[Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26] was 10April

[opusman]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

<waits for thread to devolve into the usual "I think the program should change in exactly the way that benefits me and my flying patterns at the expense of everyone else" farce>

 

[Deleted User]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

I don't know about your wacky idea for Platinum One but I have suggested to Qantas that vanilla Platinum is way too easy to attain and the meaning of Platinum status continues to be devalued.

I would rather see Platinum qualification at 2,100 SCs with 1,800 SCs requalifying and even stricter number of flights criteria and I will continue to make that suggestion to them in the hope that benefits are retained rather than devalued.

Puts flame suit on waiting to be torched...

QFF is a loyalty program which in my opinion has two core purposes

1) Encourage people to start to fly with Qantas
2) Encourage people to increase the amount of flying they do with Qantas

I don't care what anyone says, QFF is a MARKETING tool and needs to be seen that way when discussing in here IMHO, and perhaps they might actually see more value in trying to grow and increase the flying patterns in the lower tiers of membership...? After all a small increase in flying of this group would be significant growth due to the sheer number of pax in this group...? Problem is though that the higher tiers would see this as dilution if NB's were offered an easy route to loyalty bonuses, but what would Qantas care, they are all about money / profit making...?

Am I wrong or is there truth in what I say...?

 

[pshepvic]

[Rumor?] QF removing Any Seat Awards (ASA) from 08 April

Ok hate to be the bearer of bad news but I've also been told that ASA are getting the axe.

I called the Premium call centre last week regarding a cancellation of a JASA as I had not received the refund.

At the end of the call the consultant said "oh by the way, we got told the other day that they are getting rid of any seat awards - they have too many problems, are difficult to cancel and refund because as soon as they are ticketed they become a commercial fare, and they also usually have such high redemption rates that no-one buys them except when they come out of the classic award bucket".

Well it's obvious that people don't book them at 1,000,000 point rates! Maybe if Qantas made them a bit more realistic, with the points value tied to the fare, then they would have sold more of them that weren't just classic award fares!

Anyway, before anyone jumps down my throat saying "who's your source, prove it" bla bla bla, I'm not claiming this to be gospel, but it was from the Platinum call centre so there is likely to be some truth behind it. Maybe it's repackaging them, or just having points plus pay (hopefully with better rates), but for everyone challenging the OP, this is a second source (unless by chance I spoke to the same person the OP did).

 

[Fruitcake]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

I don't care what anyone says, QFF is a MARKETING tool and needs to be seen that way when discussing in here IMHO, and perhaps they might actually see more value in trying to grow and increase the flying patterns in the lower tiers of membership...? After all a small increase in flying of this group would be significant growth due to the sheer number of pax in this group...?

QFF is a revenue department. There's probably a lot more margin in selling QFF points to non-flyers than there is enticing them into an aircraft!

 

[curiost]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Given the OP said this will take effect on April 8....it's unreasonable for QFFs not to have been notified of changes yet.

 

[k3nnis]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

probably an early april fools joke....

But I may be wrong....

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

QFF is a loyalty program which in my opinion has two core purposes

1) Encourage people to start to fly with Qantas
2) Encourage people to increase the amount of flying they do with Qantas

It has at least a third purpose:

QFF is a revenue department. There's probably a lot more margin in selling QFF points to non-flyers than there is enticing them into an aircraft!

Trust me, if the management of QFF have worked out that the impact of the abolition of ASA's will result in a net benefit to the bottom line of QFF, they will do it.

 

[pauly7]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

If this is true, they are signing the death warrant for QFF.

Kinda funny, when ASA's were introduced pretty much the whole of this forum said they were the death warrant for QFF

I remember all the shrieking and moaning back then...

 

[rotor]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

I don't know about your wacky idea for Platinum One but I have suggested to Qantas that vanilla Platinum is way too easy to attain and the meaning of Platinum status continues to be devalued.

I would rather see Platinum qualification at 2,100 SCs with 1,800 SCs requalifying and even stricter number of flights criteria and I will continue to make that suggestion to them in the hope that benefits are retained rather than devalued.

I think the number of flights requirement needs tweaking for sure - it's not right that you can be rewarded with platinum after 4-5 trips in business when it takes an economy flyer 40+ flights. It is called the *frequent* flyer program after all!

 

[curiost]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

There's no way this can happen at April 8, here are the T&C copied from the Qantas website - they have to give 6 months notice to members about changes to the ways in which Points are earned and redeemed.

"3.1 Subject to clause 3.2, Qantas reserves the right to make any changes (whether material or otherwise) to Qantas Frequent Flyer, the Terms and Conditions, the Awards or Benefits offered and the Fee Schedule, including:

a) changes to:

• the ways in which Points are earned and redeemed;
• Point earning and redeeming rates and Eligible Flights;
• Award Flight blackouts or non-bookable periods;
• limitations on the number of Classic Awards and Flight Upgrades redeemable on particular flights;
• Awards or Benefits, including the continued availability of Awards or Benefits;
• Award restrictions or conditions;
• Status Credit restrictions and conditions;
• membership level requirements and benefits;
• ticketing procedures;
• ticketing and service charges and other fees; and
• the expiry of accrued Points;
• 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;

 

[CaviAck]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Kinda funny, when ASA's were introduced pretty much the whole of this forum said they were the death warrant for QFF

I remember all the shrieking and moaning back then...

Ok so I was a little over the top. But it does destroy the value of your points, and forces you to pay to retain status. What this would do is remove loyalty from fliers and make status a thing for the wealthy, who pay for their flights instead of redeem. If it's going to cost me more out of pocket to maintain status then I might as well not bother and re-direct my travels to something more worthwhile. (Unfortunately there's not that many choices in Australia, but if this does go ahead and the big if of VA joining *A happens I'm definitely jumping ship, there's just no incentive for me to stay with QF but this is a big if in a duopoly world...)

 

[Limewood]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Even if it was true there would be a flood to other alliances. its just not going to happen IMO.

 

[opusman]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Wouldn't surprise me if something is going to change; maybe ASAs as is will go but there'll be the option to pay cash on top of classic awards to get points/SCs (kind of like the max bundle for JQ). Or ASAs will go but points+pay redemption rates will improve to make up for it. The fact that two people have heard something suggests _something_ is going on but for them to just get rid of the concept altogether makes no sense at all.

 

[ReLoad]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

I think that if the removal is combined with a good re evaluation of points plus pay then its a bit 50/50.

What does make it interesting is how it would impact QF Vs VA in that if VA has it and QF dumps it with no alternative, then that's going to sway quite a few swinging voters.

Personally I hope they don't dump it, I'm not a heavy ASA user, but I can certainly see the benefits.

 

[kpc]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

I don't understand all this speculation, and rubbishing the 2 posters (the first one in particular) who have stated that they have info. that ASA as we now know it are ending....no one here knows for sure whether this is correct or not. As has been mentioned above, if you are planning any F/JASA bookings, book them now (most are cancelleable); if you get a double SC promo later, and ASA have not changed, cancel and rebook.

 

[Berlin]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

I just hope this isn't true- and those Platinum desk call centre people have been wrong about things like that more often than not, at least in my personal experience. It would be nice to get some sort of statement from Red Roo though...

 

[nlagalle]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

If they offered Points plus pay at similar rates to ASA then it is no biggie, if they offered SC's on Classic awards, that would be even better!

Ok hate to be the bearer of bad news but I've also been told that ASA are getting the axe.

I called the Premium call centre last week regarding a cancellation of a JASA as I had not received the refund.

At the end of the call the consultant said "oh by the way, we got told the other day that they are getting rid of any seat awards - they have too many problems, are difficult to cancel and refund because as soon as they are ticketed they become a commercial fare, and they also usually have such high redemption rates that no-one buys them except when they come out of the classic award bucket".

Well it's obvious that people don't book them at 1,000,000 point rates! Maybe if Qantas made them a bit more realistic, with the points value tied to the fare, then they would have sold more of them that weren't just classic award fares!

Anyway, before anyone jumps down my throat saying "who's your source, prove it" bla bla bla, I'm not claiming this to be gospel, but it was from the Platinum call centre so there is likely to be some truth behind it. Maybe it's repackaging them, or just having points plus pay (hopefully with better rates), but for everyone challenging the OP, this is a second source (unless by chance I spoke to the same person the OP did).

 

[moa999]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Well it's obvious that people don't book them at 1,000,000 point rates! Maybe if Qantas made them a bit more realistic, with the points value tied to the fare, then they would have sold more of them that weren't just classic award fares!

I think you will find the non-classic ones are very much tied to the fare (just at a $/pt conversion rate you may not like)
NOTE:
$1,000 DJs Gift Card = 135,000 points
$7,407 Gift cards = 1,000,000 points

 

[Limewood]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Predicting if its true would be akin to knowing what Apple product will be released next and when .

 

[opusman]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Predicting if its true would be akin to knowing what Apple product will be released next and when .

That's easy, iPhone 5S, in September