Emirates not a TRUE redemption partner?

[AnonymousCoward]

You're right that the Australian market isn't used to paying higher prices for Any Seat, but NO market is used to paying THAT high of a price... I was quoted > 200,000 points for a 3,000 mile long flight (about the same as PER-AKL). Instead I transferred points to Northwest, which gave me the seat for only 25,000 points -- admittedly a fantastic deal, most other airlines would charge something like 50k or 60k. They also had full availability on every flight every day.

Airlines in the US that offer Any Seat availability charge around double the normal amount. But > 200k is just silly for that flight

Points earning on Virgin is completely different, to say, earning points on QFF. Most places will give you 1 point/dollar spent, or 1 point/mile flown. If Virgin is handing out 5/6/7 points/dollar spent, then each point is worth about 1/5 compared to another scheme. So, redemptions will cost a correspondingly greater amount of points.

 

[oz_mark]

Points earning on Virgin is completely different, to say, earning points on QFF. Most places will give you 1 point/dollar spent, or 1 point/mile flown. If Virgin is handing out 5/6/7 points/dollar spent, then each point is worth about 1/5 compared to another scheme. So, redemptions will cost a correspondingly greater amount of points.

Not sure I buy this. PER-SYD is over 2000 miles and QF will give 2000 points, and the fare certainly does not cost $2000. If you argue that there should be one point per dollar, are you suggesting that Virgin should be handing out 300 points or charging $2000 for PER-SYD?

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Not sure I buy this. PER-SYD is over 2000 miles and QF will give 2000 points, and the fare certainly does not cost $2000. If you argue that there should be one point per dollar, are you suggesting that Virgin should be handing out 300 points or charging $2000 for PER-SYD?

Let me clarify - you typically get somethig like 1 point/dollar from sources such as CC spend, or 1 point per mile flown.

Virgin works on a different system, and so the value of points isn't directly comparable.

 

[RickyRiccardo]

Points earning on Virgin is completely different, to say, earning points on QFF. Most places will give you 1 point/dollar spent, or 1 point/mile flown. If Virgin is handing out 5/6/7 points/dollar spent, then each point is worth about 1/5 compared to another scheme. So, redemptions will cost a correspondingly greater amount of points.

QF charge 8,000 points SYD-MEL and we charge 6,900 (for a std Reward Seat). However if there's a sale fare we can come in under that too (which you won't currently get with QFF). And then Any Seat ...well we can't do the comparison because they don't have the product yet. But apparently all of that will change in July and we won't have to speculate any more.

Ricky

 

[JohnK]

QF charge 8,000 points SYD-MEL and we charge 6,900 (for a std Reward Seat). However if there's a sale fare we can come in under that too (which you won't currently get with QFF).

It costs a lot less to accumulate QFF points and redeem awards on QF than it does on DJ. Lets look at standard rewards and how much it costs for each airline.

On QF to accumulate 8,000 QFF points it would take 8 one-way SYD-MEL flights at a cost of $135/flight giving a total cost of $1,080. On DJ to accumulate 6,900 Velocity would require a spend of $1,380 assuming that member does not have status. So I can redeem a one-way flight SYD-MEL for $300 less spend on QF.

The situation gets even worse with sale airfares like this weekends $85 airfare to BNE or CBR as QF still gives a minimum of 1,000 QFF points where as with DJ the Velocity points earned for sale airfares are even lower so it would take a lot more flights to be able to redeem an award.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

It costs a lot less to accumulate QFF points and redeem awards on QF than it does on DJ. Lets look at standard rewards and how much it costs for each airline.

On QF to accumulate 8,000 QFF points it would take 8 one-way SYD-MEL flights at a cost of $135/flight giving a total cost of $1,080. On DJ to accumulate 6,900 Velocity would require a spend of $1,380 assuming that member does not have status. So I can redeem a one-way flight SYD-MEL for $300 less spend on QF.

Yeah, if you can fly on a $135 flight. But my last project in Melb (about 10 weeks worth of flying backwards and forwards) were on $350 each way tickets. And for that, you still get the same as $135 tickets. But if spending $350 each way on Virgin, you get to redeem an award quicker.

Because the point earning metrics are completely different, it's simply not fair to directly compare the two (which is the point I was trying to make before).

Anyone can find one, or other, scenario where one scheme comes out ahead of the other.

The QF scheme does have some cheaper redemption options BUT seats are limited. If there are no seats (SYD/MEL at 8am? LAX/SYD in J, SYD/NRT in J direct) where you want to fly, then the point are worth nothing (except for overpriced TVs in the QANTAS online store). On DJ, you can always get a seat if there's one available - it's just a matter of having enough points.