Another QF Frequent Flyer Change - Classic Award Priority Availability

[MarcB]

Just noticed another change in the benefits - appears that priority allocation of classic award seats will now be extended to anyone above Bronze.

20.6 Classic Award seat allocation

20.6.1 Qantas may at its discretion provide Members who have a Membership level above Bronze with additional allocations of or preferential access to selected Classic Award seats on Qantas operated flights when available.

Seems like the benefits of Gold and Platinum are slowly being diluted...

 

[serfty]

Just noticed another change in the benefits - appears that priority allocation of classic award seats will now be extended to anyone above Bronze.

20.6 Classic Award seat allocation

20.6.1 Qantas may at its discretion provide Members who have a Membership level above Bronze with additional allocations of or preferential access to selected Classic Award seats on Qantas operated flights when available.

Seems like the benefits of Gold and Platinum are slowly being diluted...

Qantas have been able to this for several years now; they can even set differing award availability on the same flight for various status.

e.g. WP- X6, SG X3, PS X1 and NB X0

They are just stating they can do this.

 

[MarcB]

Qantas have been able to this for several years now; they can even set differing award availability on the same flight for various status.

e.g. WP- X6, SG X3, PS X1 and NB X0

They are just stating they can do this.

No doubt they have always had the flexibility, I was just noting that the old terms and conditions stated this was a benefit for Gold and Platinum - now it's for above Bronze.

 

[anat0l]

No doubt they have always had the flexibility, I was just noting that the old terms and conditions stated this was a benefit for Gold and Platinum - now it's for above Bronze.

In any case I thought it was happening any way, at least given my experience even as a short lived PS.

I don't think it's a dilution of the benefit so much as it is made explicit and there are still marked (or at worst, subtle) differences between accessible inventory by all tiers.

 

[djfuzz]

Tbh, I never quite understood how to take advantage of this in the first place - is it simply the case that WP / SG / PS will have more classic award availability in descending order when they search for seats, or does this availability have to be opened up by the FF service centre?

 

[anat0l]

Tbh, I never quite understood how to take advantage of this in the first place - is it simply the case that WP / SG / PS will have more classic award availability in descending order when they search for seats, or does this availability have to be opened up by the FF service centre?

The former, i.e. higher tiers see a larger selection of seats.

As a point of comparison (with Classic Award seats), when I was a NB or PS, F awards were almost non-existent (the classic tussle to get at these at 353 days out) but a decent number of Y awards abounded (more on domestic). When I turned WP, I could see a Y award for close to every flight on any given day. Premium awards are much harder to come by, but they were in a markedly greater number than seen during NB.

In addition, if a WP cannot see availability online, they may be able to ask the Premium desk to put in a request for an award seat (add relevant service charge). This covers both Qantas Classic Awards as well as Partner Classic Awards (may extend to oneworld awards, but I do not know this). The request is more or less just that; it is not to say that the availability existed in the first place.

 

[medhead]

No doubt they have always had the flexibility, I was just noting that the old terms and conditions stated this was a benefit for Gold and Platinum - now it's for above Bronze.

Is it a dilution of an existing benefit? It has been the case that higher status people have more award availability. This just formalises this situation in the T&C. This just happen in that higher status people can see more seats when searching.

Are you getting confused with priority tickets?

 

[serfty]

Until around 2008, Qantas had T class for SG/WP economy redemptions and X class for other passengers. There was no such variance for Business or First.

 

[MarcB]

All I am driving at is that this is now a published benefit for PS - regardless of whether this was unofficially happening before, it is now clearly stated in the T&Cs. I also note that the T&Cs do not specify that different levels of availability will flow to different status members - only that those above Bronze may be provided with additional allocations of or preferential access to selected Classic Award seats.

 

[medhead]

All I am driving at is that this is now a published benefit for PS - regardless of whether this was unofficially happening before, it is now clearly stated in the T&Cs. I also note that the T&Cs do not specify that different levels of availability will flow to different status members - only that those above Bronze may be provided with additional allocations of or preferential access to selected Classic Award seats.

And it is also now a published benefit for gold and platinum. They are just stating what has always happened for all people above bronze status. Therefore, it is not a dilution. They are not offering a new benefit to silver members.

The words " may be provided" suggest different levels of availability depending on status

 

[whughes3]

And note carefully the use of that infinitely flexible word "may"...

 

[anat0l]

The words " may be provided" suggest different levels of availability depending on status

It also suggests that they don't actually have to do it / follow through.

 

[oz_mark]

And it is also now a published benefit for gold and platinum. They are just stating what has always happened for all people above bronze status. Therefore, it is not a dilution. They are not offering a new benefit to silver members.

It has been a published benefit for gold and platinum for some time. This change just makes it a published benefit for silver as well.

 

[MarcB]

It has been a published benefit for gold and platinum for some time. This change just makes it a published benefit for silver as well.

Agreed oz_mark. Perhaps it is semantic, but this was my point. If you take an unpublished benefit and make it a published one, then, in my view, those who previously enjoyed that published benefit do end up having their benefits devalued or diluted.

The publication of a benefit serves to enshrine the availability of that benefit for a class of passenger (who didn't have such enshrined before) and although Gold and Platinum FFs may not be losing any availability per se, they are being grouped together with PS members (whereas they were not before in the T&Cs) and on paper, there is now one less thing that they are given over PS passengers.

Not everyone was aware that PS got better availability if they bothered to request it, and Qantas never advertised that fact. Now they do - hence there is potentially a greater pool of people seeking access to that benefit then before.

 

[serfty]

Methinks it's to cover their butt if they decide to allow significantly more award availability for frequent flyers rather than frequent spenders.

 

[straitman]

Agreed oz_mark. Perhaps it is semantic, but this was my point. If you take an unpublished benefit and make it a published one, then, in my view, those who previously enjoyed that published benefit do end up having their benefits devalued or diluted.

I honestly think you are worrying over nothing.

 

[Flashback]

It has been a published benefit for gold and platinum for some time. This change just makes it a published benefit for silver as well.

Methinks it's to cover their butt if they decide to allow significantly more award availability for frequent flyers rather than frequent spenders.

Interesting. IME PS never received extra availability, even as recent as 2 months ago where Bundy Bear could see some flights in whY whereas I was unable to get any of them.

 

[medhead]

It has been a published benefit for gold and platinum for some time. This change just makes it a published benefit for silver as well.

Well, I found some vague statement that they may do something if they feel like it. Not much of a benefit, IMO.

Agreed oz_mark. Perhaps it is semantic, but this was my point. If you take an unpublished benefit and make it a published one, then, in my view, those who previously enjoyed that published benefit do end up having their benefits devalued or diluted.

The publication of a benefit serves to enshrine the availability of that benefit for a class of passenger (who didn't have such enshrined before) and although Gold and Platinum FFs may not be losing any availability per se, they are being grouped together with PS members (whereas they were not before in the T&Cs) and on paper, there is now one less thing that they are given over PS passengers.

Not everyone was aware that PS got better availability if they bothered to request it, and Qantas never advertised that fact. Now they do - hence there is potentially a greater pool of people seeking access to that benefit then before.

There is nothing in the benefit you've quoted that talks about requesting an award seat. It is so vague that it can mean just about anything. I'm sorry but I can't see how effectively saying Qantas reserves the right to determine how they sell seats on their aircraft is a devaluation of anything.

 

[markis10]

Sorry, where was it published before?

Where you would expect it, in the terms and conditions of the program for the last 10 years AFAIK, it was benefit back in 1999:

20.6 Classic Award seat allocation
20.6.1 Qantas may at its discretion make available to Platinum and Gold Members additional allocations of Classic Award seats.

 

[medhead]

Interesting. IME PS never received extra availability, even as recent as 2 months ago where Bundy Bear could see some flights in whY whereas I was unable to get any of them.

It is not a suggestion that PS would get the same "extra" availability as a WP. But "may" get extra availability over a bronze.