Heads up about program changes

[medhead]

lower costs - ok, hadn't thought of it in that context.


as for the better seats... I stand by that. The platinum is getting the pick of the choice seats which detract from the experience of other passengers.


Why should I, as a non-status, always be stuck at the rear of the plane? why should I, as a non-status be stuck in the middle seat in row 56 when the platinum is swanning it with a shadow? Why should i always be stuck in the last row and have limited meal options?


Those seats have value. They might not 'cost' the airline anything to hold them, but they 'cost' because they are a premium experience which is being denied to other travellers.


Maybe a fairer system would be to block seats in the aircraft not based on status, but on fare paid?


The same applies for international upgrades. As a bronze, what chance do I have for an upgrade when I book and request 6 months in advance... but an $85 platinum and their family can take away everything I have been looking forward to just because they rather decide they might like to fly to Disneyland for a week at short notice? Perhaps upgrades should be allocated too on the level of fare paid, not status.


that would be simpler and fairer.

the fact remains allocating seats to certain people costs the airline nothing. As someone else has mentioned that is about make qantas the first airline of choice. I need to buy a return flight every week of the year. I pay for these flights so cost is important. Providing a better seat is designed to make me look at qantas first and only. What is the cost to qantas revenue if I start looking at the competition first? I have a good idea of my numbers and be shared my averages before. As modest as those numbers might be, I'm pretty sure the potential withdrawn revenue is greater than that risked for a bronze passenger. Let me just clear up that I am nothing special, but I do have a certain level of annual spend.


As as for the experience, when I sit in 100+ coughpy economy seats every year! the only thing that keeps me coming back is the little bit extra experience. Do you not fly because you have to sit in the back row for an hour? If I had to sit in the back row middle seat for 400 hours a year, I'd stop flying. Again taking away my modest revenue.


finally, I'm not the person who is able to decide to fly to Disneyland next week. The people who can do that represent vastly more revenue to qantas that I do. I'm just like you, planning 6 to 12 months in advance and hoping for the international upgrade.

 

[medhead]

So, I have just spotted that a return flight booked before June 30 but for travel after June 30 will earn more SCs but less points under the new system. What are the chances of me convincing QF to credit these flights under the new system, as I am happy to miss out on a few points in order to gain some valuable life time SCs?

Minimal to zero.

Booking on or after 29 March for flights after 30 June earn the new rates.

Given the FAQ refer to a special one off credit for flights after 30 June that are supposed to earn at the old rate. I would suggest the best approach would be to wait and see what happens.

id be interested to learn the route via PM, if you wish to share.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Booking on or after 29 March for flights after 30 June earn the new rates.

Given the FAQ refer to a special one off credit for flights after 30 June that are supposed to earn at the old rate. I would suggest the best approach would be to wait and see what happens.

id be interested to learn the route via PM, if you wish to share.

I don't think it is route dependent to be honest. It is to do with the reshuffling of fare buckets. The route is BNE-ZQN. Fare bucket is L which is currently Y- (20SC), but after June 30th becomes Y (25SC).

 

[pjm99au]

Suggestions of "perks" based on ticket pricing confuses me. A low volume traveller who isn't travelling on a cheap ticket is I would assume doing so because they either were late in booking their flight and must travel at that time or want flexibility. Either way they have gotten what they have desired and why should they then take preference over a high volume traveller?

 

[AnonymousCoward]

On the sector that was on Qantas, no formal greeting, no extra goodies, in fact from what I could see in my area of economy, no freebies were given out at all, no eye shades, socks etc.

In other words, no shadow, no business class wines, no business class drinks, no business class amenity kits, no business class headphones, no business class PJs, and no extra attention from any crew member, senior nor junior.

So, you got exactly what you paid for?

I had to ask for an 'express lane' arrivals card and I had to wait for it, which meant I was the last off on the top deck.

I don't believe that this is a published benefit, so you got a freebie there.

 

[Rebekkap]

So, you got exactly what you paid for?



I don't believe that this is a published benefit, so you got a freebie there.

you are mistaken - access to express lanes is very much a published benefit. Per the Qantas website page listing WP benefits:

"Access premium security lanesAt selected domestic and international airports you can fast track through security and go straight to your Lounge or on to your flight.
Domestic: Available weekdays during peak periods in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney (T3) domestic airports
International: Where this facility is available you will be provided with an Express Path card at check-in."

and:

"Express Immigration
Where available you can access express immigration on departure and arrival."

 

[Cossie]

So, you got exactly what you paid for?



I don't believe that this is a published benefit, so you got a freebie there.

Exactly, I got what I expected, to be quite honest I have flown on enough Qantas planes in the past few years to know that you get what you pay for.

I was commenting on a post where the writer seemed to think that we WPs got all these extra benefits even though we buy the cheapest ticket available and therefore pointing out that it did not happen to me.

No eye shades and socks in Y class? How much is that saving them? Maybe it was just our little Y enclave upstairs that missed out.

Thanks Rebekkap for that latest post, I'll remove my facetious comment about getting a freebie!

 

[medhead]

So, you got exactly what you paid for?



I don't believe that this is a published benefit, so you got a freebie there.

However, it has been claimed that platinum gets all these extras that cost heaps of money. The fact that they got what they paid for is precisely the point being made. I'm not sure why you'd confuse that as a claim that something extra should have been provided. Perhaps you've not followed the thread very well.

Express passes very much are a published benefit.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

In other words, no shadow, no business class wines, no business class drinks, no business class amenity kits, no business class headphones, no business class PJs, and no extra attention from any crew member, senior nor junior.

appreciate that, but that's just your experience. AFF is littered with examples of where platinums have either asked for, or simply received, all of the above, on many of their flights.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Suggestions of "perks" based on ticket pricing confuses me. A low volume traveller who isn't travelling on a cheap ticket is I would assume doing so because they either were late in booking their flight and must travel at that time or want flexibility. Either way they have gotten what they have desired and why should they then take preference over a high volume traveller?

that's my point exactly. A platinum booking a week in advance for $85 gets all the additional perks compared to the non-status member booking three days in advance and being stuck in the worst seat, missing out on their meal choice, and getting little love from the airline.

And i appreciate the arguments raised by medhead. i just think if QF is going to hand out these benefots they should be based on max profit, not simply volume. SQ does this with their PPS scheme.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

However, it has been claimed that platinum gets all these extras that cost heaps of money. The fact that they got what they paid for is precisely the point being made. I'm not sure why you'd confuse that as a claim that something extra should have been provided. Perhaps you've not followed the thread very well.

Previous poster didn't mention whether they got their other benefits - priority checkin? Luggage allowance? lounge access? etc.

All those cost money to deliver, yet not being explicitly paid for. I think *that* was the point being made by the poster prior to PP.

 

[dajop]

And i appreciate the arguments raised by medhead. i just think if QF is going to hand out these benefots they should be based on max profit, not simply volume. SQ does this with their PPS scheme.

To be technical, SQ's PPS scheme is not always about profit, it is about revenue in premium classes (although one would assume a reasonable degree of correlation). But there are examples where I am sure they make more % profit from economy fares than business (eg a $700 SGD return from SIN-CGK in economy vs. a $3800 SGD return from ATH to MEL in business, both real examples I have taken).

 

[SeatBackForward]

appreciate that, but that's just your experience. AFF is littered with examples of where platinums have either asked for, or simply received, all of the above, on many of their flights.

Probably as equally as instances of people with none or much lower status also receiving said benefits. But the representation on AFF is skewed to not show these.

 

[SeatBackForward]

All those cost money to deliver, yet not being explicitly paid for. I think *that* was the point being made by the poster prior to PP.

Other than all those other flights that earned that status in the first place.

 

[serfty]

that's my point exactly. A platinum booking a week in advance for $85 gets all the additional perks compared to the non-status member booking three days in advance and being stuck in the worst seat, missing out on their meal choice, and getting little love from the airline.. ...

It is rare that such a fare is available these day, let alone a week in advance.

 

[medhead]

that's my point exactly. A platinum booking a week in advance for $85 gets all the additional perks compared to the non-status member booking three days in advance and being stuck in the worst seat, missing out on their meal choice, and getting little love from the airline.

And i appreciate the arguments raised by medhead. i just think if QF is going to hand out these benefots they should be based on max profit, not simply volume. SQ does this with their PPS scheme.

The question becomes which results in more profit; A very slim margin on a large number of flights or a large margin on one flight?

In my case they also have 2300 kg of unused basic luggage allowance that can be sold as freight. If we take into account my full luggage allowance that jumps to something like 6 tonnes. Again there is possibly more capacity to make money because I'm sitting in the seat because they know weeks in advance that they can sell that freight spot.

 

[basso]

t\ Let me just clear up that I am nothing special, but I do have a certain level of annual spend.

Ding. Ding. Ding. You're almost there. It's about your spend, or from the Qantas point of view, their revenue from you. That's what you measure, that's what they measure. How you slice and dice that revenue, is up to you....Does it matter if you do it on red-e-deals or on long haul first?

 

[medhead]

Ding. Ding. Ding. You're almost there. It's about your spend, or from the Qantas point of view, their revenue from you. That's what you measure, that's what they measure. How you slice and dice that revenue, is up to you....Does it matter if you do it on red-e-deals or on long haul first?

Not sure why you feel the need to ask rhetorical questions at me, that repeat my position. Well other than to confirm you agree with me. Thanks for the contribution. Perhaps go argue with the people around here that think profit per individual seat is all that matters.

 

[TonyHancock]

The only thing that actually matter is what QF "thinks".

I have had my little "joke" with johnk. (One can't complain about members utilising JASA's and discussing it when the use of low cost fares achieves the same result.)

Whatever means people use to achieve status it has to be within the rules laid down by QF. I don't distinguish between F, J or Y. QF decides whether it works for them or not. We decide whether that works for us and spend or not and spend accordingly.

I'm a MASA P1,this year (I have been a fully paid up P1 previously) but in the last 12 months I have spent $40k with QF. :shock: The changes to MASA's, which I think probably are right for QF, will result in 75% of my spend going away from QF. I have no idea what expenditure is good or bad for QF so assume that they no longer want me as a customer.

 

[medhead]

That's the most important point. Qantas clearly don't want to maintain our relationship for the money I spend. Fortunately, there are other airlines that do want my money.