Platinum "anytime" lounge Access ceases from 1 February 2011

[Princess Fiona]

I have to agree. If my local club came up with the NP offering that I have seen I would send it back on many occasions.

I agree I thought the degustation offering in F was an absolute shocker , and the most recent J menu I've experienced where you choose your base meat, pasta etc with choice of topping would be more at home in my local leagues club. Back OT thanks to Red Roo for continuing to participate in forum. I am hugely relieved at the re-instatement of arrivals/transfer +/- partner airline access and await the changes hinted at by Lindsay.

 

[QF WP]

So the party pies, dim sims, soup, cold meats, cheeses and accompaniments will be going up-market :shock:.

Well, I sampled enough tonight of all of those in the BNE QP - but you forgot the soup, bread/crackers and the other delights

 

[Australian]

I think he couldn't find his post.

Moody, there's been 30 replies since you last posted 3 hours ago, your original post was as quoted by oz_mark post #509.

yeah i know - this thread is doing my head in! it seems to be going round and around and around ... i was thinking when i read this yesterday - - that it was deja vu and was certain i had already read it before, and was wondering if i was losing my mind as i couldnt find it going back through all the other posts!!! (but later, found what i HAD read here ..) ... i'm beginning to wonder when it might be time to 'move on' ... hello ~

i agree it sucks having the 'anytime' reworked so it's anytime-with-restrictions, but, trying to look at the positive, (a) there are worse things they could have done! (b) they have made a concession/compromise and... perhaps most important ..

c) i think we now need to see what the other positive ('peace'?!) offerings are ... i put those 'quotes' there quite deliberately as i suspect whatever is to come is part of a larger plan, anyway (ie, was already planned, rather than a sweetener/back-track re: lounge) ... BUT my point is perhaps see these moves in light of the whole/bigger picture to get a better perspective on it, than being bogged down on 'a' particular thing

yes, i realise it's (clearly) important to a lot of us - whether an existing WP or aspiring to that tier - but RRoo's msg, and lindsay's, suggest there clearly is something 'positive' around the corner for the program ...

their intent has probably been to stage this in a way where these 'sticking points' are rolled out and everything settles, so whatever is eventually announced isn't marred by 'what's lost' -- again, clearly the 'enhancements' in the latest move have been, almost universally for all tiers, effectively 'downgrades' (ie, removing priority checkins, restricting anytime access, making ppl carry one (heavy) 32 kg bag as opposed to pieces, restricting anytime access (oh - did i say that already?!), etc) -- the only 'winners' really seem to be Gold ... if only because they've come out intact/unscathed from 'pre-enhancement'!

now that this is out of the way ... i have a feeling what is around the corner will be a genuinely positive 'enhancement' -- even though that word now strikes fear into me when i hear it in the same sentence as Qantas!!! but still, let's wait and see, i say!

 

[samh004]

So the party pies, dim sims, soup, cold meats, cheeses and accompaniments will be going up-market :shock:.

Well, I sampled enough tonight of all of those in the BNE QP - but you forgot the soup, bread/crackers and the other delights

I realise it’s a big thread and a lot has been said, but…

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Hate to point out the elephant in the room, however Red-Roo has not actually answered any questions or concerns of members on AFF. They have only told us how things are and how they will be in the future. No offer to address concerns, answer burning questions or actually listen to members in any way.

The standard response of 'this will be passed on', 'we value your thoughts/feedback', and 'the powers that be are watching and listening' are running dry. Even more so given this is a social platform where community engagement is required to gain credibility.

Just to be clear on my comments; I can get over QF de-valuing Platinum (many other airlines and CC programs in this country), what I can't get over is why there is no 2-way communication from QF. Telling us is one thing... giving real reasons why a change is made, so that we can try and understand the logic behind the decisions is all I'm after.

Clarity and honesty - is that too much to ask from a business that I'm investing my time and money into?

 

[simongr]

So the change back to access when flying same day wasn't a response to concerns raised?

 

[ReLoad]

I think we started a monster, I would like to add a new acronym to our stable.

NPPP - Neil Perry Party Pie

And for those that like to use it in a real world scenario:

Qantas would like to announce the new release of the now upgraded NPPP, often emblazoned with a rich tomato jus, and usually consumed with an amber ale.
These pastry encrusted, rich gravy sautéed, small beef medallions are only available to Qantas patrons with a Platinum status.

Please present your Platinum NPPP access card to the appropriate lounge dragon for your ticket to this culinary delight.

Oh and for the record I'm yet to see the NPPP on Iron Chef.

 

[markis10]

These pastry encrusted, rich gravy sautéed, small beef medallions are only available to Qantas patrons with a Platinum status.

Please present your Platinum NPPP access card to the appropriate lounge dragon for your ticket to this culinary delight.

Oh and for the record I'm yet to see the NPPP on Iron Chef.

And served with a JASA jus .

 

[dfcatch]

I'm not as optimistic as Red Roo or Lindsay on this one (no disrespect Lindsay).

You're welcome to prove me wrong fellas, but I think if members here think that there will be substantial "benefit additions" to WP benefits - I think we will all be sadly disappointed.

QF haven't just tweaked the benefits (as they have with baggage allowance). Rather, they have relaunched the "benefits" with fanfare, and a a significant relaunch of the "benefits website". I can't see them suddenly adding new items to the list.

What I think we'll see is:

- lounge refresh eg. Neil Perry Party Pies (this benefits all lounge users and is necessary on a regular basis, so not a WP benefit here

- perhaps changes to point redemption levels, or upgrade processes(these changes always benefit QF, but usually just devalue our points, also benefit all users so not a WP benefit here)

- any "truly additional" benefits that may be introduced may be accompanied by moving the WP goalposts further back. (therefore benefiting those that currently reach close to PG or better, but at a loss to those who just make WP… notwithstanding that they fly twice as much as SG).

The only things they may think about is SWU's or automatic upgrades for WP. I know someone suggested QF would never do this as they don't want premium pax suddenly flying on red e-deals and upgrading the same. But this ignores the fact that they (generally) had to fly premium cabins to earn WP in the first place. Therefore it doesn't hurt QF's revenue, rather, it truly rewards loyalty.

Companion redemptions are another area that they may think about.

So in summary (pay attention Red Roo), WP's don't just want a points bonus for flying twice as much as SG's. And they don't just want the same benefits they already earned at SG level, they want benefits that are exclusive to the WP level (eg. First Lounge access), they want things that make them feel rewarded for going the extra mile (or the extra 700 status credits).

If WP's just feel they are SG+, then they won't make the effort to actually earn WP.

 

[Leumas]

99% of SG and WP members mass more QFF Points faster than any other status tier. Through flying, these points directly contribute to QFF bottom line with Qantas essentially 'buying' points for the FF account. Also most higher end flyers spend more money in general for business and pleasure. More spend = more points on credit card.

So while I see where you're going with the `leeching` comment - it's simply not true because these members SPEND more (direct and indirectly through flights). If that wasn't enough - they also generate more $$ from flights for the Qantas Group as a whole than anyone else.

You're right, however, I was referring to Qantas Club as an entity in its own right, not referring/relating to QFF and certainly not QF (which is why in my previous post I also added if my assumptions were correct, it would be a very short-sighted view). If they didn't think that, we wouldn't be having this 50+ page thread in the first place.

Also, while one may argue, QFF or other business units may 'purchase' access to the QC's for SG and WP, that's a zero-sum game. It doesn't really benefit QF. QC, as its own entity, need to increase the number of members that pay up with cold hard cash. Money buys you love from QF, not loyalty.

Anyway, I've had my rants about this change. QF have made a compromise. If we like it, we can continue flying QF. Otherwise, vote with your wallets. Currently, I'm certainly liking QF a lot less than a couple of weeks ago. If QF is fine with that, then so be it. Let's hope there's a day where QF's spin machine can actually announce something to make me feel otherwise.

P.S. Does anyone actually care about Neil Perry's menu? It seems like every time QF's spin machine has nothing to say, they will roll out Neil Perry...

 

[ReLoad]

P.S. Does anyone actually care about Neil Perry's menu? It seems like every time QF's spin machine has nothing to say, they will roll out Neil Perry...

If its not Neil Perry its Marc Newson.

Either way its not tangible.

 

[TonyHancock]

If its not Neil Perry its Marc Newson.

Either way its not tangible.

Was Marc Newson the man wheeled out as the designer of the dreadful plastic boxed amenity kits that appeared in J a few years ago. What an "enhancement" they were. I remember begging for an economy kit because at least it had a toothbrush and toothpaste in it.

(If I remember correctly toothbrushes and toothpaste had to be issued separately because they would not fit into the cheap looking box and on at least two occasions they had run out!)

 

[DC3]

Marc Newson:

• industrial designer
• designed the FL in Sydney and the FL in Melbourne
• seating design for Qantas A380, including Good Design Award for the first class suites and economy seats
• seating design in new Qantas B737s (for 2011)

 

[TonyHancock]

Marc Newson:

• industrial designer
• designed the FL in Sydney and the FL in Melbourne
• seating design for Qantas A380, including Good Design Award for the first class suites and economy seats
• seating design in new Qantas B737s (for 2011)

.......and



took me ages to find a photo. I suspect Mr Newson had probably had most of them destroyed. (Photos and original cheap looking plastic boxes. )

 

[markis10]

.......and

View attachment 1317

took me ages to find a photo. I suspect Mr Newson had probably had most of them destroyed. (Photos and original cheap looking plastic boxes. )

Not quite:Civil Aviation News:Australian Designers Take to The Skies on Qantas

They were pulled within a week of Mr Dixon being given one on a flight in F.

 

[TonyHancock]

They were pulled within a week of Mr Dixon being given one on a flight in F.

mmmm then perhaps Mr Joyce should be prevented from entering any lounges unless he has a flight, with QF or associates, or Oneworld etc etc, on the day!!!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Wouldn't be a bad idea to throw together a WP wishlist & maybe Red Roo can take that cap in hand to the people who truly value the opinion & feedback of its members.

Could we collate the suggestions into a single post or Google doc for example & update it as trawling trough 50 plus pages of post is no easy task.

A couple of suggestions are:

* allow WP's once or twice a year to purchase a read e deal & be allowed to upgrade to business class if available at the time of booking even if no U class available, provided there were at least x amount of J class seats available in the cabin.

* or if WPs have purchased a higher fare in order to upgrade to J but miss out, then the difference between higher economy fare paid less the red e deal or cheapest economy level be refunded

* allow WPs to change redemptions withouth charging them a points deduction for the 'privilege' or at least allow the first change to be free instead of trying to extract money/points left right and centre to change.

* Maybe an incentive when reaching PG/LTG/WP status of a two for one points redemption offer in J class

Unless there is something to aim for once a higher status level is reached QF cannot expect members to keep ploughing money into the airline for zilch in return. There has to be a carrot and all there is right now is the stick.

There needs to be a table that clearly defines the increased benefits to members for attaining the next status level so that member knows that travelling on QF is money well spent not down the drain.

 

[MatF]

So the party pies, dim sims, soup, cold meats, cheeses and accompaniments will be going up-market :shock:.

Oh man, the party pies are the only reason I go into the SYD T2 QP in transit Friday evenings.

I could lose the soggy spring rolls though.

 

[JohnK]

P.S. Does anyone actually care about Neil Perry's menu? It seems like every time QF's spin machine has nothing to say, they will roll out Neil Perry...

Who is Neil Perry? Glad I have never bothered wasting my time finding out.

Oh, and I wouldn't want to take any credit for any meals that Qantas serves on domestic flights and international flights in economy.

 

[TonyHancock]

Who is Neil Perry?

Wasn't he the last English male tennis player to win Wimbledon?


I admit I'm vain, one dimensional, and egotistical! So consequently I would like to see a bigger difference between WP and SG.