Lunch with Lesley

[Paddy55]

Red Roo

Thanks for the opportunity, especially it comes on the back of an announcement on program changes that aren't pleasing to me and some others... but kudos where it's due!

Questions sent by PM

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

G'day Red Roo,
I take my hat off to Qantas for putting on this event, in the current environment, despite the announcement on changes to the points earn on the QFF program.... Many of which are not popular with members on this forum.
Hosting the lunch is a bold decision to have made , which shows that the company is prepared to listen to members of this forum's concern's.

Regrettably I will be working on the 8th & really would have loved to have entered this competition although I won't be able to "wing" a day off, but best wishes to all those who enter!

I look forward to reading who the lucky winners are !

 

[VC10]

I have my 3 very pertinent questions, have been a QF frequent flyer for many years, have been a member of other FF schemes since they were invented (eg Pan Am) but because I have a life and don't spend it posting to this forum I can't participate.

QF/Red Roo - any comments?

 

[FuzzyAUS]

I have my 3 very pertinent questions, have been a QF frequent flyer for many years, have been a member of other FF schemes since they were invented (eg Pan Am) but because I have a life and don't spend it posting to this forum I can't participate.

QF/Red Roo - any comments?

VC10, why dont you think you can participate?

 

[Katie]

I believe Red Roo is a Dame rather than a Sir.

Red Roo can be either,depending on who's on duty at the time. It's a credit to to the QF social media team that so many AFF members detect a consistent voice and presume Red roo's sex.

 

[ketsuzei]

I have my 3 very pertinent questions, have been a QF frequent flyer for many years, have been a member of other FF schemes since they were invented (eg Pan Am) but because I have a life and don't spend it posting to this forum I can't participate.

QF/Red Roo - any comments?

Can't you ask a moderator to PM on your behalf?

 

[anat0l]

Questions are
...

QFF ######

You might like to use the PM (Private Message) function to send these questions to Red Roo. As well as remove your QFF number from the public record.

 

[JessicaTam]

I won't be able to attend, however i look forward to hearing details of the discussion.

 

[drewbles]

I believe Red Roo is a Dame rather than a Sir.

Red Roo is actually multiple people, both male and female

 

[Happy Trails]

Red Roo is actually multiple people, both male and female

I too have days like that.

 

[NM]

I have my 3 very pertinent questions, have been a QF frequent flyer for many years, have been a member of other FF schemes since they were invented (eg Pan Am) but because I have a life and don't spend it posting to this forum I can't participate.

QF/Red Roo - any comments?

Can't you ask a moderator to PM on your behalf?

Indeed you can. Anyone, regardless of the number of posts made, can send a PM to any moderator or to Admin. We would be very happy to forward such PM to Red Roo for you. VC10 is only post shy of being able to send the PM directly.

The only limitation placed upon entry was that you need to have been an AFF member for at least 3 months.

Note that PM restrictions for members with low post count is part of the protections in place to protect members from SPAM. For legitimate needs, PMs can always be forwarded via a Moderator or Admin. I also note that the VC-10 was aircraft type that carried my on my first international flight almost 40 years ago.

 

[Melburnian1]

I'll be in Istanbul at the time as well, so can't have a crack, but a question about Qantas' continual need to try and re-invent the English language or create new meanings for simple, long standing words might be worthwhile... Its bad enough when people feel annoyed about changes, but this transparent BS of using weasel words patently makes some people feel like they are being lied to or treated as idiots (with doubly negative results)... So just STOP IT, you're not doing yourselves any favours...!

The airline industry is replete with such euphemisms. QF and other airlines do not ever say 'the plane failed' as is the expression on railways and other surface modes of transport; instead, QF or aircraft boffins say 'the plane went tech.' The latter is not even good English!

Similarly, the airline industry says 'a plane was ferried' when it ran without passengers to another airport.

Red Roo, one difficulty with such a lunch. The QF and some other FF schemes are so complex - probably deliberately so - that no executive or single staff member could understand everything.

So if Ms Grant has technical questions bowled at her, how does she avoid just giving 'motherhood type statements' as answers? Granted, she may also have questions such as the one above about the 'vision' for QFF, or the rationale behind the recent changes, but I bet some technical questions are asked.

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

I won't be entering the competition, but as a matter of general interest, I would have liked to have asked Ms Grant:

1) Has there been research done that quantifies how much of a premium various customer segments are prepared to pay for QFF reward perks? In particular, have the recent changes been made based on a validated model that proves (to the extent that such a thing can be proven in advance) that customer purchasing behaviour will not adversely change, or even change for the better? Ie, that enough people will pay the - now even higher - price needed to attain various statuses, to offset those that will stop the Qantas status chase and leave the programme or settle for a lower tier? OR were the changes made with the end-goal predetermined and mandated by senior management - eg, "Go forth and make changes to reduce costs/liabilities by X% in your division... and hope that customers don't walk away as a result?"

2) What were the major alternatives to the latest set of changes that were considered and why were they rejected? For instance, was simply lifting the minimum number of SCs flown on Qantas for each tier an option, analogous to the P1 requirement? Eg Platinum - 1400 SCs to attain, of which 1000 SCs need to be through Qantas marketed flights. This would have the effect of driving members onto QF metal/code-shares and/or into higher classes (which appears to be one of the aims of the changes) in an arguably simpler, more elegant way than the convoluted partner tables now being implemented. Of course every option has advantages and disadvantages, but what were the criteria by which these were assessed?

3) To what extent do you consider Qantas Loyalty to be a B2C business vs a B2B business? How do you balance consumer satisfaction and requirements against programme partner satisfaction and requirements in the event there is a conflict? (Put more cynically: to what extent are the 9 million FF members actually the product you sell to your programme partners who, I assume, provide most of the programme's revenue?)

4) In broad but concrete strokes, what is your vision for Qantas Loyalty three, five, ten years from today? By "concrete" I mean, no airy fairy stuff like "Customers will feel emotionally attached to Qantas and want to hold hands with us" but something along the lines of, for instance, "We're likely to have separate loyalty programmes aimed at individuals, SMEs and large corporates" (a path that Acquire could be a stepping stone for). Or "The concept of broad programme tiers may be replaced by a modular, pick-the-perks-of-your-choice and construct-your-own tailored programme approach". Or "In the future airline loyalty will have to go both ways".

Really Good detailed Questions!

Are you sure you won't enter?

Your level of detail in your questions are superb!

 

[AirKat]

Red Roo can be either,depending on who's on duty at the time. It's a credit to to the QF social media team that so many AFF members detect a consistent voice and presume Red roo's sex.

I was only presuming given I've met two ladies at different QF events who have introduced themselves as Red Roo. So there may be a Sir... but these ladies were certainly not.

 

[Orca]

I would really love to enter, but I fear I would be starstruck to a debilitating level...

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

Really Good detailed Questions!

Are you sure you won't enter?

Heh, thank you. I enjoy a good feed on someone else's dime, but generally prefer to stay in my dank and dark cave rather than venture out to brave the sunlight.

But feel free to copy and paste any three of the questions into your PM.

 

[EmilyHoward]

I too have days like that.

Both male and female.....interesting

EH

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Heh, thank you. I enjoy a good feed on someone else's dime, but generally prefer to stay in my dank and dark cave rather than venture out to brave the sunlight.

But feel free to copy and paste any three of the questions into your PM.

I am not going to enter due to work commitments, but had i have entered, i might have been very tempted to plagiarise your Excellent Questions.

 

[Brettmcg]

Questions submitted! I hope to be in with a chance!

 

[QF WP]

I believe Red Roo is a Dame rather than a Sir.

Don't be so sure