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

[RichardMEL]

Top Secret project within QF apparently...

You should hear some of the FF/Loyalty-directed cost-saving measures that were thrown earlier in the year

Can't be that secret if you seem to have some sort of knowledge of the upcoming changes

Anyway it would not surprise me. The bonus SC's not applying to P1 is just the logical next step, and I think they may have gotten a buttload of "half price P1's" over the past year or two (and I fully admit, I and amongst these though I have also got there the hard way ). Honestly that wouldn't upset me too much as that's obvious BUT they'd have to really amp up the perks (and the "total travel concierge" concept you've mentioned elsewhere honestly..wouldn't do it for me.. but that's just me).

At any rate they'd need to seriously up the ante on P1 imo

 

[Brettmcg]

Can't be that secret if you seem to have some sort of knowledge of the upcoming changes

Anyway it would not surprise me. The bonus SC's not applying to P1 is just the logical next step, and I think they may have gotten a buttload of "half price P1's" over the past year or two (and I fully admit, I and amongst these though I have also got there the hard way ). Honestly that wouldn't upset me too much as that's obvious BUT they'd have to really amp up the perks (and the "total travel concierge" concept you've mentioned elsewhere honestly..wouldn't do it for me.. but that's just me).

At any rate they'd need to seriously up the ante on P1 imo

'Total Travel Concierge'??

The biggest jump in half-baked DSC status is within the WP group - a rod QF has made for its own back with DSC offers left, right and centre.

 

[Brettmcg]

Can't be that secret if you seem to have some sort of knowledge of the upcoming changes

Anyway it would not surprise me. The bonus SC's not applying to P1 is just the logical next step, and I think they may have gotten a buttload of "half price P1's" over the past year or two (and I fully admit, I and amongst these though I have also got there the hard way ). Honestly that wouldn't upset me too much as that's obvious BUT they'd have to really amp up the perks (and the "total travel concierge" concept you've mentioned elsewhere honestly..wouldn't do it for me.. but that's just me).

At any rate they'd need to seriously up the ante on P1 imo

BTW - how many is a buttload?

 

[RichardMEL]

'Total Travel Concierge'??

it's been suggested elsewhere that P1 MAY include a service to handle all travel related activities to be handled from booking to airport experiences to in the air etc (seemingly a step up from what the SST currently provide)

 

[whughes3]

As it happens, on Thursday at 10:30 I will be in the MEL F lounge, so if the news is dire I will be able to drown my sorrows at QF's expense!

 

[RichardMEL]

As it happens, on Thursday at 10:30 I will be in the MEL F lounge, so if the news is dire I will be able to drown my sorrows at QF's expense!

ooh all those half pours!

 

[levelnine]

P1 affects such a tiny slice of Qantas' FF base.

While there may be some changes to P1 status, the changes are going to be far more drastic and wide-reaching than that.

There's going to be a lot of pain across the spectrum.

 

[Hoatzin]

Im betting on aligning QFFP with AAdvantage. I had a suspicion that once the joint venture would be approved that this would be the next step, and the timing so soon after the venture was approved makes me think it is likely. I've been calculating routes taken and comparing earn with current QF and using AAdvantage as a model - not looking good unless you spend big on flights which I am sure most of us try and avoid. Ugh.


EQDs are the sticking point. Making EQM requirements, while diminished is not not too far off if you fly long haul and assume you would be earning DSC.

Thursday will tell!

 

[RichardMEL]

Again, to my thinking, anything to do with AA would be a sideline.

Clearly a major change like, revenue based FF or dynamic pricing, or whatever this major change is is not something they came up with in a week or two. Plus QF/AA JV#2 being approved seems more a coincidence in timing than a driver. Whatever these overhauls are they would have been in process for months, maybe longer.

And far more wide reaching to affect most members than just those traveling within the US, or who are a certain status level, or whatever.

 

[sxc]

Also, there's every chance not all of the impending changes will be announced on Thursday. Have heard some may be held back until later in the year (read: depending on backlash).

Although doesn't make sense. You can't hold something back based on backlash until something has been announced.

So if they hold something back, it will be based on expected backlash.

 

[sudoer]

My guesses:

Introduce EQD concept - good for domestic Y road warriors, terrible for everyone else
Raise the bar on P1 earn and permit access to CL and/or space available free upgrades
Introduce QF SC earn requirement for WP
SC earn based on origin and destination only - no benefit in flying indirectly
WP classic award requests become published benefit
SG classic award requests for Y/Y+
PS classic award requests for Y
Priority onboard toilet queue for WP/P1
SC deduction for taking any MH or QR flight

 

[trippin_the_rift]

P1 affects such a tiny slice of Qantas' FF base.

While there may be some changes to P1 status, the changes are going to be far more drastic and wide-reaching than that.

There's going to be a lot of pain across the spectrum.

P1 accounts for > $300M of QF total business. Hardly a tiny slice!

<snip>

SC deduction for taking any MH or QR flight

 

[levelnine]

Priority onboard toilet queue for WP/P1

Didn't you know? There's already priority toilets. But they're enforced to the same extent as priority boarding

 

[levelnine]

P1 accounts for > $300M of QF total business. Hardly a tiny slice!

1% of revenue. Tiny.

And in any event, I was talking about the size of the membership base. Qantas don't roll out the CEO to announce a change to P1 benefits. That's not "the biggest overhaul to the airline’s loyalty program in its 32 year history."

 

[Hoatzin]

Again, to my thinking, anything to do with AA would be a sideline.

Clearly a major change like, revenue based FF or dynamic pricing, or whatever this major change is is not something they came up with in a week or two. Plus QF/AA JV#2 being approved seems more a coincidence in timing than a driver. Whatever these overhauls are they would have been in process for months, maybe longer.

And far more wide reaching to affect most members than just those traveling within the US, or who are a certain status level, or whatever.

I too agree that they would have likely had this in the pipeline for a while, and likely not only this. I imagine they would have had a few options for a QFFP overhaul. A rejected joint venture may have prompted another change model to the one we are tending to on this thread. I do think however, that the JV with AA gives them the ability to now say "oh this is in keeping with the JV" as an explanation that might soften the blow as opposed to just going revenue based without any explanation other than they have decided to go revenue based. This is why I think they have timed it so close.

All speculation of course!

 

[trippin_the_rift]

1% of revenue. Tiny.

And in any event, I was talking about the size of the membership base. Qantas don't roll out the CEO to announce a change to P1 benefits. That's not "the biggest overhaul to the airline’s loyalty program in its 32 year history."

Yes, I agree with you the P1 member base is quite small. Noting the number of ex-P1s is likely larger than the existing group of P1s.
There is no doubt a change to P1 on the cards.

1.7% of revenue but likely a much higher % of seat profitability. Most P1s are on high yield fares.

Question is - why roll out the CEO if there will be bad news?

Also, the event is that SCG... some connection?

 

[Brettmcg]

1% of revenue. Tiny.

And in any event, I was talking about the size of the membership base. Qantas don't roll out the CEO to announce a change to P1 benefits. That's not "the biggest overhaul to the airline’s loyalty program in its 32 year history."

Not bad for a group that represents roughly 0.03% of FF membership!

 

[dajop]

Question is - why roll out the CEO if there will be bad news?

It will almost certainly be good news .... from a shareholder and analyst perspective. Isn't that why you roll out the CEO?

 

[wandering_fred]

Well assuming three months notice plus being 500 sc short of LTS maybe the budget will support a run up into SE Asia..... Allowing for a few things to be in place before the changes/enhancements are "active".
OTOH I am in the midst of planning a cousins first visit to WA and we plan to hit a couple of world heritage sites in SE Asia on her return leg to the USA later in the year. The fact that CX/MPC awards allow for a HKG stopover on a single award made paying for the accompanying segment and a return to SIN with points financially VERY wise. Effectively AU$0.06 benefit a point in the Y cabin. Not sure I would ever see that high a return with QF in Y. Historically QF has traded the ability to easily earn status against the difficulty of earning enough points for upgrades/award flights. Time to reconsider that trade off if the changes are "too user unfriendly"?

Just wandering
Fred

 

[opusman]

Im betting on aligning QFFP with AAdvantage.

Maybe a shared points currency like BA/IB ?

"Biggest overhaul in 32 years" does suggest something, well... big. It's not just gonna be a few more SCs needed to hit some target.