Platinum "anytime" lounge Access ceases from 1 February 2011

[Leumas]

You do realise that this probably came about through those "useless" surveys - people like me saying they wanted something above platinum and probably saying they werent bothered by anytime access to the lounge (my preference is to fly OW in J int'l if I can, then fly in J (thus getting some lounge access) with someone else or not fly at all).

I think if you read more into this then they are rewarding the WP who they probably value more - the int'l J flyers. Overall over the past few years that travel experience has been greatly enhanced.

What I don't understand about the "I am going to switch to DJ" comments is that if you do switch you wont be getting any benefits surely? If people get to QF SG and then jump ship they wont be enjoying the benefits of SG.

Personally I will stick with QF dom as I get flexible fares anyway (soft budget this year) so the cost savings (which I do care about as I am a budget holder) arent that great.

I am really looking forward to better food in the J lounge and NGCI as these are real enhancements to me. If that is funded by someone else not getting free access to the lounge when not flying QF then I dont see an issue.

I do like the BA benefits of their super fliers - though comparing two simple DONE4s I would earn more SCs than TPs making those premium rewards pretty hard to catch...

FWIW, I've always been against having a level above WP or the concept of LTP. It's not beneficial to anyone in the long run. I've also said in the past that, I suspect QF expects a level of natural churning of WP's. As long as QF can get a certain number of new people coming in, they won't have a problem for people dropping out. These schemes are supposed to be a pyramid. Having a LTP level will just create a permanent liability for QF. Even if they do have a LTP, the benefits will gradually erode (as we see now even without a LTP level) to a point that it's worthless. The other option is to have a LTP level so high that it's kind of impossible to achieve, e.g., if they set a lifetime SC of 70000, apart from Kiwi Flyer or serfty, how many other people can have it? Even if there are, there're probably easier ways to look after them anyway (CL, anyone?).

I may be at a point (from QF's perspective), where I'm considered to be part of the natural churn. I'm a LTG and have requalified for WP several months ago. My travel is made up of a lot of domestic Y and a few international J and Y.

The way I see it is, I can spend the next year building status with another airline/alliance or continue with QF/OW. Even if I walk away from QF now, I'll still have a minimum level with them and with OW. I expect SG benefits to erode over time, but that will likely happen regardless of me sticking with QF or not.

Then you can ask, why am I annoyed about this change in WP now? The answer is I don't think the changes they're making actually solve the problem, as I see it. Perhaps QF see a different problem than I, and their solution is what we see now. If that's the case, then so be it.

 

[Alanslegal]

@pauly7 - I agree with your point that regular flyers (or alot of WPs) don't really care about anytime access but I think you miss the bigger point that the program "enhancement" means the DELETION of a benefit, not a gain.

As you say, and I agree, that alot of WP flyers won't use anytime access - it was still a benefit to them, and logically for little cost to QF - then really why remove it.

You say regular flyers care about other things, then QF should do that! Keep anytime access and ADD MORE. That's the real meaning of enhancing a program.

 

[medhead]

I think if you read more into this then they are rewarding the WP who they probably value more - the int'l J flyers. Overall over the past few years that travel experience has been greatly enhanced.

What I don't understand about the "I am going to switch to DJ" comments is that if you do switch you wont be getting any benefits surely? If people get to QF SG and then jump ship they wont be enjoying the benefits of SG.

Personally I will stick with QF dom as I get flexible fares anyway (soft budget this year) so the cost savings (which I do care about as I am a budget holder) arent that great.

I am really looking forward to better food in the J lounge and NGCI as these are real enhancements to me. If that is funded by someone else not getting free access to the lounge when not flying QF then I dont see an issue.

I'm a bit confused by this idea that they value some WPs over others. If thy is the case then they should change the status levels. Not devalue the benefits. QF is both a domestic and international airline, remember the merger with Australian.

It terms of switching, the benefit of SG will be enjoyed when flying QF. There is now no reason to go beyond SG as WP no longer sufficiently rewards the loyalty of taking double the number of flights with QF. I have enough flights a year that I reckon I can maintain gold with 2 airlines. If qantas doesn't want to let me into the lounge a hand full of times a year when I fly with another airline then I guess they don't want me to spend the extra $6000 a year to make platinum. Even if that $6000 does not equal gold with DJ the potential savings will cover the cost of paid lounge membership. Simply put I want to be comfortable everytime I fly. Qantas will stop offering that as a reward for my loyalty from Feb next year. :-|

Yet the cost saving between flexible fares is greater than the cheap fares that I normally buy.

Better food in the J lounge? Didn't see that mentioned in my email. In any case it will be paid for by you when you buy a ticket not by removing anytime access to the QP. That apparently is hardly used at all.

 

[markis10]

I'm a bit confused by this idea that they value some WPs over others.

If commercial sense, you treat the customers that give the highest yield with the best service, Crown have it down pat very nicely with their fleet of Gulfstreams for their whales, while QF has not gone to that level, its only natural for a WP who has been a WP for a while or who has racked up lots of J Int flights to be in front when it comes to who is getting the upgrade for instance.


I should not have been 10 months ago as I was on 120SC, it was my third year as gold after 7 years of being WP, I had not contact from Qantas, no please explain email, no forward plans email yet I was comp'd. That has to be an indication to me that QF look at lifetime value rather than just having a short term view when it comes to individual customers, however when it comes to making changes to the benefits, it seems to be very much short term value.

Then again for the past 12 or so years we had people who understood service running QF (mostly), the move to the top by the JQ/LCC based managers should have been seen as a red flag by anyone who values of the program as they stand or by someone expecting positive change.

 

[Ewing]

Removing J lounge anytime access might have been a softer intermediate step, rather than removing the benefit entirely.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but J lounge anytime access was never an official benefit anyway. The "lounge access" rules always stated that you must be flying to access the J lounge.

I've never actually tried using my anytime in the J lounge. As I stated, I use the lounges as an arrivals lounge and just want to freshen up and have something cold to drink - no more than ~10 mins - so I've always just gone into the QP.

 

[medhead]

If commercial sense, you treat the customers that give the highest yield with the best service, Crown have it down pat very nicely with their fleet of Gulfstreams for their whales, while QF has not gone to that level, its only natural for a WP who has been a WP for a while or who has racked up lots of J Int flights to be in front when it comes to who is getting the upgrade for instance.

Naturally. But my point stands if they are not happy with the benefits they are providing to the "low" yield WPs then change the qualification requirements. Besides this is not about the "secret" extras that are provided but about the basic published benefits. In any case isn't that also what PG and the 2400 SC levels are supposedly about.

 

[djfuzz]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but J lounge anytime access was never an official benefit anyway. The "lounge access" rules always stated that you must be flying to access the J lounge.

Correct - but it certainly was an unofficial benefit. Reverting to the official benefits certainly would have been a start if overcrowding was actually an issue.

I've certainly been in crowded J lounges this year during morning/evening peak, but never any that were close to completely full. And as you state, realistically there's little to no difference in the benefit itself - other than perhaps later barista service / earlier bar service - which works both ways, as both a nice added benefit in return for continued loyalty, at what I would have thought (obviously erroneously) to be relatively low cost.

 

[Ewing]

I've certainly been in crowded J lounges this year during morning/evening peak, but never any that were close to completely full.

I have - in BNE.

The last time it was in there it was standing room only, but the QP wasn't any better (I checked both). I did end up getting a seat - 20 minutes later (which was a few minutes before my flight boarded).

Having said that, I haven't been to BNE since May but I believe the lounge is larger now from what I've read on here

 

[Mal]

Having said that, I haven't been to BNE since May but I believe the lounge is larger now from what I've read on here

It's much bigger now, although I haven't looked during peak times to see how full it is.

 

[simongr]

So this is an enhancement This is one of the things I dont get - QF have upped their game in some areas - at the expense of others. Yet people just complain about the marginal benefits being eroded.

One question I might go back to QF about in next few months is where are the better benefits for WP. All the stuff about the fleet etc. are benefits for all pax - and the same goes for NGCI pretty much. I want to know what they are doing to improve the benefits for me as a loyal pax. They havent answered that question yet.

 

[djfuzz]

One question I might go back to QF about in next few months is where are the better benefits for WP. All the stuff about the fleet etc. are benefits for all pax - and the same goes for NGCI pretty much. I want to know what they are doing to improve the benefits for me as a loyal pax. They havent answered that question yet.

That's really the key issue.

OT but whatever happened to the supposed enhancements to the Intl J lounges, such as 'waiter service' they were bringing in? Never saw this, or any attempt to enhance the food offering at those lounges at all. Would have been nice if at the very least they improved the local Intl J lounges to match some of the better ones, such as HKG.

With the MEL F lounge closed last week due to a cancelled LAX flight, we were sent down to the J lounge instead. I was quite looking forward to seeing what they had in store - which turned out to be nothing but a pancake machine, no barista (well within barista hours) or any alternate / hot food offering. Tbh, would have gotten a better feed (and a coffee!) in the Dom J lounge or even the QP.

 

[ReLoad]

Question for those in the know.

If I fly QF in whY into LHR and would love a shower and a refresh etc on arrival, as a WP can I no longer use any lounges upon arrival?

never done it but have a trip planned where i would like to.

 

[markis10]

So this is an enhancement This is one of the things I dont get - QF have upped their game in some areas - at the expense of others. Yet people just complain about the marginal benefits being eroded.

How have they upped the game for a WP, PG is now 2400 SCs rather than 2100 from next year and for the extra 300 SCs you can chose to have the same benefit as you got at 2100 but be able to share it more widely, or get some valet parking or points. If the value of SG membership is equivalent of 50000 points why not make it a redemption item at that level?? How many "friends" are going to purchase their PG status on ebay, it will be against the rules but will still happen, just like it does for similar offers with other loyalty programs.

The only real benefit I can see has come at a cost of those still climbing the status ladder, that is less crowded check in lines (in theory), is that a benefit or an assumption that we will get a benefit based on the staffing levels at checkin being maintained, I think I know the answer to that...........?

The other benefit - luggage - you have already posted as being a PITA, no WP will travel with 64kg by choice unless they are on a family expedition of more than one days duration (using my family as an example LOL ), in fact the placing of a piece limit is a restriction, not a benefit IMHO.

WPs now have to make sure they have 2 pieces of luggage (how many of us take things for work at last minute that did not make the courier), not be able to use the shower on arrival after a overnight flight and fly more for not dissimilar benefits when shooting above 1400 SCs?

In the meantime QF are actively cutting service levels with crew reductions, moving more JQ routes to 3K so there is no lounge access for anyone and no doubt looking to get rid of as many people as possible at the check in counter....we live in interesting times that would be not so interesting if we had true competition - Star????

 

[Mal]

If I fly QF in whY into LHR and would love a shower and a refresh etc on arrival, as a WP can I no longer use any lounges upon arrival?

Correct. Another devaluation of the scheme that occurred last year. It all adds up over time.

 

[ReLoad]

Correct. Another devaluation of the scheme that occurred last year. It all adds up over time.

ok, that seriously sucks.

 

[medhead]

So this is an enhancement This is one of the things I dont get - QF have upped their game in some areas - at the expense of others. Yet people just complain about the marginal benefits being eroded.

One question I might go back to QF about in next few months is where are the better benefits for WP. All the stuff about the fleet etc. are benefits for all pax - and the same goes for NGCI pretty much. I want to know what they are doing to improve the benefits for me as a loyal pax. They havent answered that question yet.

I've already submitted that question.

Maybe I am complaining about marginal benefits but i can only see marginal benefits left that separate gold and platinum. In a couple of months I might write something more formal.

Btw the way I love how the benefits at 2400 are in the privileges table as only being available for WPs. That like saying that platinum at 1400 SC is a privilege for gold.

 

[YQY]

Link to SMH Article on some of the QFF Program changes Qantas frequent flyer bag changes

 

[simongr]

That's really the key issue.

OT but whatever happened to the supposed enhancements to the Intl J lounges, such as 'waiter service' they were bringing in? Never saw this, or any attempt to enhance the food offering at those lounges at all. Would have been nice if at the very least they improved the local Intl J lounges to match some of the better ones, such as HKG.

My understanding is that waiter service is now in place for int'l J lounges. The food improvements are meant to be coming - I saw an email about that last week.

Question for those in the know.

If I fly QF in whY into LHR and would love a shower and a refresh etc on arrival, as a WP can I no longer use any lounges upon arrival?

That was a separate change related to the moves to T3 not related to this. It wasnt any time lounge access at LHR - it was arrivals lounge access. You never had any time access to int'l departure lounges as you had to be flying to access them.

How have they upped the game

Dom J lounges, improved int'l F lounges, more champagnes in those lounges, ePass departures/arrivals, lie flat beds in J on the A380 (and soon to be on the 744) - these are all overall service improvements but...

for a WP?

That's what I am unsure of. I personally at this point would prefer 50K points to PG and I would see that as an improved benefit.

 

[djfuzz]

My understanding is that waiter service is now in place for int'l J lounges. The food improvements are meant to be coming - I saw an email about that last week.

I've been to the MEL and SYD J lounges a handful of times since they announced this, mostly in the past couple of months, and nothing in my experience (limited though it may have been) has demonstrated this in practice.

Dom J lounges, improved int'l F lounges, more champagnes in those lounges, ePass departures/arrivals, lie flat beds in J on the A380 (and soon to be on the 744) - these are all overall service improvements but...

But how many of the newer 'enhancements' have as yet been implemented? As with the above, there's a lot of talk, but little or none of the positive enhancements seem to be in place before the negative ones take effect - and again, there's the issue of enhancements for pax generally, as opposed to marginal status tier benefits...

 

[serfty]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but J lounge anytime access was never an official benefit anyway. The "lounge access" rules always stated that you must be flying to access the J lounge. ...

Correct - but it certainly was an unofficial benefit. Reverting to the official benefits certainly would have been a start if overcrowding was actually an issue. ...

Just to be clear; until just before the Domestic J lounges opened, any-time access applied to any QP along with Qantas international Business and First class lounges.