Qantas Platinum One experiences?

[smarty11]

There was no explanation given as to number of points. In fact SST didn't tell me about it, i only noticed in the statement "Exclusive Bonus points". My guess would be that this is difference in the number of points earned between F and J cabin.

In the end, I paid for J and flew in J. The F cabin was only available as QF doesn't sell F class to HKG and if A380 is positioned then you can select F cabin seat with J service.

My issue was with the Gate staff and ground staff on how they handled the situation.

 

[kermatu]

Paid for J and got J are all fair points. Was the J seat you got in emerald city, or a last seat available type thing?

The irony to me is the difference between J and F (in my limited experience) is almost entirely the suite. Yes, service is more attentive, but food is 90% the same, wines and spirits too. So J in a F suite would be a massive win in my mind. To have it taken away at the last minute would be tough.

 

[RichardMEL]

7800 is weird indeed. that's the "value" of AJ or whoever the board chair is now or whoever took the seat? bleh

 

[kermatu]

I'd be surprised actually if it was AJ. I've seen him on maybe 4 (albeit short domestic) flights - in Y and J - hasn't taken any of the onboard service etc. Maybe long-haul different. But surely that would be known some time in advance and not an issue between check-in and boarding, as happened here.

 

[RichardMEL]

Prob not AJ. I would speculate a board member or similar.

I'd be appalled if say it was the head of revenue management, or sales or something like that because (assuming they knew, and this is a big if), they should most definitely NOT want to be moving aside a apparently high value customer, and P1, no matter how gained, is (or supposedly is) just that.. so you'd think someone like that, again, if they knew, would specifically NOT be wanting to displace a customer. Further I'd think company rules should prohibit this, but then again we've seen discussion of numerous examples of otherwise.

of course all speculation at this point which probably doesn't help anyone. I respect that we can't be informed per the request of the SST and that seems reasonable to me - in the end it really doesn't matter who it was - AJ, chairman of the board, Nicole Kidman not flying EY... at the end of the day for whatever reasons a P1 customer was displaced. Now sure, they paid J and got J, but it's pretty stuff to having allocated tehmselves that F seat(J service) to be bumped like that. As I've said before the only time I would consider that reasonable would be for a FAM or similar requirement.

Hopefully it wasn't a Korean lady complaining about nuts in a bag....

 

[samh004]

smarty11's experience hands down beats mine. Having previously been a P1, I find myself aspiring to get back to the top of the program, but then I read experiences like this and I wonder if my money could be better spent.

When ground staff and crew onboard are lying to you about why you've been moved (something that needn't be an issue really), that's something that is worrying. I'm not sure I've met any staff members who have harmed the brand, but those that would flat out lie, especially to a high-tier member who is keeping them in a job... it feels like they're a cancer that should be removed. I know those are harsh words, but a culture that is as good as Qantas' shouldn't be tarnished by staff that aren't honest with their customers.

My two cents.

 

[smarty11]

This is not the only time when I have been given varying versions by CSM and the SST. A little while ago CSM told me that my name didn't appear in her list as WP1 but SST told me that everything was ok. So who do you believe? In the end SST said "we have investigated as far as we can. Nothing else we can do"

At times I feel that the SST doesn't have the Powers that I (and presumably other WP1s) believe that they possess.

Any ways , I have moved on from the episode mentioned earlier.

this all being said, I have had many positive experiences with QF too. points paid upgrades confirmation, once a special ticketing arrangement confirmed by the SST and the 2-3 events invites that I have had in past 3 years.

And I like to focus on the positives. Just that lately the negative are happening more often than the positives.

A side of me thinks that WP1 was an experiment by QF and now slowly they are withdrawing from that. I hope I m wrong.

 

[kermatu]

At times I feel that the SST doesn't have the Powers that I (and presumably other WP1s) believe that they possess.

A side of me thinks that WP1 was an experiment by QF and now slowly they are withdrawing from that. I hope I m wrong.

Completely agree with these statements - at least for me.

I have several flights over next few days. Got some issues with seating (preferences, shadows etc which I can see via EF -- nothing major, I acknowledge). The P1 team give me surface / formulaic responses and assurances, but I can see on EF nothing being done or only attempted on weekdays well after seats are opened to other pax and often taken. Not offering alternatives or being proactive. I've just determined I'll try and address at check-in or in the relevant lounges before boarding. No point even trying via SST.

For a second the stupidly optimistic part of me thinks it may be because I'll be upgraded free into some seemingly very empty J cabins. I remain optimistic.

And stupid.

 

[dfcatch]

I had a similar experience a few months ago. I was in A380 F seat (with J service) which I had selected few weeks before. On checking in no problem. when boarding the staff handed a new BP, moving me upstairs to normal J cabin. I asked why this change of seat? she said she can't say but if I am not happy I can be de-boarded, which i felt was very rude. Inflight CSM told me that a higher status PAX has been moved to my seat. "someone who spends a lot with us".
Anyways emailed SST team and they gave a different version, saying that I was the highest tiered PAX on the flight and ground staff made an error in moving me instead of some one else.. apologising for this.

I fully support the policy that once selected the seats should only be changed for Operational reasons and not if some DYKWIM comes around.
But lounge and ground staff obivously think they know better.

Wait!

So SST think it was acceptable to move a preselected pax, just that it shouldn't have been you??

DOUBLE-FAIL.

No-one should be moved except for GENUINE operational/security reasons.

By this reasoning - perhaps I should have demanded other pax be kicked out of the exit rows on QF11 the other day.

Totally unacceptable response from SST.

Even AJ flys in the jump seat.

 

[dfcatch]

I've received a total of zero invitations in my 18 months as P1.

3 gratuitous free upgrades on a single sector (of 2 sector domestic 737 flights). Ie. ADL-BNE-CNS with the first sector upgraded.

1 opup QF94 PE-->J, but suspect I would have got that as a WP anyway.

My first and last flights as a P1 (QF 12 and QF 11 respectively) have been the poorest I've had in 5 1/2 years of being WP or above.

I won't be chasing P1 again in the foreseeable future and I most definitely wouldn't recommend others to do so.

Actually - I was seated next to a WP on QF11 the other day (I was cheerful and never hinted to anyone onboard about my unsatisfactory ground experience). Cabin FA, when serving meals, politely thanks WP for being a WP and me for being a P1.

Mr WP says to me around an hour later.... "So, have you thought about spreading the love around and getting status elsewhere rather than focusing on P1? Or is P1 really worth it?"

I laughed and told him I wouldn't recommend sending a single SC to QF beyond WP

 

[Pleb Status]

I had a similar experience a few months ago. I was in A380 F seat (with J service) which I had selected few weeks before. On checking in no problem. when boarding the staff handed a new BP, moving me upstairs to normal J cabin. I asked why this change of seat? she said she can't say but if I am not happy I can be de-boarded, which i felt was very rude. Inflight CSM told me that a higher status PAX has been moved to my seat. "someone who spends a lot with us".
Anyways emailed SST team and they gave a different version, saying that I was the highest tiered PAX on the flight and ground staff made an error in moving me instead of some one else.. apologising for this.

I fully support the policy that once selected the seats should only be changed for Operational reasons and not if some DYKWIM comes around.
But lounge and ground staff obivously think they know better.

You are obviously in the 'second tier' of P1. Welcome to the club.

 

[kermatu]

Having confidently stated I'd never been moved, yesterday I was! From 4C on a 737. Happened at the gate. Thought when my BP was rejected I had finally scored a free upgrade. Not to be. Was told a wheelchair pax needed that row. Which indeed was the case. So no drama.

moved one row back. So lost the legroom on a 3+ hour dom flight. But still had a shadow. Flight was maybe 80% full so there were a few middle seats empty best I could see.

have had 3 flights in Y recently. Zero recognition on two of them. Short so not a big deal. No upgrades of course, despite wide open j cabins.

on the longer flight, the CSM (Amanda) did come back to me in 5c and another couple. Acknowledged status in a nice way. I asked for some wine which came with the meal. No refills though!

 

[dfcatch]

Having confidently stated I'd never been moved, yesterday I was! From 4C on a 737. Happened at the gate. Thought when my BP was rejected I had finally scored a free upgrade. Not to be. Was told a wheelchair pax needed that row. Which indeed was the case. So no drama.

moved one row back. So lost the legroom on a 3+ hour dom flight. But still had a shadow. Flight was maybe 80% full so there were a few middle seats empty best I could see.

have had 3 flights in Y recently. Zero recognition on two of them. Short so not a big deal. No upgrades of course, despite wide open j cabins.

on the longer flight, the CSM (Amanda) did come back to me in 5c and another couple. Acknowledged status in a nice way. I asked for some wine which came with the meal. No refills though!

Perfectly acceptable reason to be moved.

 

[samh004]

Actually - I was seated next to a WP on QF11 the other day (I was cheerful and never hinted to anyone onboard about my unsatisfactory ground experience). Cabin FA, when serving meals, politely thanks WP for being a WP and me for being a P1.

Mr WP says to me around an hour later.... "So, have you thought about spreading the love around and getting status elsewhere rather than focusing on P1? Or is P1 really worth it?"

I laughed and told him I wouldn't recommend sending a single SC to QF beyond WP

Sounds like your 18 months of P1 was worse than my 13 months of P1... but that very last bit, a simple comment to someone of lower status than you but who could potentially be considering flying QF more, that they shouldn't bother... I would hope someone from Qantas who can enact change in Qantas is reading this. Because I'm sure there's a lot of Platinum members who were considering flying more and based on the latest posts to this thread are not any more. Bye bye spend!

Having confidently stated I'd never been moved, yesterday I was! From 4C on a 737. Happened at the gate. Thought when my BP was rejected I had finally scored a free upgrade. Not to be. Was told a wheelchair pax needed that row. Which indeed was the case. So no drama.

Perfectly acceptable reason to be moved.

While that's a legitimate reason to be moved, I have to ask... were the other 3 (with shadow) to 5 seats also occupied by P1's? Moving you may have seemed the easiest, but if you're the highest status passenger in that row, and that row is coveted for its legroom, then perhaps you should have been re-seated in that row.

 

[kermatu]

While that's a legitimate reason to be moved, I have to ask... were the other 3 (with shadow) to 5 seats also occupied by P1's? Moving you may have seemed the easiest, but if you're the highest status passenger in that row, and that row is coveted for its legroom, then perhaps you should have been re-seated in that row.

I don't know anything for a fact. But here is what I think happened:

a few days out - maybe 7 - 4a and 4b were vacant. 4 days out I asked the SST to block seats on several upcoming flights. At this time a and b had already been taken. I could see on EF the shadows weren't done 36 hours out so I sent a sort of reminder. At this time was told the seats were taken so no shadow on this flight. I knew it of course.

4D and E were taken. A shadow was then placed on 4F.

the lovely lady who needed assistance to board and was wheelchair bound had 2 travelling companions. And they clearly needed to sit with her. I was one of the last to the gate, so there's a chance prior occupants of 4a and b were moved. But I doubt it. As when I gave my BP, the attendants had no idea why I was moved. Had to look it up. So if a and b had already been moved, the attendants would not have been unaware.

so I suspect the 3 pax secured 4a and b, and 5c. They may have had status, or secured it as special need. If the latter, I'm really surprised (and disappointed) I was not advised earlier. But it was at the gate so maybe they only asked there.

The pax in 4d and e (eventually sat d and f of course) were greeted by Amanda so I assume were P1 s as well or maybe CL. Don't know.

i could have been given 4f I suppose. I would have taken it for that flight. But I wasn't inclined to even ask given the reason. Perhaps if I was told I'd be in row 25 seat b I'd have at least queried it. But given I was moved to 5c makes me think it was planned all along or 5c was taken by one of the 3 pax.

i was mildly disappointed at the lack of interest by the P1 team on the courtesy shadows. And again, if ever there was a chance to make a P1 happy with an upgrade, here it was. But no dice.

When my BP was rejected but told the reason wasn't an upgrade, I fully expected to be shoved somewhere at the back, and to lose my 'status recognition' from the CSM. I got 5c, and the crew knew I was P1, so that was not a fail.

Sad that I regard no failure to be a 'win'.

maybe my return flight on Tuesday will see an upgrade....

To be clear, I have no problem with being moved for a passenger with need for extra room and support. And I don't mind the fact that the pax in 4d and e retained their shadow. And I hope I haven't identified any of the pax in row 4 or implied any poor behaviour - certainly not my intent or view at all. I'm just reporting my experiences.

 

[maninblack]

I don't know anything for a fact. But here is what I think happened:

a few days out - maybe 7 - 4a and 4b were vacant. 4 days out I asked the SST to block seats on several upcoming flights. At this time a and b had already been taken. I could see on EF the shadows weren't done 36 hours out so I sent a sort of reminder. At this time was told the seats were taken so no shadow on this flight. I knew it of course.

4D and E were taken. A shadow was then placed on 4F.

the lovely lady who needed assistance to board and was wheelchair bound had 2 travelling companions. And they clearly needed to sit with her. I was one of the last to the gate, so there's a chance prior occupants of 4a and b were moved. But I doubt it. As when I gave my BP, the attendants had no idea why I was moved. Had to look it up. So if a and b had already been moved, the attendants would not have been unaware.

so I suspect the 3 pax secured 4a and b, and 5c. They may have had status, or secured it as special need. If the latter, I'm really surprised (and disappointed) I was not advised earlier. But it was at the gate so maybe they only asked there.

The pax in 4d and e (eventually sat d and f of course) were greeted by Amanda so I assume were P1 s as well or maybe CL. Don't know.

i could have been given 4f I suppose. I would have taken it for that flight. But I wasn't inclined to even ask given the reason. Perhaps if I was told I'd be in row 25 seat b I'd have at least queried it. But given I was moved to 5c makes me think it was planned all along or 5c was taken by one of the 3 pax.

i was mildly disappointed at the lack of interest by the P1 team on the courtesy shadows. And again, if ever there was a chance to make a P1 happy with an upgrade, here it was. But no dice.

When my BP was rejected but told the reason wasn't an upgrade, I fully expected to be shoved somewhere at the back, and to lose my 'status recognition' from the CSM. I got 5c, and the crew knew I was P1, so that was not a fail.

Sad that I regard no failure to be a 'win'.

maybe my return flight on Tuesday will see an upgrade....

To be clear, I have no problem with being moved for a passenger with need for extra room and support. And I don't mind the fact that the pax in 4d and e retained their shadow. And I hope I haven't identified any of the pax in row 4 or implied any poor behaviour - certainly not my intent or view at all. I'm just reporting my experiences.

Where were you flying? What's the issue?

 

[kermatu]

See up thread. Flight to Cairns.

 

[samh004]

That seems to make sense, just had to query it as it seemed a little fishy is all

 

[RichardMEL]

Can I just go back to the suggestion of staff "lying" to customers?

While I am not an apologist for QF nor condone what's happened in the specific case (and acknowledge the poster has moved on) I want to just state a view on this. Nobody knows for sure if there was a deliberate lie per se, or series of them, or it was more an issue of privacy/saving face/trying best to deal with an awkward situation. Again not agreeing with the actions, but for example, your onboard crew were not responsible for last minute seat swaps yet have to deal with a (legitimate) request from the moved passenger. I wonder if saying a "higher status pax" was indeed not so much a lie but a general way of giving the truth as best they can. I mean, SST then claimed it was (unknown to us) staff, a high up it is presumed... one presumes on company business.. in that extent they *were* "higher status" it seems to me. Now one can argue one's definition of "higher status" and if the P1 should have been moved at all (I do not think they should have) but I'm talking about what is the onboard staff to do? they're in a lose/lose situation really in a situation not of their making. I'd hate to have been that CSM tbh.

I think there are lies, and there are, if you will, "white lies" or explanations given to best deal with a situation. For example, I would consider being told a seat change had occured for a mechanical issue with the seat only to see someone else in that seat onboard a lie and that's very easy to verify as such.

It could well be, per my reading of the situation as posted (of course I wasn't involved or there) that various versions of the truth were provided.

There's also the situation where sometimes the full information is not available to everyone at the time of inquiry - heavens we've read enough examples of this in the last week alone.

just my 2 cents in the interest of, if not fairness, then playing devil's advocate.

 

[amaroo]

I think there are lies, and there are, if you will, "white lies" or explanations given to best deal with a situation. For example, I would consider being told a seat change had occured for a mechanical issue with the seat only to see someone else in that seat onboard a lie and that's very easy to verify as such.

SYD Flounge agent, QF1 F cabin, had a chuckle when I saw who it was from my 1A view.