Qantas Points Auction

[Hvr]

It wouldn't be available within my price point, but how about Status for Life?

Whose life? Yours or QF?

 

[RichardMEL]

What experiences/memorabilia would you like to see offered for auction in the next round, and what would you like Qantas to do differently next time?

Great question! Not saying I would bid on things but I reckon the experiences are the way to go more than skybeds (but that's just me). They could sure sell another simulator session or three but some other things might be:

* rockpool restaurant banquet (*post covid??) for say 10 or 20?
* QF maintenance/hangar tours for the real nerds
* Corporate box experiences at a big event like SCG cricket test or rugby or something
* Charter to Uluru - sunset rock, dinner under the stars at Sails all that kind of thing
* Visit to QF HQ, lunch with Joyuce and senior managers (no not to throw a Perry salad at them!) - ie talk to the head of Loyalty etc
* Tour of Mascot operations
* HTI packages for luxary overnight/weekwhatever) accom and confirmed J seats for say two or four (whatever)
* a full Dash8 charter to LRE - QF founders museum etc (a bit like the charity thing they did a year or two back) for a group.
* QF J to again HTI or maybe Broome/Cable beach.. lunch with QF F wines/champ and food provided. throw in PJ's

I guess my general idea is things that either normally you can't pony up and buy or specially curated experiences.

 

[Daver6]

Qantas says that its first Points Auction was so successful, it's now planning a second one to take place by the end of this year.

Qantas Plans Second Points Auction

Qantas says last week's Points Auction was so successful that it will hold a second one later this year. In Qantas' inaugural Points Auction, a total of

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

What experiences/memorabilia would you like to see offered for auction in the next round, and what would you like Qantas to do differently next time?

Phone calls to be answered in a timely fashion and refunds to take less than a week

 

[RichardMEL]

Phone calls to be answered in a timely fashion and refunds to take less than a week

I think more chance of getting to bid on a trip on Virgin Galactic

 

[2infinity]

I do wonder what the measure for success was.

Was it reducing the amount of points out there?
Was it just great PR for the Qantas brand?
Was it providing unique experiences for Qantas' loyal followers?

I suspect it was the middle option. Publicity that money can't buy, and it's cost them basically nothing. Even the Queenstown trip is tax dodge for Qantas and probably gifted to them anyway for free publicity for the venue.

Make the next auction an auction the everyday QFF'er can actually participate in, is what I would like to see.

 

[Mr H]

I agree. I don't think the auction shifted much in the way of points liability and very few people got to benefit directly. This looks like a publicity stunt and it seems to have worked.

Thinking of other things to auction, how about jump seat flights?

 

[Seat0B]

As well as the great suggestions by @RichardMEL, I’d like them to auction some things at lower points value and higher volume so that more people can participate. For example:

* guaranteed success points upgrades on flights of your choice - both domestic and international, plus for others in your party
* CL visit pass (es)
* QF F lounge pass(es)
* extend your status for a year - at a time of your choosing
* guaranteed F lounge spa bookings for non F pax
*QF items like amenities kits, mini wine bottles, glasses plates spoons (some of you may have seen my posts in @MARTINE’s thread on souvenirs, PJs etc (like the recent PJ 2 pack offer)
* opportunity to go out for brunch/lunch/dinner at F lounge when not travelling (salt and pepper squid, anyone?)
* buy some SC with points - at a time of your choosing

I agree. I don't think the auction shifted much in the way of points liability and very few people got to benefit directly. This looks like a publicity stunt and it seems to have worked.

Thinking of other things to auction, how about jump seat flights?

I think there would be security issues these days with jump seats. Mr Seat 0A really misses the days when he could send his card to whichever of his ex-RAAF mates was on the flight deck and get a jump seat for the landing.

 

[Mr H]

I had thought about CL access but figured QF would not want to tarnish the "invitation only" status that influential CL members prize so highly.

You could probably bypass jump seat security issues by doing a security check and employing the lucky winner for a day.

 

[MooTime]

I'm not sure it even received good PR, I mentioned it to a few people I know, but got blank looks.

I did see a story on TV somewhere, but really the whole concept was for the keen avid flyer / point collector.

I don't see how it was positive for on an overall basis whatsoever.

I agree the prizes need to appeal & be attainable to your average Joe or Wendy who have at least a few hundy points.

 

[Mr H]

I think it was intended to catch the eye of avid points collectors and make them feel there was still a reason to chase points. Perhaps also to appeal to small time collectors and show them what the big prizes look like - in the same way that airlines sell Y tickets on the strength of the amazingness of their F product.

 

[Danger]

...

What experiences/memorabilia would you like to see offered for auction in the next round, and what would you like Qantas to do differently next time?

Anytime lounge access. Good memories.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Perhaps next time they could auction a toaster?

What? Someone had to say it.

 

[Mr H]

Perhaps next time they could auction a toaster?

To make it special, they could turn it into a toaster experience. They could offer Rob Sinclair, the Managing Director of E&S, to come along to a location of your choice (within 30km of Noble Park) and pop in a couple of slices of Mighty White for you and a friend.

Because nothing beats that new appliance feeling...

 

[RichardMEL]

When writing my random list of things above I did consider things like CL passes, F lounge passes, guaranteed upgrades or even things like "confirmed J bookings for your family (up to six) on a flight you pick" etc...

but I thought those are a stretch too far. With CL for example, when they offer to P1's (and I have been lucky to get a couple of invites) they control the access - because they know the flights and pick what must be low volume times for the CL (are there ever high volume? Maybe Monday A.M. and Friday P.M.?) but if you say you bid on say 2xCL pass to use... anytime? they lose a bit of control of that. So probably not something they want to allow (As for "Invitation Only" or "exclusive" notion of the CL.. if I've been allowed in they'll let anyone in I reckon )

With things like flight capacity related things like confirmed J or F seats or upgrades the problem there is this can have a huge impact on revenue on popular routes. Let's put it this way if you can say redeem say 6xJ confirmed on say SYD-LHR when you nominate - say the week before Christmas? Nice for pax... Yield/Revenue Management would lose their minds at the concept I reckon. And sure, you can say "but yeah if say a J redemption is 200k points - or whatever it is - and I bid 3m points for six of them.. then QF wins bigly" - well yes, but it's not quite that simple in terms of the actual value.. and when QF launche an auction they'd need to know the value to set a value and just reserve. They would not know what value of points would be earned from the auction vs the potential value of the redemption...

I also considered the kinds of things P1's would love - like confirmed upgrades or confirmed seat availability.. but you kind of run into the same thing as above.

So I tended to dsmiss fun things like that as being things QF probably couldn't make happen for commercial reasons.

 

[hmmm]

The QF liability of points must be in the billions.

What is this obsession with "liability"?

Qantas sets the "value" of the points and it can write them off to ZERO with no recourse. 19.4 of the T&C's expressly state they have no monetary value.

The entire frequent flyer scheme is basically a Ponzi scam. The airline has created this virtual product that it, in its sole discretion gets to value, both in earning and redeeming. It gets paid for the points that get issued and then it gets paid when those same points get redeemed. Not to mention all the fees and taxes payable on what is supposed to be and used to be a "free" ticket, more than cover the airlines cost. Frequent flyer programs aren't really a product. Their members are!

 

[Ade]

Make the next auction an auction the everyday QFF'er can actually participate in, is what I would like to see.

THIS! I think this would be a hit, PR wise. QF has got all the good publicity, but the first auction was not one that everyone/common person could participate. I did not have a million points to spend, but I would have loved the opportunity to participate, in my own, small way .. I want in, in the QF auction game .. but just don't have enough points ...

re : millions of points - I'm sure many do have millions & millions of points, but I believe to get QF into every household, QF needs to think local, local, in terms of every day QFF'er .. It would be nice to have some items that everyday person could bid on ...

 

[MooTime]

What is this obsession with "liability"?

Qantas sets the "value" of the points and it can write them off to ZERO with no recourse. 19.4 of the T&C's expressly state they have no monetary value.

The entire frequent flyer scheme is basically a Ponzi scam. The airline has created this virtual product that it, in its sole discretion gets to value, both in earning and redeeming. It gets paid for the points that get issued and then it gets paid when those same points get redeemed. Not to mention all the fees and taxes payable on what is supposed to be and used to be a "free" ticket, more than cover the airlines cost. Frequent flyer programs aren't really a product. Their members are!

You've basically described every loyalty scheme in the world.

Loyalty points only valuable once you redeem them, worthless before that point.

Even thou in the T&C's, QF would never write all the current point holders account to zero, it would be like nuking the company. They are safe.

 

[hmmm]

You've basically described every loyalty scheme in the world.

Loyalty points only valuable once you redeem them, worthless before that point.

Even thou in the T&C's, QF would never write all the current point holders account to zero, it would be like nuking the company. They are safe.

They may not write them down to zero, but they can and do increase the amount required to redeem them, thereby writing down their value.
At the end of the day, its a mugs game. All of the cards are in the hands of the airline and we are just the sheep that follow.

I too was once blinded by the points chase and loyalty, but as you grow and learn you realise you've been manipulated and hoodwinked. Once you release the Qantas shackles you very quickly realise that there are much better airlines out there, with better products, services, schedules and prices than what Qantas could ever hope to offer.

As for how safe the points are, take one look at Ansett global rewards......

 

[MooTime]

They may not write them down to zero, but they can and do increase the amount required to redeem them, thereby writing down their value.
At the end of the day, its a mugs game. All of the cards are in the hands of the airline and we are just the sheep that follow.

I too was once blinded by the points chase and loyalty, but as you grow and learn you realise you've been manipulated and hoodwinked. Once you release the Qantas shackles you very quickly realise that there are much better airlines out there, with better products, services, schedules and prices than what Qantas could ever hope to offer.

As for how safe the points are, take one look at Ansett global rewards......

yeah I knew the Ansett link was coming.

Yeah I agree in general with you, can be seen as a scam & the only real winners are the airlines.

Should have a target of points for a desired reward & use them, minimising devaluing by holding huge amounts.
I have too many VA points, ok amount of QF, admittedly trapped in the loyalty scam atm.

 

[Matt_01]

Perhaps next time they could auction a toaster?

What? Someone had to say it.

If it had special banding something like 100 or 101 and it would have to be white on red or red on white I may have a crack.