Covid-19 - status pause

[Pushka]

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.

Only if you can fly and the poster explained his company had frozen travel.

 

[aggie57]

To the posted question, conferences in Europe are being cancelled now too. I had one cancelled today in Prague. Qantas will want to remain competitive in the post Covid-19 period, other airlines will be offering extensions.

 

[Colster]

To the posted question, conferences in Europe are being cancelled now too. I had one cancelled today in Prague. Qantas will want to remain competitive in the post Covid-19 period, other airlines will be offering extensions.

Yes... my company has just cancelled a major conference that we have in Europe in March, and all travel to and from APAC/EU now needs to be "Business Critical" - They are erring or the side of caution, but it's going to pretty much rule out status re-attainment for me this year.

 

[Longtoo]

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.

Honestly, i don't know much about CX diamond. Hong Kong is always on top of the list for stop over and i like their cabanas! IMHO, it is just silly to offer DSC promotion at this time. I can't fly overseas for work. I would not book a flight for leisure atm neither. i suspect many others are on the same boat. Sound like QF is building their own lounge in Shanghai and offering free entry to all customers (fineprint: only during covid 19).

 

[Mike65]

Honestly, i don't know much about CX diamond. Hong Kong is always on top of the list for stop over and i like their cabanas! IMHO, it is just silly to offer DSC promotion at this time. I can't fly overseas for work. I would not book a flight for leisure atm neither. i suspect many others are on the same boat. Sound like QF is building their own lounge in Shanghai and offering free entry to all customers (fineprint: only during covid 19).

I'm not sure if it's silly to offer it, but like you, I have had to cancel existing bookings and can't make any new ones. Not just because of the direct effects (travel bans) but also because of the indirect effects on business (top line down, bottom line has to follow). The short booking windows don't help. I just hope that the DSC offers keep coming as hopefully things return to normal in the not too distant future and we can actually start booking travel again.

 

[RichardMEL]

(thank you to mods for splitting this thread off)

I totally agree with TTN re post-covid19 promotions/sales etc will be incredible to get us back out there.. hotels, airlines etc will be head over heels to woo us back.

I could also see QF throwing another DSC out there rather than a status extension now that I think of it. Why? Because they will want more cash flow. Extending status will just mean folks who care will spend that cash elsewhere - as noted already in this thread... so I've changed my mind on that.

sales down the track combined with delayed bookings could be rather fruitful....

 

[mbeder]

I've booked business flights to London (onwards into Europe) for May and also to LA for September - I booked flexi-fares as a precaution...none are "business-critical"...so it will be interesting to see what eventuates...brings to mind the purported Chinesecurse "May you live in interesting times"...

 

[Max Samuels]

Just think back to the GFC 10 years ago... QF "gifted" status to pretty much everyone who wasn't flying anymore - at least they did to me and everyone I know who was Gold or Plat - so I assume it was across the board.

 

[Vic]

I do not think this coronavirus is particularly harmful.

An internet opinion is always very entertaining. However, they can be dangerous when wrong. The current death rate for coronavirus is 3.5% of infections. Certainly there is very good reason to suspect the numbers from China should be multiplied by 10. But that would apply to both infections and deaths.

The annual flu death rate is 0.06%

Corona virus is 54 times more deadly that flu.

Based on John Hopkins website

The comparison with Ebola is strange given ebola transmits via bodily fluids and blood, only via saliva in the very sick and has not been seen to transmit by sweat. Coronavirus is much more mobile being transmitted via sneezing coughing and exhalation. Yes, ebola kills upto 67% of people, but the chance of getting ebola is much lower.

 

[disruptivedolphin]

An internet opinion is always very entertaining. However, they can be dangerous when wrong. The current death rate for coronavirus is 3.5% of infections.

3.5% of *reported* infections.

I do however accept your point that a lot of people have no idea what they're talking about.

 

[Vic]

3.5% of *reported* infections.

I do however accept your point that a lot of people have no idea what they're talking about.

Of course, thanks for the correction. Important to make that clarification.

I was going to go into that point in detail, but I can't decide where the motiviation would be
a. Under report deaths and over report infections?
b. Under report deaths and infections?
c. Over report deaths, under report infections ?

a. means a higher death rate, but would make the healthcare system look good - more people survive in our system.
b. means the same death rate, assuming constant ratio.
c. would make the health care system look bad, higher mortality. So doesn't seem likely.

But yes, my numbers are based on what was reported, which may be different to the actual numbers

 

[RichardMEL]

While Coronavirus talk is somewhat OT to this topic I'd add that healthy people who are outside of the higher risk groups (very young, older people) may consider the risks to be relatively low - and many people who get it seem to have mild or maybe no obvious symptoms through to needing hospitalisation, there's a whole other group of people who covid19 is a very hugs threat - the aforementioned risk groups, people with underlying chronic conditions, those who are immune supressed or compromised etc... for those folks this is quite a deal more serious to face.

And I agree, China are underreporting the death toll - I think that's a (sad) given - I mean look at the other breakout spots - Iran, Italy, Korea etc and consider the population of Wuhan alone and the potential is frightening.

 

[disruptivedolphin]

Of course, thanks for the correction. Important to make that clarification.

I was going to go into that point in detail, but I can't decide where the motiviation would be
a. Under report deaths and over report infections?
b. Under report deaths and infections?
c. Over report deaths, under report infections ?

a. means a higher death rate, but would make the healthcare system look good - more people survive in our system.
b. means the same death rate, assuming constant ratio.
c. would make the health care system look bad, higher mortality. So doesn't seem likely.

But yes, my numbers are based on what was reported, which may be different to the actual numbers

Outside China, it's not so much a case of under-reporting as lack of testing. Why would you test someone exhibiting no symptoms, particularly when there is so much else to deal with? But from our discussions with epidemiologists, the general consensus is that something like Hokkaido's current spread of 54 positives right across a comparatively sparsely populated island is essentially impossible without a lot of other positives having gone undetected. Opinion then varies as to what 'a lot' might mean, but it's certainly enough to impact the 'true' mortality rate quite considerably.

Hokkaido has currently had 2 deaths out of 54 known positives. But the 'true' denominator could be closer to 500 or quite possibly even 5,000 or more.

Put simply, deaths are hard to hide, and infections are hard to determine.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Only if you can fly and the poster explained his company had frozen travel.

If status is that important there's nothing stopping personal travel.

 

[Grantxw8]

Just my 2c, I’m one of those bludgers who travels on the company dime (do people really think that somehow makes us less valuable/worthy? I take the same number of flights as anyone paying for their own tickets to achieve status. I’m just as valuable to the airlines so I don’t see how this is relevant.)

Anyway, my main point, I value my platinum status for its convenience. Even with the coronavirus I’ll probably still make the 800 points. However, my company is being a responsible employer and is limiting flights through certain countries and also restricting domestic air travel (as well as trains!). If I were to lose my elite status because of this I’d be p*ssed.

The airlines will be suffering due to this crisis and maintaining a relationship with loyal customers is something they will be looking at doing because they’ll need us once it is over.

 

[Grantxw8]

If status is that important there's nothing stopping personal travel.

Unless of course you’re in full time employment and have to find other, more time consuming, ways of servicing your customers that doesn’t involve flying.

I travel for a reason. I have status because I travel. Therefore I have status for a reason. My weekends are filled with the normal domestic stuff like laundry, spending time with my wife and kids, so the idea that I could hop on a plane again to bag some SCs is laughable.

Maybe I live in a different world to others on here.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Unless of course you’re in full time employment and have to find other, more time consuming, ways of servicing your customers that doesn’t involve flying.

I travel for a reason. I have status because I travel. Therefore I have status for a reason. My weekends are filled with the normal domestic stuff like laundry, spending time with my wife and kids, so the idea that I could hop on a plane again to bag some SCs is laughable.

Maybe I live in a different world to others on here.

I also earn my status on the company dime but I equally enjoy travel as do most on here. This virus is something well beyond QFs control. In most commercial instances if something is beyond the control of either party there is no recourse. Therefore I'm not sure why people feel that they are so valuable to QF that the company cannot possibly go on without their business.

I think QF is testing the waters with DSC and will evaluate whether further stimulus is necessary but I would be surprised if blanket status extensions were handed out for Australian members.

 

[Grantxw8]

Meanwhile, all those passengers who don't travel to Asia or don't travel internationally, get penalised because some do? Don't think so.

I’m curious. How would such a response from the airlines disadvantage anyone?

 

[cjny]

Personally I think Qantas will only do it if they start to see a critical mass of non Asian airlines do it. Companies are starting to extend travel advisories and bans more generally to employees.
Facebook cancelled their annual developer conference held in California in April today. They may have had lower attendance but the majority of ppl that go to that conference are domestic. Apple is rumored to be considering the same thing for their annual developer conference. Salesforce changed a physical conference held in Sydney next week to now be all virtual.
More corporate actions like this esp. by large US companies, will start to affect US carriers as they rely heavily on business travel, who also disproportionately make up elite flyers.
So if you start to see American, Delta, and or United begin to release offers of extension then Qantas may (be forced) to follow along.

 

[woodborer]

Just my 2c, I’m one of those bludgers who travels on the company dime (do people really think that somehow makes us less valuable/worthy? I take the same number of flights as anyone paying for their own tickets to achieve status. I’m just as valuable to the airlines so I don’t see how this is relevant.)

Anyway, my main point, I value my platinum status for its convenience. Even with the coronavirus I’ll probably still make the 800 points. However, my company is being a responsible employer and is limiting flights through certain countries and also restricting domestic air travel (as well as trains!). If I were to lose my elite status because of this I’d be p*ssed.

The airlines will be suffering due to this crisis and maintaining a relationship with loyal customers is something they will be looking at doing because they’ll need us once it is over.

Are you valuable to the airline, or is your employer valuable?
If you stop flying, will someone else step in and start flying? If so, it is not you that is important.