Thank you for writing this article, Matt
Allow me to expand upon your findings with some further critical insights that you may be unable or unwilling to spell out in such a manner.
For most of us on AFF keenly aware of the ever diminishing value of Qantas points, we all understand how these Carrier imposed Charges devalue our points even further. These Carrier fees charged by the Airline to their loyal Frequent Flyer’s Award Bookings are just another greedy cash grab. They are entirely discretionary, and serve primarily to increase Qantas’ profits and to line Managements’ pockets.
These Carrier Charges are strategically placed on awards because Qantas Management know that the optics and emotion of snagging an award points booking are so positive and “rewarding” that the real charges and fees we incur are almost forgotten about and lost throughout the award booking process. For the average punter who just managed to snag an elusive long haul award, the fees and charges are like an afterthought that are somehow justified as part of a successful award booking and not ever questioned.
To make it seem like Qantas are not trying to fleece us, had little to do with it, or were just passing them on in turn, they are conveniently labelled as “Other charges”. And that’s if you even found that hidden detail after not noticing them in the “Flight Amount Breakdown” dropdown box which, by default, conceals them unless expanded. Oh, and have you noticed how these same Fees and Charges accompanying the points required in the search results are about a fifth the font size? It’s almost as if they don’t want you to notice it and rather have you focus on the excessive number of points required instead - the very same points whose value is typically worth far less to you than you were led to believe. Sadly, all of this deception is unsurprising from the #2 most distrusted brand in Australia.
But why would Qantas continue to treat their loyal Frequent Flyers like this? Because they can. And because we continue to play their game by engaging in the Qantas Frequent Flyer Loyalty
scam scheme. They exist to make as much money as possible for their Shareholders and to satisfy performance metrics that ensure Managements’ Executive bonuses are paid out. That’s just a fact of life in the Capitalist society we live in. But that same Capitalism also affords us CHOICE. We can choose to play their game, or not.
Matt’s article does a great job in raising awareness and helping us understand the truth behind Qantas’ cash grab. I just wish the broader population outside of AFF that are “engaged” with QFF might also benefit and rethink their loyalty. There are plenty of far more rewarding Frequent Flyer Programs out there.
www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au
