Let me clarify (sorry folks, you know how verbose I can be!) my comment about QFF's views on P1.
As far as anyone knows there's only a few thousand P1 members within QFF. A few years back it was suggested around 3000. I'd say with DSC and the like it's maybe doubled or at least possibly around 5000. It's a tiny fraction of the ~13m QFF members at any rate.
However those who may take advantage of DSC to hti P1 such as
nutwood and myself (though I have made it with zero bonus SC offers too) are going to be a small number overall. Why do I suggest that?
The REAL P1's are the absolute road warriors - more than likely on business travel - and also more than likely with corporate travel policies and accounts that tie them to QF. Even if not, certain pax will be forced to be loyal to QF if schedule and reach meets their goals (I am thinking of regional Australia here mostly). And the self funded P1's who use DSC? Still valued by QF because if they did not bother and gave their business to VA or SQ or whoever then QF is still winning from that revenue they otherwise would miss out on - even if it's a small amount.
And yes the 2700 QF/JQ SC earn requirement absolutely ensures maximum exposure to QF and thus revenue to them for those flyers.
My point about being "rusted on" is that there are a lot of people out there, a bit like political parties, that will go with what they know and like, een if they disagree with some policies (or service aspects) because either they just can't stomach the other options, or they just don't care enough to change.
And once at the P1 level there's no incentive to provide further offers for QF becauser the logic would be that those passengers will still epsnd more than their fair share with QF. It may be flawed, and people can and do vote with their feet/walets, but there's also going to be a flow back the other way, so that "spend away" factor may even be very little over the courtse of time.
It may be changing in the younger generations but I am sure many of us have all heard people say without pause "I fly QF all the time no matter what. They're Australian. Our family has always flown them" - and barring some horrendous experiences that feeling will probably stay for many people - at least that is what QF is banking on to a certain extent.
The swinging voters, as it were, are the ones QF will care about - and how may they do that? Well if I drop from P1 to WP then LTG due to little flying it's likely they would (or should from their POV) throw me some bonus offers to try and induce me back. It may work, or I may decide I prefer SQ or VA or NZ or whoever.
There's one of those sayings out there about it's much easier to retain a customer than to get new ones" - and I think that's the general logic going on with QF. If they figure they have us already then there's no need to keep throwing stuff at us - it doesn't make a lot of sense. While if I'm a newbie, then I'd thnk they'd want to work hard to lure me in.
The actions of indivuals, even in a group as small as say 5-10k, probably don't matter that much to QFF - if we stay or if we go - but trends and groups that move, and they see a resultant revenue loss (as let's face it, P1's are generating a fair amount of revenue for them)... that will possibly get some action.
All IMO of course.
And on SQ lounges - my more recent experiences have been SQ TPR at SIN which of course is very nice. Not quite the QF Flounge, but very very good (and way better bubbles!) and SYD F lounge - which is a very very nice pre-flight offering. Usually if I am flying SQ it's in F or J, and with that in mind I tend to wrry less about the lounge offerings because in flight is usually brilliant on so many levels. I do the same with QF too - eg I won't worry so much about wine or champ in the QF F lounges if I'm flying F out of there, but will if I'm going J. That probably sounds snobby actually but all I really mean is that I tend to prepare for my whole experience and plan accordingly
Heck some lounges I merely use as a quick pit stop between or before flights and all I have is a water or coffee and a place to read the paper. Everyone's mileage varies of course.
