Heads up about program changes

[Flying mermaid]

Well, 'enhancements' have been rolling out steadily for a while now.

WP Anytime access is gone
JASA/MASA's are now going, going, gone
New SC earning table (more than likely people will earn less SC's)

It almost seems like QF have a 'anti-fun' brigade and if there is a good thing going, they stop/shut it down.

We only really have 1 alternative (Virgin), but for Int, there seems to be more options.

So, is there anything worthwhile to keep people to stay with QF?

The pilots?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Yes I was just looking at that since I am Platinum with both programs. 1200 to renew Qantas and 800 to renew Virgin. The family pooling and top level car rental and hotel programs status and 4 upgrade per year. Does make it simpler. VA has a simple table of the status credits earns, Qantas has a chart which requires an intensive weekend course just to understand. As well the Virgin booking system is quite useable whereas the Qantas booking system is still poorly designed and not very user friendly. I have loyalty to Qantas but starting to see more value in the VA program now.

I agree you with the addition of one point and the exception of another. Prior to today's announcement QF was an integral part of One World. This is something that VA have never had in any alliance except in piecemeal fashion.
Today QF have killed off the integrity of that alliance and given time it may well be destroyed.
The VA booking engine is anything but user friendly, QF may well let the interns in Job Experience responsible for the new Earning Tables let loose on their currently IMHO booking engine (but I hope not!)

 

[gwilli1]

I have to admit , I am happy to be in the VA camp at the moment . I don't know how you all are getting your head around these changes , its quite extensive . I was always going to consider the move back to QF at some point when personal circumstances allowed , but will now have second thoughts and spend some time looking and the pros/cons when the time comes.

 

[awilcockson]

Maybe because Qantas hardly flies anywhere now.

This.

Wonder big the bonus was for the guys who came up with this strategy "Let's give away all our routes forcing people onto other carriers ... and then to top it off let's cut the FFP/SC earn on partner airlines!"

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

If these are the sorts of changes QFF is forced to make, the actual flying business must be in REAL trouble.

Still, thanks for the heads up Red Roo. I have just changed my QFF to my AAdvantage number on a couple of stray upcoming OW airline bookings. Phew!

 

[TonyDoh]

As a P1 until well into next year, I will be staying with Qantas for the foreseeable future. I know I will not requalify for P1 next year after these enhancements, but am hopeful I can maintain WP in the longer term. Being a self-funded customer with a lot of QFF points saved up, I can see myself doing many classic award flights across the next year or two to run my points balance down to a more reasonable level.

I think the aim of this move from Qantas is obvious. Most of my recent flights have seen very high passenger loadings, but in considering the almost end-to end Qantas sales, particularly on domestic routes, it is fairly obvious that a substantial majority of those travelling in economy are doing so on very cheap fares. These moves are aimed at securing a substantial lift in the average fare being paid by passengers on these flights.

I can see the logic of this concept, but I question the practicality of this in the real world. I can see that reducing the frequent flyer benefits for those travelling on the lowest fares will provide a mild disincentive to QFF members to travel on those fares.
What I don't understand is how this will convert to any substantial number of these QFF members agreeing to pay perhaps double the price of a red e-deal in order to receive perhaps 1200 QFF points rather than 800 on the lower fare. I can see many simply reducing their loyalty to Qantas and looking further afield to a much lower fare than QF, whether to Virgin, Tiger or Jetstar. The net effect may simply be reduced passenger loads on QF flights, with the average fare paid being marginally higher, not because everyone is falling over themselves to pay higher fares, but because many of the red e-deal passengers have defected elsewhere, with only a percentage of those defections being to Jetstar. The net effect may be no more net revenue for QF, and a weakening of the jewel in the QF crown, QFF.

I want to see QF survive and prosper in the future, but I don't think this latest move will help...

I

 

[awilcockson]

This is farcical, did QF let the work experience kid modify the website, or did they hire some web staff from VA?

The link to the "from 1 July points calculator" resolves to https://www.qantas.com.a/fflyer/do/dyns/initialPointsEarnedNew

OK, so adding the missing u after the .com.a give us https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/do/dyns/initialPointsEarnedNew which goes to a Qantas branded 404-Not found page .. seriously it shouldn't be that difficult.

 

[tyrolean]

Dear Red Roo,

I am (maybe was) a loyal QF flyer - even based in Europe.
You took away:
- The Status Bonus on BA
- Most of my codeshare flights
- The ability to fly between Germany and Singapore on QF code (I could do with EK, but the pricing is ridiculous).

So you already made it very hard to stay loyal.

When I fly with airberlin, I usually get 79 Miles (!) and 10SCs.
On most of the routes it stays the same.

My usual route MUC-TXL stays again the same.

But I have some other routes that really hurt:
Are you still in the Oneworld Alliance? Why cutting the SCs on some routes where I do not have the opportunity to fly with QF?
I need to travel to Hong-Kong, Seoul or Abu Dhabi from Germany. Why do you punish me on that routes? Since you pulled out the FRA-SIN and the LHR-SIN/HGK Flight there is no way that I could use your services on the flight?

About 700 Points until LTG. Then my personal reassessment of FFP starts. My choice will in between BA (LT-Emerald) or AA (Good Earning Rates, nice LT-Status), or AB (very risky, because closer to bankruptcy as QF!).

Still only Y Class is Full Economy on Partner Flights? Or do you plan the change to bring points and SCs between discount and full Economy rates in line on partner airlines? My AB Flex Tickets (bloody expensive) only earn 10SCs because the book in H and B and rarely in Y!

Regards from good old Europe

Tyrolean

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Interesting. I've read a mountain of post suggesting this is not the case. AA being one of the harder schemes to hit being an OZ flyer.

In 14 days I'll show you otherwise....

PS: Anyone want to know how their activity would stack up under another program? PM ME.

 

[medhead]

As a P1 until well into next year, I will be staying with Qantas for the foreseeable future. I know I will not requalify for P1 next year after these enhancements, but am hopeful I can maintain WP in the longer term. Being a self-funded customer with a lot of QFF points saved up, I can see myself doing many classic award flights across the next year or two to run my points balance down to a more reasonable level.

I think the aim of this move from Qantas is obvious. Most of my recent flights have seen very high passenger loadings, but in considering the almost end-to end Qantas sales, particularly on domestic routes, it is fairly obvious that a substantial majority of those travelling in economy are doing so on very cheap fares. These moves are aimed at securing a substantial lift in the average fare being paid by passengers on these flights.

I can see the logic of this concept, but I question the practicality of this in the real world. I can see that reducing the frequent flyer benefits for those travelling on the lowest fares will provide a mild disincentive to QFF members to travel on those fares.
What I don't understand is how this will convert to any substantial number of these QFF members agreeing to pay perhaps double the price of a red e-deal in order to receive perhaps 1200 QFF points rather than 800 on the lower fare. I can see many simply reducing their loyalty to Qantas and looking further afield to a much lower fare than QF, whether to Virgin, Tiger or Jetstar. The net effect may simply be reduced passenger loads on QF flights, with the average fare paid being marginally higher, not because everyone is falling over themselves to pay higher fares, but because many of the red e-deal passengers have defected elsewhere, with only a percentage of those defections being to Jetstar. The net effect may be no more net revenue for QF, and a weakening of the jewel in the QF crown, QFF.

I want to see QF survive and prosper in the future, but I don't think this latest move will help...

I

There is one reason and one reason alone they have back to back sales and possibly people travelling on cheap fares - The 65% line in the sand. The answer to that loss making, failure of a strategy is to kill the strategy, not screw your customers even more.

I absolutely reject your view that the passengers are travelling on very cheap fares. I surveyed all my known flights for July to the end of 2014 in the last 2 weeks. Qantas $160/189/229 except for 5 flights out of 48 at $119, VA $99/125. The most recent sale has seen Qantas top about 12 flights to $125 matching VA at $125. Compared to sub $100 that is not cheap. Meaning Qantas need an edge not a screw you to the customers.

 

[amaroo]

The pilots?

LOL It appears the legendary QF safety factor doesn't account for much these days!

 

[ozdunker]

Any suggestion that SC earns on Jetstar will now be automatic and not available at some crazy additional cost? The information I read said SC would be earned on Jetstar flights. That would at least be one benefit if that has changed.

 

[erkpod]

I have to admit , I am happy to be in the VA camp at the moment . I don't know how you all are getting your head around these changes , its quite extensive . I was always going to consider the move back to QF at some point when personal circumstances allowed , but will now have second thoughts and spend some time looking and the pros/cons when the time comes.

The next time someone has a sookylala about the VA earn tables being complicated to read, I'll remember my feeling when I first saw the new QF tables. Could they make it any more complicated?

 

[boomy]

Have a feeling of déjà vu with this thread.
I think we all knew that it was just a matter of time until it would happen and no point whinging about it too much now.
To those who want to "punish" QF and switch their loyalty to other programs I say please go ahead!
More availability on QF planes, better seat selection and more room in the lounges for those who stay.

 

[polardabar]

Oh man, and I was looking forward to becoming Gold and enjoying the privileges...

 

[JohnPhelan]

Just done an analysis of my last 12 months of flying, and compared that earn with what I would get under the new system.

Turns out that under the new system, I'd get exactly the same number of Status Credits, but thousands more points! So it's a win for me.

Seems the losers are those who fly a lot of domestic on red e-deals (sitting in Y) and those who do extensive international travel (on non-QF codeshares) on partner airlines.

 

[beardoc]

In 14 days I'll show you otherwise....

PS: Anyone want to know how their activity would stack up under another program? PM ME.

We need a thread which details which other OW options there are, and how easy it is to attain status, depending on what sort of flyer you are.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

We need a thread which details which other OW options there are, and how easy it is to attain status, depending on what sort of flyer you are.

I'll do you one better than a thread.

14 days mate. PM me to be on the beta list

 

[Isochronous]

Any suggestion that SC earns on Jetstar will now be automatic and not available at some crazy additional cost? The information I read said SC would be earned on Jetstar flights. That would at least be one benefit if that has changed.

Who cares? Nobody wants to fly the Orange Cancer anyway.

 

[QPProletarian]

Any suggestion that SC earns on Jetstar will now be automatic and not available at some crazy additional cost? The information I read said SC would be earned on Jetstar flights. That would at least be one benefit if that has changed.

Should always happen when you buy a JQ flight from QF website. I mean it costs more than the JQ website and you're unable to attach the SC bundle.. crazy.