Qantas plan to axe frequent flyer joining fee

[oz_mark]

QANTAS may axe its frequent flyer joining fee and will soon allow members to book any seat on other overseas airlines as part of a push to reach at least half of Australia's households.

The scheme, which already has 5.4 million members, hopes to boost numbers to more than 7 million through a series of initiatives that include an already announced deal with Woolworths and new partnerships with vendors such as restaurants.

Qantas plan to axe frequent flyer joining fee | The Australian

 

[Mwenenzi]

Thats because it is becoming a frequent spender program.
Not a frequent flyer program

 

[simongr]

Any seat on any airline is a nice concept - but given a standard J return LHR-SYD-LHR is 256K points+++ I cant imagine getting more value than say finding a seat on SQ or VS...

As a paid member of the QFF scheme I see axeing the joining fee as a bad thing as it will just dillute the available revenue/profit pool for future seat redemptions...

 

[medhead]

But still 3 points per dollar at restuarants. Can I also pay the bill on CC and get a bit more.

 

[Mal]

Mr Hickey said the move to convince people to opt into QFF through their credit cards was going well, with record numbers of points being transferred.

"We're seeing very strong take-up," he said. "Of the people who have already acted, about 25 per cent haven't transferred points from a card before."

Nice spin Qantas. I still hope your direct transfer becomes a horrible failure and mess for you.

 

[kpc]

Nice spin Qantas. I still hope your direct transfer becomes a horrible failure and mess for you.

Ditto! but they are all the same, one way or another!! SQ are looking to introduce a $25 credit card surcharge!!
SQ to charge credit card fee - SQTalk

 

[pauly7]

I place more value in status than points and as others point out its still going to require a bucket load of spending on the other options if you aren't flying heaps to get access to the premium seats.

 

[Nigelinoz]

I have heard (Third hand so can't vouch for accuracy) that the joining fee will be axed when the details of the tie up with the Woolworths Mastercard are released,I understand there will be extra points for using the credit card at Woolworths but the everyday rewards acheme,which at the moment is really only a fuel rewards program will be expanded to include frequent flyer points,much like flybuys is now.

 

[oz_mark]

I have heard (Third hand so can't vouch for accuracy) that the joining fee will be axed when the details of the tie up with the Woolworths Mastercard are released,I understand there will be extra points for using the credit card at Woolworths but the everyday rewards acheme,which at the moment is really only a fuel rewards program will be expanded to include frequent flyer points,much like flybuys is now.

The current plan is that the everyday rewards card will allow you to get FF points. If you also use a direct sweep card then you will get those points as well.

What is not clear is how their own HSBC issued card will work - Woolworths vouchers or QFF points!

 

[Flashback]

It also makes the fact that their current offer of "transfer points from your c/c by March 31 for free membership" a bit shallow ......

 

[Alanslegal]

Seriously about time QF axes the joining fee. Any John or Jane Do could have signed up for $0.00 using a family/friend/associate/work with an overseas address.

Sure there will be an increase number of QFF members but I would guess if they don't fly much in the past, I doubt they would now spend $60,000 just to earn a free return flight to Asia etc. I would guess (and hope that) they would redeem for other rewards like gift cards hehehehe

 

[futaris]

And again, from the latest Accor newsletter:

https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/do/dyns/joinffp?code=ACCOR

 

[lovetravellingoz]

My guess is that it is due to the Woolworths link...and is driven by that.

Many if not most of their targetted new-sign ups would struggle to generate enough points to actually gain flight rewards. Therefore a (to them) costly $80 odd fee to join the QFF program would bea significant barrier.

IMO moost the "new" members will be more likely in the future to just redeem for goods, gift-cards etc rather than flights.

The vast majority of people cable of generating the throughput to ern significant flight rewards would most likely already be QFF members.

 

[Flashback]

My guess is that it is due to the Woolworths link...and is driven by that.

Many if not most of their targetted new-sign ups would struggle to generate enough points to actually gain flight rewards. Therefore a (to them) costly $80 odd fee to join the QFF program would bea significant barrier.

IMO moost the "new" members will be more likely in the future to just redeem for goods, gift-cards etc rather than flights.

The vast majority of people cable of generating the throughput to ern significant flight rewards would most likely already be QFF members.

It's a shame that my local supermarkets are Coles and IGA... there is a Woolworths not far from my place either, but it's at a major shopping centre and parking is a real hassle unless you get there v. early.

Will be interesting to see what they offer....

 

[Nigelinoz]

It's a shame that my local supermarkets are Coles and IGA... there is a Woolworths not far from my place either, but it's at a major shopping centre and parking is a real hassle unless you get there v. early.

Depending on what they offer the Woolworths/HSBC Mastercard could be a handy addition to the credit card wallet.

 

[Warks]

Well the timing couldn't be better for me. I've booked flights for the family to USA later in the year and was tossing up whether to pay for membership for the kids just for the points. This seals it. If it happens.

Also what was the deal where if you didn't fly enough you had to pay an annual fee? My wife has barely flown in years and she'd be 'unfinancial'. I saw QFF still recognised her number when I entered it for the (paid) booking. Was the condition that you could earn points but couldn't redeem points unless you paid a fee?

I transferred her old points to me a while back when they opened up that transfer scheme.

 

[futaris]

Also what was the deal where if you didn't fly enough you had to pay an annual fee? My wife has barely flown in years and she'd be 'unfinancial'. I saw QFF still recognised her number when I entered it for the (paid) booking. Was the condition that you could earn points but couldn't redeem points unless you paid a fee?

QFF has never had such a fee. Air NZ Airpoints has a $20-30/year fee, if you don't fly. As far as I know, they are the only program to do so.

 

[oz_mark]

QFF has never had such a fee. Air NZ Airpoints has a $20-30/year fee, if you don't fly. As far as I know, they are the only program to do so.

IIRC there was an annual fee for a brief period of time.

 

[serfty]

QFF has never had such a fee. Air NZ Airpoints has a $20-30/year fee, if you don't fly. As far as I know, they are the only program to do so.

Not true!

Just after the turn of the century, Qantas had a $25 annual fee for those who did not "fly enough".

It was short lived, but I had to renew my daughter once in June '01.

I still have a written record of this as well as the phone number one needed to call to do it. I just called it (on a whim) and funnily enough it now goes to AirNZ Holidays! :shock:

As far as keeping one's number, my brother did not fly QF between '98 and '05. On check in in '05 he proffered his old White QFF card and his QFF account was immediately re-instated.

 

[Warks]

Not true!

Just after the turn of the century, Qantas had a $25 annual fee for those who did not "fly enough".

It was short lived, but I had to renew my daughter once in June '01.

I still have a written record of this as well as the phone number one needed to call to do it. I just called it (on a whim) and funnily enough it now goes to AirNZ Holidays! :shock:

As far as keeping one's number, my brother did not fly QF between '98 and '05. On check in in '05 he proffered his old White QFF card and his QFF account was immediately re-instated.

That's good because I've still got my wife's old white card and we're off to MEL shortly so we can try it out. Do they send out a new one ever?

I wasn't aware they had done away with that rip-off scheme. I have booked quite a few flights for my mother over the past few years but have never given her QFF number, for one because she can't find it, and also because I thought she'd have to have it 'reinstated'.