July2010 changes.

[Warks]

I'm surprised it wasn't sold as an 'enhancement'.

"To serve you better we've decided that you don't like using old stale points and prefer to use up your fresh ones so we've brought forward the use-by date by 18 months in line with industry standards."

 

[ejb]

I'm surprised it wasn't sold as an 'enhancement'.

"To serve you better we've decided that you don't like using old stale points and prefer to use up your fresh ones so we've brought forward the use-by date by 18 months in line with industry standards."

In all fairness to QFF, no one could consider these changes bad. With EDR most people could have activity every week. 18 months without activity would be very hard for most people.

ejb

 

[Mal]

18 months without activity would be very hard for most people.

based in Australia.

Overseas it's a totally different game.

 

[simongr]

I am unsure on the 18 month thing - yes it is easy to maintain if in Oz and to a certain extent if you aren't in Oz then the only way to earn points is through flying.

I don't think this will lad to a massive improvement in the bottom line for QF as people who don't use points in 18 month are unlikely to use them in 3 years - so they would have expired anyway.

What this will give is a one off benefit to the QF P&L in that they will get to write off points that they expected write off in the future... I am wondering if someone's bonus was getting impacted thus precipitating the need for a change...

 

[samh004]

I just got the aforementioned letter. I thought the way it laid everything out, especially the point earning, was pretty good. Never seen it laid out like this before.

It lists all the points earned from different services and also shows me how I’ve used my points (in my case I haven’t done a thing).

I haven’t seen such an easy to read statement before, so hope it’s not just something they cooked up to help with advising me of the program changes. It’s something I’d like to see again.

 

[ejb]

based in Australia.

Overseas it's a totally different game.

Except if you have a AMEX/VISA/MCARD that can transfer to QF.

Most people living out of oz and QFF members would surely return to oz once every 18 months, and on that trip can buy a carton of VB and earn 4 points therefore saving their QFF points.

ejb

 

[medhead]

What this will give is a one off benefit to the QF P&L in that they will get to write off points that they expected write off in the future... I am wondering if someone's bonus was getting impacted thus precipitating the need for a change...

I'm not sure they can write any points off early. The letters my kids got say that any poins earnt beofer 30 June 2010 will still have a 3 year expiry. It is only the points earnt after 1 july 2010 that have an 18 month expiry. So for 3 years we are going to have 2 lots of points with different expiry periods.

I dare say this might even involve extra work accounting for points usage. Do the T&C specifiy which points are used when redeeming?

 

[Mal]

So for 3 years we are going to have 2 lots of points with different expiry periods.

I don't think that is the case. The revised T&C's state:

Note: With effect from 1 July 2010:
(a) if a Member does not earn or redeem any Points after 30 June 2010, the Points earned before 1 July 2010 will not expire until three years after the date of the last activity on that Member's account.
(b) if a Member does earn or redeem any Points after 30 June 2010, the Member's Points will expire three years from the date of the Member's last activity before 1 July 2010 or 18 months from the last date the Member earned or redeemed Points after 30 June 2010, whichever is the later.

 

[medhead]

I don't think that is the case. The revised T&C's state:

Ahh, should have read that better
So there is like a 3 year transistion, with some people not having the 18 month thing fully applying until June 2013.

i.e. I usually have a card credit around 20th of the month so my points can't expiry until 20 june 2013. If I stopped accuring points after July 2010 for some reason, or even after December 2011 (or something like that)

 

[dajop]

It would seem odd to not alter points required for any seat awards within the same notice period, if a change to the award costs is indeed imminent. Perhaps they're doing stuff in phases to soften us up for any such measures in the works which would probably be in the next round of enhancements.

There is actually no need to notify of any changes to costs of anyseat awards as there is no published rates, indeed the T&C indicate the following:

15.1.1 The number of Points required to redeem an Any Seat Award (and the Fare Conditions applicable to them) vary. The number of Points required for ... an Any Seat Award are those described at the time that the Member makes a booking.
15.1.2 There is no fixed relationship between the cash price charged by the applicable airline for a seat and the points required to redeem Any Seat Awards ...

Despite 15.1.2, there does seem to be a relationship valuing FF points at somewhere between 0.8 and 1.1 c per point depending on route. This could easily be changed, and no-one (other than keen AFF'ers who might track these sort of things) would be any the wiser.

However, I remain optimistic, simply because QFF is not a frequent flyer program any more (at least on the points earning side it isn't - obviously on status side it is) - it is a frequent spender program. It is now competing with the likes of Amex and Altitude Rewards who do allow "anyseat" style redemptions, basically at the value of 1c per point for commercially available fares either directly through the cards programmes TA or through purchase of gift vouchers for use at other travel agents. These of course offer FF points and status credits - so I see this change as bringing QFF in line with the other credit card programmes out there. Will wait and see!

 

[odysseus]

Ihaven’t seen such an easy to read statement before, so hope it’s not just something they cooked up to help with advising me of the program changes. It’s something I’d like to see again.

I just got it today but wasn't really a fan. It's fine for a summary overview, but there was too much marketing speak and gloss and too little detail to make it useful.

 

[serfty]

... Don't think the P, U, X and Z were there before.

They have been in the T&C's since early this year when Qantas introduced E class for red e-deals.

 

[serfty]

I just got the aforementioned letter. I thought the way it laid everything out, especially the point earning, was pretty good. Never seen it laid out like this before.

It lists all the points earned from different services and also shows me how I’ve used my points (in my case I haven’t done a thing).

I haven’t seen such an easy to read statement before, so hope it’s not just something they cooked up to help with advising me of the program changes. It’s something I’d like to see again.

I do hope this new mailing is not the statement.

If it is I actually found it to be the opposite - in fact it's horrible!

I like to see it all laid out transaction by transaction.

I do note the following "Points are as to 17/11/2009 ..." - it does not even give a list by calendar month.

In reality it is more like a brochure - easily confused with junk mail.

 

[markis10]

I am unsure on the 18 month thing - yes it is easy to maintain if in Oz and to a certain extent if you aren't in Oz then the only way to earn points is through flying.

Should not be that hard for an overseas resident to add some points every 18 months, a quick car rental or hotel stay will easily do that, or the transfer of points from a hotel program. Most people would have some connection to someone in Australia, a quick order of roses for instance would also do the trick, if you are not renting cars or staying in hotels once in 18months then I am not sure a frequent flyer program offers any value!

 

[samh004]

I do hope this new mailing is not the statement.

If it is I actually found it to be the opposite - in fact it's horrible!

I like to see it all laid out transaction by transaction.

I forgot about the transaction by transaction layout actually, that is quite useful, but I did like the overview it gave of where different points came from, so I hope they at least keep that somewhere.

 

[creeno]

Use it or lose it: Qantas tightens frequent flyer scheme

From SMH:

Qantas Frequent Flyer points to expire in half the time

Qantas frequent flyer points will expire in half the time after the airline tightened up its lucrative rewards scheme.
From July 1 next year, the scheme's six million members will have to use their points more regularly or lose them within 18 months, down from the current shelf life of three years.

 

[straitman]

Re: Use it or lose it: Qantas tightens frequent flyer scheme

From SMH:

Qantas Frequent Flyer points to expire in half the time

From July 1 next year, the scheme's six million members will have to use their points more regularly or lose them within 18 months, down from the current shelf life of three years.

I am not sure USE points is necessarily the right description :!:

 

[ejb]

Re: Use it or lose it: Qantas tightens frequent flyer scheme

I am not sure USE points is necessarily the right description :!:

It does seem to be a very biased story. You only need to spend $31 every 18 months at Wollies and you are fine but they make out that the points will be taken off you after 18 months.

Also to be a major story on smh.com.au it must be a slow news day:shock:

ejb

 

[drron]

Re: Use it or lose it: Qantas tightens frequent flyer scheme

From SMH:

Qantas Frequent Flyer points to expire in half the time

Well the SMH is becoming more and more like nonews.Sloppy journalism.If you want you can keep your points for 30 years as long as activity every 18 months.
Was just thinking the story could be headlined-Status Credits now Last 66% the time of points before Expiry instead of 33%.

 

[straitman]

Re: Use it or lose it: Qantas tightens frequent flyer scheme

Was just thinking the story could be headlined-Status Credits now Last 66% the time of points before Expiry instead of 33%.

They can't print that as it almost sounds positive :!: