Covid-19 - status pause

[Tropic]

If you happy to travel to Bali during current situation in full knowledge of the risks however big, small or uncertain they may be, then I don't have a problem with that. After all, if the Australian Government reckons its still OK to travel there then why not? Of course in doing so you also accept the risk that should the situation there go cough up (probably very quickly) you will be required to comply with whatever quarantine requirements your government imposes, including having to remain in Bali indefininately at your cost or repatriation for 14 day quarantine (which for a few reasons is increasingly unlikely). See we at in 40 days...No dramas.

 

[RSD]

True, but two specific things you do not address: the first is that the Aussie government will save you with tax-payer dollars. I agree with that ethos, but it does mean that whatever risk you take as a an individual is eventually paid for by everyone else.

If the government haven't banned Australian airlines flying to China given the current situation there then I think that it is highly unlikely that they would ban the airlines flying to Bali.

And I suspect that I am not alone in thinking that anyone who plans to visit SE asia at the moment for anything but essential reasons is not being very responsible.

Seriously? I can understand that for flying to China at the moment but I would have no qualms transiting through Singapore at the moment, and I don't think that it would be very responsible to stop going to places like Bali where I don't even think that they have had a confirmed case yet and the economy relies on tourism.

The second thing is that although they will not prevent citizens from coming home, this may take the form of a charter flight to an exotic destination like Christmas Island I hope you will be travelling with a stock of good books (have heard the internet is not flash )

Somehow I don't think that you would survive working on an oil rig...

 

[RSD]

If you happy to travel to Bali during current situation in full knowledge of the risks however big, small or uncertain they may be, then I don't have a problem with that. After all, if the Australian Government reckons its still OK to travel there then why not? Of course in doing so you also accept the risk that should the situation there go cough up (probably very quickly) you will be required to comply with whatever quarantine requirements your government imposes, including having to remain in Bali indefininately at your cost or repatriation for 14 day quarantine (which for a few reasons is increasingly unlikely). See we at in 40 days...No dramas.

Many years ago when I was working in Egypt I decided that just flying home to Australia was a waste of an opportunity so I started looking at options. My first thought was to do the classic Cairo to Capetown route and then catch QF home from Joburg - but then I though "Nah - been done before". So I looked far and wide at options and then decided that Cairo to Calcutta had a nice sound to it so I spent the next six months hitchhiking to Calcutta and then flew home from there. I will alter my travel plans for coronavirus if and when it becomes a problem.

 

[davidj]

Seriously? I can understand that for flying to China at the moment but I would have no qualms transiting through Singapore at the moment

Agreed. There are a few Asian countries that are fine to travel to. You're more likely to get a stomach bug than wohan.

 

[Pushka]

The poor gentleman sitting first row of Y behind me flying DPS MEL on 31 Jan coughing and spluttering vigorously into his mask for most of the flight was a little disconcerting (no temp mon at DPS or MEL airport at that stage) , but what really got me thinking was the bluebird taxi driver two days earlier telling me he just had three chinese tourists in his cab all coughing, one feverish, which he had dropped at Discovery Centre...no masks in sight. The Guardian (or Watsons cant recall) chemist inside was doing brisk trade on masks with staff selling packs from the box by the handful to crowds of chinese and malaysian tourists. Hopefully they got some too...

It is taxi drivers in Japan who ferried around infected passengers from the cruise ship who are testing positive.

Post automatically merged: Feb 16, 2020

And if you practice sound personal habits then you should be at very low risk of getting this bug. And hopefully by then the cases of Coronavirus internationally will not increase. I cancelled a trip to Vietnam, not due to fear of the disease, but rather due to fear of the measures being taken.

But would you still travel if in a few weeks they get a hundred or so cases there and the Aussie government looks like imposing a travel ban? I hope not. Decisions should be based on real info, not alarm. But if the info changes, so must the plans....

As an Aussie they will need to get people back if they traveled before the Dont Travel advice assuming that occurred. I don’t think that ban will be issued given that the Indonesian new trade agreement was only signed a few days ago. We are heading there at the end of March which was booked months ago. No refund on accommodation and high penalties for flight cancellation as insurance can’t kick in until the Do Not Travel occurs.

 

[Pushka]

True, but two specific things you do not address: the first is that the Aussie government will save you with tax-payer dollars. I agree with that ethos, but it does mean that whatever risk you take as a an individual is eventually paid for by everyone else. And I suspect that I am not alone in thinking that anyone who plans to visit SE asia at the moment for anything but essential reasons is not being very responsible.

The second thing is that although they will not prevent citizens from coming home, this may take the form of a charter flight to an exotic destination like Christmas Island I hope you will be travelling with a stock of good books (have heard the internet is not flash )

Given the rubbish that the Australian tax payer has to pay for now of which I receive no benefit then I have no qualms in having that government fly me back. I think your comment about SE Asia is a tad dramatic given airlines fly in and out of Singapore Thailand and Malaysia all the time and Singapore is a Qantas hub.

 

[Longtoo]

Unless Joyce wants to work for the dole and QF wants to become another Ansett, they have to be alert and throughout with their business plan. Colster has a good question. Airline and their customers are all affected by this Covid19.

Status pause and DSC are both costs and investment to QF. QF have the choice of seeing their lounge empty (CX has temp closed some of their lounges in HK), other infrastructure set up specifically for premium customer under utilised. QF also have the choice to build a brand beyond short term profit.

An implementable option for QF is to offer special deal to those who have had to cancel because of covid19 and those with proven travel history to affected area. Surely they can pull this out from their database.

As the flag carrier of Australia, QF has done it duty to medivac Australians from Wuhan. Many QFF flyers are happy to pay a premium to fly with their national carrier. Colster's question is not about a zero sum game.

 

[justinbrett]

Interested to see the details / dates / etc on travel bans

Media paints a very bleak picture!

I think we all agree Indo and a few good other countries will have limited or no means to combat a serious bug.

My actual point is I think both places will be fine - as long as the travel bans and quarantine measures stay in place.

 

[davidj]

I think your comment about SE Asia is a tad dramatic given airlines fly in and out of Singapore Thailand and Malaysia all the time and Singapore is a Qantas hub.

I think that sentiment is shared across many people just because of media beat up on the topic (not just in Oz but even in Asia).

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

If other airlines who are far more affected are not resorting to this why would QF, who has multiple other routes, contemplate this? It is not comparing apples to apples comparing CX to QF where CX hub is in the centre of travel impact.

We have an Asia travel ban but I foresee only being for a couple of months not an entire year which may warrant a pause.

I was in SYD F lounge last week and was still quite full. I travel a few times a week domestically and most flights have good loads even when Feb is seasonally lower for travel.

 

[Tropic]

Status pause and DSC are both costs and investment to QF. QF have the choice of seeing their lounge empty (CX has temp closed some of their lounges in HK), other infrastructure set up specifically for premium customer under utilised

Not sure QF would be concerned with empty/under utilised lounges. The savings derived from reducing operations or even temp closing lounges would go towards offsetting the revenue loss they would be incurring from extended travel restrictions. Extended travel restrictions will also result in many QFF members failing to requalify, which will also result in reduced liability...and less crowded preminium lounges once things improve. Airline customer loyalty programs operate to protect the airlines interests, not the customer's. We will have greater issues to worry about if QF ends up having to seriously reduce operations due to travel restrictions.

 

[Pushka]

If other airlines who are far more affected are not resorting to this why would QF, who has multiple other routes, contemplate this? It is not comparing apples to apples comparing CX to QF where CX hub is in the centre of travel impact.

We have an Asia travel ban but I foresee only being for a couple of months not an entire year which may warrant a pause.

I was in SYD F lounge last week and was still quite full. I travel a few times a week domestically and most flights have good loads even when Feb is seasonally lower for travel.

How do we know they won’t? It’s too early just yet.

 

[RichardMEL]

I feel far more likely for QF to provide more promos when things become more settled or the current outbreak is dealt with (I've heard a suggestion it might thin out in anything from six weeks to six months.. who knows?).

After all it's not really in QF's interest after a massive loss of demand to extend status to pax when they could throw in a DSC or something and get you to requalify that way and generate income which they will badly desire, not the potential of bookings given a status hold.

Of course there may well be cases where status comps may be given based on analysis of travel patters and/or existing but cancelled bookings - specially if QF or a partner like CX have cancelled booked flights there would be an argument to extend status based on an intent to travel them.

I'd think there could well be a case by case basis based on this, but I would not think a "hold" per se will be the response.

Interesting notion though.

 

[Pushka]

I feel far more likely for QF to provide more promos when things become more settled or the current outbreak is dealt with (I've heard a suggestion it might thin out in anything from six weeks to six months.. who knows?).

After all it's not really in QF's interest after a massive loss of demand to extend status to pax when they could throw in a DSC or something and get you to requalify that way and generate income which they will badly desire, not the potential of bookings given a status hold.

Of course there may well be cases where status comps may be given based on analysis of travel patters and/or existing but cancelled bookings - specially if QF or a partner like CX have cancelled booked flights there would be an argument to extend status based on an intent to travel them.

I'd think there could well be a case by case basis based on this, but I would not think a "hold" per se will be the response.

Interesting notion though.

Too late for us though. Hopefully Bali sticks for a months time.

 

[I love to travel]

Loyalty Lobby has quite a few articles today about hotel chains that are doing this already.

 

[drron]

Also a report that SQ is extending status for some.

 

[Colster]

Also a report that SQ is extending status for some.

If they combined that with a status match, it would mean goodby QF and hello SQ

 

[Longtoo]

By now I would have 75%, by May 100% of the required QF status points to requalify for WP with 3 more months to go. Covid19 cancellation means that i am still sitting on 635. Work won't allow me to travel until the situation is under control. if QF does not follow CX and SQ to extend elite status for me, i would have to seriously consider CX over QF.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

if QF does not follow CX and SQ to extend elite status for me, i would have to seriously consider CX over QF.

You do realise how much harder it is to acquire CX diamond v QF WP right? I think offering a DSC promotion goes some way towards compromising with customers.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Loyalty Lobby has quite a few articles today about hotel chains that are doing this already.

Hotel Loyalty is night and day difference to airline loyalty

Also a report that SQ is extending status for some.

Specific, select, long-term elite status holders that have proved their travel will affect their ability to retain in their final months.

If they combined that with a status match, it would mean goodby QF and hello SQ

SQ is not going to offer a match.
CX has a bizarre linear crediting of club points for each month based on your tier.

Note that BOTH CX and SQ are considerably more difficult to attain status (CX Diamond/Emerald is approx 2.2X more difficult to obtain than QF Plat/Emerald -- and SQ top tier requires minimum spend *IN BUSINESS OR FIRST CLASS ONLY -- AND ONLY ON SQ MARKED FLIGHTS* of SG $25,000 or more.

Qantas timed their double status credit promo perfectly. Lock in forward booking cash - lock in your loyalty.

When this whole virus thing blows over - we're going to see the most incredible promotions coming out of Asia. Most of you will rip your eyes out wondering why you fell for double status credits when the Asian airlines mass-flood the market with awesome deals.

Don't book flights yet!!!