more likely a reaction to more recent results

But again a roll-over of some SCs would be the better option as it keeps everyone flying into next year and incentivises those who lose their status to try harder.

Instead this decision just rewards those who didn't fly enough and zero benefit for those who did fly. Way to piss off your actual customers whilst rewarding those who flew with non OW carriers.

 

[jrfsp]

But again a roll-over of some SCs would be the better option as it keeps everyone flying into next year and incentivises those who lose their status to try harder.

Instead this decision just rewards those who didn't fly enough and zero benefit for those who did fly. Way to piss off your actual customers whilst rewarding those who flew with non OW carriers.

Or a smart business decision as the rusted on FFs will keep loyally flying while those who have drifted away might be tempted back?....

 

[Pushka]

Reviews would suggest QF First Lounge is superior to the Emirates lounge.

Ah no, it simply isn't. Emirates F lounge is far far ahead. Never too busy (either one) as they are capacious. I think even Princess F would agree. The food offerings are wonderful, as is the service. Champagne. Atmosphere. Direct access to many flights from the lounge. And obviously I've been to both. But as @justinbrett pointed out. The Qantas alliance with Dubai is the reason why.