AFF (and Clifford Reichlin) in the news

[QF WP]

Originally Posted by www.news.com.au 21/05/2005

QANTAS frequent flyers will find it almost impossible to use their points on international flights for up to a year because of a surge in redemptions ahead of controversial changes by the airline next week, a consumer group claimed yesterday.

Frequent-flyer.com.au principal Clifford Reichlin earlier this month warned the airline's 4.1million frequent flyers to book award flights ahead of increases on Wednesday in the number of points needed to claim many long-haul tickets. But now Mr Reichlin says the cupboard is bare.

"All I can tell you is that there are people who actually can't get any international flights for the next 12 months," he said yesterday.

"One person I was speaking to last week said that eventually she found a flight to Manila to use her points.

"She spent some time speaking to Qantas and there was basically nothing there."

Qantas confirmed there had been a rise in frequent flyer bookings and inquiries ahead of next week's changes. Members had redeemed 1.3million sectors since the changes were announced in November. But it denied international frequent flyer tickets were no longer available.

Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti said there were more than 200,000 frequent flyer seats available system-wide over the next three months and others were being constantly added to the inventory. But he conceded the majority of these would be for domestic flights and he was unable to give a breakdown on international seats for "commercial reasons".

"We gave warning about this change some six months ago and we did so deliberately so that people would be able to access the seats," he said.

Mr Borghetti said some of the increase in frequent flyer activity was due to people taking advantage of improvements to the program. These included the ability to book one-way, transfer points to family members and a reduction in the points needed for short flights, from 20,000 to 16,000.

He said Qantas's program remained highly competitive in terms of available seats and points required to redeem a trip when compared with other international carriers.

Australian Consumers Association spokesman Norm Carruthers said the argument demonstrated the need for greater transparency in the frequent flyer scheme.

"It's all part of the whole structural problem in that they never, ever give out how many seats are actually available," he said.

"When you're part of the program, you can't even inquire what's the likelihood of going or how many seats are available in the period in which you wish to travel.

"Lack of transparency in the scheme has always been a big problem and this is a good example of what happens. If it is booked up solid, then that's pretty poor."

Changes due to come into force on Wednesday make it harder for Qantas frequent flyers to get upgrades and will raise by between 20 and 40per cent the points required to redeem tickets on many longer routes.

A return economy-class seat from Melbourne to London, for example, will rise from 100,000 points to 128,000, while a business class ticket jumps from 220,000 points to 256,000.

Qantas does not say how many seats are available on flights but said in its annual report that frequent flyer redemptions accounted for 7.8 per cent of available capacity in 2003-2004.

So our fearless leader has been working hard on the media hustings. Congratulations Clifford.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Originally Posted by www.news.com.au 21/05/2005

...

Mr Borghetti said some of the increase in frequent flyer activity was due to people taking advantage of improvements to the program. These included the ability to book one-way, transfer points to family members and a reduction in the points needed for short flights, from 20,000 to 16,000.

He said Qantas's program remained highly competitive in terms of available seats and points required to redeem a trip when compared with other international carriers.

:twisted: What a load of baloney.

 

[oz_mark]

Originally Posted by www.news.com.au 21/05/2005

...

Mr Borghetti said some of the increase in frequent flyer activity was due to people taking advantage of improvements to the program. These included the ability to book one-way, transfer points to family members and a reduction in the points needed for short flights, from 20,000 to 16,000.

He said Qantas's program remained highly competitive in terms of available seats and points required to redeem a trip when compared with other international carriers.

:twisted: What a load of baloney.

I think it's called marketing spin.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Probably why I could never work in marketing. Couldnt tell such porkies with a straight face.


Ooops forgot - congrats clifford ^

 

[QF WP]

Marketing has such a bad name these days. "Spin" is all about finding and portraying the positives to the unsuspecting travelling public hoping they don't notice the pile of excretment just below. To the average domestic travelling pax (the irregular earners and users of FFP's), they think there are some benefits - lesser points SYD/MEL etc. We, the more savvy and higher FFP earners (and status holders), think "whooppe, I'd never use the points for such an irrelevant flight that I can buy for between $100 to $250, I'd rather blow it on two Y to J ODU's on the same sectors; because that's better value to me".

To the minority of International travelling QF pax, there are some savings on certain sectors. Again, we know that the majority of popular runs (Aust-UK and Aust-USA) are increasing dramatically points-wise.

No matter what they say, the days of FF programs are numbered as all participants (airlines, FF programs, etc) have found once you've created a monster, how difficult it is to stop it; so ongoing changes curtailing the offers is what they are all about. DAmage minimisation, in other terms

So spens those points while they're still available...

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Dont know if their days are numbered, but certainly many schemes moving towards rewarding revenue not distance, and more tightly managing the cost to the airlines.

This means even more need to be savvy to keep a couple of steps ahead.

 

[oz_mark]

Marketing has such a bad name these days.

And marketers have no-oine to blame but themselves.

 

[Guest]

Marketing has such a bad name these days.

And marketers have no-oine to blame but themselves.

perhaps some marketing to market marketing :?:

 

[johnsmith]

Originally Posted by www.news.com.au 21/05/2005

QANTAS frequent flyers will find it almost impossible to use their points on international flights for up to a year because of a surge in redemptions ahead of controversial changes by the airline next week, a consumer group claimed yesterday.

Frequent-flyer.com.au principal Clifford Reichlin earlier this month warned the airline's 4.1million frequent flyers to book award flights ahead of increases on Wednesday in the number of points needed to claim many long-haul tickets. But now Mr Reichlin says the cupboard is bare.

"All I can tell you is that there are people who actually can't get any international flights for the next 12 months," he said yesterday.

"One person I was speaking to last week said that eventually she found a flight to Manila to use her points.

"She spent some time speaking to Qantas and there was basically nothing there."

Qantas confirmed there had been a rise in frequent flyer bookings and inquiries ahead of next week's changes. Members had redeemed 1.3million sectors since the changes were announced in November. But it denied international frequent flyer tickets were no longer available.

Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti said there were more than 200,000 frequent flyer seats available system-wide over the next three months and others were being constantly added to the inventory. But he conceded the majority of these would be for domestic flights and he was unable to give a breakdown on international seats for "commercial reasons".

"We gave warning about this change some six months ago and we did so deliberately so that people would be able to access the seats," he said.

Mr Borghetti said some of the increase in frequent flyer activity was due to people taking advantage of improvements to the program. These included the ability to book one-way, transfer points to family members and a reduction in the points needed for short flights, from 20,000 to 16,000.

He said Qantas's program remained highly competitive in terms of available seats and points required to redeem a trip when compared with other international carriers.

Australian Consumers Association spokesman Norm Carruthers said the argument demonstrated the need for greater transparency in the frequent flyer scheme.

"It's all part of the whole structural problem in that they never, ever give out how many seats are actually available," he said.

"When you're part of the program, you can't even inquire what's the likelihood of going or how many seats are available in the period in which you wish to travel.

"Lack of transparency in the scheme has always been a big problem and this is a good example of what happens. If it is booked up solid, then that's pretty poor."

Changes due to come into force on Wednesday make it harder for Qantas frequent flyers to get upgrades and will raise by between 20 and 40per cent the points required to redeem tickets on many longer routes.

A return economy-class seat from Melbourne to London, for example, will rise from 100,000 points to 128,000, while a business class ticket jumps from 220,000 points to 256,000.

Qantas does not say how many seats are available on flights but said in its annual report that frequent flyer redemptions accounted for 7.8 per cent of available capacity in 2003-2004.

So our fearless leader has been working hard on the media hustings. Congratulations Clifford.

I am not a regular flyer but I fly to the UK once per year using FF points. On every trip I have been able to get the dates, the flight times and the route that I want. I usually book 6 to 12 months in advance. I find it strange that people are not able to fly when they want to, unless they are trying to book only 3 months in advance and expect there to be seats available.

 

[serfty]

I am not a regular flyer but I fly to the UK once per year using FF points. On every trip I have been able to get the dates, the flight times and the route that I want. I usually book 6 to 12 months in advance. I find it strange that people are not able to fly when they want to, unless they are trying to book only 3 months in advance and expect there to be seats available.

I think the main issue is the availability of Business of First Class rewards.

 

[johnsmith]

I am not a regular flyer but I fly to the UK once per year using FF points. On every trip I have been able to get the dates, the flight times and the route that I want. I usually book 6 to 12 months in advance. I find it strange that people are not able to fly when they want to, unless they are trying to book only 3 months in advance and expect there to be seats available.

I think the main issue is the availability of Business of First Class rewards.

I always fly economy class, thats probably why I can get seats, maybe no one else can suffer the terrible conditions.

 

[oz_mark]

I am not a regular flyer but I fly to the UK once per year using FF points. On every trip I have been able to get the dates, the flight times and the route that I want. I usually book 6 to 12 months in advance. I find it strange that people are not able to fly when they want to, unless they are trying to book only 3 months in advance and expect there to be seats available.

3 months out?? Luxury. I couln't even tell you where or if I'll be travelling next week

 

[QF WP]

ozmark, can TOTALLY concur with your sentiments.

I know I'm going to SYD tomorrow until Sunday (work Wed-Fri + Flyertalk get-togethers on Fri PM & all day Sat).

I know where I have to fly over the next 5 weeks, but I can only really organise a week or two in advance. Have lots of increased SC's to collect with upcoming flights being (probably in this order from my initial thoughts):

BNE/ADL/BNE
BNE/ADL/PER/ADL/BNE (I hate the redeye)
BNE/MEL/CBR/BNE
BNE/TSV/CNS/BNE
BNE/NTL/BNE
BNE/SYD/BNE

So onward to Platinum again

 

[shillard]

ozmark, can TOTALLY concur with your sentiments.


BNE/ADL/BNE
BNE/ADL/PER/ADL/BNE (I hate the redeye)
BNE/MEL/CBR/BNE
BNE/TSV/CNS/BNE
BNE/NTL/BNE
BNE/SYD/BNE

So onward to Platinum again

Give me a yell when you're in NTL, and when you know your PER dates - I've got to hit PER, ADL and MEL during June.

 

[QF WP]

NTL may not be until July now...not my biggest client and not a big office, so happy to push back.

PER looks like being leaving BNE Fri 10th PM (either on direct flight or via ADL) with weekend with Mrs LW in Margaret River/Freemantle (taking her along for the ride, we've spent too much apart and it's her birthday present!). Staying probably at the Parmelia Hilton (directly across the road from clients' office). Working Monday (not a Queens Birthday holiday in PER) , Tuesday; probably leave Tues PM for ADL, there on Wed and home Wed PM.

When are you there, shillard??