Heads up about program changes

[sumthinfornuthin]

I have never been via the desert.

I will only go if it suits my plans not some airlines plans. Via Asia or USA will have to be the way for now.

Had not given that a thought but going vis the US of A could be an option with a stopover

 

[opusman]

Dunno if this was posted anywhere else on AFF, but at the recent "Freddie Awards":

​

Best Customer Service — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Promotion — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Elite Program— Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Redemption Ability — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Program of the Year — Virgin Australia – Velocity

​

This is not particularly surprising to me. I have no personal experience with Velocity, but after the recent QFF changes I honestly have no reason not to try them in the future. Qantas have basically lost my loyalty, even though I may still fly them they will just be another airline as far as I'm concerned.

 

[maninblack]

If you fly in J then the benefits of loyalty are minimal so choose the best airline/product/schedule/price balance on the day and toss loyalty which has become little more than a frustration.

QF no longer flies via SIN HKG BKK so being QF LTG doesn't mean bupkes if I'm almost never going to fly with them.

 

[Deleted member]

Dunno if this was posted anywhere else on AFF, but at the recent "Freddie Awards":

​

Best Customer Service — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Promotion — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Elite Program— Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Redemption Ability — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Program of the Year — Virgin Australia – Velocity

​

This is not particularly surprising to me. I have no personal experience with Velocity, but after the recent QFF changes I honestly have no reason not to try them in the future. Qantas have basically lost my loyalty, even though I may still fly them they will just be another airline as far as I'm concerned.

However there was a concerted campaign by VA to get their flyers to vote, whereas QF ignored the event and made no attempt to get their FF's to,vote.
So not sure I would read much into that result

 

[opusman]

However there was a concerted campaign by VA to get their flyers to vote, whereas QF ignored the event and made no attempt to get their FF's to,vote.
So not sure I would read much into that result

I think that in itself is telling. VA is actually engaged with their FFs, rather than trying to screw them over as much as possible.

 

[Deleted member]

I think that in itself is telling. VA is actually engaged with their FFs, rather than trying to screw them over as much as possible.

Mmmmm. You could think that.......but I suspect you're wrong

 

[greenfish]

If you fly in J then the benefits of loyalty are minimal so choose the best airline/product/schedule/price balance on the day and toss loyalty which has become little more than a frustration.

QF no longer flies via SIN HKG BKK so being QF LTG doesn't mean bupkes if I'm almost never going to fly with them.

Surely being QF LTG still matters as you'll have status on any of the many OW airlines serving those destinations, should you have to fly in Y for some reason.

 

[nonpop]

Surely being QF LTG still matters as you'll have status on any of the many OW airlines serving those destinations, should you have to fly in Y for some reason.

I see it as my retirement plan where doing small hops in Y with LTG privileges could be useful. No harm in having it up the sleeve (provided QF don't enhance it or exit OW).

Or worse still, we find ourselves in another GFC and companies say no-no to J. Options are always good to have.

 

[Steelo]

Do you really believe the Freddie Awards! They were used by VA who actively sought votes as a marketing strategy.

Dunno if this was posted anywhere else on AFF, but at the recent "Freddie Awards"

​

Best Customer Service — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Promotion — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Elite Program— Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Redemption Ability — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Program of the Year — Virgin Australia – Velocity

​

This is not particularly surprising to me. I have no personal experience with Velocity, but after the recent QFF changes I honestly have no reason not to try them in the future. Qantas have basically lost my loyalty, even though I may still fly them they will just be another airline as far as I'm concerned.

 

[RooFlyer]

Dunno if this was posted anywhere else on AFF, but at the recent "Freddie Awards":

​

Best Customer Service — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Promotion — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Elite Program— Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Redemption Ability — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Program of the Year — Virgin Australia – Velocity

​

This is not particularly surprising to me. I have no personal experience with Velocity, but after the recent QFF changes I honestly have no reason not to try them in the future. Qantas have basically lost my loyalty, even though I may still fly them they will just be another airline as far as I'm concerned.

Doesn't this say that VA care what their customers 'publicly' say about them, but Qantas couldn't care less? OR Qantas knew they couldn't motivate their customers to vote for them, and so ran dead.

 

[maninblack]

Surely being QF LTG still matters as you'll have status on any of the many OW airlines serving those destinations, should you have to fly in Y for some reason.

Perhaps in that occasional circumstance but certainly not worth what it cost me.

 

[drron]

Had not given that a thought but going vis the US of A could be an option with a stopover

Just out of interest I priced an F award SYD-LAX.QFF-144000 + $A511.98.
Aadvantage-SYD-HKG-LAX in F(though same points for anywhere in the US) 107500 points +$US119.10.Syd-HKG was on QF.
QFF did offer the HKG option but it priced at 217000 points.Dont know the taxes as we don't have enough points for that option.

 

[Awesom Andy]

However there was a concerted campaign by VA to get their flyers to vote, whereas QF ignored the event and made no attempt to get their FF's to,vote.
So not sure I would read much into that result

How many of us left would still vote for Qantas even if we are asked to vote in such a survey?

 

[EmilyHoward]

Perhaps you misunderstand Any Seat Award. As the name suggests Any Seat Awards could/can take ANY SEAT on the flight. The inherent part of that is that they take existing fares that are available for sale on the flight, from the cheapest available fare class. What is called a Marginal Any Seat Award is what happened when a classic award was available on the same flight - this is fare class U in business. If a classic award was available then a U fare was available. Buying an Any Seat Award would take one of the U fares. The same would happen in economy where a Marginal Any Seat Award would take an X class fare if available. It is the marginal ASA, only, that have been stopped. Those Any Seat Awards that are taking U, P and X fares. Qantas only have a problem with the Marginal ASA. Those fares DO actually depend on taking a classic award seat. If it does not take a classic award seat it is not a Marginal Any Seat Award. The Marginal ASA MUST be the same as a classic award otherwise it isn't an Marginal ASA.

Any Seat Awards* do still exist, just only the ASA that will take paid fare classes, J, I, C in business. This also means the only problem Qantas had was the return, and hence pricing, of the ASA that used classic award fare classes.

Sorry to sound lecture-ry, just your comment suggested a mis-understanding about Marginal ASA.

* Even if I have terminological problems with writing this.





The way it was set up is exactly KISS. It used the existing fare structure.

LOL I obviously did not understand. Thanks for clarifying

EH

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

Surely being QF LTG still matters as you'll have status on any of the many OW airlines serving those destinations, should you have to fly in Y for some reason.

LTG would be nice but I'm no longer chasing it. QFF have proved time and time again that they will continually tweak the program rules and I don't see the sense in spending extra travel dollars to earn it when I suspect they'll make it 'simpler and fairer' once I reach it or am about to.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just out of interest I priced an F award SYD-LAX.QFF-144000 + $A511.98.
Aadvantage-SYD-HKG-LAX in F(though same points for anywhere in the US) 107500 points +$US119.10.Syd-HKG was on QF.
QFF did offer the HKG option but it priced at 217000 points.Dont know the taxes as we don't have enough points for that option.

and the AAdvantage direct SYD-LAX would only be 72k or so right?

 

[drron]

But a lot less availability though.

 

[JohnK]

This is not particularly surprising to me. I have no personal experience with Velocity, but after the recent QFF changes I honestly have no reason not to try them in the future. Qantas have basically lost my loyalty, even though I may still fly them they will just be another airline as far as I'm concerned.

There was a thread about it. I think most people don't care about Freddie results.

I certainly don't. And in my experience Virgin dont have the best customer service. Not even close. And they certainly don't have the best FF program either.

And yes there will be people who will disagree with my assessment.

 

[serfty]

..

And yes there will be people who will disagree with my assessment.

if you had someone to family pool with it may change your mind ...

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

I still think that if you redeem Classic award seats and travel in J ( if you can ) then status really gives you nothing else that you won't get with the Business class seat anyway.................. okay no SC's & no points on the JASA as before but then again the dollar contribution is a lot less on Classic Awards so ....swings & roundabouts etc..

I am finally coming to the realisation that Qantas has done me a back-handed favour and opened my eyes to focusing on real value rather than them stroking my ego as a "valued Platinum member etc" and spending money I did not really need to spend.

I will still travel Qantas but I will be more value focused in future using points for Upgrades and Classic Awards and give JASA's/MASA's the flick.