Qantas to fast track airline loyalty program status

[roby]

Sent in my NZ Gold card and activity statement to QF but was told the next day that I was not eligible. I am scratching my head as to what they are looking for. NZ is on their status match list. If they are questioning my lack of airline activity in the last 12 months, they should understand that as an Australian resident, there is no NZ airline partner domestically and I am not allowed to leave the country. Very disappointed.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

just got approved for fast track. require to nominate a commencement date. at the same time the 75 status from qantas premier has arrived..damn...

Would yesterday commencement date work?

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Sent in my NZ Gold card and activity statement to QF but was told the next day that I was not eligible. I am scratching my head as to what they are looking for. NZ is on their status match list. If they are questioning my lack of airline activity in the last 12 months, they should understand that as an Australian resident, there is no NZ airline partner domestically and I am not allowed to leave the country. Very disappointed.

Disappointing indeed. I've lowered my expectations at this point.

I have a Slack channel with work colleagues wherein a few of us have all applied and the experiences there echo here: random timelines for responses or lack thereof to EOIs (even when matching from the same airline with similar travel and decision-making patterns) and two people now also pushed back not because info provided was insufficient but because they're "ineligible" despite appearing to meet the requirements quite straightforwardly.

I applied a week ago now and still haven't even had a response to my EOI for them to even consider my data, and that despite having an established-but-never-status-achieving flying year on year with Qantas, quite a few upcoming bookings in 2021, and trying to match from Platinum-level from not one but two other airlines / alliances (Asiana and Delta).

No idea what they're looking for, but it seems QF roulette is striking per usual and par for the course.

 

[Daver6]

Disappointing indeed. I've lowered my expectations at this point.

I have a Slack channel with work colleagues wherein a few of us have all applied and the experiences there echo here: random timelines for responses or lack thereof to EOIs (even when matching from the same airline with similar travel and decision-making patterns) and two people now also pushed back not because info provided was insufficient but because they're "ineligible" despite appearing to meet the requirements quite straightforwardly.

I applied a week ago now and still haven't even had a response to my EOI for them to even consider my data, and that despite having an established-but-never-status-achieving flying year on year with Qantas, quite a few upcoming bookings in 2021, and trying to match from Platinum-level from not one but two other airlines / alliances (Asiana and Delta).

No idea what they're looking for, but it seems QF roulette is striking per usual and par for the course.

QF is just setting expectations that this is the norm in terms of their customer service. Always unpredictable.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

QF is just setting expectations that this is the norm in terms of their customer service. Always unpredictable.

Hahaha. Well, I'll admit, it's been a hint of a reminder why I haven't just made the effort and gone for QF status in the past. QF in-flight service is typically good, the lounges are generally all solid, but there's just always something a touch... off and aloof about them on the ground.

Really though, I'm not entitled to the status, so it's fine. But basic human psychology suggests that the moment you "offer" even the prospect of something even if it's unexpected or unearned but then don't follow through, you just create resentment from people who will feel cheated yet otherwise would have had absolutely no reason to develop any sense of bad-will.

Oh well. By the time we can really get back to overseas flying, I can just stick to what I've already got. Perhaps I wrongly assumed that's exactly what Qantas was trying to incentivise people like me not to do with this offer.

 

[auflier]

And they allow they credit card status bonus to count yeah.
Geez timing is everythi

Would yesterday commencement date work?

manila says no

 

[Jousams]

Just as a bit of an FYI to anyone nominating a date, my QC card (and I’m assuming the whole offer) actually activated one day after the date I norminated. So might be worthwhile giving yourself a few days before your first flight.

 

[paul66]

I have been deemed ineligible. I am Virgin platinum and prior to Covid flew Cairns Sydney return every month and mostly in business. What could I have done wrong. I was granted the Qatar status match so Qantas must be selecting on a hidden criteria. Perhaps they now think Cairns is in the bag with no Virgin lounge and so no point chasing my business.

 

[eastwest101]

I have been deemed ineligible. I am Virgin platinum and prior to Covid flew Cairns Sydney return every month and mostly in business. What could I have done wrong. I was granted the Qatar status match so Qantas must be selecting on a hidden criteria. Perhaps they now think Cairns is in the bag with no Virgin lounge and so no point chasing my business.

I think that could possibly be it - if your home port/most frequent route has no VA lounge and/or your home port is going to be Jetstarized in the future, then no QF status match will be given, if your home port has competition either from VA or Rex then possibly the status match will happen. Maybe this is more about cutting off Rex at the knees, than being too concerned about the relaunched Bain controlled VA?

If this theory holds out, then we should expect to see status match rejections from people based in CNS, ROK, HBA, ASP, DRW, ADL, CBR (?)

The other thing that may be a factor in their calculations is whether you have a propensity or a history of flying on QF pre-Covid19, even if its not much. I realize that you were a VA Plat, but did you do much QF flying in 2019? Maybe another reason why it was, and continues to be, a good idea to at least keep one foot in each camp.

 

[paul66]

I think that could possibly be it - if your home port/most frequent route has no VA lounge and/or your home port is going to be Jetstarized in the future, then no QF status match will be given, if your home port has competition either from VA or Rex then possibly the status match will happen. Maybe this is more about cutting off Rex at the knees, than being too concerned about the relaunched Bain controlled VA?

The other thing that may be a factor in their calculations is whether you have a propensity or a history of flying on QF pre-Covid19, even if its not much. I realize that you were a VA Plat, but did you do much QF flying in 2019? Maybe another reason why it was, and continues to be, a good idea to at least keep one foot in each camp.

I did no domestic QF flying as the VA lounge in Cairns was better, flight times more convenient and the VA fares were cheaper. Their loss as they could have won me across. Rex operates out of Cairns so I hope they hook their region flights up to a Sydney flight and take over the VA lounge. I am sure the lounge will be a bargain to rent

 

[roby]

Disappointing indeed. I've lowered my expectations at this point.

I have a Slack channel with work colleagues wherein a few of us have all applied and the experiences there echo here: random timelines for responses or lack thereof to EOIs (even when matching from the same airline with similar travel and decision-making patterns) and two people now also pushed back not because info provided was insufficient but because they're "ineligible" despite appearing to meet the requirements quite straightforwardly.

I applied a week ago now and still haven't even had a response to my EOI for them to even consider my data, and that despite having an established-but-never-status-achieving flying year on year with Qantas, quite a few upcoming bookings in 2021, and trying to match from Platinum-level from not one but two other airlines / alliances (Asiana and Delta).

No idea what they're looking for, but it seems QF roulette is striking per usual and par for the course.

I wrote back to QF seeking some clarification as to the eligibility of the status from another airline. So they advised that they are looking for your status from another airline that is earned in the normal way and not gifted or extended. At this point, there is no way to earn Status with NZ the "normal way" as there is not a single airline partner in Australia (unless you fly to Norfolk Island all the time). And at this point all NZ status for Australian residents are extended. This makes the QF status offer to NZ status holder officially a scam, as it's physically impossible to meet their eligibility requirement.

 

[AIRwin]

And at this point all NZ status for Australian residents are extended.

The fact that there was a status extension means that it had previously been earned "the normal way" - which seemed to have escape QF...

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

As others have suggested there definitely appears to be some hidden criteria here in terms of both who even receives a response to their EOI and, of those who are, who is then deemed eligible.

On paper, I'm eligible, but QF hasn't even responded to my EOI to give me an opportunity to demonstrate that. Even if they do, however, as others including you have noted, appearing eligible on paper doesn't necessarily mean anything.

It begs the question of why bother to splash out this "generous" offer if it's presumably covering status holders of airlines that QF doesn't seem to actually care enough about to even ask for more info. (Answer: great PR, until it just irritates all those who realise it's just a ruse.)

If QF is then going as granular as targeting VA flyers but rejecting them if they're in a city that QF now deems unnecessary of competitive incentive given VA's lack of lounges or perks, that's pretty rough (but kind of on brand, IMHO).

It's also been suggested that having flown QF in the past or having upcoming bookings might be of value. In my case, QF hasn't responded to my EOI, but my QFF account certainly would show past flights with them (at least to earn Silver) and upcoming bookings in 2021, which - if nothing else - certainly hasn't motivated them to ask for my details to even consider me.

With the NZ travel bubble looking possible next year, I've just booked my winter holiday to Queenstown on NZ and will simply stick to Star Alliance as most of my travel is overseas. I don't fly often or far enough domestically to care who I fly on those (but, ironically, have 5-6 trips on QF already next year given Covid has kept us closer to home).

Had Qantas bothered to respond and followed the wording of their own offer, I would have just bought both my partner's ticket and mine on QF. They didn't, so NZ got my money, and we've come full circle with the status quo retained though some patience and time wasted. Meh.

 

[Carrots]

Hidden criteria and a data mining boom for them.

 

[drex]

a data mining boom for them.

Of course.. I didn't even think of that.

 

[Dee#]

Applied on 7/12, heard nothing, but partner got a reply on 8/12. I have just applied again on 15/12. We have very similar travel patterns. Both Virgin Platinum.

 

[Dee#]

We are based in Perth. But go to Darwin a lot. No more Virgin lounge in Darwin is the clincher to switch. But also looking to fly to UK next year when the plague is under control, we've got the jab and the Perth direct (or Singapore) are the only 2 acceptable airlines. Won't now go Qatar but have Qatar match til whenever.....

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Applied on 7/12, heard nothing, but partner got a reply on 8/12. I have just applied again on 15/12. We have very similar travel patterns. Both Virgin Platinum.

How odd. Random, hidden criteria indeed. That or a total circus of disorganisation.

 

[randompunter]

Here's a summary of my experience: Velocity Gold, applied late November. I received two emails for two different SR#s a few days later requesting documentation. One SR# was for a different surname. Emailed back to advise they may have had made a mistake with the other bloke. Heard nothing for two weeks then emailed again on the 14th to see what was happening. Received a reply on the 15th advising I was successful. Nominated today as my start date, hoping it kicks in before tomorrow as I have a QFLink day trip to MKY.

To add another data point, my Velocity activity statement going back to mid 2019 was quite sparse on the domestic front - most status points came from an Etihad J trip to Africa.

 

[klc97]

Sent in my EOI 4/12 and still haven't heard back yet...