Qantas Points Club Discussion

[Flyingwombat]

It wasn't me who had the issue, I used mine on the $59 bottle so only had to spend $9 and also received some bonus points. So good!

I've used mine on some mini bottles for $70 or so and got the $50 off.

 

[Flyingwombat]

I've written this article which offers a simple fix for the current problem of the Qantas Club benefit being more useful for Qantas Gold/Platinum/Platinum One members who have Points Club than Points Club Plus:

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/how-qantas-could-improve-points-club-plus/

What do you think of the idea?

Totally agree. I like PC but it could be better. I think the SC earn on award flights could be higher too. Why not keep the shorter domestics at 10 SCs. The 7 always feels a bit cheap...

 

[elanshin]

Totally agree. I like PC but it could be better. I think the SC earn on award flights could be higher too. Why not keep the shorter domestics at 10 SCs. The 7 always feels a bit cheap...

There's a value per sc. If you did the maths, the 7 SC earn is better than every international J redemption.

 

[Rich]

I've written this article which offers a simple fix for the current problem of the Qantas Club benefit being more useful for Qantas Gold/Platinum/Platinum One members who have Points Club than Points Club Plus:

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/how-qantas-could-improve-points-club-plus/

What do you think of the idea?

Nah.
Just because you don't get anything out of a particular benefit, it doesn't mean you should expect something else in return. Plus PC itself can contribute to reaching Gold in the first place through status credits on award flights.

 

[SYD]

Nah.
Just because you don't get anything out of a particular benefit, it doesn't mean you should expect something else in return. Plus PC itself can contribute to reaching Gold in the first place through status credits on award flights.

But there’s limited incentive for existing SG and higher to chase PC+ unless they’re getting close anyway. But it’s a BIG jump in points earn on the ground from PC to PC+ for limited additional benefit.

 

[elanshin]

Nah.
Just because you don't get anything out of a particular benefit, it doesn't mean you should expect something else in return. Plus PC itself can contribute to reaching Gold in the first place through status credits on award flights.

But there’s limited incentive for existing SG and higher to chase PC+ unless they’re getting close anyway. But it’s a BIG jump in points earn on the ground from PC to PC+ for limited additional benefit.

I would argue that for the purpose of reaching gold, the only real tangible benefit is 100 SC rollover for the following year. (It's why I'm maintaining it).

You already earn SC on reward flights with PC and don't need the PC+.

I did use QC a bit before hitting SG. But once I've hit SG, it becomes a relatively useless benefit.

The other benefit that I have used and have monetary value with PC+ is Qantas Marketplace extra points and discounts. There are items that are sold at RRP and not discounted at all with other retailers which the 10% here and points make it the cheapest option available. Also when Qantas marketplace goes on real cheap sale (picked up sets of 3 Antler suitcases for less than $300 a set after all the discounts).

 

[Rich]

But there’s limited incentive for existing SG and higher to chase PC+ unless they’re getting close anyway. But it’s a BIG jump in points earn on the ground from PC to PC+ for limited additional benefit.

So what? Once upon a time there was no PC or PC+. QF doesn't have to make sure each class of member feels equally incentivised.
The target of PC+ is most likely big spending (churning) infrequent flyers. QF already have the SG members on board.
Of course there is still the benefit of all those points.

 

[SYD]

Of course there is still the benefit of all those points.

That is the “So what”.

QF also have had many other benefits for QP and up that have been taken away. So things can evolve for good and bad.

 

[aikman]

Just because you don't get anything out of a particular benefit, it doesn't mean you should expect something else in return.

Fair point. Adelaide WPs don't get anything in exchange for not having a F or separate J lounge. SGs don't get anything extra for flying international business class. Maybe they should get a lounge pass too.

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

For me the most important benefit of Points Club was the ability to earn status credits on award flights. But, having achieved Lifetime Gold recently, the value to me of this perk (like so many other SC perks) has plunged dramatically as I'm less likely to keep chasing WP.

So I think there'd be value in Qantas investigating some other Points Club perks, such as:

• Vouchers to allow PC members to guest people who are NOT travelling on a QF/JQ/OW flight into the lounge (now that this is no longer a perk for ordinary Platinum members). Maybe something like two vouchers per year (so that you could guest up to two non-travelling people in once a year, or one person in twice a year) and four vouchers for Points Club Plus members. This would be a benefit that's not (or rather no longer) available to ordinary (ie non-PC) members, so worth chasing in its own right; just as the ability to earn SCs on award flights is currently only available through Points Club. Therefore it would complement ordinary QFF benefits rather than overlapping with them.
• Instead of earning status credits on award flights, give PC members the choice of earning points instead, similar to the way that a WP can choose between SCs and points for their Loyalty Bonus (ie 50 SCs or 8,000 points) or Platinum Bonus Reward (complimentary Gold membership or 50,000 points). This would, in effect, be a discount on the number of award points required for redemption, and so could be implemented as such. As a LTG now I'd be happy to give up SCs in exchange for better award redemption rates.

As Rich said above, "QF doesn't have to make sure each class of member feels equally incentivised", which is true. But given that Points Club does exist as a program, it's in Qantas's interest to design a mix of benefits that incents (their desired mix of) people to keep sending money their way.

 

[ellen10]

I have just requalified for PC, made it by 3 weeks.
So I am happy

 

[elanshin]

So what? Once upon a time there was no PC or PC+. QF doesn't have to make sure each class of member feels equally incentivised.
The target of PC+ is most likely big spending (churning) infrequent flyers. QF already have the SG members on board.
Of course there is still the benefit of all those points.

I'll just say that i still find value in PC+ even though I'm holding SG. But not enough for me to actively chase it.

I've probably saved a few hundred dollars this year from Qantas Marketplace and earned additional points. If you ever need to buy points (QF wine) that's a 10% discount there too.

For flying though the only reason PC+ has value right now is the 100 SC. Beyond that, I'd be ok with PC.

 

[RichardMEL]

As a P1, there's zero incentive for me to make PC+ - the rollover SC's don't count to P1 status and the other benefits such as they are aren't at all helpful. OTOH, PC is valuable for the CR SC earn (hands down THE BEST benefit of this for the also higher tier FF imo).

Now, what might actually be incentive for higher tier members is if QF increased the CR SC earn for PC+ members (or even the much mooted higher level beyond PC+) - say double the SC earn on CR or something. That would potentially be incentive.

just a thought

 

[Lynda2475]

I see no benefit for me in PC+, PC is the sweet spot with SC earn on CR flights.

I can earn the 100 SCs you get from PC+ roll-over for far less $ spend than is required to move from PC to PC+.

PC+ may be appealing to non frequent flyers, but anyone who is SG or WP has lounge access anyway.

 

[sudoer]

I can earn 100 SCs for far less spend than is required to move from PC to PC+.

But that "spend" (maybe $500-800 annual fees) also comes with 200k points which is easily worth more.

I think most PC+ members would be churning the same amount for value regardless of whether the Points Club program existed. The 100 SC rollover is a nice bonus. It might entice people on 250-300k points to go for one more card or another case of wine etc.

PC+ really needs an option to gift the complimentary QP membership if the member is Gold or higher.

 

[SYD]

I think most PC+ members would be churning this amount for value, regardless of whether the Points Club program existed. The 100 SC rollover is a nice bonus. It might entice people on 250-300k points to go for one more card or another case of wine etc.

I’m fascinated to know what percentage of PC+ members are “churners”. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if its much less than some here think. At AFF, we’re more aware of churning as a means to end but there are probably many more earning on regular CC spend for their businesses and even Corporate card spend.

I probably would be pretty close to PC+ each year if I was still in the multi-National corporate world with large monthly corp AMEX spend on top of personal stuff.

There would be self employed professionals, builders etc who have a shedload input costs go on card (if they’ve got their act together).

 

[RichardMEL]

I tend to think active churners to be a relatively small amount of the total.

In a forum like this we tend to be in a bit of a bubble where many people play the games in various ways eg DSC, churning etc.

That is not the majority of members though. No doubt some outside the most engaged bubble of the types of people who come here do a bit of churn, but not to the levels of our nice membership.

Still woukd be fascinating to know!

(I am not a churner myself)

 

[elanshin]

I’m fascinated to know what percentage of PC+ members are “churners”. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if its much less than some here think. Here at AFF, we’re more aware of churning as a means to end but there are probably many more earning on regular CC spend for their businesses and even Corporate card spend.

I probably would be pretty close to PC+ each year if I was still in the multi-National corporate world with large monthly corp AMEX spend on top of personal stuff.

There would be self employed professionals, builders etc who have a shedload input costs go on card (if they’ve got their act together).

I hit PC+ from business spend easily each year and can also hold my points if I want to as well (aka not use a QF branded CC). In fact I do this sometimes to hold points in Westpac altitude to be able to transfer to QF, VA, SQ, CX etc). o

Post automatically merged: Jan 19, 2024

I tend to think active churners to be a relatively small amount of the total.

In a forum like this we tend to be in a bit of a bubble where many people play the games in various ways eg DSC, churning etc.

That is not the majority of members though. No doubt some outside the most engaged bubble of the types of people who come here do a bit of churn, but not to the levels of our nice membership.

Still woukd be fascinating to know!

(I am not a churner myself)

I would say that the number of people churning has increased (that's probably why we don't see as many lucrative ridiculous points deals as often anymore). But it's still a small subset of people.

At least those that actively sign up and cancel cards every couple of months and earn ~500k + from churning cards a year.

 

[33kft]

I would say that the number of people churning has increased (that's probably why we don't see as many lucrative ridiculous points deals as often anymore). But it's still a small subset of people.

That and the shift towards card payment normalisation. A decade ago people weren't reaching for the plastic/phone on every transaction but now it is normal. There was a time not that long ago where pulling out a credit card actually meant "I don't have the cash to pay for this".... not to mention you'd have already had a $10 minimum sign in your face, and that would have been if the merchant was generous

 

[SYD]

That and the shift towards card payment normalisation. A decade ago people weren't reaching for the plastic/phone on every transaction but now it is normal. There was a time not that long ago where pulling out a credit card actually meant "I don't have the cash to pay for this".... not to mention you'd have already had a $10 minimum sign in your face, and that would have been if the merchant was generous

I’ve been putting everything possible on plastic and paying off the full balance each month for as long as I can remember! First QFF earning card was probably the ANZ QF/Telstra VISA back in the day (the one that came with Telstra Telecard!).