Any chance of claiming expired QFF points?

[ashleyn]

I'm going to talk to Consumer Affairs, I think.

On what basis Bruce ?, As I see it, you don't have a leg to stand on.

9.2 Qantas Points validity
9.2.1 Except as otherwise provided in these Terms and Conditions, Points will not expire as long as the Member remains an Active Member.
9.2.2 All Points held in a Qantas Frequent Flyer account of a non-Active Member will expire at midnight Sydney, Australia time at the end of the 18th consecutive month for which the Member has not earned Points or Status Credits or redeemed Points (excluding any transfer of Points to or from an Eligible Family Member). For this purpose, Points earned in relation to Eligible Flights are deemed to be earned on the date the Eligible Flight was taken. Within 60 days of the Points expiration date, Qantas will notify Members of the number of Points that are about to expire and the expiration date as follows:
(a) online activity statements display a warning to the Member;
(b) Members who continue to receive paper activity statements, will receive an activity statement which includes a notification that Points are about to expire; and
(c) Members who have opted to receive communications online and via email, will receive a notification within their monthly electronic newsletter.
Note: With effect from 1 July 2010:

• If a Member does not earn or redeem any Points after 30 June 2010, the Points earned before 1 July 2010 will not expire until three years after the date of the last activity on that Member's account.
• If a Member does earn or redeem any Points after 30 June 2010, the Member's Points will expire three years from the date of the Member's last activity before 1 July 2010 or 18 months from the last date the Member earned or redeemed Points after 30 June 2010, whichever is the later.

9.2.3 Points cannot be re-credited once they have expired.

Doesn't look like fine print to me.

 

[ShaneN]

On what basis Bruce ?, As I see it, you don't have a leg to stand on.

I have little sympathy for you Bruce. This is not fine print. At any time in the last 18 months you could have done any of the following to remain an active member and retain your points:
Made a single flight with Qantas or any OneWorld partners.
Purchased a plus pack with Jetstar.
Obtained a Woolworths Everyday Rewards Card and made a purchase of more than $30 at Woolworths, Big W or BWS.
Obtained a credit card linked to your frequent flyer account, and made a single purchase on it.
Rented a car from Avis or Budget.
Purchased any item from the Frequent Flyer Store - there are wallets starting from 9,000 points.

As your post states, you did receive a warning email as specified in the terms and conditions.

 

[Hvr]

I'm with ShaneN and ashelyn, you got told something was going to happen and it happened. Since you knew it was going to happen with negative consequences for yourself which you didn't want, then surely it behoves you to at least call Qantas to find out how to prevent it happening.

Sadly contact like this with Qantas means they have to take a hardline with genuine cases where they may be room for leeway.

It's about taking responsibility for your own actions or in this case, inaction.

 

[brucelaidlaw]

I'm not a lawyer. I don't examine the terms and conditions in any detail. I just trust I am being dealt with fairly. I don't check my points after every flight. I just trust that when I make a flight they will be credited properly. I have made several Jetstar flights over the past few years, which I now find earned me no points. Presumably when I booked there was something to this effect but I can't recall ever noticing it.

I have spent some time today looking at my Activity Statement on the website, and still have no idea when I last earned points. After I clicked and changed dates, looking sometimes at a month at a time, it seems you can't see activity before May 2012. At one stage I found a page saying we don't provide details of more than thirteen (perhaps) months ago. However I can't find that page again. It surely wouldn't be to difficult to show the Activity Statement for the past few years.

It's easy, of course, to offer good advice after the event. Thank you for that.

 

[cove]

Bruce friends of ours lost theirs as well. We tried but failed to get them back.
In future just have a Woolies Every Day Rewards card credit points to your account.
On velocity I received a warning so I bought a gift card to maintain activity. The gift card was the smallest one. Since then I got a Velocity points earning credit card.

 

[JohnK]

That is a lot of points to lose.

Not sure how you ended up in that situation but I would do everything to try and get them back.

 

[mannej]

So now you are claiming the ignorance card as the reason you are being dealt with unfairly.
Sorry, but it's not as if QF hide their T&C's in regards to this. You did mention the email wasn't in plain English, what did it say to make it feel like you we're to only lose a few points? As others have posted, the terms are pretty clear on the QF site.
I wish you well but I don't see the points returning nor consumer affairs helping.

 

[oz_mark]

I was told, last night, by Lesley Grant (Chief Executive Qantas Loyalty) that they will look at lost point situations.
Having said that I didn't get to ask what type of situations.

Interesting, as I have not actually heard anecdotal evidence of anyone getting their points back.

 

[Mwenenzi]

..I have spent some time today looking at my Activity Statement on the website, and still have no idea when I last earned points. After I clicked and changed dates, looking sometimes at a month at a time, it seems you can't see activity before May 2012. At one stage I found a page saying we don't provide details of more than thirteen (perhaps) months ago. However I can't find that page again. It surely wouldn't be to difficult to show the Activity Statement for the past few years....

It is possible to manually edit the url to show more than 13 months

Have you still got the monthly emails or hard copy QF freq flyer statements?

 

[brucelaidlaw]

It is possible to manually edit the url to show more than 13 months

Have you still got the monthly emails or hard copy QF freq flyer statements?

I haven't kept all the emails. I'm not saying they have missed crediting me anything. I didn't ask the forum if I was foolish in not keeping up. I asked if you had any suggestions about getting this decision reversed. If I had known that all my points would disappear overnight, don't you think I would have done something?

 

[ShaneN]

all my points[/B] would disappear overnight, don't you think I would have done something?

What did the emails say? Why did you think that only some points would disappear? I would like to help, but need to know what Qantas actually told you.

 

[JohnK]

So now you are claiming the ignorance card as the reason you are being dealt with unfairly.

Nothing wrong with playing an ignorance card.

Airlines, or any company for that matter, are not these holy instititutions that need to be respected for their faceless nature and very carefully worded fine print.

I would not feel embarassed pursuing something even if I was in the wrong as you suggest.

 

[Bells]

Seems to me that QFF T&Cs re expiring points are somewhat harsh for children and young flyers in particular.

My example: Family takes first ever flight to USA for holiday. All joined QFF and Everyday rewards. Now, 2 years later, 18 year old tries to use some of the 18,000 points earned on the flight to upgrade on their next holiday to find that they expired 6 months ago. Problem - no credit card, no Qantas cash, purchases on everyday rewards card don't amount to $30 transactions, and no other flights. Same applies to another sibling. These ways to remain 'active' are not readily accessible to fully dependent children. The 18 month rule seems a bit tight for these circumstances - and it seems wrong to promote 'points never expire', when it's followed by a BUT......

Is it worth pursuing QFF to try and re-activate these points?

It only takes one mistake/misunderstanding to learn - it only takes one bad experience to lose a customer!

 

[markis10]

Seems to me that QFF T&Cs re expiring points are somewhat harsh for children and young flyers in particular.

My example: Family takes first ever flight to USA for holiday. All joined QFF and Everyday rewards. Now, 2 years later, 18 year old tries to use some of the 18,000 points earned on the flight to upgrade on their next holiday to find that they expired 6 months ago. Problem - no credit card, no Qantas cash, purchases on everyday rewards card don't amount to $30 transactions, and no other flights. Same applies to another sibling. These ways to remain 'active' are not readily accessible to fully dependent children. The 18 month rule seems a bit tight for these circumstances - and it seems wrong to promote 'points never expire', when it's followed by a BUT......

Is it worth pursuing QFF to try and re-activate these points?

It only takes one mistake/misunderstanding to learn - it only takes one bad experience to lose a customer!

There is nothing to say you cannot put your EDR purchases on your childs EDR account and use that to keep the account alive, in fact having accounts for the kids is a good way to attract bonus offers that add to the balance. I would doubt QF would be interested in reactivating the points

 

[Mwenenzi]

Seems to me that QFF T&Cs re expiring points are somewhat harsh for children and young flyers in particular.

My example: Family takes first ever flight to USA for holiday. All joined QFF and Everyday rewards. Now, 2 years later, 18 year old tries to use some of the 18,000 points earned on the flight to upgrade on their next holiday to find that they expired 6 months ago. Problem - no credit card, no Qantas cash, purchases on everyday rewards card don't amount to $30 transactions...

The Qantas Frequent flyer expiry rules are not aimed at children and young flyers but infrequent flyers. Many children and young flyers are frequent flyers

You need an eligible activity in 18 months. As above anyone can spend $31 at a Woolies outlet and use any card
Other ways for an eligible activity are
- asked for a new ff card (1000 pts)
- downloading & using (at least once in 18 months) the Qantas search toolbar. 18 year olds are better at this than we more mature folk.

Points can be transferred to other family member accounts, but check the receiving account is active or will not be inactive soon. Points transfer is not a eligible activity that resets the 18 months activity clock

Is it worth pursuing QFF to try and re-activate these points?

No. We get posts like yours almost every month. QF’s facebook page gets many (amusing) complaint’s on this topic each month.

Points expiry is in the rules: its very clear and unambiguous

 

[moa999]

And given QF is trying to sell part of QFF at the moment and breakage is a key driver of profit of this division, I expect them to be less than generous.

You will also find that the QF policy is much more generous than say SQ whereby each individual point has a life - this causes even higher breakage rates.

 

[suparockin]

Is it just me or is it hilarious to complain about losing *frequent* flyers points when you don't use an airline for more than two years!

LOL!

 

[brucelaidlaw]

Is it just me or is it hilarious to complain about losing *frequent* flyers points when you don't use an airline for more than two years!

LOL!

Sorry you think it's funny. I'm 70 years old, on a pension, and I fly Sydney to Adelaide several times a year to visit my mother who is in a nursing home with Altzheimer's. I can only afford to do this on Jetstar. And I forget things, too, which is why I lost these points!

 

[ric_melb]

We seem to be rehashing an old thread where the issue in question was concluded nearly a year ago.
If anything it highlights the fact that consumers should make themselves aware of conditions regarding any commercial arrangement they enter into, and bear the prime responsibility of protecting an asset. Points are worth money to the account holder, their existence needs to be monitored in the same way we should monitor our bank accounts and credit cards.
A holding of points can easily be insured by spending $31 with a Woolworths EDR card, or $19 by buying a Jetstar Plus package on a SYD/ADL fare.