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

[SydneySwan]

Also forgot to mention domestic airfares increase 3% at midnight.

Ah so AJ is just running interference to distract from the price increase!

 

[SydneySwan]

National airline?
On what basis is it a national airline?

Most complaints?

 

[PineappleSkip]

Probably [national airline] in the eyes of Joe and Josephine Public.

Probably in the eyes of Alan and Joyce!

 

[ferntree]

Call me ungrateful if you will, but $50 off the increased fares on one booking doesn't cut much ice with me.

Now if he was restoring normal opening hours to regional lounges, improving reliabilty of flights (including luggage handling), and restoring decent call centres .... well, then I might prick up my ears.

 

[cbreeze]

I would love to know what their data is telling them. For example - if they are seeing that a large % of Gold & above members are not flying enough that they forecast to end up with a high number of 2023 status downgrades if it weren’t for something like this.

Personally all I want is reliability when I fly and I still love this brand, but it is very hard to justify that lately.

 

[straitman]

If they manage to extend my Lifetime I *will* be impressed.

Agreed.

Not sure how to handle Lifetime plus a year.

 

[Captain Halliday]

they are seeing that a large % of Gold & above members are not flying enough that they forecast to end up with a high number of 2023 status downgrades if it weren’t for something like this.

If opine that you’ve hit the nail on the head.

I think it’s highly likely they’ve seen something in the numbers that has them concerned about the bottom line.

Speaking of which, the timing of the announcement is no accident. The PR industry refers to it as “priming”.

QF reports it’s results on Thursday - no doubt very ugly.

But take note of the reporting that day for how many stories include something like, “…earlier this week QF handed out xx_ freebies to frequent fliers…”

So this is at least partly about making the PR job easier on Thursday and softening the stories that follow.

 

[Quickstatus]

price increase

Do you have info on that?

 

[Mr H]

If they manage to extend my Lifetime I *will* be impressed.

Would you want Qantas to be in charge of getting you safely to that final destination?

 

[SydneySwan]

Not sure how to handle Lifetime plus a year.

Does the extra year form part of your estate? Are you able to pass it to someone In your will?

 

[ferntree]

I would love to know what their data is telling them.

You and me both. Plus, I suspect it may be in part at least a response to Virgin's current gold status match campaign.

 

[Batterytraveller]

I wonder if the WP bonus points will be more than the points refunds I still have outstanding on classic rewards cancellations, because the $50 certainly doesn’t cover the taxes and fees.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Not sure how to handle Lifetime plus a year.

Lifetime plus a year’s free status in the zombie apocalypse?

 

[Flyinfish]

So no complimentary lounge passes for Bronze? Nothing burger for me.

 

[nerdag]

In addition to status extension, temporarily reduced qualifying thresholds from actually flying for the next level of status would get my attention.

As a WP, I'd likely be lured by the possibility of P1 at say 2400 SCs, and I bet Golds would be prepared to pay extra to score WP with 950 SCs. Arbitrary threshold based on 50% of the current difference between each step.

It's wishful thinking, because it wont happen.

 

[servicerequired]

None of this addresses the actual issues!

1. Sort out the call centre - for all tiers! Every single customer, regardless of whether they're even a QFF member deserve decent customer service.
2. Ditch all of this woke input! Ditch the welcome to country on every single flight!
3. Improve J domestic catering! VA absolutely slaughter QF.
4. Ditch the status extensions - people should already be out and about - devalues the entire program.
5. Return our local QF Link hosties to their local service again! QF Link seem to prioritise crewing ex Melbourne and Sydney with kids that have zero experience! The local crew, based here locally in Mildura absolutely kill it - but its clear that they're now third rate and just filling the gaps!
6. Get rid of Swissport! It's not the outsourcing that's the issue - it's the culture of the operator! Look at how much better Menzies do it. IMHO Absolute inappropriate people working for Swissport in Melbourne and Sydney! No wonder they can't get the job done properly.
7. Sort out carry on baggage - this is a massive time waster when a flight is full! Wheelie bags can be checked in! The crew spent 20 minutes playing Tetris with bags on today's flight ... and hence delayed departure 20 minutes! Cut it to 'no wheelie bag' for Red-e-Deal fares! This will improve OTP.
8. Sort out flight credits! I have countless lost flight credits that just disappear into limbo - the only way to retrieve is via the useless call centre!
9. Sort out the website and app - it needs to actually function. You can't implement everything that QF is attempting to implement (no service counters in airport, less staff, self serve) if you can't get your tech right!

Rant over.

 

[liamg]

Ditch all of this woke input! Ditch the welcome to country on every single flight!

I’m unsure how this degrades Qantas’s service one iota and is therefore anything close to an “actual issue”.

 

[ferntree]

... and I am struggling to see how increasing the amount of checked in luggage would reduce luggage handling problems.

 

[servicerequired]

I’m unsure how this degrades Qantas’s service one iota and is therefore anything close to an “actual issue”.

You are correct - it doesn't degrade their service ... it does however indicate what issues they are focused on, rather than the basics.

 

[servicerequired]

... and I am struggling to see how increasing the amount of checked in luggage would reduce luggage handling problems.

Reduce the carry on allowance for entry level fares.

The baggage handling issues are caused by the amateurs that they have on the ground - Swissport.

If you've regularly flown with QF over the years you would have noticed the change in staff - and the clear inexperience.