Qantas extends current status Until at least March 2021

[MEL_Traveller]

QF could easily humour us by allowing status extensions for another year or two, based on AJs predictions of low travel demand. It would cost QF practically nothing if many lounges were to remain closed, anyway. No real benefit for most of us, but not much to lose for QF.

The loss to Qantas could be in selling Qantas Club memberships. If travel is going to be mostly domestic there will be limited choice of carriers and Qantas club membership gives, practically, the benefits of gold. So why not sell them? Frequent flyers may be less likely to jump ship because they want to keep their points alive.

taxpayers are providing assistance to the airlines. I'm not sure we should be paying for free wine and toasted sarnies in lounges, nor giving away the best seats to people who aren't flying now, but rather fancy sitting in row four when they do. (And if you have to fly, you will fly anyway, so it's not like the government is 'paying forward'.)

 

[eminere]

The loss to Qantas could be in selling Qantas Club memberships.

I'd be amazed if there was still anyone in significant numbers buying or considering buying in the near future Qantas Club membership.

 

[serfty]

I posted what I thought was a fairish solution upthread.

Simply make the qualifying period one of 24 months as a once off. That way all earned could count still towards re-qualification and those who had already re-qualified could rest easy.

 

[DC3]

.... Simply make the Qualifying period one of 24 months as a one off That way all earned could count still towards requalification and those who had already re-qualified could rest easy.

Makes too much sense.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'd be amazed if there was still anyone in significant numbers buying or considering buying in the near future Qantas Club membership.

Agree. Not the near future, but when flying resumes.

There could be a couple of alternatives:

• a one-off paid extension of membership, $600 for gold, $1800 for platinum, allowing pax to requalify in the first year, or
• extend current status but exclude lounge membership.

 

[DC3]

The loss to Qantas could be in selling Qantas Club memberships ...

Yes, but I am of the view that an extension of status is no loss to QF, especially if many lounges remain closed. QC paid membership is probably another matter.

Edit: Status extension would be seen as a goodwill gesture, even if we can’t make much use of it at the moment

 

[justinbrett]

The loss to Qantas could be in selling Qantas Club memberships. If travel is going to be mostly domestic there will be limited choice of carriers and Qantas club membership gives, practically, the benefits of gold. So why not sell them? Frequent flyers may be less likely to jump ship because they want to keep their points alive.

taxpayers are providing assistance to the airlines. I'm not sure we should be paying for free wine and toasted sarnies in lounges, nor giving away the best seats to people who aren't flying now, but rather fancy sitting in row four when they do. (And if you have to fly, you will fly anyway, so it's not like the government is 'paying forward'.)

Elite frequent flyers wouldn’t pay for domestic Qantas Club membership. They’re used to getting it for free, and we’ve all seen the food standards go way down to what is effectively a toastie bar. Thats some expensive toasties.

 

[aus_flyer]

Elite frequent flyers wouldn’t pay for domestic Qantas Club membership. They’re used to getting it for free

I don't agree with your definition of free. Spending many thousands of dollars to earn? Not free.

 

[justinbrett]

I don't agree with your definition of free. Spending many thousands of dollars to earn? Not free.

I agree - I mean they are used to not paying extra for it.

 

[DC3]

I agree - I mean they are used to not paying extra for it.

I, for one, agree with your take on ‘free’.
Certainly nothing else to pay for use of lounge facilities

Edit: Now to get back to the subject of status extensions.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

Add 12 months of status following the end of each individual's current membership year. Simples.

That is what NZ did by adding a banked year to your account.

 

[sudoer]

a one-off paid extension of membership, $600 for gold, $1800 for platinum, allowing pax to requalify in the first year

Paid status extensions are already offered using points - 80k for Gold and 120k for Plat.

 

[mrsterryn]

Paid status extensions are already offered using points - 80k for Gold and 120k for Plat.

I wonder if that will continue ?
Husband won't requalify next year. He had already requalified and had bookings , now cancelled , to requalify. I think as we are still a bit away from LTG this lack of status will move us to taking up with whoever has best deal

 

[muppet]

..... this lack of status will move us to taking up with whoever has best deal

I've read comments like this over the years on this board (admittedly including by myself) and despite all the negative things QF has done to frequent flyers, VA was never able to really gain much of the premium market. VA has cheaper business class, better value frequent flyer program in terms of earn and burn (especially for WPs), easier status and still never really attracted much of QF's customer base.

I think we will continue to fly QF.

 

[mrsterryn]

I think we'll continue to fly QF.

Well maybe it might be an excuse to try Qatar and Singapore Airlines lol
Funnily enough though if (huge if) we decide to travel to USA again it would probably still be with Qantas

 

[Pushka]

Well maybe it might be an excuse to try Qatar

Ok, QI doesn't fly into Adelaide but even if they did, I would select Qatar and Emirates before Qantas. I love Qatar! And Emirates has upgraded us many times when Qantas never has.

 

[RooFlyer]

Well maybe it might be an excuse to try Qatar

Do it. You'll not look back.

 

[RooFlyer]

I've got status extended to end of Feb 2022, so it looks like a DONE4 in Sept/Oct next year.

Over the past few years I've taken to doing a OneWorld DONE4 each year, and that gets me easy Plat retain, including using QR where I can, JL where I can, QF across the Pacific to JFK. If issued on appropriate ticket stock (not Qantas!), very low taxes, too.

 

[kookaburra75]

I wonder if that will continue ?
Husband won't requalify next year. He had already requalified and had bookings , now cancelled , to requalify. I think as we are still a bit away from LTG this lack of status will move us to taking up with whoever has best deal

I'm in the same boat. My membership year is 30 June, and if I had taken the expected work trip to the UK in April this year, I would have re-qualified for WP. Even with the extension to 30 June 2021, there's no chance I will fly enough before then to re-qualify for WP. But then, I'm 'only' 1,000 SC from getting LTG (and 5 years to retirement), so it's in my interest to try and get LTG, so I'll stick with Qantas, unless there is a compelling price difference.

 

[mrsterryn]

@kookaburra75 for 1000sc I would be staying with Qantas.