Qantas comp upgrade

[rani1]

I have been Qantas Platinum FF until April 30 when I was downgraded to Gold. I have been a Qantas FF member for many years but only obtained Platinum in 2009. I have requested a review of this and asked for a comp upgrade. I have made 4 Qantas flights in the past year but due to illness they have only been short flights hence I am sadly lacking status credits. I have a Business class RTW booked for later this year which will bring me back to Platinum but not till the end or near end of the trip so was really hoping for this upgrade comp. Qantas have refused my request. I plan on sending an email to appeal this. Does any one have any suggestions that may help my case.

 

[Mwenenzi]

How many SC do you have ?
The chances of you being comped are zero going by other posts.
If you did not "the QF email/letter" before the end of your year it will not happen

 

[markis10]

How many SCs did you earn the year before the poor year, it's not unknown for QF to comp status with very low SCs, I got comp'd with just 200 one year with no letter/email or any contact from QF for SG, which suggests to me they average the SCs out when looking at such issues. given they have already reviewed things I would say things are set in stone, I would not take it further, the soft landing is an unpublished benefit, make the most of it.

 

[rani1]

I only had 70 status credits this last year and sorry I can't go back to the previous years on the Qantas site it doesn't allow me to go back that far but there was a 16 stop RTW in business, a return perth sydney auckland melbourne perth also business and a return perth adelaide perth economy. I was hopeful!!!!!!!

 

[JohnK]

It is a little unfortunate that you were not comped Platinum but not sure what an appeal is going to achieve.

Good luck anyway.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Not wanting to cause offence, but why on earth should QF comp you WP?

It's unfortunate that you were sick in the last year, but why is that relevant? You didn't meet the threshhold - in fact, you are WAY below the required SCs for any of WP, SG or PS - so I think you have a hide asking QF to comp you!

Maybe it's just me, but I can't stand people who try to scam airlines into giving them things they are not entitled to. If you want the status, then fly the miles required. If you don't fly them, then no status. I think you're VERY lucky that QF's policy would allow you to be SG, when you don't even come near to earning that, either.

And my view is that anyone who asks for something they're not entitled to - whether it be status, an upgrade, extra guests in the lounge, or whatever - automatically shows themselves to be undeserving of it. If the airline offers it to you - great, accept with thanks. But don't be crass enough to go and ask them for special treatment.....

 

[Jobu]

I only had 70 status credits this last year and sorry I can't go back to the previous years on the Qantas site it doesn't allow me to go back that far but there was a 16 stop RTW in business, a return perth sydney auckland melbourne perth also business and a return perth adelaide perth economy. I was hopeful!!!!!!!

Unfortunately I think your chances amount to two-thirds of diddly-squat.

 

[muppet]

Not wanting to cause offence, but why on earth should QF comp you WP?

Maybe it's just me, but I can't stand people who try to scam airlines into giving them things they are not entitled to.

And my view is that anyone who asks for something they're not entitled to - whether it be status, an upgrade, extra guests in the lounge, or whatever - automatically shows themselves to be undeserving of it. If the airline offers it to you - great, accept with thanks. But don't be crass enough to go and ask them for special treatment.....

I think this is a tad rude. It's hardly crass to ask for something, and aren't we all getting a little bit too 'entitled' sometimes. And wanting 'special treatment' isn't that the whole point of status??

On the OPs question, I think it's unlikely, but given the limited flying I'm not sure you will use it much anyway?

Good luck with it.
m.

 

[munitalP]

I think this is a tad rude. It's hardly crass to ask for something, and aren't we all getting a little bit too 'entitled' sometimes. And wanting 'special treatment' isn't that the whole point of status??

On the OPs question, I think it's unlikely, but given the limited flying I'm not sure you will use it much anyway?

Good luck with it.
m.

Whats rude? I agree with his sentiments 100%! I too have been comp'd status match on other airlines but at least I am flying them airlines! 70 status credits in a year and wanting special treatment? The OP should be happy with the soft landing to Gold.

The problem with airlines (excluding KLM/Air France offer) is they hand out comps to the wrong people, and the people who deserve the comps miss out. I wont name names, but I can think of a number of people who have missed out on the DJ status match, who spend $$,$$$.$$ per year (that's 10's of thousands) because some low spending wanna-be has beat them in the queue to the match. The airlines should take a little more responsible attitude IMHO!


My rant of the day...

 

[dfcatch]

I think this is a tad rude. It's hardly crass to ask for something, and aren't we all getting a little bit too 'entitled' sometimes. And wanting 'special treatment' isn't that the whole point of status??

On the OPs question, I think it's unlikely, but given the limited flying I'm not sure you will use it much anyway?

Good luck with it.
m.

I don't think it hurts to "ask" for something in an appropriate way.

There is a difference between this, and having too much of a sense of "entitlement".

Aren't we all looking for the best way to score that free flight, upgrade, opup, premium treatment? Isn't that half the purpose of AFF?

Is it rude if I ask the F lounge politely if both my parents can join me in the lounge on their once-in-10-years trip overseas, for what will probably be their only chance to ever experience it?

That said (and the OP's question is relevant here), I think it's ok to politely ask, but if refused, politely accept the decision.

It all comes down to manners.
Be grateful when u receive bonuses, but always be prepared to accept what you are supposed to get/not get.

In this case - asking whether jumping up and down and making a fuss is appropriate? Well Johnphelan and Munital have answered that pretty clearly IMHO.

 

[NM]

If you were 70 SCs short of the mark for retaining Platinum, then I can understand that Qantas may review the situation and provide some flexibility. But being 1130 SCs short of attaining the published mark is not something I would expect to be reviewed.

However, having said that, I did have my Platinum status renewed one year when I was 1200 SCs short of the re-qualification mark. But I had been Platinum since Platinum status existed and Gold every year prior since they started status levels. And I was still flying Qantas and OneWorld sufficiently to qualify AAdvantage Executive Platinum status anyway - so not a case of not flying, but a case of choosing to credit flights to a more advantageous FF program. In the year before my comp I had earned about 2500 SCs and already attained Lifetime Gold status. Still, I was very surprised when the new QF Plat card arrived. Alas the following year it was a Gold card that arrived.

 

[TonyHancock]

It doesn't hurt to ask at all.

Airlines send out mixed messages. The one that stands out is status matching.

They want people to be loyal and set levels to achieve to get extra benefits, and then hand those benefits out to frequent flyers with another airline in a bid to get more revenue. (I know QF don't do this but several other airlines do.)

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, but in the same breath you can hardly criticise a frequent flyer for asking for something they are not really entitled to.

The irony for me is that it is the people who get status matched from one airline to another ad nauseum are usually the first to complain when someone else wants a benefit!!! :-| (I'm not suggesting anyone here is like that.)

I am a member of AFF because I want to learn tips and tricks to make my travel experience better. If all it takes is to ask politely to get something then good stuff....and good luck to anyone else who can get that bit extra. If I can help make someone else's journey that bit more comfortable then that also makes me happy.

 

[munitalP]

...

The irony for me is that it is the people who get status matched from one airline to another ad nauseum are usually the first to complain when someone else wants a benefit!!! :-| (I'm not suggesting anyone here is like that.)

....

Well what/who are you suggesting Tony?

There are a few of us who have had comp'd DJ Gold - I have flown equally as many legs this year as last, re-earning silver in my own right (where I was when comp'd), but wont achieve DJ Gold in my own right. DJ however have had a good revenue stream from me. I purposely bracketed KLM/Airfrance from my previous post as this was an open invitation to anyone.

So if this is a shot at me, you have gone off to a gun fight armed with a pen knife.

 

[TonyHancock]

Well what/who are you suggesting Tony?

I'm not prepared to give the names out of my work colleagues on a frequent flyer forum.

...interesting reaction though.

 

[danmancs]

Some people seem to think that the FF system is some kind of 'club' with hard and fast rules, it isn't, at the end of the day, QANTAS is a business and we are customers. What the published 'rules' say is irrelevant, it comes down to how much QF as a business values your particular custom and whether they think it is worth it to keep you happy. This applies equally to all aspects of customer service, such as guests in the lounge reward flight availability, etc etc.. sometimes, regardless of whether specific 'rules' say one thing, it is simply good customer service and good business to break them, and equally as a customer, if you think your business is valuable enough to QF that they should provide something that the 'rules' say they shouldn't then by all means ask for it, if it makes sense to keep you happy, they will!

 

[JohnPhelan]

if you think your business is valuable enough to QF that they should provide something that the 'rules' say they shouldn't then by all means ask for it, if it makes sense to keep you happy, they will!

But if you ask for it, and they don't give it to you, don't get upset and spit the dummy, doing the full 'DYKWIA' performance!

Reminds of the old sign you used to see in shops - please don't ask for credit, as refusal often offends......

 

[JohnK]

The biggest problem is we have all come to expect something for nothing. There is only so much that can go around.

 

[samiam]

I don't think it hurts to "ask" for something in an appropriate way...

...Is it rude if I ask the F lounge politely if both my parents can join me in the lounge on their once-in-10-years trip overseas, for what will probably be their only chance to ever experience it?

+1 I don't think it's rude at all for me to ask if I can bring my partner plus two parents into the QP once in a year, when utilising said facilities innumerable times without guests. Such requests, of course, may always be denied; this does not diminish my ability to make such a request, nor do I believe it makes me feel special or privileged.

 

[JohnK]

Is it rude if I ask the F lounge politely if both my parents can join me in the lounge on their once-in-10-years trip overseas, for what will probably be their only chance to ever experience it?

No problem asking the lounge staff if you can bring in your parents on their once-in-10 years trip overseas.

It becomes a problem though when the same people ask countless times to bring in their "parents" on their once-in-10 years trip overseas.

 

[dfcatch]

No problem asking the lounge staff if you can bring in your parents on their once-in-10 years trip overseas.

It becomes a problem though when the same people ask countless times to bring in their "parents" on their once-in-10 years trip overseas.

Yes I agree John.

Hence you should always be prepared to (and happily accept), enforcement of the rules. If denied, a simple smile and thank you anyway doesn't hurt.

As I said, I think it's basic manners.