Qantas surveying members about spend-based status attainment

[andye]

I always thought that from an airline's perspective, the FF programme should be there to drive incremental spend (in air and on ground) rather than just a proportionate reward for spending.

I'd expect that the majority of people flying expensive flex domestic fares have minimal input into who they fly with.

Whereas the moderate/low fare flyer might be prepared to spend a bit more to achieve a status level (and hence be more likely to engage in credit cards/other partners too) if they can make it work.

Cash is not unimportant too though. There are quite a few people who claim to be QF loyalists when they fly their biennial Y trip. This is like expecting a partner to be grateful just because you don't sleep with anyone else, but never pay them a compliment or take them to dinner

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If you are prepared to pay $10k to fly J internationally, you likely wouldn't need to fly budget airlines like VA or JQ domestically unless going somewhere where VA is the only carrier i.e. Christmas Island. QF domestic whY sale fares are regularly available and the QF flights tend to be more frequent.

You’re making an assumption here, perhaps based on your own travel preferences. Plenty of people will fork out for business class internationally, but can’t justify the expense domestically.

$10k to LAX gets you 360SCs for the return. You’d need an awful lot of domestic SYD-MELs to get close to 700 to attain gold.

 

[elanshin]

You’re making an assumption here, perhaps based on your own travel preferences. Plenty of people will fork out for business class internationally, but can’t justify the expense domestically.

$10k to LAX gets you 360SCs for the return. You’d need an awful lot of domestic SYD-MELs to get close to 700 to attain gold.

And let's be honest, a qf 737 id not that different to a VA 737 or JQ 320. Its the other factors that see people flying QF.

 

[drron]

There certainly are a few of us who nearly always fly on the cheapest Y fare domestically but will pay for J and sometimes even F on international flights. Every one is different.

 

[Lynda2475]

You’re making an assumption here, perhaps based on your own travel preferences. Plenty of people will fork out for business class internationally, but can’t justify the expense domestically.

Nope, I made no assumption re class flown domestically just budget vs full service carrier. But i maintain if you prefer J long haul you are less likely to fly a budget carrier in whY when a full service whY with meal and luggage is only a few $ more and has many more domestic flights to choose from.

I mentioned BIS (bum in seat) flying that doesn't mean J.

$10k to LAX gets you 360SCs for the return. You’d need an awful lot of domestic SYD-MELs to get close to 700 to attain gold.

Yes which is why status should be based on BIS (bum-in-seat) flying and not gifted to someone who only does one syd-lax return a year.

You also conveniently ignore that you can reduce significantly via DSC and also using green tier and loyalty bonuses.

When I did SYD- MEL every other week for work, I made sure I did my personal domestic and personal International flying with QF or another One World partner again making status quicker than relying on SYD-MEL alone.

I rarely fly J domestically.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You can have loyalty on a one-off flight by choosing QF instead of UA or DL.

Not everyone is across the DSCs!

 

[Lynda2475]

LOL a one off cannot by definition be a case of showing loyalty.

Loyalty requires repeat business. If you chose QF over UA or DL that is a choice. If you travel frequently and always preference QF/OW over others then that is loyalty.

 

[drron]

Well I nearly got BA gold on an F fare on the old BKK fare. I ended up just 60TPs short on a spend of- $8500.
Yet Mrsdrron didn’t qualify for WP with 2 such trips crediting to QFF.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

LOL a one off cannot by definition be a case of showing loyalty.

Loyalty requires repeat business. If you chose QF over UA or DL that is a choice. If you travel frequently and always preference QF/OW over others then that is loyalty.

Buy definition loyalty is a state of mind. It's your feeling or allegiance towards something.

A one-off trip, or your annual trip year on year only flying Qantas can be expressions of loyalty.

People were loyal to ford or Holden but they didn't have to buy a car every week!

Agree that a one off may not be the definition of a frequent flyer! Which of course is the name of many of these programs.

 

[Vic]

LOL a one off cannot by definition be a case of showing loyalty.

Loyalty requires repeat business. If you chose QF over UA or DL that is a choice. If you travel frequently and always preference QF/OW over others then that is loyalty.

Going back to you earlier post. I'd say someone that chooses to fly qantas for their one #10K business trip EVERY year is showing loyalty.
Cost of lift time status is interesting. It cost me, on JQ QF and other one world carriers, $39000 to go from 1846 status credits to QF lifetime silver.
$73000 to get the next 7000 status credits with QF, again across all carriers that earn status with qantas - JQ, Oneworld and maybe Emirates.

It has been stated before the person who flies one $10k J trip a year does get lounge access as part of J, what is the point of giving them more since they dont fly more? If they want gold all they need do is book that 1 trip in DSC plus add a domestic trip in the same period and they'd have SG.

If you are prepared to pay $10k to fly J internationally, you likely wouldn't need to fly budget airlines like VA or JQ domestically unless going somewhere where VA is the only carrier i.e. Christmas Island. QF domestic whY sale fares are regularly available and the QF flights tend to be more frequent.

Nope, I made no assumption re class flown domestically just budget vs full service carrier. But i maintain if you prefer J long haul you are less likely to fly a budget carrier in whY when a full service whY with meal and luggage is only a few $ more and has many more domestic flights to choose from.

Sorry you are making some massive assumptions here, IMO.
I'd first touch on the earlier assumption about having a business to pay for flights. My business might choose to buy me a $10000 business international flight. But I'm the one making the decision and the money is my PERSONAL money, being earnt by my labour.

Now if I'm heading overseas on a 14 hour flight, and return, for 2 days of meetings - It is literally worth my time to pay for business. I need to arrive in a fairly ok state and get work done.

There is almost no way in hell that means I'm going to go for the meal and luggage for a 1 hour golden triangle flight. Qantas can be consistently $200 more than VA on domestic, and upto double the cost. The assumption about a few dollars more really doesn't match my experience.

In economy, the meal sure as hell ain't worth it on domestic. In business, breakfast is not worth it, but I'd probably rate VA business breaky over Qantas. Lunch Dinner in business is about the same.

Finally, I can often get VA domestic business for the same cost or less than Qantas flexible economy. The choice is often between Qantas economy and VA business on domestic. Even then Economy X and a couple of archie rose gins is mostly likely the better deal, considering cost and seat.
Remember, my business might be paying, but I'm the one deciding. My decision for domestic carrier isn't based on the whether I flew Qater to europe the month before in business.

 

[Sabot]

Yes, but if you're flying for work I would assume that work pays, based on the needs of the business.

So I imagine there won't be much possibility of spending more with Qantas under a pure revenue system (unless work doesn't monitor its travel spend closely). Said by someone who flew extensively for work.

Work pays of course, but I am fortunate to be able to book all my travel independently. Point was mainly that there can be a lot of $500 - $700 and 20 SC return flights each year to get to 300 SC.

 

[Lynda2475]

It cost me, on JQ QF and other one world carriers, $39000 to go from 1846 status credits to QF lifetime silver.

So a lot less than $100k which was my point.

$73000 to get the next 7000 status credits with QF, again across all carriers that earn status with qantas

Again significantly less than $100k.

I myself am on track to go from LTS to LTG for about $40k (provided the current booking class + distance scheme remajns), because I plan well ahead monitoring prices and buy 90% of my flights 10 months out from travel date.

Personally never experienced a $200 difference between QF whY and VA whY domestic fares, sure it happens but i suspect with fares purchased much closer to departure date and outside sales.

Whenever i have travelled at my employers or clients request they have paid for flights, never had to use my own personal funds. And company's rarely pay retail rates, the last company i travelled for regularly would get fares lower than red-e deals up to 5 days out even if no sale on.

If self employed you don't have that sort of bargaining power, but you can plan ahead. If VA suits you better great, doesn't mean QF should adopt their spend based SC model, QF are wise to have another point of difference.

@MEL_Traveller a customers warm and fuzzy feelings don't factor into how companies recognise loyalty or value; they track transactions. For airlines that is primarily flights taken and points earned - things that constitute $ for them.

Buying 1 J ticket once (or once every few years) doesnt make you as engaged as someone who flies 20 times a year.

Noting that QF do assign a value (PCV) separate to your status, which does factor in recent spend. This PCV comes into play for example when they decide who between two customers with same ticket type and status gets an upgrade.