Heads up about program changes

[Nizar]

These changes will make no difference (at this time) to your friend redeeming QF points for flights. From the email

Those three words in brackets are key I suspect.

 

[markis10]

The phrase "foreseeable future" is an oxymoron. It is meaningless, so that's the QF out on all this.

Agree, its a classic weasel word, but important in the context of the question being asked.

 

[medhead]

This move will not cost them! You people are serial freeloaders.

Are you all cutting up your FF cards now and calling Virgin? I think not.

The only difference is you will now have to pay real money for your status, not exploit loop holes to get it.

Sucked in from all of us who have done it the hard way and don't have access to daddy's AMEX points, like the fat beast I sat next to in J once who boasted that he flew round the world for nix with the family credit card earn and made a business of booking biz flights for his friends for cash using the same.

Can't wait not to have to encounter such people in the forward cabins!

Clearly you have no idea about Qantas' current situation. They are expanding capacity on domestic. They desperately need bums in seats. Pushing regularly frequent flyers away will cost them. It costs them to fly around thousands of empty seats.

As for your claim this won't affect you, have you actually looked into the changes. I only fly weekly in economy which matches what you posted earlier. These changes sure do effect me.

Still no need to cut up cards. Unless I what to cut my nose off to spite my face.

 

[SeatBackForward]

I fly international long haul on discount J (D or I class). On the routes I fly, status credits earn will remain exactly the same, but points earn will increase by a reasonable amount. So yes, I benefit.

It seems the SC earn for discount J is the same as J now for those types of routes. If you paid the higher price of flexible J, you would also gain extra SCs. But flying those routes on discount J, your SCs will be the same as they are now.

As always, there are winners and losers. It seems that, this time, the winners are those travelling in F and J. Those on discount Y are the losers.

As long as you can only fly on QF flight numbers. This is quite obviously a big "f you" to. alliance members.

The problem is that QF doesn't offer the service/flights that other airlines do, so what little reason I had to remain as QFF on those alliance flights has vanished, and therefore any loyalty for choosing QF along with it.

 

[tomo69]

So much for loyalty! Makes you re think is it worth buying wine from Epiqure, or booking hotels or cars through Qantas? Many may decide to go with cheaper option as value of QFF points are effectively reduced.
And with the quality of on board catering being reduced to a snack pack in many cases it isn't like we're paying for a 'premium' service anymore!

 

[MH_fan]

With my current (all paid and self-funded, mostly J) international trips, I could relatively easily maintain WP on QF but with these new changes, I won't anymore. Those same flights will easily get me WP on MH. Decision made to credit all my international travel to MH and now most of my domestic travel will move across to VA. QF have lost me with these changes unfortunately. A shame really as I really want to support them.

 

[QF WP]

Eeek, over 500 posts since I last looked at the thread.

Now that I am aware of the deadline tonight for xASA's bookings to earn SC's, I'm going to sweep all family members points into my account today and book my last JASA. That will mean I have 3 in the system and still got $1,500 in vouchers for my flights this year - so that may mean this year is the last I attain Gold.

Lifetime Gold still a distant memory but I can see that my paid QF flights will decrease this year as I chase VA Plat renewal. It's now lengths ahead of QF.

 

[Anna]

ADL PER appears in both the "short flight" table and the "medium flight" table. Make up your mind QF.

Fascinating that ADL is now part of "east coast Australia". I hope the pilots have a better idea of geography than the bean counters.

 

[MH_fan]

I wonder whether I'll get an email from QF in the future about why my SC earn from over 1400 a year has dropped to under 100...

 

[serfty]

...
Now that I am aware of the deadline tonight for xASA's bookings to earn SC's....

But is this the case or is the deadline June 30th?

See post #393.

Actually, I take my prior post back - there is a caveat:

Sadly the link goes back to a 404 error web page ...

Maybe they will not.

Red Roo - Direct Question. "Will Any Seat Awards for travel in P, X, Z or U classes booked and ticketed from March 29th until June 30th 2014 earn points and Status credits as per the rates listed in this page: Frequent Flyer - Fairer Flying for First, Discount Economy, Premium Economy and Business respectively - even though those classes are not listed on that page."

 

[Limewood]

Why am I not surprised, no more ASA's, then reduce points, give them to those on expensive seats, yet once again they alienate customers with more QFF change.

Q if you want more bums on seats take a leaf out of the numerous US airlines miles (points) deals, allow more points purchase than the paltry top up 20K currently and have bonus offers.

 

[dfcatch]

Qantas has struggled to understand anything to do with "loyalty" for a while now.

I don't begrudge Qantas making these changes on a commercial basis.

I don't begrudge them going after the big corporate accounts and trying to tweak to extract more revenue from those accounts.

But I do begrudge them pretending to care about loyalty when they have absolutely no clue.

QF Loyalty management needs to go (as does AJ really), and I mean no disrespect to those QF Loyalty people than I know personally.

But they really don't "get it" when it comes to loyalty. There is much more to loyalty than RM and pivotables.

And if you are "just following orders" then it's also time to go.

QF Loyalty needs REAL loyalty people who can stand up for what the program needs long-term.

IE. Recognizing it's role is to get bums-on-seats across the Group.

"QF Loyalty" now that's an oxymoron.

Please also lay off Red Roo - they're just doing their job (and underpaid) .

 

[coles525]

Finally caught up, bookmark post @ #552.

 

[BD1959]

Many have posted on why they believe the changes will actually be to the detriment of QF - due to now no longer considering QF first, but best fare of the day thereby decreasing QF's revenue.

To my mind, QF have gone for the stick out the carrot-and-stick. What would have happened if they'd gone for the carrot?

Reviewing the WP benefits: the majority are actually of little cost to QF. The two major cost items are probably WP access to Domestic J Lounges and International F.

Given the additional revenue stream associated with Fees and Taxes, I'd say that the biggest issue for QF with respect to MASA (and especially JASAs) was the status accelerator. I can understand their looking to reduce this - I cannot understand QF stating they were here to stay when we all felt they were living on borrowed time. I'm not surprised they've disappeared - given the additional cost of having to book these via the call centre, I cannot believe that QF did not shut this down sooner.

What was stopping QF from maintaining the current points and earn rates on partner airlines and increasing the reward for travelling on QF, at the same time increasing the renewal levels to the acquire levels? This would have the effect of people actively looking to book QF. We've all grown used to QF devaluing the Product (both onboard and status entitlements); we all know Fees and Taxes will continue to increase in proportion to the points value of reward fare: devaluation by stealth.

I think it is symptomatic of the current Executive Team that they prefer to punish rather than reward. That - more than anything - highlights the issue QF Group currently finds itself in.

JB must have had a very good night's sleep last night knowing that Velocity suddenly appreciated in value overnight without him having to do a thing. Sure, over time I'm sure there will be negative changes there, too, I just imagine that it is far more likely to carrot-flavoured than hurting like you been beaten by a stick.

Regards,

BD

 

[castie]

Just had a good look at the new partner points and SC earning table. Not happy at all and this will really make me re-evaluate my loyalty to QF. My J booking to LHR in October was meant to earn me 560SCs but it will now only earn me 280! That is a major devaluation. Time to start crediting to another programme.

I dont understand where you have got these numbers.

At 560 SC im assuming your doing something like sydney - melbourne - london return? (80 on domestic and 480 on international)

The new table seems to suggest

Dubai - London return will net 200 on cheaper business.
melbourne - dubai return will net 360 on cheaper business.
sydney - melbourne return remains the same at 80.

So if routing above is correct you actually get 80 more SC than previous.

 

[TomVexille]

I wonder if this will have any significant effect to the QFF Loyalty bottom line. As we all know that Loyalty is one of the only parts of the group making money right now.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I dont understand where you have got these numbers.

At 560 SC im assuming your doing something like sydney - melbourne - london return? (80 on domestic and 480 on international)

The new table seems to suggest

Dubai - London return will net 200 on cheaper business.
melbourne - dubai return will net 360 on cheaper business.
sydney - melbourne return remains the same at 80.

So if routing above is correct you actually get 80 more SC than previous.

As per the OP's handle, this does not apply if you are flying in J on MH

 

[BD1959]

I dont understand where you have got these numbers.

At 560 SC im assuming your doing something like sydney - melbourne - london return? (80 on domestic and 480 on international)

Current earn is MEL/SYD - KUL: 120SCs; KUL-LHR: 160SCs ... X 2 = 560 SCs

Regards,

BD

 

[OATEK]

Eeek, over 500 posts since I last looked at the thread.

Now that I am aware of the deadline tonight for xASA's bookings to earn SC's, I'm going to sweep all family members points into my account today and book my last JASA. That will mean I have 3 in the system and still got $1,500 in vouchers for my flights this year - so that may mean this year is the last I attain Gold.

Lifetime Gold still a distant memory but I can see that my paid QF flights will decrease this year as I chase VA Plat renewal. It's now lengths ahead of QF.

But is this the case or is the deadline June 30th?

See post #393.

Even two of our most esteemed and experienced members are still not able to confirm whether mASA bookings between 29/3 and 30/6 will attract SC/Pts. I imagine the premium phone line could be running hot today.

A simple clear statement from RedRoo that expands the previous "Yes" to put our minds at rest might also save a lot of grief for the call centre staff.

 

[serfty]

I wonder if this will have any significant effect to the QFF Loyalty bottom line. As we all know that Loyalty is one of the only parts of the group making money right now.

Of course it will - less points to deal with to the pesky frequent flyers, greater use of 'purchased' points (EDR, CC ern etc.) which have a inherently higher degree of breakage.