Qantas FF announcement 20 June - "biggest overhaul" in program history

[levelnine]

Big devaluation in partner redemption rates:

Forthcoming changes to the Qantas Frequent Flyer scheme will not only require more points to book premium seats with Qantas – there's a similar uplift ahead for partner airlines including Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, JAL and many more.

The revised rates kick in from 18 September 2019, and will see an increase of up to 13% if you're looking to trade your Qantas Points on a seat in premium economy, business class or first class.

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[Deleted member]

How are people with AU addresses joining BAEC when they don't allow SW Pacific residents to join? (attempting to join EC with a AU/NZ address redirects you to CX with a message to join MPC instead).

Address is easy enough, and I have a British Passport. So no issue for me I suspect

 

[2infinity]

My partner has now received the email from Olivier. I note that I have not, despite our FF numbers having a difference of exactly 1 and mine is numerically first. But I guess that is neither here nor there as I had already read what the changes to the program are.

Very interesting to note in the email that the 1M increase to award seat availability brings the total number of seats to 5M.

What I don’t understand is Qantas published in FY18, that 5.2M awards were redeemed. Qantas Data Book 2018

Surely 5.2M+1M = 6.2M seats available. But somehow we are being fed 5.2M+1M = 5M. It appears that not only aren’t we, as Frequent Flyers, getting 1M more seats availability, we are actually losing 200,000 seats that were previously available in FY18. But because most people wouldn’t have the faintest idea how many seats were available to begin with and that 1M sounds like a lot, we all think losing 1.2M award seats is a good thing. The power of PR is amazing.

 

[Eric Ryan]

Mr ("Santa Claus") Joyce FF changes always concern me. All sounds too good to be true.
You always need to check through all the "Terms and Conditions" for "Trojans", in other words how are they paying for this.
I am a Gold Member and have been for years due to my loyalty and many flights - I regularly used to get upgrades.
As a result of the last time they made changes to FF terms and conditions (no one was advised) - I now do not get any upgrades at all as they now base an upgrade on the value of your ticket ($s), not on loyalty or how often you fly or YOUR MEMBERSHIP LEVEL. They preference if you are bronze or Silver and have a higher value ticket, so a Gold Member gets bumped and stays in economy.

 

[CaptJCool]

I’d need look back to 2008 for an international upgrade

And that was an op-up....

Oh wait, even when paying more for PE and J I never saw an upgrade....

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Given there’s 60 or so J seats on an A-380, 747 (14 F) and only 42 on the 787. It’s a huge crush rush of 13,000,000 FF Members let alone AA EK BA et al to fill them.

Apparently the PE upgrade route to J to SFO had been a more consistent upgrade winner. OR ex Melbourne (too few flights ex BRI and LAX-SYD IS celebrity central...j

 

[PineappleSkip]

Welcome to AFF, Eric. Are you referring to operational (free) upgrades or points upgrades?

Cheers skip

 

[sxc]

What I don’t understand is Qantas published in FY18, that 5.2M awards were redeemed. Qantas Data Book 2018

Surely 5.2M+1M = 6.2M seats available. But somehow we are being fed 5.2M+1M = 5M. It appears that not only aren’t we, as Frequent Flyers, getting 1M more seats availability, we are actually losing 200,000 seats that were previously available in FY18. But because most people wouldn’t have the faintest idea how many seats were available to begin with and that 1M sounds like a lot, we all think losing 1.2M award seats is a good thing. The power of PR is amazing.

I haven't looked at the link, but maybe the 5.2m includes partner redemptions?

 

[rock86]

I haven't looked at the link, but maybe the 5.2m includes partner redemptions?

Yes, it does.

 

[Max Samuels]

Oh some people may well know it. But you have a family of 6 to cater for, all kids at school, one needing an ipad. What utility is a SYD-LAX return in J for this person vs ipad? Using the points for an ipad is going to save them $1k, whereas a single return to LAX in J probably is worthless to them (and it's a stretch to say that's worth $16k or more, you can get such fares these days for closer to $5k, if not on QF then definitely on someone else, and probably easier to find than an award flight as well.).

Last month, a colleague flew MEL-JFK return in J - booked 2 weeks out - was $19k

 

[Max Samuels]

He realises there are those like myself that churn 5M+ points/year ...

Isn't that why they invented "any seat" rewards?
I just checked and there are still 5 seats on Sunday in F to LAX.... will only set you back 2M points.... but the option is there... so people cannot really complain that the program has completely locked them out?

 

[2infinity]

I haven't looked at the link, but maybe the 5.2m includes partner redemptions?

It's my understanding the bulk of the 'alleged' increase in international redemptions, especially in premium cabins will be on NON Qantas metal, which is already the case anyway, this is why more carriers are being added to the program. Either way, it is still a QFF redemption, irrespective of the operating airline.

 

[puzzigully]

Please help me out here....

Previously LTG had lounge access.
Now you dont???

 

[dajop]

Last month, a colleague flew MEL-JFK return in J - booked 2 weeks out - was $19k

If paying that much, it’s 99.99999% certain that classic awards would not be available! So one cannot equate value of classic award to be the same as that particular cash value.

 

[jonboixxx]

Isn't that why they invented "any seat" rewards?
I just checked and there are still 5 seats on Sunday in F to LAX.... will only set you back 2M points.... but the option is there... so people cannot really complain that the program has completely locked them out?
View attachment 171548

No complaints here, just saying that the disruption of the QF model is increasing, to avoid the fate of other legacy airlines. Joyce relies on some dolt paying 2M for a seat to help leverage his $300M FF profits to prop up the airline. Currently looking at SQ FCO return trip in J next year for 232k, pretty much any day I want. No contest. QF is trying to play catchup.

 

[Pushka]

Please help me out here....

Previously LTG had lounge access.
Now you dont???

Where did you see that?

 

[Rich]

So few people would churn through 5M+/year that if they wanted to target those people it would be easier and more efficient to target them personally rather than overhaul the entire program...

If thay is what they wanted then yes, but they want to target those earning 150000. Suppose each earns them $2100 as touted here. And suppose 300000 people can earn 150000 points a year. That is a potential $620million in revenue per year to chase or retain.
NB about 600000 Australians earn $150+k, so I unscientifically halved that for the number of 150k points earners.

 

[puzzigully]

This shows no lounge access for LTG - previously a benefit.
Now gone.

Seems as though most are fussing about LTP, without noticing this subtle change

was counting on that in my retirement!

Hope it is a Typo of not listing Lounge Access for LTG:

Lifetime Membership requirements#	Status Credits	Benefits
7,000 Status CreditsΩ	Lifetime Silver status	Silver membership benefits for life include: 50% Status Bonus◊ on Qantas and Jetstar 25% Status Bonus∞ on American Airlines
14,000 Status CreditsΩ	Lifetime Gold status	Gold membership benefits for life include: 75% Status Bonus◊ on Qantas and Jetstar 75% Status Bonus∞ on American Airlines
75,000 Status CreditsΩ	Lifetime Platinum status	Platinum membership benefits for life include: Access to Qantas International First Lounges and Domestic Business Lounges 100% Status Bonus on Qantas and Jetstar.

 

[puzzigully]

Although Qantas website says, you still have lounge access with Gold...

So confused.

 

[Mogul]

My partner has now received the email from Olivier. I note that I have not, despite our FF numbers having a difference of exactly 1 and mine is numerically first. But I guess that is neither here nor there as I had already read what the changes to the program are.

Very interesting to note in the email that the 1M increase to award seat availability brings the total number of seats to 5M.

What I don’t understand is Qantas published in FY18, that 5.2M awards were redeemed. Qantas Data Book 2018

Surely 5.2M+1M = 6.2M seats available. But somehow we are being fed 5.2M+1M = 5M. It appears that not only aren’t we, as Frequent Flyers, getting 1M more seats availability, we are actually losing 200,000 seats that were previously available in FY18. But because most people wouldn’t have the faintest idea how many seats were available to begin with and that 1M sounds like a lot, we all think losing 1.2M award seats is a good thing. The power of PR is amazing.

Awards redeemed doesn't mean frequent flyer seats, there would be a lot of toaters and items in that number.

 

[kelvedon]

This shows no lounge access for LTG - previously a benefit.
Now gone.

Seems as though most are fussing about LTP, without noticing this subtle change

was counting on that in my retirement!

This omission was noted earlier in this thread. Consensus was its a typo.