Award Bookings & SC's

[Binxx]

Do you know if flights booked via FF points or bought via staff entitlements are eligible for SC's?

 

[straitman]

Do you know if flights booked via FF points or bought via staff entitlements are eligible for SC's?

They are not eligible. :shock:

 

[munitalP]

They are not eligible. :shock:

Yep - a simple answer....



Mr!

 

[Binxx]

Straight answer from straitman

Thanks guys.

It does make sense. For SC run's people would use their million's of FF points and QAN would rather have a fare paying passenger bum on that seat.

Cheers

 

[Flashback]

Straight answer from straitman

Thanks guys.

It does make sense. For SC run's people would use their million's of FF points and QAN would rather have a fare paying passenger bum on that seat.

Cheers

Note that using the AMEX TravelKey Cash+Points option (or even pure points?) you will get a fare that will earn SC. Obviously you need an AMEX card enrolled in Membership Rewards.

 

[medhead]

However, the redeemation of points is worth money to QF and the introduction of any seat does set some kind of variable points value, one can buy any fare on any flight by using points. Given these indirect connections of points to cash, I think that SC, but not miles, should probably be earnt. Especially the bit about QF earning money from the points redeemation, it is another form of loyalty to QF.

Anyway, just a thought I fully understand that is not how it works.

 

[chrizzz14]

i agree with Medhead... Qantas even admit that FFpoints have a monetary value - they charge stupid amounts of money for them (top up points)!

Redeeming award flights should entitle the flyer to SC's. You are sitting in the plane traveling those miles, and in most cases your still paying a few hundred in taxes. Earning more SC's doesn't so much put Qantas out of pocket, apart from those that benefit from the FF Tiers.

ahh its frustrating... but as medhead also said... its simply not the way it is, nor will it ever be

 

[AnonymousCoward]

i agree with Medhead... Qantas even admit that FFpoints have a monetary value - they charge stupid amounts of money for them (top up points)!

Redeeming award flights should entitle the flyer to SC's. You are sitting in the plane traveling those miles,

The FF points you have are already a reward for doing something that benefits QF (e.g. flying on the plane).

You don't get "rewarded" again for using/redeeming those points.

and in most cases your still paying a few hundred in taxes.

Taxes go to the government or airport operator - not to QANTAS. You might be out of pocket, but QF isn't benefitting.

Earning more SC's doesn't so much put Qantas out of pocket, apart from those that benefit from the FF Tiers.

I'm pretty sure that running the lounges, extra luggage, running a call centre etc costs QF plenty of money.

 

[anat0l]

Redeeming award flights should entitle the flyer to SC's. You are sitting in the plane traveling those miles, and in most cases your still paying a few hundred in taxes. Earning more SC's doesn't so much put Qantas out of pocket, apart from those that benefit from the FF Tiers.

Getting status would be too easy if award bookings attracted any sort of SCs. They'd probably have to raise the qualification levels a lot more.

I balk to think what this would mean for those who churn zillions of credit card points through to QFF.

 

[futaris]

NB, an anyseat award won't earn miles or qualifying points in QFF, according to the T&Cs. This doesn't apply to other Oneworld programs though.

I don't see a problem with people earning SCs on 1c/point redemptions, particularly as you can do this through American Express, SPG Flights and various other credit card programs.

 

[Binxx]

I'm surprised that this debate has not raged before on AFF

There are good points for adopting both the scenarios but in the end QF would have had their actuaries work hard to come up with this

If it does change in the future & people are allowed to accrue SC's for these flights then you can be assured that the level's to achieve different status will simultaneously go up

 

[AnonymousCoward]

I'm surprised that this debate has not raged before on AFF

I'm not really aware of any rewards/loyalty program that works like this.

If you redeem your CC points for a toaster (for example), you don't get more CC points. The CC points are a reward already.

Likewise with QF FF points (or FF points for any other program). I'm not aware of any FF program that gives you status for redeeming loyalty flights.

 

[anat0l]

I'm not really aware of any rewards/loyalty program that works like this.

If you redeem your CC points for a toaster (for example), you don't get more CC points. The CC points are a reward already.

Likewise with QF FF points (or FF points for any other program). I'm not aware of any FF program that gives you status for redeeming loyalty flights.

Amex Membership Rewards / Travelkey is a bit of an exception or half-half, i.e. you can use your Membership Rewards points to purchase air travel and still earn points with your airline's FFP on those fares so purchased.

 

[Binxx]

I'm not really aware of any rewards/loyalty program that works like this.

If you redeem your CC points for a toaster (for example), you don't get more CC points. The CC points are a reward already.

Likewise with QF FF points (or FF points for any other program). I'm not aware of any FF program that gives you status for redeeming loyalty flights.

I can understand the FF points bit but what about Qantas staff flight redemptions where no points are used and the staff member actually pays (albeit a highly discounted) fare?

 

[NM]

I can understand the FF points bit but what about Qantas staff flight redemptions where no points are used and the staff member actually pays (albeit a highly discounted) fare?

Such fares, and even some government negotiated fares, are low partly because the airline does not have to "pay" FF points.

If you want the airline to pay FF points for FF award tickets, then it would be reasonable to expect them to increase the number of points required for the award to cover the cost of provide points. Most people would find an increase in the redemptions rates to cover payment of points or SCs to be unacceptable.

I find the current arrangements of no FF points or SC earning on awards and employee industry fares to be fair and reasonable practice and I would not want the redemption rates to be increased in order to fund the inclusion of FF points or SC earning on redemptions.

 

[medhead]

Such fares, and even some government negotiated fares, are low partly because the airline does not have to "pay" FF points.

Yes, very true, government negotiated arrangements don't earn FF points. But at least 2 of the government arrangements do allow the earning of SC.

To address AnonymousCoward's points a bit more, I'm not suggesting getting re-rewarded by earning points for points redeemptions. I'm just thinking at a philosophical level and noting that SC are about recognising people who fly most with the airline. I'm simply suggesting that it would be fair to recognise the flying that people do using points, given that these people choose to spend their points with QF and that the points are of value to QF. People could choose to spend their points with other one world partners, then QF are going to get less value from issuing the points. Remember that QF make money from flight redeemptions regardless of how the points are earnt, this should be clear for their aggresive moves to expand the earning partners.

These are simply comments to reflect on the purpose of SC and how award flights could fit into that purpose, given the value that QF is getting from the points, via the enhanced QFF program.

However, to clarify any confusion on my thinking points/miles are an entirely different matter.

 

[Binxx]

Such fares, and even some government negotiated fares, are low partly because the airline does not have to "pay" FF points.

If you want the airline to pay FF points for FF award tickets, then it would be reasonable to expect them to increase the number of points required for the award to cover the cost of provide points. Most people would find an increase in the redemptions rates to cover payment of points or SCs to be unacceptable.

I find the current arrangements of no FF points or SC earning on awards and employee industry fares to be fair and reasonable practice and I would not want the redemption rates to be increased in order to fund the inclusion of FF points or SC earning on redemptions.

Not defying your logic but consider the situation below.

Your partner / brother/ sis / whoever works for Qantas and has you on their benefits scheme.

For your birthday / anniversary they shout you and your partner with a round the world trip and pay for it.

You take the trip and if you were a QFF and knowing that your relo has shelled out in 4 figures at least for the fare, would you not want to get some SC's at least, let alone the FF points?

How about 1/2 a SC for these sort of flight's? Just a thought, not a suggestion.

 

[oz_mark]

Amex Membership Rewards / Travelkey is a bit of an exception or half-half, i.e. you can use your Membership Rewards points to purchase air travel and still earn points with your airline's FFP on those fares so purchased.

Well, they are just standard fares, and Qantas get paid for them as though they were a normal booking.

It's not just Amex that this happens for. Altitude Rewards bookings are the same, and I assume that redemptions of Citibank rewards for tickets would fall into the same boat.

 

[dajop]

Well, they are just standard fares, and Qantas get paid for them as though they were a normal booking.

It's not just Amex that this happens for. Altitude Rewards bookings are the same, and I assume that redemptions of Citibank rewards for tickets would fall into the same boat.

And usually provide just as good a value as Anyseat Awards. The moral to the story here folks? I don't know, but something along the lines of don't direct sweep to QF if you are only going to use them only on Anyseat awards, better to use Amex MR , Altitude and the like.

I guess just about everyone would agree that not earning status credits on classic awards is not an issue. However when booking anyseat, it looks and feels just like a commercial booking (ie across the top of the screen it is just like a $$$ booking, ie Sale|Red e deal| Super Saver | Flexi Saver)....that's why there may be confusion. But, MR and Altitude overcome this problem anyway.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Amex Membership Rewards / Travelkey is a bit of an exception or half-half, i.e. you can use your Membership Rewards points to purchase air travel and still earn points with your airline's FFP on those fares so purchased.

Not really. Amex gives you these MR points as a reward for doing something that benefits Amex.

Whether you redeem them for a toaster or a flight, Amex goes and buys that for you from the end supplier. If Amex is buying a flight from QF, why wouldn't you get points and SCs?