Building a stronger Qantas

[Red Roo]

My personal take on the announcement:

Good:
•A proper First lounge at LAX. Hopefully there's some money left over after hiring Marc Newson to pay for a decent internet connection.


Bad:
•Fewer QF flights from Australia to LHR = potentially fewer (classic) award opportunities, significantly fewer upgrade opportunities as you can't upgrade on a codeshare flight.

•No mention of improvements for Platinum FF members, and still no announcements with regards to P1, leaving me in limbo as to a decision for my preferred carrier when my current FF year expires on 30 Sept.


I do find it interesting that "as one of our most valued customers" (quoting from the mass FF email) there was no mention of any changes (good or bad) that are actually targeted at the top FF tier - and in the absence of any mention I'm be inclined to think the worst.

Hello, Just adding to my earlier response. I've been in touch with the manager of all our lounges regarding the connectivity in LAX, her response was "we are actually hoping to have improved wifi/internet access in the LAX lounge prior to the new lounge opening. We have just had approval for investment in new infrastructure which we are expecting to have in place by late September." I hope this helps. Cheers, Red Roo

 

[OverrideServlet]

The announcement mentioned additional benefits for Silver and Gold FFers but specifically failed to mention Platinum.

My impression of this is that he was just re-hashing what they already announced a few months ago with the implication that it was still new & newsworthy.

 

[awilcockson]

No announcement of an F Lounge in BNE



One can wish, can't one?

 

[obrienja]

I think the difference in the routes to Europe is people fly through Singapore but people fly to HK & BKK for business or pleasure. So it still makes sense to have the fancy lounges there but not to run 3 nearly identical through services to the UK through 3 different ports.

 

[TheInsider]

Hello, Just adding to my earlier response. I've been in touch with the manager of all our lounges regarding the connectivity in LAX, her response was "we are actually hoping to have improved wifi/internet access in the LAX lounge prior to the new lounge opening.

What about every other lounge?

 

[markis10]

No announcement of an F Lounge in BNE



One can wish, can't one?

You mean a new F lounge

 

[el_rooto]

I think the difference in the routes to Europe is people fly through Singapore but people fly to HK & BKK for business or pleasure. So it still makes sense to have the fancy lounges there but not to run 3 nearly identical through services to the UK through 3 different ports.

I hope this doesn't mean the end of mainline MEL - BKK. x_x

 

[N860CR]

Can we expect additional QF operated services between SIN and LHR with the loss of BKK and HKG? I know there are BA codeshares, but they've always been there and I can't see BA putting on more flights. Otherwise I guess the slots into LHR are gone!

It's always a pain to get J awards between Australia and Europe, I can only assume it's going to get harder now.

 

[oz_mark]

I think Qantas has listened to their customers, particularly in regard to how much the First lounge in SIN sucks, and I think I’ve heard similar for LAX before. I’m surprised if they’re not going to have continuing services from HKG why they’d need a Marc Newson First lounge there, though perhaps this all related to the future premium airline in the region.

The thing with Hong Kong, unlike say Bangkok, is that Qantas serves it from a number of Australian ports and not just Sydney.

 

[TheInsider]

I think the difference in the routes to Europe is people fly through Singapore but people fly to HK & BKK for business or pleasure. So it still makes sense to have the fancy lounges there but not to run 3 nearly identical through services to the UK through 3 different ports.

You have to remember about the new premium airline too, i assume they won't be getting their own lounges and will be using QF lounges.

 

[samh004]

No announcement of an F Lounge in BNE

One can wish, can't one?

If BNE eventually, somehow, managed to get that sort of premium traffic, I’d expect them to construct a new lounge similar to the one EK did at the other end of the terminal (gate 75), so at about gate 86 for Qantas.

 

[serfty]

Right now 82 out of every 100 people flying out of Australia are choosing to fly with an airline other than Qantas, not including Jetstar.

Did anyone else think this figure was surprisingly high?

Obviously the original figure was not high enough, so they took JQ's 9% out of the calculation.

Going by Markis10's posted data, without the fudging it could had read:

Right now 73 out of every 100 people flying out of Australia are choosing to fly with an airline other than Qantas or Jetstar.

 

[QF029]

The announcement mentioned additional benefits for Silver and Gold FFers but specifically failed to mention Platinum. Instead mentioned Our Most Valuable Members, which I suggest refers to WP1. So from that announcements I would not be holding my breath for new WP benefits as recent history only shows WP benefit cuts.

Re-read my post!

 

[samh004]

The thing with Hong Kong, unlike say Bangkok, is that Qantas serves it from a number of Australian ports and not just Sydney.

That’s a good point (and I should know), they do actually have quite a few services, so I’ll be interested in seeing where this new premium carrier is based, to help comment to any of those services.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Welcome back Red Roo. I wish you'd stick around more 'outside of announcements'....


Found this on page 6 on one of the announcements today.
Surely there has to be some sort of improvement in the QF FFP (Redemption rates/More availability of Classics/Upgrades) with that statement?


View attachment 3451

 

[goldy]

fixed that for you. Hate to break it to you butVirgin didn't invent codes ares, partner alliances, fleet investments and route cut backs - they have been around for a while... Although you could just carry on believing that only Virgin has ideas like say introducing a brand new unthought of FF level of Platinum... Oh wait...

Firstly, the quote was made in true journalistic "headline grabbing" style, and was not intended to be factually correct. Secondly, please don't misquote me. Thirdly, no one is saying that Virgin invented the concept, but their close cooperation with EY,SQ, DL and NZ is a first for this region. Virgin Australia had no real relationships with their now partner airlines so why Qantas have waited until now to cooperate more closely with their OW and other partners is beyond me. IMO, Qantas is simply copying Virgin's strategy so the only point i'm making, is that Qantas is again following and not leading.

The announcement mentioned additional benefits for Silver and Gold FFers but specifically failed to mention Platinum. Instead mentioned Our Most Valuable Members, which I suggest refers to WP1. So from that announcements I would not be holding my breath for new WP benefits as recent history only shows WP benefit cuts.

I think the additional benefits (extra 25% status bonus etc) have already been implemented, or do people take this to mean even more additional benefits??

There also doesn't seem to be any WP fat left to cut without it being renamed SG!

 

[Philbyau]

Can we expect additional QF operated services between SIN and LHR with the loss of BKK and HKG? I know there are BA codeshares, but they've always been there and I can't see BA putting on more flights. Otherwise I guess the slots into LHR are gone!

It's always a pain to get J awards between Australia and Europe, I can only assume it's going to get harder now.

I'm happy about the HKG First lounge, but not happy about the BA codeshare onto LHR from HKG, I have used this route a few times in the last 8 months, I stopover in HKG, +1 joins me, then we go onto LHR, we buy PE fares then upgrade using points, this will no longer be an option :-( there is no way I'm paying the same price for BA PE......

If i want to use points then it will need to be via SIN only, unless QF breaks a deal with BA for QFF members to use points for upgrade on certain codeshares?

 

[djfuzz]

OT question for the mods - I notice the earlier thread with a good 7 pages of discussion was closed.

I understand the need to keep discussion to one thread, but is there a reason why the threads could not have been merged?

Just seems like a bunch of discussion just ends up leading nowhere when one thread is simply shut and traffic directed to another.

 

[serfty]

...Thirdly, no one is saying that Virgin invented the concept, but their close cooperation with EY,SQ, DL and NZ is a first for this region. Virgin Australia had no real relationships with their now partner airlines so why Qantas have waited until now to cooperate more closely with their OW and other partners is beyond me. IMO, Qantas is simply copying Virgin's strategy so the only point i'm making, is that Qantas is again following and not leading..

That is not true.

Qantas and Air NZ did try to to form a joint venture about 4 years ago with (similar to what NZ have now done with DJ) but were knocked back for being 'anti-competitive'.

 

[markis10]

Rather appropriate JQ sale has been released given todays announcements:

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