Heads up about program changes

[amaroo]

I don't think they are. There's fairly extensive stuff on FT regarding the non-enforcement of the rule.
Minimum number of AA metal segments to earn / keep status - Page 3 - FlyerTalk Forums
This may of course be subject to change with the US merger but I doubt it.

It wouldn't be the best feeling to do the 100 sectors or mile target and then fail to receive any status.....very risky IMHO. I wouldn't go near it - YMMV

OT It's a nasty taste when it happens. A couple of years ago my kids racked up >1000SC each on BA and CX. QF didn't give a rats......I knew it would be the case but when the kids are aged under 10 doing four status runs would be a total wank.

 

[codash1099]

Apologies, I'd did indeed miss that bit. I didn't deliberately edit it out though! That's the crux of the issue though. The cost of MASAs to QF is not simply (or even primarily) the seat you occupy on the plane - but numerous people on this thread are talking like it is. The issue for them is as Red Roo explained at the start - people are getting a short cut to status (which costs QF money) without giving them sufficient revenue in return. That is a perfectly plausible and logical explanation IMHO.

Clearly lots of people think that QF is wrong (and/or lying about the reason for this change). The fact is though, I don't think any of them are in a position to know whether MASAs were profitable or not, whereas QF is in a position to know that. Additionally, if indeed MASAs were profitable for QF, what do you think the real reason is for getting rid of them? Deliberately trying annoy people and/or lose money?

Without MASAs, people will either burn more points on Classic awards, Points+pay or at the QF store, all of which are better for QF. Even better, you could die before using them, which turns it into 100% profit for them.

 

[Jack_OC]

I can't answer for everyone but I will answer from my point if view.
MASA's were an excellent use of points. I never needed any of them for status. I have flown approximately 8 flights over 3 years and have another return flight booked in June. I booked them as the company I was travelling for would only pay for Y and I preferred to travel in J at my own expense. The upside being that I had SC going to my lifetime tally and I travelled in comfort. Now that they are gone I will split my bookings between QF and VA and upgrade using points.

There are lots of impressions that one may take from reading the forum but the reality can be somewhat different.

What I don't get though, is why would you pay extra for a MASA rather than booking a Classic Award if you didn't care about status? And to turn that around, you can still book Classic Awards, so what have you lost?

 

[Himeno]

my question is if QF does go belly up and as a result so does QFF what happens to all our points earned through EDR (that have been transferred automatically to QFF), will Woolworth step up and give us the EDR component of points back as a sign of goodwill, or will it be too hard, too bad so sad and 9 million + even further unhappy customers.

They might. If they didn't, they would be likely to take a hit from the unhappy customers. I do see a lot of Qantas FF shopping at the WoW store I work at. (Also once saw someone shopping wearing a pair of QF pajamas)
But it would be up to the WoW "bean counters" in Bella Vista to decide in the event QF were to die.

 

[amaroo]

this might be to my advantage (conditions apply).

You are not the only one!

 

[Archphoto]

What I don't get though, is why would you pay extra for a MASA rather than booking a Classic Award if you didn't care about status? And to turn that around, you can still book Classic Awards, so what have you lost?

IIRC you gained SCs & FFP on MASA, whereas on Classic Awards, you burn your points with none of these offered.

 

[amaroo]

Without MASAs, people will either burn more points on Classic awards, Points+pay or at the QF store, all of which are better for QF. Even better, you could die before using them, which turns it into 100% profit for them.

I'm already there. My ratio classic/ASA is sitting around 30/1 The best thing about classic awards - you don't have to fly QF

 

[Princess Fiona]

What I don't get though, is why would you pay extra for a MASA rather than booking a Classic Award if you didn't care about status? And to turn that around, you can still book Classic Awards, so what have you lost?

Because as I stated, all of the SC earnt on those flights went to my lifetime tally. The extra payments were minimal in most cases $100 -$150 more per flight.
I haven't "lost" anything and I never said that I did.
I'm one of the people who think it was always totally unsustainable to rely on multi-segment ASA's to attain/retain status from the point of view of both pax and QF.
The reason I replied to your OP was to illustrate that MASA's were not exclusively used as a tool to retain/attain status.

 

[amaroo]

What I don't get though, is why would you pay extra for a MASA rather than booking a Classic Award if you didn't care about status? And to turn that around, you can still book Classic Awards, so what have you lost?

LT status collecting?

 

[Princess Fiona]

It wouldn't be the best feeling to do the 100 sectors or mile target and then fail to receive any status.....very risky IMHO. I wouldn't go near it - YMMV

OT It's a nasty taste when it happens. A couple of years ago my kids racked up >1000SC each on BA and CX. QF didn't give a rats......I knew it would be the case but when the kids are aged under 10 doing four status runs would be a total wank.

I'm not going near it. 100K BIS in whY holds no appeal for me I'm not really concerned with burn rates on QF as I use the vast majority of my points for upgrades.

The linked thread demonstrates that AA are not like BA/QF in regards to the sector rule.

 

[Princess Fiona]

LT status collecting?

Bingo :!: :idea:

 

[boomy]

Without MASAs, people will either burn more points on Classic awards, Points+pay or at the QF store, all of which are better for QF. Even better, you could die before using them, which turns it into 100% profit for them.

Don't know about everyone else but I usually burn my points on long haul upgrades. If you don't need to chase status this is the best use of points IMO. I don't care how much profit QF make on that as long as I can lie flat*.
*sometimes angled.

 

[Jack_OC]

Because as I stated, all of the SC earnt on those flights went to my lifetime tally. The extra payments were minimal in most cases $100 -$150 more per flight.
I haven't "lost" anything and I never said that I did.
I'm one of the people who think it was always totally unsustainable to rely on multi-segment ASA's to attain/retain status from the point of view of both pax and QF.
The reason I replied to your OP was to illustrate that MASA's were not exclusively used as a tool to retain/attain status.

So you were actually motivated by status - it just happens that in your case it was lifetime status rather than annual status.

I appreciate that in your case you may not have actually attained your desired lifetime status by using MASAs, but I think my original assumption remains broadly valid, that MASAs were primarily used to chase status.

 

[equus]

Why else would someone book a MASA? That's a genuine question btw, if I've missed something please set me straight.

JASA domestic were 100% fully refundable if cancelled. Classic J had a points penalty. If wanting to lock in the booking, but with a substantial chance of needing to cancel, JASA made a lot of sense, as nothing ends up lost, and the "award" J flight was locked in whilst available.

 

[Archphoto]

So you were actually motivated by status - it just happens that in your case it was lifetime status rather than annual status.

I appreciate that in your case you may not have actually attained your desired lifetime status by using MASAs, but I think my original assumption remains broadly valid, that MASAs were primarily used to chase status.

Which they've now watered down aka "Points+Pay" - but costs you considerably more points than the MASA did (from memory). I guess in retrospect their removing MASAs from online to phone bookings only (and the addition of P+P) should have sent our "Spidey-senses tingling", a lot more than it did.

Now does the removal of MASAs mean that more seats are going to be available for Classic or P+P Award seats?? (I think I already do know the answer to that question, but thought I'd throw it out there for discussion.):mrgreen:

 

[Princess Fiona]

So you were actually motivated by status - it just happens that in your case it was lifetime status rather than annual status.

I appreciate that in your case you may not have actually attained your desired lifetime status by using MASAs, but I think my original assumption remains broadly valid, that MASAs were primarily used to chase status.

No, I was not motivated by status I was motivated by value in points and dollars. You are forgetting that the points cost for an ASA is actually less than a Classic Award due to points earned on the fare.
Your original assumption that MASA's were exclusively used to attain status was wrong and I have explained why from my point of view.

 

[amaroo]

I'm not really concerned with burn rates on QF as I use the vast majority of my points for upgrades.

I agree with the burn rate. I'm a little different as it's classic first and then upgrades. These things happen when you travel in a family pack!

 

[Jack_OC]

No, I was not motivated by status I was motivated by value in points and dollars. You are forgetting that the points cost for an ASA is actually less than a Classic Award due to points earned on the fare.
Your original assumption that MASA's were exclusively used to attain status was wrong and I have explained why from my point of view.

Bizarre! You said yourself:

Because as I stated, all of the SC earnt on those flights went to my lifetime tally. The extra payments were minimal in most cases $100 -$150 more per flight.

And when Amaroo speculated that you were "lifetime status collecting" you replied "Bingo".

Now you're saying it had nothing to do with SCs???

 

[Mr_Orange]

I'd also like to know what fare bucket i'm booking *before* I pay.

If you use Firefox, and Greasemonkey, try this: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....gram/qf-booking-class-22124-2.html#post849536.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Bizarre! You said yourself:



And when Amaroo speculated that you were "lifetime status collecting" you replied "Bingo".

Now you're saying it had nothing to do with SCs???

No I'm saying that SC collecting was not the prime motivation. Which is what your original question was.