Disappointing P1 Service Team

[Deleted member 18152]

I would suggest that the Qantas Platinum one team contacting Garuda rather than the OP would have had more effect - i.e. Less likely to be fobbed off by Garuda as the OP was.

For the Platinum One agent to not even try to do this suggests they should not be working in an area that is advertised as "... when you need urgent assistance. ... The team will also proactively monitor, support and enhance your travel experience every step of your journey".

You're completely right. Not only that but as Qantas was the travel agent they could have could have contacted Garuda agent desk to agent desk which as you say would be better than being fobbed off at the airport.

 

[GoldenWinger]

Just re-reading through the "little black book" the P1s got in the very hasitly done and useless metal Marc Newson (??) designed box - I needed a good laugh at all the bulls**** that's in there such as

"it's the little extras that make all the difference...throughout the year the Platinum One Special Services Team will be inviting members to enjoy a range of other experiences...tickets to Qantas sponsored events...your chance to take controls in a Qantas flight simulator..." - I've been P1 since its launch in November last year - I am yet to enjoy not even one of the "other experiences" - absolutely nothing. The rest of the book is littered with a lot of other unfulfilled promises.

The P1 little black book can be used as the basis as a great example of a major marketing cough* up by an airline on how to really p*** off their most "loyal flyers" - hopefully RedRoo reads this as I've noticed he has patrolled this page...the biggest mistake any company can ever make is to over promise and under deliver or in the case of FFPO not deliver anything at all really. The Platinum One offering which would have to be one of the most monumental failures of recent times definitely fits the bill.

 

[simongr]

"it's the little extras that make all the difference...throughout the year the Platinum One Special Services Team will be inviting members to enjoy a range of other experiences...tickets to Qantas sponsored events...your chance to take controls in a Qantas flight simulator..." - I've been P1 since its launch in November last year - I am yet to enjoy not even one of the "other experiences" - absolutely nothing. The rest of the book is littered with a lot of other unfulfilled promises.

Have you updated your preferences/interests in your QF profile to identify in what you might be interested?

 

[GoldenWinger]

yes I have and even if I hadn't it shouldn't have any bearing on the issuing of these "other experiences" ...particularly the flight simulator.

 

[TonyHancock]

The interesting thing for me is that I have certainly noticed a little bit more attention when I fly, particularly in international Y. Drinks from the J bar, personal greeting, pyjamas.........but these are things that I thought WP's received anyway. I have certainly experienced seats blocked next to me, a points upgrade 7 days out, and particularly enjoyed the op up to F on a recent MEL-SIN flight.

I do wonder (perhaps hope is the correct word) if there is more going on behind the scenes than we see. QF was always going to be on a hiding to nothing having hyped up the whole Platinum One status...only to deliver what seems like a pretty average offering. Reaching WP1 was something to look forward to but it left me disappointed and feeling like I was trying to cheat my way in. (I'll never forget the customer service person telling me, as if I were a naughty child, that it wasn't enough to reach 3600 SC's I needed 2700 SC's on Qantas marketed flights.*:shock

The WP1 package did seem hastily put together with the spelling mistakes :shock: in the letter and the WP card with Platinum One added in red as an afterthought.

For me there has been no introductory phone call, I have had two messages left on my mobile advising that the P1 team was monitoring upcoming flights, I have received no invitations to special events...but I have no great desire to try a flight simulator or meet John Travolta, or go to the Grand Prix.

All I would like is the odd op-up when possible, decent seats and a drink from the J bar when I'm in international Y, at least one international points upgrade confirmed at date of booking, anytime lounge access, and looking after if things are not going well.

It is not easy reaching WP1 and the rewards do not appear to match the qualification requirement. Perhaps it is because the mismatch is so great I wonder if there are rewards that QF doesn't publish.

The real driver for me to book my next international flight with QF is the prospect of using points for JASA's and FASA's.

*I had exactly 2700 SC's on QF marketed flights

 

[747800intercon]

Thought I would chime in here as I am Plat One as well and I think the whole program is one total load of cr*p. Makes so angry that QF basically takes people for a ride hyping up the P1 prog and delivering nothing. And going back to topic on OP's original problem you're right to be angered. The whole P1 SST is so unprofessional and really pointless. Not sure what they do exactly - maybe the cold weather in CBR makes them that way

 

[jamesatfish]

Whilst I'm not P1 myself (usually end up with around 3000 SCs) I do wonder whether P1 was a solution to a problem that never really existed.

As a regular WP on the whole I've been very happy with the service provided by QF since I started flying with them. I've never had a problem getting premium cabin classic awards, I have a very high batting average for J to F points upgrades and the regular Platinum desk have been most helpful when things have gone wrong along the way. I've even had QF book me a US Airways flight when an AA aircraft went mechanical and left me stranded in the middle of an AONE4 trip - definitely above and beyond.

Not once did I think that the service I received as a WP left much to be desired, so when P1 was announced my main question was whether regular WPs would see a service level drop so as to ensure P1 recieved premium treatment.

From my point of view at least that hasn't been the case - WP service this year seems just as good as pre-P1.

Instead it seems that QF set the bar very high for their P1 members but struggle to deliver as there's not too much that can be done that's better than WP but not as good as CL.

 

[Simo]

I would have thought P1 could have done a little more.

Maybe saying hey will ring Garuda and sort something out for you or what ever but not QF's prob but you are travelling on one of there tickets so they have to look after the situation as much as possible.

 

[bossreggie]

This is both off topic and on topic, but in response to some of the above posts.

IMHO..... P1 is completely NOTHING to chase or to aspire towards.

I had been receiving pretty much ALL the benefits even prior to my CL status.

I had, and continue to have ATA. I would expect the same if I am no longer CL.

QF is aware of your value. I am certain that in my instance, as I am 100% responsible for which airline I fly AND the fact my +1, son, PA and various other family members and friends travel with me, make me more valuable than a FIFO or middle management worker flying 3600 SC's per year at their employers expense.

I think there is, has and always will be a status within a status and that's not a bad thing.

To the OP.. I think you have a right to be disappointed. You had a reasonable expectation you would receive extra assistance, or at the very least someone to TRY and resolve things for you.

I don't know whether I will have CL for my lifetime, I don't really care. I was pretty satisfied with the way Qantas was looking after me even as a WP.

This year I will spend around $2mill personally on travel for myself, family etc. (Olympics are adding to my usual spend) That is a bigger spend than many SME's. However for a company like QF... It's NOTHING.

I know my place on the food chain... I probably have less expectation and DYKWIA attitude than many who just scrape by for P1.

QF have raised the expectation level of many of their valuable pax, and irritated a lot more. In terms of a marketing exercise... FAIL!! BTW.. I had GP tickets, Dinner invites, etc, but none of this would encourage me to fly more or less with QF. In fact most of the time I am probably going to be away when anything is on.

IMHO... They should have left the status quo. There are a certain group of frequent flyers who really NEED to have the exclusive card, bag tags, ego stroked, etc... But there are a lot of us who just want to get where they are going and have an "unwritten" expectation that as valuable customers.... We WILL be looked after first.

Boss

 

[harvyk]

This year I will spend around $2mill personally on travel for myself, family etc. (Olympics are adding to my usual spend) That is a bigger spend than many SME's. However for a company like QF... It's NOTHING.

Disagree that $2m to a company like QF is nothing. I've always assumed that CL membership is reserved for those who have the power to change numbers on reports (thus the reason why not all CL's actually travel, but if they are in charge of travel budgets that's a different story). At a $2m spend per year, if you directed everything to VA and *A they would notice it. (Although admittedly someone probably wouldn't be called into an office somewhere for a please explain if you directed your travel spend elsewhere in quite the same way as if one of the big mining giants did the same).

Of course a P1, whilst they have done an impressive amount of BIS miles with QF, they may not actually have a choice at which airline they fly. If company travel policies dictate "thou shalt fly", someone could easily become a P1, and yet have no intention of flying QF for non-work related reasons, therefore by QF logic, looking after those guys is not as important.

 

[TonyHancock]

IMHO..... P1 is completely NOTHING to chase or to aspire towards.

Yep. I think you have to be a little insane to want to fly that much, but the problem is that by creating P1 QF is encouraging WP's, with all of the hype, to aspire to that level.

I think there is, has and always will be a status within a status and that's not a bad thing.

I think QF would have been better off leaving things as they were, having an unpublished level within WP seemed to work.

I know my place on the food chain... I probably have less expectation and DYKWIA attitude than many who just scrape by for P1.

The much maligned DYKWIA again. We have feelings too!!

QF have raised the expectation level of many of their valuable pax, and irritated a lot more. In terms of a marketing exercise... FAIL!!

Seems that way. I presume it was all done to create noise when DJ introduced its new FF program.

IMHO... They should have left the status quo. There are a certain group of frequent flyers who really NEED to have the exclusive card, bag tags, ego stroked, etc... But there are a lot of us who just want to get where they are going and have an "unwritten" expectation that as valuable customers.... We WILL be looked after first.

I just want to get from A to B in as much comfort as I can. The P1 level was supposedly set up to facilitate this. I wish QF would spend the money on this instead of special events, Epiqure and flight simulator time. When things go horribly wrong I hope QF does look after me.

There are exclusive bag tags? I missed them. Me me me me me!!!!!!

I have been a big critic of QF over the last couple of years, but in the end the QF FF program still works for me on international travel. (I have complete control over who I fly with and give that same authority to my team.) In recent weeks I am getting the impression that QF is upping it's performance in customer service. I really hope this is the case because I have a lot of international travel already booked with them over the next eleven months.

 

[Canny man]

P1 called this morning just to check everything was alright for my trip to SCL at the weekend. I was highly appreciative of the call as we were able to check out a small seating change that I couldn't do on-line.
More importantly, it became apparent that my travel agent hadn't properly ticketed a critical leg in the journey. Without the call I would have landed after a long flight back to Australia without a ticket for the last leg back home.

For me, this is an amazing level of service. I'd rather have this 'personal' contact with an airline than any number of simulator experiences etc

 

[dajop]

Also just recently was in First class SYD-SIN and no even the crew give a stuff - was told "sorry we've run out of your choice"...so much for being given first priority...

Wow! It's not that hard, all it needs is a subtle move around the cabin after takeoff to ask what main meal preference is, going to CL's and P1's first before then asking other passengers. SQ do this in F & J for PPS members, and even in Y on longhauls (unless in the first few rows being served already).

 

[pm3207]

While not seeking to detract from the concerns of the OP, I must admit that I've found P1 membership useful at a practical level so far.

I've had extra award seats made available in Qantas Business and on QantasLink. Also waitlists for D class on QF10 and a QF codeshare flight (AA metal) cleared very quickly as well, even though only full J fare buckets were available.

Let's see what the future holds though .....

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Wow! It's not that hard, all it needs is a subtle move around the cabin after takeoff to ask what main meal preference is, going to CL's and P1's first before then asking other passengers. SQ do this in F & J for PPS members, and even in Y on longhauls (unless in the first few rows being served already).

But they do do this on F SYD-SIN... I wonder what was different this time?