Book a flight and Extend Current status to 2022

[calmelb]

Unfortunately I booked a bunch of JQ domestic flights in NZ. Not sure if I want to risk relying on cancelling (I purchased the bundle) and rebooking using the credit being treated as a new booking for the purpose of 1 new booking to requalify for another year. A shame because the rollover SCs would have also been good to get a head start on requalification for 2022.

You could try rebooking and seeing if you get the same price, and then cancel the original if possible?

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

You could try rebooking and seeing if you get the same price, and then cancel the original if possible?

But then I'd have a JQ credit to use on another flight. May as well just book a new flight (with later travel date than my existing bookings).

 

[Captain Halliday]

Eligible bookings can be paid with cash, Qantas TravelPass, Qantas Flight Credit, or with Qantas Points (via a Classic Flight Reward or Points Plus Pay).

Presumably this rules out using an Amex travel credit. Can anyone confirm or deny?

 

[Flying mermaid]

I suspect part of this is to encourage people to fly again. We have been in our bunker since March and are very gingerly emerging. I keep on toying with booking a flight and going somewhere, then decide “not yet”. This will probably tempt me to do it and I am sure once we have safely taken our first flight the addiction will reassert itself.

 

[Matt_01]

Presumably this rules out using an Amex travel credit. Can anyone confirm or deny?

I would have thought that using an AMEX travel credit would work. It is about the PNR creation date, I do not know the inner workings of AMEX travel credits however suspect that in someway QF will get paid by AMEX. The AMEX travel credit is a condition between AMEX and the cardholder.

 

[sudoer]

Presumably this rules out using an Amex travel credit. Can anyone confirm or deny?

Bookings with an Amex credit should count - it's just another way of settling the bill with Amex Travel, and TA bookings are explicitly allowed.

Bookings can be made directly with Qantas or through a third party such as your preferred travel agent.

I suspect part of this is to encourage people to fly again.

Absolutely agree. From a QF loyalty perspective it would definitely help reengage FFs who've lost interest in the program this year, but more generally I think QF is trying to normalise the idea of flying again.

 

[Anna]

A very good move by Qantas. Much appreciated. But I'm not sure if I understand ...

Just to see if I got this right :

1. My QF anniversary is 31 Dec every-year

2. I became QF Platinum by Dec 2019

3. Just before CoVID struck, I earned 450 SC

4. Due to QF Status help, I thought I will be able to retain QF Platinum until 31 Dec 2021 and I get 600 SC credited to my QF account

4. Now, if I book & travel on a QF flight between 23/11/2020 and 31/12/2021 - I get to retain my QF Platinum until 31 Dec 2021, which I thought I was retaining anyways due to earlier offering from QF ...

5. The SC earned in that "one flight" (assuming SYD-MEL return, so 20 SC) will be carried over to the membership year beginning 01 Jan 2022, along with the 500 SC as gift from QF, making my starting tally by 01 Jan 2022 as 500+20 = 520 SC

Is this correct?

I also have 31 Dec expiry. Having read the T&Cs I am going to wait until my status is showing as expiry 31 Dec 2021 before I book anything. At the moment it is still showing as expiry 31 Dec 20 and I expect it will stay like that until at least mid Dec.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I suspect part of this is to encourage people to fly again. We have been in our bunker since March and are very gingerly emerging. I keep on toying with booking a flight and going somewhere, then decide “not yet”. This will probably tempt me to do it and I am sure once we have safely taken our first flight the addiction will reassert itself.

And that first covidsafe flight’s SC will kickstart (rollover) for the renewal for 2023.

As it stands I believe:
Membership ending Jan/Feb 2022 get the 50% boost
Membership ending Mar-Dec 2022 get the upto 40-50% cap (depending on tier) rollover of SC earned in the membership year ending 2021

 

[DC3]

How generous is this offer?

 

[JohnM]

Just locked in J Award PER-BME-PER 9-10 December. Late afternoon flights, so the right time to kick back with a drink and maybe some semblance of dinner while taking in the ride.

Saved from the ignominy of zero mainline flights in 2020.

 

[ChrisMars]

Do I understand correctly that to extend a couple, you would need to make 2 separates booking (2 separates pnr), one in each name?

 

[sudoer]

Do I understand correctly that to extend a couple, you would need to make 2 separates booking (2 separates pnr), one in each name?

No, a couple wishing to both activate the extension can make a single booking for 2 pax. They must each be listed as a passenger with accurate names and FF numbers.

For the flight to be eligible and contribute towards the Status Extension, the booking must be in the name of the Qantas Frequent Flyer member irrespective of who’s paying for the ticket. Members must ensure their Qantas Frequent Flyer Membership number is added to the booking for it to be eligible.

 

[ChrisMars]

No, a couple wishing to both activate the extension can make a single booking for 2 pax. They must each be listed as a passenger accurate names and FF numbers.

This bit below is what confuses me, most likely cause I am not native speaker. To me it reads as if each member needs its separate booking on their name (plus of course qff numbers attached). Let me know

Do I need to make a booking for my children who hold Qantas Frequent Flyer status?
Yes. All members holding Qantas Frequent Flyer status need to have an eligible booking created in their name to have their status extended. The name on the Frequent Flyer Membership must match the name in the booking and ticket.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Could QF have made it any more complicated? Wonder why QF made no effort to tie-in their Loyalty revenue with status extensions? The bank-point gravy train is SLOWING......in 12-18months from now, those volumes could dip below what's required to run Loyalty a profit. Linking those points to status is a way to ensure both emotional lock-in remains, and financial-lock-in stays in place. Similar to how AA....Southwest....Frontier... Spirit... Alaska... and others are linking the goals.

So, think the offer is generous? Consider, that every other major airline with border restrictions, has, and will continue extending status without any catches. Potentially a gamble for QF.

I envision three outcomes transpiring for Qantas from this:

1) A lot of folks update their QF profile address to be outside of AU/NZ to avoid the flight booking requirement.
2) A chunk of members will book flights purely for status extension benefits, thus creating artificial demand that is NOT sustainable (ie: watch for news next month such as 'Qantas sees increasing demand.......')
3) Lifetime members alienated for the 3rd time in a row. Ripe for an intl airline to suck up these members.

Velocity could wipe the floor with Qantas right now through handling extensions differently and playing with internal value transfer. However, I bet Velocity copy QF, and through those actions - we'll confirm that Virgin is doomed. Qantas's complicated status extensions will then be justified.

It's all up to Velocity if this works for Qantas or not.

 

[sudoer]

This bit below is what confuses me, most likely cause I am not native speaker. To me it reads as if each member needs its separate booking on their name (plus of course qff numbers attached).

Don't worry, it's not your English. Qantas could definitely help make this point clearer.

My suggestion would be to email [email protected] for written confirmation, but I think the point you've quoted is Qantas spelling out that children will not get a free extension and that they're bound by the same requirements as adults.

It would seem illogical to force a family of 2 adults and 2 children onto 4 PNRs. I'm not a TA but I think the children would need to be booked as unaccompanied minors?

1) A lot of folks update their QF profile address to be outside of AU/NZ to avoid the flight booking requirement.

I'm not following? I don't think non Aus/NZ residents are eligible for any extension whatsoever?

Velocity could wipe the floor with Qantas right now through handling extensions differently and playing with internal value transfer.

Wipe the floor in what way? I don't think VA are going to be convincing any Qantas FFs to move across any time soon?

Velocity has a huge challenge on its hands to reduce its own FFs moving to Qantas given the ongoing downgrades in service, severely reduced route map, and big drop in J hard product following the loss of the widebody fleet. You can compare the two loyalty programs' status extension strategies in a vacuum, but it's a much more difficult comparison when considering the state of the two airlines right now.

 

[eminere]

I'm not following? I don't think non Aus/NZ residents are eligible for any extension whatsoever?

Members with a registered address outside AU and NZ will be given the extension freely without the need to book a flight.

 

[sudoer]

Members with a registered address outside AU and NZ will be given the extension freely without the need to book a flight.

Interesting. I've just seen the comment from Qantas in the Executive Traveller article, but can't see any mention of this on Qantas' own website.

 

[sxc]

Personally I think QF is just grasping for cash and doesn’t care if you actually fly. If every one of their members with status booked just one flight, they probably would get a decent amount of cash to tie them over.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

I'm not following? I don't think non Aus/NZ residents are eligible for any extension whatsoever?

Qantas: free status to frequent flyers living outside Australia, NZ

There's a full year of gratis status for Qantas Frequent Flyer members living overseas.

www.executivetraveller.com

Wipe the floor in what way? I don't think VA are going to be convincing any Qantas FFs to move across any time soon?

Velocity has a huge challenge on its hands to reduce its own FFs moving to Qantas given the ongoing downgrades in service, severely reduced route map, and big drop in J hard product following the loss of the widebody fleet. You can compare the two loyalty programs' status extension strategies in a vacuum, but it's a much more difficult comparison when considering the state of the two airlines right now.

Forget about the airline side of things - in good times, airlines will thrive without much need for loyalty.
In current times, they're all screwed. Noodles here or there isn't making a dent in the big scheme.

It's not about convincing anyone to stop flying QF and start flying VA. That's a tough sell.

But it's an easy sell when the conversation is about digital products, feeling happy/satisfied and buying into the future.

I won't spell out in a public forum what VA could do, but needless to say - they need to make a strategic move.
Qantas is playing 5D chess. Virgin still think they're competing against an airline.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Personally I think QF is just grasping for cash and doesn’t care if you actually fly. If every one of their members with status booked just one flight, they probably would get a decent amount of cash to tie them over.

Perhaps, but I for one have some flight credits to use. Don’t intend to hand over more cash. Qantas locked me into flight credits (Whole other story how couldn’t get refund or convert to Travel Money) so from my perspective it’s benefit for my interest free loan.