Qantas apologises to frequent flyers with status extensions, lounge passes, points & more reward seats

[Pushka]

Both my QFF and Points Plus are showing February 2023. PC+ cannot extend yet anyway just in case I don’t spend the money, although I am wellover PC retention. Perhaps you have already spent enough on cruise deposits to renew PC+ already?

Well I am heading towards the next level but still around 90,000 shy. I've never had the Points membership before so

 

[gaz0303]

Just used my $50 voucher. Brought cost of flights to $8 more than the REX option. $8 worth it for lounge access, SCs and to avoid the Saab340.

 

[Melburnian1]

Just used my $50 voucher. Brought cost of flights to $8 more than the REX option. $8 worth it for lounge access, SCs and to avoid the Saab340.

Which route, and was this a return ticket or single (one way)?

 

[gaz0303]

ARM-SYD return. Comparing with Rex saver fare - similar conditions. Also picked up 4 classic rewards on each flight for family.

 

[CaptJCool]

15,000 points lobbed up on 31 August....

 

[seat11a]

I would say at least I'm not the only one, but that's no consolation haha. I guess they'll be dealing with heaps of complaints from those of us who have not received the email in that case. I get that QF are trying to do something nice here, but in typical fashion they've managed to screw it up...

It’s nice to know I’m not alone. However disappointed to have been overlooked. Im currently overseas, so ringing isn’t really an option. Please let me know how you go. For the record my husband just got the 15k points added to his account. Ironic as I was the one who accepted the T&Cs for him. He would have no idea about any of this stuff. I keep our WP memberships alive. Lol

 

[MARTINE]

Just used my $50 voucher. Brought cost of flights to $8 more than the REX option. $8 worth it for lounge access, SCs and to avoid the Saab340.

Of course… I would have preferred a simple $50 gift card.. but then of course I could use that..
I am sure the bean counters worked out less would use the credit v an actual gift card so they will be ahead
I stopped flying QF so no use to me
If they had any real heart would allow an option to donate this unused $$ to a charity or similiar or transfer…
QF + =

 

[jakeseven7]

I'm thinking of taking Link to Wollongong from Essendon instead of QF + train via Sydney. Direct anyway and possibly more fun in a put-put prop-plane.

Pack your ear plugs then

 

[Mark1966]

Replying to yourself is sad I know BUT ...

... after only 15 minutes on hold I got onto an operator at the Contact Centre [that is a win nowadays] ...

... who informed me that there was some problems with their promo code system and that I should expect another email shortly with a corrected code.

While apologetic he seemed to miss the humour when I asked if that would be for $100, the original $50 apology gift and another $50 to apologise for this stuff up

... and one week later, NOTHING, no updated promo code.

[sigh]

 

[RAM]

I find it repulsive how Qantas has presented this apology as though ALL frequent flyers are going to benefit, (and the media fell for it and swallowed their lies.)

Firstly, the $50 voucher has too many strings attached, is jam-packed full of prohibitive t's & c's, and besides, they are increasing their fares by 10% due to high fuel costs anyway.

Secondly,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as a Gold FF with an end date of 31JUL 2023, what am I actually getting out of this? After all, I chose Qantas, and paid them an eye-watering sum of cash for it too, retaining Gold by flying 21 sectors between 03 January - July 31 2022 (Could not do any flying between 01 AUG 2021 and Jan 2022, as most states had their borders shut to Victoria.) I did most of my domestic traveling in summer, and to be honest, I thought that Qantas was pretty good over the mid-late summer period up until about easter when everyone seemed to return to the skies en masse.

It wasn't until I flew to the USA & Canada in June/July that Qantas made traveling absolutely intolerable. Firstly, they made it nearly impossible for me to redeem my flight credit from a canceled USA booking in 2020, and then jacked up the prices and made the ticket over $2100 dearer than my original booking.

Then, when it came time to head off, not only were the delays ridiculous, (QF93 arrived at LAX so late that I missed my red eye to BOS), and had to wait around terminal 4 at LAX until 330am to catch a jet blue flight to BOS via JFK (where there were more delays), but, on arrival at check-in for QF93, I got bumped from my bulkhead PE seat to a middle seat, which made me absolutely livid. They did this despite the fact that I had arranged extra legroom with Special Handling due to my painful skin condition (I had even followed up with SH 72 hours prior to ensure that it was still in the system.) The so-called "national carrier" treated me with utter disdain. The only element of that $6000 PE MEL-LAX-BOS-JFK-LAX-MEL booking that was positive, was the fact that I was upgraded to Business on QF94, which was amazing, as I had never flown J long haul before.


Thus, I was somewhat pleased last Sunday when I heard that Qantas would be granting a further 12-month across-the-board status extension. I thought that the following 12 months would be a good opportunity to take advantage of the 50% extra reward availability and head off back to the US, or perhaps even Japan, and have been really excited about this over the last few days, (Despite the fact that there is close to zero J reward availability during 2023 northern summer.)

Although I came close to retaining Gold with the many sectors I completed, I wouldn't have gotten over the line without the March DSC promo. Now I hear that it is highly unlikely for Qantas to offer another one of these anytime soon, I honestly don't believe that I'll make it to Gold for another year. This is a real bummer, because I do the bulk of my traveling (to the USA) every even year, as that's when I have my international conferences & industry exhibitions etc.

From the dozens of travel sites, media outlets, and even Qantas themselves - they have all made the status extensions out to be for "all" elite Frequent Flyers, when in fact this is pure misinformation, (I didn't realise this until about an hour ago.)

A few examples of erroneous information below.

From Qantas newsroom:

"12 months status extension across tiered members Silver and above to continue to enjoy the benefits associated with their tier for another year."

From pointhacks - tiered frequent flyers will ‘enjoy the benefits associated with their tier for another year.’

Boss Hunting - "With another year added to the Qantas status extension program, frequent flyers should be able to keep their status through till December 2024. "

Executive Traveller - "The airline’s ‘apology package’ offers a fistful of benefits including a 12-month status extension for all frequent flyers at Silver or above,"


I gather from this, and from the updated status support page on Qantas.com, that if your anniversary is from July to December, you will not receive a status extension, but if your anniversary is from January to June, your status will be extended all the way through (potentially) mid-2024. How is this in any way fair to those (July to December) who gave Qantas a tonne of cash and got spat on, as in my case? Those who have the later anniversaries (January - June 2023) had even longer lead times to begin traveling than those in my boat (or thereabouts), but they get theirs extended for even longer? Essentially, they get an extra 12-month extension.

Lastly, why do only platinum one and Platinum QFFs get 30,000 & 15,000 points respectively, when Gold and Silver get absolutely nothing? Isn't this just a case of Qantas looking after their upper-crust customers? I mean, why not give Gold 7,500 points, and Silver about half that? Why do they get absolutely nothing for being slapped in the face for choosing to stick with Qantas as flight operations have resumed post covid?

It's one giant scam, and all Qantas is essentially doing here is offering up yet another insult to their mid-tier customers. It's perverse.

You may NOT have seen my earlier post about 'reward availability'.

Turns out, according to Q's presentation, that it is UP to 50% increase... Footnote #3.

Which means on some flights there can even be a decrease in award availability. Good to see nearly all the MSM did not bother to read the footnotes.

 

[QF_Flyer]

It’s nice to know I’m not alone. However disappointed to have been overlooked. Im currently overseas, so ringing isn’t really an option. Please let me know how you go. For the record my husband just got the 15k points added to his account. Ironic as I was the one who accepted the T&Cs for him. He would have no idea about any of this stuff. I keep our WP memberships alive. Lol

I'll report back if/when I get anything. OH is Silver and she's had the email about the status extension - all our details are the same (address, etc.), so no idea why I've been overlooked, but I'll persevere!

 

[DC3]

For anyone who’s not happy with the T&C of the $50 voucher, it’s use is not compulsory.

Of course, it would be good if everyone had received it.

 

[cbourl]

Scathing piece about Qantas bailout at The New Daily, with comment on other airlines including Lufthansa who were given LOADS rather than free cash. And Lufthansa paid their Euro 9 Billion loan back to the German government completely in November 2021
read here:

QantasKeeper: Was Australia’s largest pandemic bailout a ripoff?

The 'Spirit of Australia' was deemed too big to fail during the pandemic, but the public isn’t sharing in the spoils of its stunning recovery.

thenewdaily.com.au

 

[CaptJCool]

Scathing piece about Qantas bailout at The New Daily, with comment on other airlines including Lufthansa who were given LOADS rather than free cash. And Lufthansa paid their Euro 9 Billion loan back to the German government completely in November 2021
read here:

QantasKeeper: Was Australia’s largest pandemic bailout a ripoff?

The 'Spirit of Australia' was deemed too big to fail during the pandemic, but the public isn’t sharing in the spoils of its stunning recovery.

thenewdaily.com.au

That’s a long time without capital gain..... not even back to highest price ever.


However doesn’t matter to those who realise share options at cents and sell for the going rate after escrow. Still makes heaps of cash

the question of government strategy - grant, fee reduction, guaranteed topups, wage (Jobkeeper) subsidies,built infrastructure handed over for free, failure to invest in more air traffic controllers, not funding international baggage handling companies via Jobkeeper, low interest loan, market rate loan, share equity are a matter of political power and risk.

then layered with leave burn, sackings, newbie novices, air traffic control staff absences (which are government run) directly resulting in multiple cancellations on any given day
this for example in July 2021
Cancellations were highest on the Sydney-Melbourne route at 79.1 per cent, followed by the Sydney-Gold Coast route at 78.7 per cent, the Gold Coast-Sydney route at 78.2 per cent, the Melbourne-Sydney route at 77.0 per cent and the Brisbane-Sydney route at 76.5 per cent.
what’s common here ? Might it be Sydney ??

https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/bitre_otp_report_july_2021.pdf

AND BITRE DID NOT MENTION THAT
Victoria entered a snap 5-day lockdown between 16 July 2021 and 20 July 2021.
News - Lockdown extended to 30 July 2021 NSW had an extended lockdown too


it’s fine for the press to question the choices but what’s it to be?
collapse, alternatively funding competitors instead ? Ban anti-social behaviour? Interfere in board & CEO appointments ?

 

[RooFlyer]

it’s fine for the press to question the choices but what’s it to be?
collapse, alternatively funding competitors instead ? Ban anti-social behaviour? Interfere in board & CEO appointments ?

A less EDIT: more! market interventionist government might have put more conditions on the money it put into Qantas and/or may have even asked for a temporary board seat. But that is with the benefit of hindsight. With Joyce screaming for the borders to be opened well before they were, one might have expected him to have prepared the airline a bit for when the borders were opened (and even 6 months afterwards).

 

[eastwest101]

Off topic: But I still argue that Joyce could have picked up the phone to Virgin and the other airlines and made an example out of them and grounded all flights in and out of the first state premier to close their borders to other states, both to and from their state, and within their state, even McGowan would have folded in a matter of days if they had done that, can't fly everyone who needs to go everywhere in WA in one VIP Falcon 20. States have no jurisdiction over aviation and the industry should have pushed back on that over-reach straight away.

We could have done the entire Covid thing with international borders closed, but state borders open, and the end result would have been pretty much the same thing except we wouldn't have had to pour so much money into JobKeeper support for domestic travel industry assistance for hotels/restaraunts/airlines etc, rent-a-cops at all airports and we wouldn't have had such inflationary effects on the rest of the economy and such a big defecit. Still would have been effects of international trade and logistics, but at least we all woud have been doing it all together rather than as 7 separate bickering little colonies.

 

[RichardMEL]

Rolled over on 1 Sep. Status (and PC) extended til Aug 2023 - as expected. rollover of 1800 SC also. all as expected.

 

[seat11a]

I'll report back if/when I get anything. OH is Silver and she's had the email about the status extension - all our details are the same (address, etc.), so no idea why I've been overlooked, but I'll persevere!

Did you actually speak to an agent who knew anything about the offer in the end ? I’ve still had no acknowledgement of my email. The system said I’d be sent a reference number, crickets on that one. When I return to Australia hopefully there will be enough time left to get this sorted before the cut off date.

 

[wandering_fred]

Way back when I was still optimistic about traveling I purchased a QF travel voucher. Still unused but apparently valid for a while yet.
Is there a way to combine this $50 gift voucher with it for domestic travel?
Need to figure out a way to be wandering
Fred

 

[serfty]

Is there a way to combine this $50 gift voucher with it for domestic travel?

I believe the T&C's of this $50 apology voucher negate use in conjunction with flight credits/Travel Passes/gift vouchers/etc. .

I have one, I have a month or three to use it but it may simply expire.