Qantas are to enforce the 4 segment rule for status!

[Flashback]

Further to that.... the e-mail that comes through with the e-ticket, looks new too. I don't remember them ever coming in HTML format, rather than text. But then again, it has been 4 weeks since I booked my last flight so it may not be *too* new.

 

[Febs]

Does anyone else find the wording of this a little concerning?
"

Eligible flight (Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar segment) counted towards status attain/retain."

Looking through my flights from the past - all those with QF flight numbers have a "~" next to them, but others (such as IB flights) don't, despite having the SC earn listed.

Going by the "counted towards status attain/retain." comment, it looks like (and surely this can't be right!) only QF flights are counted towards SC retain!

Eg: Even if I meet the 4 segment rule (SYD-MEL-SYD twice), and then do the remaining 520 SC's on AA....I won't requalify for Gold??

I'm sure that's not right, but that's how I'm reading it. Or does it mean "Eligible flight counted towards your four segment requirement etc...."?

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Flashback]

I'm sure that's not right, but that's how I'm reading it. Or does it mean "Eligible flight counted towards your four segment requirement etc...."?

That's how I read it...

 

[Mal]

Does anyone else find the wording of this a little concerning?
"

Eligible flight (Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar segment) counted towards status attain/retain."

Nah, I don't. Further wording on the Summary page I think clears things up:

" You must fly a minimum four eligible flight segments on Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar and earn the required status credits to retain/attain during your membership Year"

The T&C's also discuss this further.

 

[serfty]

This points out one of the tweaks; if the 4 segment rule had previously been enforced, award flights would have counted:

19.1.5 The travel required in each Membership Year to attain or retain Silver, Gold or Platinum status level must include a minimum of four Segments on Qantas or QantasLink.

The rule 19.1.5 has been modified thus:

19.1.5 The travel required in each Membership Year to attain or retain Silver, Gold or Platinum status level must include a minimum of four Eligible Flight Segments on Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar.

So this now excludes any flights for which are not eligible as per the definition as follows. (eg Award Flights):

'Eligible Flight' has the meaning given in clause 9.3.1;
...
9.3 Earning Points for Air Travel

9.3.1 Subject to clauses 9.3.2 and 9.4, Points for air travel may be earned only for paid travel on regular scheduled flights where a Qantas flight number (or the flight number of any oneworldTM Alliance Airline or Airline Partner not excluded under clause 9.4) is entered on the itinerary ("Eligible Flight").

9.3.2 For the purposes of earning Points, Status Credits and the Minimum Points Guarantee, Eligible Flights exclude a flight on a Qantas aircraft, where another airline's flight number is entered on the ticket, unless that flight has been specified by Qantas as an Eligible Flight.
...
9.4 Points Are Not Earned on All Flights

9.4.1 Points are not earned for travel on:
(a) flights or booking classes that are excluded, as specified in the Airline Earning Table;
(b) infant fares unless travelling in their own paid seat;
(c) charter flights;
(d) freighter flights;
(e) free tickets, including tickets issued as Award Flights or rewards, including through other award programs;
(f) travel industry rebated tickets;
(g) competition prize tickets;
(h) transport other than air transport unless specified by Qantas;
(i) tickets acquired at an auction; or
(j) tickets which are subject to any specific provisions excluding the accumulation of Points.

 

[Flashback]

Another 'enhancement' to the program, with no real notification to members. And gee, it's almost May..

 

[serfty]

Nah, I don't. Further wording on the Summary page I think clears things up:

" You must fly a minimum four eligible flight segments on Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar and earn the required status credits to retain/attain during your membership Year"

The T&C's also discuss this further.

I don't see this on my summary page; however it may be more to do with the fact that i currently have 32 'Eligible' flight so far in my "year".

(This is not counting 2 x 5K point Starclass Bonus entries that have the ~ )

 

[Febs]

Further wording on the Summary page I think clears things up

Summary or T&C? I couldn't see it on my Summary page.
I just find the wording on the "Your Activity" (edit: not Account Summary) page to be quite confusing. Especially as I'll see (in a few weeks) my AA flights, with status credit's listed, and no "~" next to them.

"counted towards status attain/retain" should instead read "counted towards four segment requirement for status attain/retain", IMO.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Dave Noble]

Another 'enhancement' to the program, with no real notification to members. And gee, it's almost May..

It is not an enhancement at all. The rule has been in place all along, just that QF has not previously been enforcing it

Dave

 

[JohnK]

Looking through my flights from the past - all those with QF flight numbers have a "~" next to them, but others (such as IB flights) don't, despite having the SC earn listed.

Going by the "counted towards status attain/retain." comment, it looks like (and surely this can't be right!) only QF flights are counted towards SC retain!

I wouldn't worry. For now, anyway!

If your IB flights became ineligible then they would not have SC earning next to them and be included in your YTD SC earning.

 

[d15.in.oz]

(This is not counting 2 x 5K point Starclass Bonus entries that have the ~)

I think the “~” appears in the “status credits” column in every row that mentions an eligible flight. (Even duplicate "adjustment" entries for the same flight.)

Thus the original flight, may have 120~, the adjustment entry (to add 5K) Star Class extra points will have 0~ and even a row containing an adjustment due to recalc of status bonus has 0~ (In this example, all three "~" entries refer to the same JQi flight.)

So, simply counting up the "~"'s on a page, isn't a simple way to determine if you have met the criteria.

 

[Mal]

Summary or T&C? I couldn't see it on my Summary page.

On mine, I see it under Your Summary/Membership Status.
The wording I see is:

Qantas segments flown: 2 ~
~ You must fly a minimum four eligible flight segments on Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar and earn the required status credits to retain/attain during your membership Year

I've flown less than 4 this membership year. Maybe it does disappear after you fly 4?

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

On mine, I see it under Your Summary/Membership Status.
The wording I see is:


I've flown less than 4 this membership year. Maybe it does disappear after you fly 4?

Nope. I have dozens of ~'s

None against manual credit of flights, or awards, though.

 

[dajop]

It is not an enhancement at all. The rule has been in place all along, just that QF has not previously been enforcing it
Dave

Spot on. It is actually an enhancement (according to the dictionary definition of the word, not the AFF definition ) as according to serfty's post above Jetstar has been added to the rule which previously only included QF and QF link flights.

 

[Mal]

Nope. I have dozens of ~'s

None against manual credit of flights, or awards, though.

The ~'s against flights will be on the "Activity" page. The quote I mentioned earlier comes from the "Summary" page just below how many SC's I've earnt, how much to retain etc etc.

 

[d15.in.oz]

Kiwi Flyer, I think Mal is talking about something we can’t see? (As we have presumably met the qualification criteria.) Mal mentions –

Qantas segments flown: 2 ~

~ You must fly a minimum four eligible flight segments on Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar and earn the required status credits to retain/attain during your membership Year

I can’t see anything similar on my summary page. Only at the bottom of the activity page, in the index –

* Guaranteed 1,000 point Economy Class minimum point earn with Qantas
# Guaranteed 500 point minimum point earn with American Airlines®
^ Guaranteed 125 point Discount Economy Class minimum point earn with British Airways
~ Eligible flight (Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar segment) counted towards status attain/retain.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Kiwi Flyer, I think Mal is talking about something we can’t see? (As we have presumably met the qualification criteria.) Mal mentions –
I can’t see anything similar on my summary page. Only at the bottom of the activity page, in the index –

Got it. A bit slow today - must be time for a coffee.

 

[serfty]

Spot on. It is actually an enhancement (according to the dictionary definition of the word, not the AFF definition ) as according to serfty's post above Jetstar has been added to the rule which previously only included QF and QF link flights.

Also changed is the word pair "Eligible Flights" has been added to 9.1.5; thereby making award flights on QF not count in the minimum four (among others).

 

[d15.in.oz]

In terms of active numbers there would almost certainly be more US based QFFers then Oz Based AAers...

I’ve been thinking about these possible numbers (my mind is a strange place)… But in regards to a US based AA EXP (seeking domestic AC access with free drinks), for the prices involved in buying a confirmed upgrade fare on AA, versus a full Y fare (with guaranteed free upgrade) - couldn't they just as easily buy a QP membership?

Perhaps the only AA passengers interested in Yupping would be those at lower AA status levels, who aren’t able to get a confirmed free upgrade at the time of purchase. Now if one of these passengers needs to fly 6 segments, they would likely want to earn AA miles with it, as every bit would count in reaching EXP! So, again, best bet is to buy QP membership.

BA seems extremely stingy with its EC (at lower levels), when compared to QFF, but QFF makes a point of directing British applications to BA EC. So, maybe QFF is worried about a flood of Eastern European, Middle Eastern or North Asian applications next week?

Also, there seems to be more mention of JetstarAsia in various parts of the QFF T&C than I remember before!

 

[Dave Noble]

Perhaps the only AA passengers interested in Yupp would be those at lower AA status levels, who aren’t able to get a confirmed free upgrade at the time of purchase. Now if one of these passengers needs to fly 6 segments, they would likely want to earn AA miles with it, as every bit would count in reaching EXP! So, again, best bet is to buy QP membership.

Some people have companies which are quite prepared to pay for KUP and YUP fares when flexiiblity is needed. If doing some short sectors, this may make not much more than 500 miles for the flight when credited to AA whilst it will earn 60SCs on QF. If crediting 10 of these, that is a loss of 5000 or so miles to AA to get 1 years lounge access. A pretty good deal tbh, especially if those few short sectors are not going to make any difference to attaining/retaining AA status

e.g. if living in STL and using ORD for hub for onward travel. If the 258 miles each way STL-ORD is credited to AA it will earn 500 miles plus status bonus of 0, 125 or 500 miles and count 500 miles and qoints towards status. Over 10 sectors that is 5000 miles plus status bonus which could be of good use to get lounge membership

AA charges between 45,000 and 70,000 AA miles ( depending on status ) for AC lounge membership

Dave