Heads up about program changes

[katiebell]

To be fair to Lesley the email did say



" Dear Princess Fiona,

Today Qantas announced a range of measures to take $2 billion in costs out of the business over three years, including through deferring and selling aircraft, and significant job reductions.

I have received many questions both directly and through social media and wanted to reach out to you personally as a valued member.

These are tough but necessary measures to ensure a strong future for Qantas and our nearly 10 million Qantas Frequent Flyer members.

Let me assure you, however, that these measures will not impact your Qantas Points balance or cause your Qantas Points to expire."

The recent changes have not changed either of the above statements.

It's more what wasn't said in the email which makes it disingenuous.
Must have been swapping notes with Suzanne and the team at AA I think

I agree that the first part of the email is not affected by the recent changes: that is why I did not include it in the post. The bit I did quote seems much more like a QF enhancement in that it does not gel with what has happened and, as you say, reflects poorly on QF in light of everything that was not said.

A good business does not treat its 'valued member' as idiots. Or is 'valued' a QF enhancement for easy to con and deceive, not able to think and blindly accepting of whatever propaganda is sent to us?

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

I agree that the first part of the email is not affected by the recent changes: that is why I did not include it in the post. The bit I did quote seems much more like a QF enhancement in that it does not gel with what has happened and, as you say, reflects poorly on QF in light of everything that was not said.

A good business does not treat its 'valued member' as idiots. Or is 'valued' a QF enhancement for easy to con and deceive, not able to think and blindly accepting of whatever propaganda is sent to us?

I'm about 50,000 points short of 2 million, when I get over that 2015 is going to be full of Classic award flights,not chasing ASA'as anymore...why bother. I have a lot in Velocity and might then see what they can offer and switch all my cards.
Am I Robinson Crusoe in my thinking ?????
By the way before I get crucified for earning points from C/cards I do fly and do pay MYSELF not through or by a business. yes I did get a number of JASA's but I also contributed a lot of full fares as well.
Wonder if Qantas ever heard about "averaging and half of the cake beats none of it. My guess is for a lot of people Qantas will get none of it in the future and have all those profitable J seats empty rather than full of free-loaders ( like me I guess) paying less than full fare SOMETIMES !

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I'm about 50,000 points short of 2 million, when I get over that 2015 is going to be full of Classic award flights,not chasing ASA'as anymore...why bother. I have a lot in Velocity and might then see what they can offer and switch all my cards.
Am I Robinson Crusoe in my thinking ?????
By the way before I get crucified for earning points from C/cards I do fly and do pay MYSELF not through or by a business. yes I did get a number of JASA's but I also contributed a lot of full fares as well.
Wonder if Qantas ever heard about "averaging and half of the cake beats none of it. My guess is for a lot of people Qantas will get none of it in the future and have all those profitable J seats empty rather than full of free-loaders ( like me I guess) paying less than full fare SOMETIMES !

With that amount of points I would be FASAing still multiple times to LAX, LHR and HKG in forward bookings for the LTSCs, plus a final 'up yours' to QF 'loyalty'.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

Am I Robinson Crusoe in my thinking ?????

Not at all. The recent 'enhancements' at QF and AA underscore for me that hoarding a stash of points is pointless (pardon the pun):

- all my credit card spend now goes to non-airline programs which allow me flexibility in who I transfer them to. Direct crediting cards only increase the risk of your points devaluing.
- airline points will be used as soon as possible before the next round of devaluations
- I won't allow FF program earn to distract me from picking the most direct routes/best prices/best service airline for my travel.

That may result in less travel in the forward cabins, but I suspect I'll save money overall.

 

[amaroo]

I'm about 50,000 points short of 2 million, when I get over that 2015 is going to be full of Classic award flights,not chasing ASA'as anymore...why bother. I have a lot in Velocity and might then see what they can offer and switch all my cards.
Am I Robinson Crusoe in my thinking ?????
By the way before I get crucified for earning points from C/cards I do fly and do pay MYSELF not through or by a business. yes I did get a number of JASA's but I also contributed a lot of full fares as well.
Wonder if Qantas ever heard about "averaging and half of the cake beats none of it. My guess is for a lot of people Qantas will get none of it in the future and have all those profitable J seats empty rather than full of free-loaders ( like me I guess) paying less than full fare SOMETIMES !

Nothing wrong with booking flights to places you actually want to visit.....for most people that would be to destinations outside the extremely limited and boring QF schedule.

I plan to continue loading my QFF account with CC/ATO points......flying with cash is another matter!

 

[ketsuzei]

Now that SYD-NRT will earn the same as SYD-HKG and SYD-SIN, surely it would be simpler and fairer for a SYD-NRT classic award to be reduced to 30,000 in Y and 60,000 in J on a par with SYD-HKG and SYD-SIN?

I don't believe that it's all so delicately balanced that a change like that can't be implemented quickly *if* the will is there.

 

[medhead]

Now that SYD-NRT will earn the same as SYD-HKG and SYD-SIN, surely it would be simpler and fairer for a SYD-NRT classic award to be reduced to 30,000 in Y and 60,000 in J on a par with SYD-HKG and SYD-SIN?

I don't believe that it's all so delicately balanced that a change like that can't be implemented quickly *if* the will is there.

The reason given for delayed simplification of the award table was to make sure the cost didn't go up. Given your examples not increasing SYD-HKG suggests SYD-nrt should decrease. But perhaps the delay is because they're trying to work out how to not decrease routes as well.

 

[mrpooky]

Qantas seems to be holding to the line that these changes make it 'simpler' and 'fairer', with points and SC rewards based on spend. I was wondering why Qantas didn't make the earn actually based on spend, and do away with all of the 'simple' complicated tables.

As an example, why not just say that every $10 earns 1 SC and 100 points, regardless of the type of fare bought or what route one travels on?

Partners (whether One World or otherwise) could just be a multiplier to the base cost, so if Qantas wanted to promote itself over, Emirates over OW, have the base rate above used only for QF flights, then say a 1.25 multiplier for Emirates flights (so every $12.50 earns 1 SC and 100 points on Emirates flights), and a 1.5 multiplier for OW flights (so every $15.00 earns 1 SC and 100 points on other OW carriers' flights).

Status bonuses could then be applied to the base points as normal, and a minimum points reward applied as well.

This seems much simpler and fairer, not to mention a lot more predictable.

Just a thought ... .

mrpooky.

 

[FrankC]

Qantas seems to be holding to the line that these changes make it 'simpler' and 'fairer', with points and SC rewards based on spend. I was wondering why Qantas didn't make the earn actually based on spend, and do away with all of the 'simple' complicated tables.

As an example, why not just say that every $10 earns 1 SC and 100 points, regardless of the type of fare bought or what route one travels on?

Partners (whether One World or otherwise) could just be a multiplier to the base cost, so if Qantas wanted to promote itself over, Emirates over OW, have the base rate above used only for QF flights, then say a 1.25 multiplier for Emirates flights (so every $12.50 earns 1 SC and 100 points on Emirates flights), and a 1.5 multiplier for OW flights (so every $15.00 earns 1 SC and 100 points on other OW carriers' flights).

Status bonuses could then be applied to the base points as normal, and a minimum points reward applied as well.

This seems much simpler and fairer, not to mention a lot more predictable.

Just a thought ... .

mrpooky.

Interesting concept
Does QF always know how much a ticket is? (this is a genuine question)
I understand that a simple ticket that's bought from QF & travel on QF is quite easy for them to calculate, but those not bought from QF, do they always know how much I paid? And tickets with multiple legs on different airlines, how do you apportion that?

 

[SQ421]

I wonder how some people who bump up their SC's by flying on cheap J/F fares in Asia and the USA will cope?

I intend to make Qantas Platinum by those cheap J fares in Asia on Partner carriers. And tweak things around so I make it by spending even less $$ on QF than I presently do.

 

[tm.smile]

Well virgin bases their domestic earn rates on ticket cost so if assume there would be some way to figure it out. Not sure how it works if you bought it with a partner airline but it should be the same

 

[EmilyHoward]

To be fair to Lesley the email did say



" Dear Princess Fiona,

Today Qantas announced a range of measures to take $2 billion in costs out of the business over three years, including through deferring and selling aircraft, and significant job reductions.

I have received many questions both directly and through social media and wanted to reach out to you personally as a valued member.

These are tough but necessary measures to ensure a strong future for Qantas and our nearly 10 million Qantas Frequent Flyer members.

Let me assure you, however, that these measures will not impact your Qantas Points balance or cause your Qantas Points to expire."

The recent changes have not changed either of the above statements.

It's more what wasn't said in the email which makes it disingenuous.
Must have been swapping notes with Suzanne and the team at AA I think

... and she actually addresses you as "Princess Fiona" ! I never get an email addressed as "Dear Emily" or "Dear Ms. Howard"! LOL.

EH

 

[DC3]

... and she actually addresses you as "Princess Fiona" ! I never get an email addressed as "Dear Emily" or "Dear Ms. Howard"! LOL.

EH

HRH The Princess Fiona would be somewhat more appropriate, wouldn't it? QF knows nothing about royal protocol.

 

[JohnK]

No doubt all these cuts will force more customers to Virgin, and as a result customer numbers fall with QF, further compounding the original issue

I know you are probably talking about premium customers but what makes you think economy customers would flock to Virgin?

More consistent service? Better snacks? More refreshments? Most times you should feel privileged to receive just one but only between 5:00pm-7:00pm. Virgin needs to learn what service means. Not just for premium customers.

Is it just me or are the VA emails being sent out more often since the Qantas enhancements...?

What emails?

 

[Flashback]

I know you are probably talking about premium customers but what makes you think economy customers would flock to Virgin?

More consistent service? Better snacks? More refreshments? Most times you should feel privileged to receive just one but only between 5:00pm-7:00pm. Virgin needs to learn what service means. Not just for premium customers.


What emails?

I think you'll find Qantas are rather alone on this point. Trying getting more than 1 or 2 drinks from BA in whY on a circa 2 hour flight .. good luck!

 

[basso]

Qantas seems to be holding to the line that these changes make it 'simpler' and 'fairer', with points and SC rewards based on spend. I was wondering why Qantas didn't make the earn actually based on spend, and do away with all of the 'simple' complicated tables.

One of the attendees of the lunch touched on this in his blog:

It was outlined that they had looked at other models for points earn, including revenue-based points (similar to Virgin domestically, directly tieing points earned to the fare paid), but had put them to one side as doing that for international travel didn’t really work and they were keen to keep the ‘flow’ between the domestic and international earn rates – which I think is valid, and I’m glad it’s been clarified that this is definitely not something Qantas are considering for the time-being.

Qantas Frequent Flyer step up to answer questions about their recent changes, and hint at what

 

[JohnK]

I think you'll find Qantas are rather alone on this point. Trying getting more than 1 or 2 drinks from BA in whY on a circa 2 hour flight .. good luck!

The drinks were flowing on a TG flight BKK-SIN in economy. CX and SQ have been the same.

I don't understand why Virgin struggles to get through the service.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

The drinks were flowing on a TG flight BKK-SIN in economy. CX and SQ have been the same.

I don't understand why Virgin struggles to get through the service.

SQ's drink service on BKK-SIN is woeful. They do not have the full bar cart out and if you ask for something other than beer (i.e. not on the cart) you get a roll of the eyes. I have experienced this many times. You will struggle to get more than 2 drinks on SQ on BKK-SIN unless it's a very empty flight

TG on the other hand are quite good

 

[polardabar]

Same here. I've never gotten one that could be used when I was able to travel.

I'm actually traveling, but haven't received the offer. :shock:

 

[medhead]

I know you are probably talking about premium customers but what makes you think economy customers would flock to Virgin?

More consistent service? Better snacks? More refreshments? Most times you should feel privileged to receive just one but only between 5:00pm-7:00pm. Virgin needs to learn what service means. Not just for premium customers.

Better earn and cheaper fares are more than enough to attract Y passengers. There is about zero need for drinks on domestic flights on the golden triangle or even SYD/MEL to ADL.