Heads up about program changes

[HarryB]

There is no way that the new earn table is "simpler".

And I can't find anywhere were short/medium and long is defined for domestic flights??

Yep, thought it was just me as I'm looking on my phone but I couldn't find it either. Given Adelaide is classed as East Coast I fear these changes will impact those of us flying from here more than others. Either way, as someone who doesn't fly enough to maintain a high status these changes risk alienating people like me who mostly fly on discounted fares. Serious review of future travel is on the cards for me.

There has been a bit of talk in the past about the relatively low value of points and status with QFF as it has been quite simple to gain status (particularly with MASA's) and this change looks like a chance to rid the higher statuses of riffraff.

 

[OzEire]

Tables are complex, intentionally I think.

Are AFF (and FT) members surprised that QF have closed all of the loopholes we all advertise on here ? The QF rep is here, openly in our midst... now doubt recording the thing which are most lucrative.

Also, 27 March = 27 Feb announcement + exactly 1 month.

*Also grabs popcorn...

 

[JohnM]

I received my email from QF minutes ago. Quick scan of it and then on to AFF to see the site light up. Now need to go and read the details.

I've burned almost all the million plus points I had early last year on INT MASAs in 2013 and two upcoming MASAs in June. MASA death was always on the cards.

I'll be watching carefully the earn on my already-booked Sept-Oct DONE5 to make sure I don't get 'enhanced' on that.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

An important point to make is that any booking made after today as a MASA for travel after 1 July will not credit with any points or status credits because it will credit under the new system. The new system excludes classic award buckets from 'earn'.

See the qantas website:

"Existing bookings beyond July 2014For members with a booking made prior to 27 March 2014 in a fare class impacted by these changes for travel on or after 1 July 2014, we will automatically credit your account within a month of flying with the Qantas Points you were entitled to when you made your booking."

I see once again they're really living the 3 month notice term in their program terms and conditions.

 

[frankxinyu]

i stopped booking my bi-monthly J trips to china on QF early this year after having a lot of difficulty with the new booking engine. CX which offers a far more superior product, now has my business

and now it looks like it is time to dump all QFF direct earn credit cards and switch to other rewards.

but i dont think QF will really care, if it is a loss, blame it on the government and qantas sales act. as long as the board and chairman stand by the current management, QF will continue to deteriorate , for customers, shareholders, and the rest of the nation.

 

[jamesatfish]

Wow. Pretty much all of my core earning is impacted by this:

1. "Status bonus stays the same" - except as a WP paying for First where you used to get 100% of the F points as a bonus but you now get 100% of the Y points. So actually that's a 50% reduction in status bonus.

2. First flights LAX-SFO on AA drop from 60SC to 40.

3. The aforementioned loss of MASA bookings.

4. Reduction in partner earn which is a killer when on AONEx fares and you need to use partner airlines rather than QF on some routes to satisfy fare rules.

Seeing as most of my international flights are paid F, and I've already got Lifetime Gold for domestic lounge access, it is probably a good time to start buying tickets on the best price/value carrier for each trip rather than blindly booking with QF.

 

[chrisishere]

Oh wow..... Just got the email then and came to this thread.

I'm sure Virgin will love to pick up some extra flyers from here. Without saying, the demographics of a lot of flyers here would be ones that probably have the money to fly a lot or work for a business that flies them. Customers you probably would want to keep I'd say.....

 

[dfcatch]

Right so in other news....

AA Plats (OW Sapphire) are permitted in all Business Lounges right . Lol

 

[Danger]

Please see this link for the details: Frequent Flyer - Fairer Flying

You have got to be ******* kidding!

I have never before seen a more complex travel loyalty table in my life.

Which university do I go to in order to learn how to read this table?

I am absolutely dumbfounded.

 

[Himeno]

This is confusing and overly complex.

So, point earn will no longer be based on distance flown?
What about status bonus earning?
Will all partner airlines have the same confusing earn table (so QR and MH - which currently get almost nothing, will get the same as AA?)? What about the airlines that use different fare codes (ie, an airline viewing a code as "economy" while QF sees the same code as "discount economy")?

It looks like if I were to fly BA LHR-DXB, I'd now get nothing at all? (so how about QF releases the new QF9/10 timings so I can travel on QF for the LHR-DXB-LHR sectors >_<)

 

[Pablo]

If that's your definition of "simple" I'd hate to know what "complex" looks like!!!!!

 

[AnonymousCoward]

So why be part of an airline alliance?

You still get benefits flying on partner airlines. However if you want to fly a lot on CX or MH or AA, then I think QF is saying "credit to their program, not ours"

International points earning seems to be up, in most cases: SYD-SIN used to be ~3900 points (Y) or ~5000 (J), and is now up to 5200 (Flex Y) and 9100 (Flex J)

 

[PaulC83]

Red Roo, I have been returning my loyalty to Qantas as I have felt recently service and treatment as a WP has in my experience improved vastly in recent times, but these changes will definitely see me especially international travel go elsewhere, I am sure the business has its reasons but I don't think these changes will go down well, unless other programs change I think these changes will certainly take away inherent loyalties.

 

[spentan]

Absolutely disgusted with the new changes,

as a QF WP for the last 4 years, I will be moving to AA and SQ.

Why does Qantas have to penalize its most loyal customers? I'll have 1.4million points to burn, and then no more earning to qantas.

Absolute joke QF. Red Roo, please relay our concerns to management, not that they give a flying f*ck

 

[mannej]

A simpler way to fly - how so?

 

[nonpop]

How do QF know when you booked your flights with partner airlines?

So I have OW partner airline bookings (direct with the OW metal carrier) ... QF are my SCs protected at the time I made the booking ?

When I made the OW partner booking I quote my QF number and had everything credit to QF.
If this isn't the case then not happy as I played by the rules at time of booking.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Wow. Pretty much all of my core earning is impacted by this:

1. "Status bonus stays the same" - except as a WP paying for First where you used to get 100% of the F points as a bonus but you now get 100% of the Y points. So actually that's a 50% reduction in status bonus.

You sure about that? I thought status and cabin bonus were all calculated off the mileage of the flight (aka the 1:1 you'd get as a NB in Y) - so it's still 100% of miles + 100% cabin

 

[Comoman]

You still get benefits flying on partner airlines. However if you want to fly a lot on CX or MH or AA, then I think QF is saying "credit to their program, not ours"

International points earning seems to be up, in most cases: SYD-SIN used to be ~3900 points (Y) or ~5000 (J), and is now up to 5200 (Flex Y) and 9100 (Flex J)

I have no other reasonable option out of Perth but to fly CX or MH.

The whole thing sucks. Where is Perth on the new earning table anyway?

 

[Turbo-g]

I personally have had a bad taste of QF FF after cancelling the only QF international flights out of Perth. My work will still fly me QF as the VA connections arent up to speed, as of yet....but when they do VA all the way. I feel my move to UK in the pending year will have a drastic effect on my money spend over the next few years. I will watch QF struggle i think..good luck everyone in this debacle!!

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

You still get benefits flying on partner airlines. However if you want to fly a lot on CX or MH or AA, then I think QF is saying "credit to their program, not ours"

International points earning seems to be up, in most cases: SYD-SIN used to be ~3900 points (Y) or ~5000 (J), and is now up to 5200 (Flex Y) and 9100 (Flex J)

Wow, those couple of thousand points almost make up for the huge losses in status credits...