Covid-19 - status pause

[Grantxw8]

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.

Thanks for the rapid and considered response.
I don’t believe the OP was suggesting that somehow QF or VA have a responsibility to give those of us with coronavirus related issues relief. Although this seems to be the time of many posts here. I think the suggestion was that the airlines would see this as an issue that would impact their loyal customers and was asking whether we thought they would have the wit to realise it and respond in a way that treated us as valued. That is to say, treated us such that we were not tempted to try another airline. The original article used the phrase “golden handcuffs". Losing status unlocks the handcuffs and the airlines should not be motivated to allow that.

 

[Colster]

I never tried to imply they had a responsibility but was merely pointing out that, like with the paternity/maternity pause, they do have a mechanism for pausing when there are circumstances beyond the travellers control.

 

[Max Samuels]

Have a baby. That seems ot be the only legit way QF will pause your status... quite discriminatory really.... very childless-people-phobic of them... of course the irony being that one can still travel even if one has a baby, but in this case the virus is stopping people from travelling even if they wanted to.

 

[Grantxw8]

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.

Good point. I believe though that it is not me that is important. It’s my loyalty that matters to the airlines. They couldn’t care less about me personally. They care that my status encourages me to book with them as a first choice.

If I change jobs and someone else takes my role then I’ll still be flying but for another employer.

Post automatically merged: Feb 28, 2020

I never tried to imply they had a responsibility but was merely pointing out that, like with the paternity/maternity pause, they do have a mechanism for pausing when there are circumstances beyond the travellers control.

I’m glad we agree.

 

[I love to travel]

I would think that the people who may get it as those gold members who would have dropped to silver and thus lose lounge access. This group, without lounge access would be far more discretionary then who they fly with if travel continues to be disrupted.

 

[fard13]

I would think that the people who may get it as those gold members who would have dropped to silver and thus lose lounge access. This group, without lounge access would be far more discretionary then who they fly with if travel continues to be disrupted.

I actively look for flights and often pay far more just to book with an airline or partner to maintain my status.

If I lose status due to the Covid-19 then all my business and private travel will be up for grabs. It would be far easier for them to keep me than to risk loosing my business down the track.

The last calendar year I had 36 flights including 8 international flights.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Whilst I understand the marginal customers may be swayed, they also will not have any status with other airlines. Absent VA opportunsitically offering a status match, at quite a cost which I don't think they can swallow, customers will likely go back to the airline they were flying previously as those purely driven by price would be on JQ or Tiger domestically anyway.

 

[JohnPhelan]

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

….. to places outside of Asia, of which there are thousands...….

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Saw this number today:

Chances of dying when walking down the street: 1:500
Chances of dying in a car crash today: 1:62,000
Chances of dying from COVID-19: 1:280,000

I'd post more on the topic here but all you lefties would try and label me a conspiracy peddler - So I suggest everyone does their own research

Have a baby. That seems ot be the only legit way QF will pause your status... quite discriminatory really.... very childless-people-phobic of them... of course the irony being that one can still travel even if one has a baby, but in this case the virus is stopping people from travelling even if they wanted to.

I requested a status pause on my QF Lifetime Gold when my kids came along. Qantas wouldn't pause my membership. Damn them and their rules!

......
If I lose status due to the Covid-19 then all my business and private travel will be up for grabs. It would be far easier for them to keep me than to risk loosing my business down the track.
....

You might lose status because you don't want to fly, or because your company won't pay for flights, or because you don't want to be banned from certain countries - but COVID-19 itself won't cause you to not retain status. You can still fly to China. You can still fly to Korea. You can still fly to Italy.

There is a lot of evidence to prove gifting out free status has the reverse effect on loyalty than what the airline hopes to achieve. There needs to be a buy-in mechanism (double status credits, pay a fee to retain, book flights etc.) People don't value free the same way they value shelling out their own cash for a product. Qantas are not entirely dummies -they know this.

 

[p--and--t]

People don't value free the same way they value shelling out their own cash for a product.

Two mentors (both very successful) in the past re-iterated that same message to me (with slightly different phrasing).

 

[RichardMEL]

There is a lot of evidence to prove gifting out free status has the reverse effect on loyalty than what the airline hopes to achieve. There needs to be a buy-in mechanism (double status credits, pay a fee to retain, book flights etc.) People don't value free the same way they value shelling out their own cash for a product. Qantas are not entirely dummies -they know this.

This.

You have the status gratis there's no incentive for you to fly ie give them revenue which they will desperately need and indeed you may make use of the status with a partner airline and potentially cost them more (eg flying Y on CX using the F lounge). Give promos, sales or even reduced requalification rates all potentially stimulate demand and potentially revenue at a time when they'll be wanting it the most.

Sure, for those that have a choice (which is not most corporate pax, unless those who have a BFOD policy then if status is not extended then they are "free" to go to VA, SQ or whoever... but old habits die hard. I wonder how many out of habit would return to QF. Specially if they had a soft landing, or reduced retain challenge.

 

[Grantxw8]

This.

You have the status gratis there's no incentive for you to fly ie give them revenue which they will desperately need and indeed you may make use of the status with a partner airline and potentially cost them more (eg flying Y on CX using the F lounge). Give promos, sales or even reduced requalification rates all potentially stimulate demand and potentially revenue at a time when they'll be wanting it the most.

Sure, for those that have a choice (which is not most corporate pax, unless those who have a BFOD policy then if status is not extended then they are "free" to go to VA, SQ or whoever... but old habits die hard. I wonder how many out of habit would return to QF. Specially if they had a soft landing, or reduced retain challenge.

Let me start by saying that I agree with most of this. However, I must be missing something that's blindingly obvious to so many folk on here. Why would anyone have any interest in receiving status with an airline if they don't fly?

I believe what the OP was asking about was exactly this (without meaning to put words in their mouth): "Give promos, sales or even reduced requalification rates all potentially stimulate demand and potentially revenue at a time when they'll be wanting it the most." That is, will the airlines recognise that, even though they are not responsible for covid-19, neither are their loyal customers. So, how will they address the reduced time that some customers will have to maintain their status? Hopefully something imaginative like double SC periods, reducing the threshold for re-qualification or such.

I don't think anyone thinks that gifting status for free would be good for anyone - lounges are crowded enough.

Anyway, I think I've said enough on this so thanks for listening and goodnight.

 

[JW]

QF and other should be worried if higher earn elites (generally) drop down a few tiers and may be more inclined to look around at the competition. A while ago BA had an issue where they lost a lot of their higher earning flyers.

QF ignores this at their peril I suspect.

This will also extend to hotel chains and the like.. some have already started to offer extensions.

 

[Marko]

Hi All, wondering what the hive minds view on QFF offering a status pause due to CV-19 is. I do most of my travel within Asia and my work has banned travel til unknown time. I think that QFF should offer status pauses like they do when having children. Thoughts?

I don't think Qanta will, but more enterprising carriers might. Offering a soft renewal date, say four weeks, when credits could be counted against the closing or the opening status year will be valuable to many. CV-19 provides a circumstance in which a carrier can appear to be customer focused while conducting a low risk prototype of what could become a feature of their programme in the future.

 

[33kft]

Just a month ago the narrative was that too many pax had status and lounges were bursting at the seams due to DSCs and now no FFs are going to requal and they'll be taking their business elsewhere (to an airline that does gift status, I assume) unless status is gifted without even revenue flights being taken. What a difference a month (and a pandemic) makes.

 

[RichardMEL]

I am willing to bet (a small amount!) that there's a bit of mentality at HDQ that is putting two and two together when it comes to their view of QFF "Loyalty"

1. QF hold a dominant position in the Australian (ie: their core) marketplace. QFF ties into a LOT of stuff and around half the population (!) are members (sure a large number inactive or very infrequent, but still it's huge numbers).
2. VA is in a weak position, and Covid19 is going to make things even more difficult for them.. right now they are not much of a threat (no offence VA flyers!)

The other factor that I reckon may be a part of thinking is that people, as a whole, are creatures of habit.. look at how many of us still fly QF in some form or another despite the many shortcomings and aggrevations? Now we may fly them because company policy says so(ie: no choice, not their dime) or because QF only serves where we are in any meaningful way or because we're tied in with QFF and have a large points balance etc so are invested somewhat into the program.

Think about going somewhere new - many of us have - many have made the jump.. some others look and go "Oh well cough do I really want to start up with SQ and start from nothing?" many of us may say yes, or may wait for a status comp offer (possibly an option post covid19). Now sure, if you have nothing with QF then sure, you're free to go explore.. but I reckon human psychology does play a role here. Not for everyone for sure.. absolutely.. but for large numbers... maybe so.

And as TTR says.. giving "free" status, or extending it gives QF very little. Sure, there's that "promise" of future revenue once things et better but potentially with folks that have a choice with their travel - they may make those choices all the time anyway. How many posts have we read over the past few years about folks going BFOD, or splitting loyalty to various alliances or even shifting somewhere else. Those were all going on before now, and will continue so.

It may well be that QF's thinking is more about generating revenue in the moment post-covid19. Status may be a tool in one way or another just as sales will be, reduced reward rates, etc.

And right now QF may think that largely their domestic business hopefully will be mostly independent of a global pandemic unless things REALLY go up the spout in which case we'll all be worrying about far more important things than if we can retain Gold in 2021 I suspect...

I reckon though if VA does some sort of status hold QF likely will follow (and vice-versa). In fact given VA's situation they probably have far more incentive to try and keep loyalty.

 

[Matt_01]

Let me start by saying that I agree with most of this. However, I must be missing something that's blindingly obvious to so many folk on here. Why would anyone have any interest in receiving status with an airline if they don't fly?
.....

I have read your posts and thanks for your insights and I also do not get the whole staus run thing. Your 13 comments over 7 of AFF membership have addressed many of the questions I may have had.

 

[Pushka]

I am willing to bet (a small amount!) that there's a bit of mentality at HDQ that is putting two and two together when it comes to their view of QFF "Loyalty"

1. QF hold a dominant position in the Australian (ie: their core) marketplace. QFF ties into a LOT of stuff and around half the population (!) are members (sure a large number inactive or very infrequent, but still it's huge numbers).
2. VA is in a weak position, and Covid19 is going to make things even more difficult for them.. right now they are not much of a threat (no offence VA flyers!)

The other factor that I reckon may be a part of thinking is that people, as a whole, are creatures of habit.. look at how many of us still fly QF in some form or another despite the many shortcomings and aggrevations? Now we may fly them because company policy says so(ie: no choice, not their dime) or because QF only serves where we are in any meaningful way or because we're tied in with QFF and have a large points balance etc so are invested somewhat into the program.

Think about going somewhere new - many of us have - many have made the jump.. some others look and go "Oh well cough do I really want to start up with SQ and start from nothing?" many of us may say yes, or may wait for a status comp offer (possibly an option post covid19). Now sure, if you have nothing with QF then sure, you're free to go explore.. but I reckon human psychology does play a role here. Not for everyone for sure.. absolutely.. but for large numbers... maybe so.

And as TTR says.. giving "free" status, or extending it gives QF very little. Sure, there's that "promise" of future revenue once things et better but potentially with folks that have a choice with their travel - they may make those choices all the time anyway. How many posts have we read over the past few years about folks going BFOD, or splitting loyalty to various alliances or even shifting somewhere else. Those were all going on before now, and will continue so.

It may well be that QF's thinking is more about generating revenue in the moment post-covid19. Status may be a tool in one way or another just as sales will be, reduced reward rates, etc.

And right now QF may think that largely their domestic business hopefully will be mostly independent of a global pandemic unless things REALLY go up the spout in which case we'll all be worrying about far more important things than if we can retain Gold in 2021 I suspect...

I reckon though if VA does some sort of status hold QF likely will follow (and vice-versa). In fact given VA's situation they probably have far more incentive to try and keep loyalty.

I avoid flying QF internationally wherever possible. Which begs the question. Where is the best profit value for Qantas? Domestic or International.

Post automatically merged: Feb 28, 2020

I have read your posts and thanks for your insights and I also do not get the whole staus run thing. Your 13 comments over 7 of AFF membership have addressed many of the questions I may have had.

Maybe that's because you've never needed to earn status as you fly so much anyway? Strip the lounges and other values away and maybe you might change your mind

 

[Matt_01]

Maybe that's because you've never needed to earn status as you fly so much anyway? Strip the lounges and other values away and maybe you might change your mind

I am not sure why you would question my travel. If you can find another AFFer who has given away VA SG twice and WP once whist retaining QF WP1 status and SQ *A G I will stand corrected.
You have also been the recipient of some of my other free stuff posts and will acknowledge you have have been obliging to trade back one item for a friend of mine but you did want to pick and reserve the right to say no to which I agreed.

 

[Pushka]

I am not sure why you would question my travel. If you can find another AFFer who has given away VA SG twice and WP once whist retaining QF WP1 status and SQ *A G I will stand corrected.
You have also been the recipient of some of my other free stuff posts and will acknowledge you have have been obliging to trade back one item for a friend of mine but you did want to pick and reserve the right to say no to which I agreed.

I'm not judging your intent at all and agree you have been incredibly generous. And you do the hard yakka in travel which means time away from home and loved ones. I'm sorry if that's the way my post came across. I was happy to exchange as you know.

It just surprised me when you posted you didn't get why others would do a status run.

Surely you'd acknowledge that if some want to enjoy the fruits of earning status, that you may appreciate why they might want to do that even if they have to do that by status runs?