ANy Seat Redemption

[oz_mark]

Snippet from email I got today. I guess we'll find out the details in due course....

[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]More ways to use your points – coming soon![/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]From mid 2008 we’re planning exciting new benefits for our Frequent Flyers. These include introducing any seat availability redemption options on Qantas and Jetstar flights. Our plans also include expanding our extensive family of partners and our reward range, so you’ll be able to earn and redeem points in a variety of new ways.[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Easily find available Frequent Flyer Award seats[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]With the launch of our upgraded online Award flight booking service, it is now easier and quicker to search for available Frequent Flyer Award seats. Now when you search for an Award booking and select 'flexible with dates', a month by month calendar will show all available seats in the travel classes you have chosen^. Simply search through the monthly calendar to find a date that suits you with available seats, and click through to book. To view the new Award booking service login to your Frequent Flyer account and then go to 'Award Bookings'[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif].[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[moa999]

now easier and quicker to search for available Frequent Flyer Awards

Not exactly for premium fares however

 

[JohnK]

Even though there has not been much information released on any seat availability so far I cannot see how this is going to benefit anyone other than the people who have millions of points and no way to use them now. No point in speculating how the model is going to work but one feels that somehow normal award seat redemption is going to be enhanced at the same time.

Some enhancements to the new award booking engine make it look OK but key functionality has been taken away and I feel like it is a lot harder to use now especially for multi-destination itineraries.

 

[oz_mark]

The thing I got out of it was a timeframe that I do not recall seeing before: Mod 2008. Makes me think that they are close to finalising the details, and if there are any other changes coming along the 6 month notice period will be coming up soon.

 

[Dave Noble]

The thing I got out of it was a timeframe that I do not recall seeing before: Mod 2008. Makes me think that they are close to finalising the details, and if there are any other changes coming along the 6 month notice period will be coming up soon.

There is no need for a 6 month notice period needed to provide enhancements to the benefits offered, only when limiting. Given that it seems that the change is expected in February, I think that the sky is still in place and not about to fall

3.2 Qantas will use best efforts to advise Members of material changes to these Terms and Conditions and, where such changes will limit Benefits:
(a) where the Benefit is provided by Qantas, to give Members at least 6 months' notice;
(b) where the Benefit is provided by a third party, where possible give Members at least 30 days' notice.

Dave

 

[simongr]

I guess it is all down to interpretation by QF of what the changes mean to in terms of benefits. They could argue that making in total more seats available through any time redemptions and normal awards is a benefit even if the number of award seats reduces.

given though that they could just reduce availability without telling anyone I guess we can afford to think on the bright side

 

[Dave Noble]

I guess it is all down to interpretation by QF of what the changes mean to in terms of benefits. They could argue that making in total more seats available through any time redemptions and normal awards is a benefit even if the number of award seats reduces.

If they were going to put the price of regular awards up, then they would notify in advance; reducing availability ( if they did decide to do so ) would not be a change to the T&Cs

Dave

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Snippet from email I got today. I guess we'll find out the details in due course....


[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif].[/FONT][/FONT]

Yes they had this announced in their Oct 10 email as well..

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/qantas-frequent-flyer/new-ways-use-qff-11210.html

 

[lovetravellingoz]

"so you’ll be able to earn and redeem points in a variety of new ways"

I will also be very interesteed to see what the new ways of earning points are.

From my perspective the more ways I can gain points the better (though I know others wish that it was only earnt by flying).


New partners will also hopefully mean new "bonus" or sign on deals with the new partners. ie in the USA there are many ways to gain points....and many bonuses on offer.


"Those in the know" can often exploit these......as per my reading of what is ofte on offer in the Flyertalk Forum.

I hope we can get similar....including similar occassional loopholes to earn some accelearted earn.

 

[oz_mark]

"so you’ll be able to earn and redeem points in a variety of new ways"

I will also be very interesteed to see what the new ways of earning points are.

They could just look to the US for inspiration on how to earn points. Maybe soon we will be earning points for filling in surveys, reading ads and so on.

 

[ANstar]

There is no need for a 6 month notice period needed to provide enhancements to the benefits offered, only when limiting. Given that it seems that the change is expected in February, I think that the sky is still in place and not about to fall



Dave

It actually says MID 2008 (not feb) so the 6 month change notice thing would need to be dome by the end of the year.

I presume all the earn burn rates will also change at the same time and accomodate the Y+ redemptions...

 

[oz_mark]

There is no need for a 6 month notice period needed to provide enhancements to the benefits offered, only when limiting. Given that it seems that the change is expected in February, I think that the sky is still in place and not about to fall

I would take the Qantas date of mid-2008 over the SMH Feb 2008. It has been widely reported that there will be a series of other changes as well, and I would expect that they would announce these together, rather than drip feed them through. I have no idea what this has to do with the sky.

Yes they had this announced in their Oct 10 email as well..

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/qantas-frequent-flyer/new-ways-use-qff-11210.html

Oops. Missed that...

 

[codash1099]

Hands up all those who think that the changes will result in a net benefit to Joe Average?

 

[simongr]

Need to work out who Joe Average is and what is meantr by benefit. If Joe Average is the heavy CC user then if he can now get flights with his millions of points then that is great. If Joe Average is someone who eeks out a meagre 50K a year from flying then if they put the points requirements up then it wont make that much difference - already the cost of flights is massive so it might take 7 years to save for that big trip rather than 6...

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Hands up all those who think that the changes will result in a net benefit to Joe Average?

Interesting question...and as asked already by another...who is Joe Average???


Some will find it better...othrs maybe not.


However the recent:
* move by Virgin to add to their FF program...and the move generally by Virgin to move "up-market" to compete more directly with QANTAS (Virgin-lite coming soon?
* entry of additional LCC airlines into Australia
*and other Arab based Airlines targtting Auastralia
*QANTAS likely to set up the FF asa seperate entity and hence there will bea desire to maximise its value....



Would give me great hope that the scheme will in fact actually really be enhanced for a change....




Being able to book flights when you want will be good....BUT there wll bea higher FF cost to this.


So for Joe Average if he is someone that flies a bit, but not a lot and spends a bit on CC and other areas the scheme will be enhanced if he can;

*still get the current burn rates for flights booked well in advance
*has the freedom for some sudden flights , albeit at a higher burn rate
*can now actually eran more points through additional means.



While there may well be additional burn avenues on non-flight benefits I will assume that while some may like this that the effective dollar value for burn on these will still be much lower than flights.....though some with smal eran ability may like this.



I suspect that Mr "Clued-Up" Joe Average may well be able to earn an efective higher earn rate by maximising deals on offer than Mr "Uniformed" Joe Average will miss out on.

This forum will hopefully help to keep me as the former Joe rather than as the latter Joe...

Certainly the alst 9 months has been fruitful as I have picked up 100,000 FF points for free...in addition to my CC spend and flights and hotel stays....which is probably a better urn than back in the days of when I was flying frequently as an Ansett Platinum, but not a "clued-up" one!!!

 

[NM]

As with the last round of major program "enhancements", I expect there will be some wins and some losses. Some things will be seen as improvements by some members and the same things will be seen as negative by others.

I also expect Qantas will make the announcements with the full 6 months lead time before they take effect just as they did for the May 2005 changes.

 

[NM]

It actually says MID 2008 (not feb) so the 6 month change notice thing would need to be dome by the end of the year.

"Mid 2008" may not mean "by 30th June, 2008). Just ask some software vendors the definition of "Mid 2008" and they will tell you that so long as its before the end September it qualifies as Mid 2008.

 

[oz_mark]

"Mid 2008" may not mean "by 30th June, 2008). Just ask some software vendors the definition of "Mid 2008" and they will tell you that so long as its before the end September it qualifies as Mid 2008.

It would, however, be a stretch to refer to Feb 2008 as Mid 2008.

 

[NM]

It would, however, be a stretch to refer to Feb 2008 as Mid 2008.

But would not be a stretch to announce in Feb for a change date in August and call that Mid 2008.

 

[dajop]

My concern (as a WP with most points earnt through flying an not cc spend) is whether the better availability of inventory for higher tiers (either via T class for SG's & WP's or the unwritten request a seat policy for WP's) will be affected. I suspect it will, seats will be available on any flight anyway - at a huge cost (like the DJ & NZ models), and therefore current points will be devalued significantly. Aas Aa result it mAay be time to shift loyAalty to Aanother frequent flyer progrAame.