QF Survey of new WP/P1 / post LTG benefits

[esseeeayeenn]

Considering that QFF personnel might actually read this thread, I will offer a couple of thoughts which might keep people flying QF after reaching one of the LT statuses.
LT Silver members can achieve annual Gold status at the SG renewal level (ie 600 SC rather than 700)
LT Gold members can achieve annual Platinum status at the PLT renewal level (ie 1200 SC rather than 1400)
Perhaps add the proviso that there must be 6 (rather than 4) qualifying QF system flights for SG under this arrangement and 8 for PLT.

And away I go again wandering
Fred

I think this is a good idea in principle but doesn't offer enough.
It doesn't offer anything to people who are LTG, already have WP status and are seeking to maintain, not attain, that status.
A more substantial discount for the next tier once you attain a lifetime tier would be a lure, in my opinion.
Ideally once you have LTG for example, only 1400-600=800 SCs to attain WP and 1200-600=600 SCs to retain WP.
This might be too generous for QF but something inbetween could acheive the purpose of motivating continued loyalty from LTG pax.
At the moment you get absolutely nothing for achieving any lifetime status tier unless and until your current status drops below your lifetime status.
So for example my lifetime silver hasn't given me a single benefit, nor will LTG in future unless and until I drop below Gold status.
This could easily be fixed. For example, LTS PAX should receive the annual lounge invites even when they are Gold or WP.
Make them transferrable and they would share them with family or friends.
This would also help get more people addicted to the QFF drug.

 

[sjk]

Hire a professional, Qantas! ;-)

I have seen one self-professed ‘professional’ around here who always seems to be in between jobs... the interview I remember had some kind of embarrassing eigenvector / eigenvalue theme that fell apart instantly.

Seriously I need to stop posting on here and just send Qantas my damn bill.

Good luck with that.

 

[rginoz]

I think this is a good idea in principle but doesn't offer enough.
It doesn't offer anything to people who are LTG, already have WP status and are seeking to maintain, not attain, that status.
A more substantial discount for the next tier once you attain a lifetime tier would be a lure, in my opinion.
Ideally once you have LTG for example, only 1400-600=800 SCs to attain WP and 1200-600=600 SCs to retain WP.
This might be too generous for QF but something inbetween could acheive the purpose of motivating continued loyalty from LTG pax.
At the moment you get absolutely nothing for achieving any lifetime status tier unless and until your current status drops below your lifetime status.
So for example my lifetime silver hasn't given me a single benefit, nor will LTG in future unless and until I drop below Gold status.
This could easily be fixed. For example, LTS PAX should receive the annual lounge invites even when they are Gold or WP.
Make them transferrable and they would share them with family or friends.
This would also help get more people addicted to the QFF drug.

I think there is a lot of merit in the suggestion that once a Lifetime Gold level is achieved, the SC's required to achieve/maintain the WP level reduces from 1400/1200 SC to about half those numbers. For a self-funded traveller, getting to LTG requires a big effort, often taking many years of travel loyalty. Qantas needs to give people the incentive to get to and/or maintain WP status, by making it a bit easier to do. Otherwise many passengers might simply rest on their LTG laurels as a backstop, and direct their future efforts to other airlines and alliances.

Disclosure: I'm a WP, approaching LTG, after about 30 years of FF membership.

 

[mviy]

Where I can see this breaking down is if bonus SC don’t count. I expect if I get to LTG a significant proportion will come from bonus SC offers. Needing to say get to 28000 standard LTSC wouldn’t be much of an incentive to stay loyal.

 

[Tropic]

Where I can see this breaking down is if bonus SC don’t count. I expect if I get to LTG a significant proportion will come from bonus SC offers. Needing to say get to 28000 standard LTSC wouldn’t be much of an incentive to stay loyal.

Have no idea, but I would guess a significant proportion of high status QFF members (LTG + 10000s SC) got there through employer funded travel and now direct their own funded leisure travel with other OW carriers. If one retires before hitting LTG or changes jobs, very expensive to self fund those extra flights without DSC promos...unless money not the primary limiter.

 

[kermatu]

While it's just a survey, the fact that a year of P1 status and a year of WP status are being offered as equivalents in some of the options says all you need to know about the value of P1.

Never going to happen but to me it should be bonuses at 30K, 45K and 60K. And choices each time, to allow for the fact that something which may be valuable to one FF'er means zip to another.

The F and Dom J lounges are already overrun, so I'm not in favour of even year-long bonuses that just make that worse. Lifetime rewards sound OK but I suspect they'll be meaningless Otherwise some finite reward choices would be OK and not break the bank for QF. For example (and I'm deliberately low-balling):
- 10 CL passes (lifetime);
- 20 Chauffeur Drive vouchers (lifetime);
- 200,000 points to use for guaranteed upgrades (any flight regardless of reward availability);
- Top-tier hotel chain status for 1/2/3 years;
- etc

Of the existing bunch, Option 1 would give me incentive to keep flying QF. None of the others would.

 

[JohnM]

- 10 CL passes (lifetime);
Of the existing bunch, Option 1 would give me incentive to keep flying QF. None of the others would.

But, if the S&P squid in the CL is a fail, what's the real incentive?

 

[kermatu]

But, if the S&P squid in the CL is a fail, what's the real incentive?

A seat.

 

[JohnM]

A seat.

Mate, I'm going to stalk you until you guest me into the hallowed halls...

 

[kermatu]

Mate, I'm going to stalk you until you guest me into the hallowed halls...

If I secure a pass I will fly to PERfection just to guest you in for my return. I'm pretty sure if we ask for chilli they'll add it to the S&P squid.

 

[JohnM]

If I secure a pass I will fly to PERfection just to guest you in for my return. I'm pretty sure if we ask for chilli they'll add it to the S&P squid.

I'll tolerate anything to get a seat...

 

[kevrosmith]

Well, Qantas have to do something to keep the LTG's interested. In my circumstances, having reached LTG, I'm more interested in maintaining Platinum with VA each year now, knowing that if I happen to book a QF/JQ flight, I'll have lounge access. Yes, I might miss being able to request release of an International J or F reward seat, no longer being WP, but really, VA is a better proposition for me for my regular annual domestic travel:

• On average, cheaper fares overall for the routes I fly, especially with an abundance of promo codes, but even without one.
• More SCs on Elevate (middle-level) fares compared with Red eDeal fares on QF.
• A better proposition for cancelling Flex/Freedom fares to Travel Bank and using remaining balance across multiple bookings versus Stuck-in-the-mud value maintained on single next-higher-fare-value booking voucher.
• Access to Economy X seating with extra legroom at time of booking, with up to 30 seats available on a B738, compared to having to set T-80 reminder to attempt to snag limited-availability row 4 seat on QF.
• More-often-than-not, particularly on my regular routes, middle-seat free in YX on VA compared to full row 4 on QF B738, or restricted leg room on bulk-head row on B717.
• VA B738 versus QF pushing more routes to QFLink B717 on my regular routes (especially CNS-BNE).
• Family pooling with VA will make requal of VA Platinum even easier (when I do actually manage to find my SO )

I've previously held WP for the last 7 years straight, P1 for one of those (yes, mostly thanks to JASA runs to make up the difference that year), and at the same time held VA Platinum for those same 7 years. Since my work-related travel patterns have changed drastically, I'm glad to have reached LTG during that time.

If QF keep their promise to release more Premium Class reward seats, I'm not so worried about losing domestic Business Lounge Access, and will still enjoy First Lounge Access if I happen to snag an F reward seat.

From my perspective, VA have done so much more to keep my Business going forward cf. QF, and having been insulted by their paltry offer to maintain WP for one more year with 120K points, having done away with the 3-year average offer, I'll keep an eye on any improvements they potentially introduce, but they really have made my eyes to glaze over whenever they attempt to prove how valuable their Business is to mine.

 

[TonyHancock]

I consider myself to have been fortunate to reach QF LTG, and even more fortunate to reach BA GFL.

For some reason this thread fascinates me. As I read it QF probably ought to provide some benefits to keep the ever growing band of LTG's "interested" in continuing their flying on QF metal. LTP is a far off an unattainable goal for the majority, me included.

As my business travel will come to an end next year I am interested in this. If I was in the position of falling back on LTG I'd probably still opt for QF domestically (using Avios is handy here) but internationally my plan is to fly J or F as much as I can anyway so QF, with it's inferior premium product, is not likely to be my choice unless price (insert laugh here) drives me there.

BA GFL will keep me flying OW* for the F lounge benefits (and the other benefits of traveling within an extensive partner network.).....but as a self funded traveler (I believe it is against AFF law not to state this if traveling on one's own "dime") err err well nothing will really change for me!! I will weigh up costs against benefits as I currently do and select my carrier on the outcome.

QF's problems are an inferior, yet expensive, premium cabin product, a poor frequent flyer program, and Fred Perry menus.

I'm certainly not going to go through the whole FF Stockhom Syndrome experience and look for the flimsiest excuse to continue to fly with QF.

*Providing OW flights meet the cost v benefit test.

 

[juddles]

I consider myself to have been fortunate to reach QF LTG, and even more fortunate to reach BA GFL.

For some reason this thread fascinates me. As I read it QF probably ought to provide some benefits to keep the ever growing band of LTG's "interested" in continuing their flying on QF metal. LTP is a far off an unattainable goal for the majority, me included.

As my business travel will come to an end next year I am interested in this. If I was in the position of falling back on LTG I'd probably still opt for QF domestically (using Avios is handy here) but internationally my plan is to fly J or F as much as I can anyway so QF, with it's inferior premium product, is not likely to be my choice unless price (insert laugh here) drives me there.

BA GFL will keep me flying OW* for the F lounge benefits.....but as a self funded traveler (I believe it is against AFF law not to state this if traveling on one's own "dime") err err well nothing will really change for me!! I will weigh up costs against benefits as I currently do and select my carrier on the outcome.

QF's problems are an inferior, yet expensive, premium cabin product, a poor frequent flyer program, and Fred Perry menus.

I'm certainly not going to go through the whole FF Stockhom Syndrome experience and look for the flimsiest excuse to continue to fly with QF.

*Providing OW flights meet the cost v benefit test.

I am guilty of not reading the whole thread, as I understand the usual complaints and suggestions. But having read the latest TonyH post, I agree. the reality is that - an under-par product?FF scheme, and that gaping hole between LTG and LTP.

If QF ever actually define benefits that somehow bridge that gap, I could be interested. But today it is just mere waffle and surveys.... I will return to the fold once (if) it makes sense. And right now it totally does not.

 

[Vic]

I have seen one self-professed ‘professional’ around here who always seems to be in between jobs... the interview I remember had some kind of embarrassing eigenvector / eigenvalue theme that fell apart instantly.

Wow, Linear Algebra! I reckon someone who actually understands the difference between an eigenvector and eigenvalue might have understood the linear transformation and the quanta of that transformation...

Interestingly, since the questions suggest Qantas is trying to bring the program back to the linear, from the exponentially ridiculous 75000 status credits, maybe they missed the boat in that interview...

 

[Ragtrade1961]

interesting.
I’ve held P for 10 years, 5 of those as P1. 35K status credits in the bank. I didn’t qualify for P last year so have just gone to LTG this month. Did not receive an invitation to buy platinum status.

Soft landing ain’t so soft! Didn’t realize that as a gold you have to wait for 45 minutes on the phone! After all that loyalty, not feeling very special any more. Maybe offer long termers like me ongoing premium contact numbers? Will probably qualify for Platinum again in a few months but as someone said here, there are better premium cabins for less money so as a self funded traveler, this has been a catalyst for me to consider my options.

 

[moa999]

Ragtrade, interesting data point on not getting the 120k 'offer'. Maybe you needed to ask?
(Oh and Welcome to AFF)

It's also a question of overall benefit over cost.
While there are members of this forum who are self-funded or have choice of airline, know the ins and outs of the program, and might become less loyal at LTG, although most will still probably chase Plat
The majority of LTGers probably have no idea, and fly whatever airline is booked for them as part of their corporate contract.

So by adding benefits for the ambivalent, is QF costing itself more than they gain from keeping the informed loyal.

 

[nutwood]

Allowing one to carry over surplus SC's would seem to make sense. Once your status level for the year is achieved, there's currently little incentive to continue being loyal. You achieve 1200 SC's after six months, no chance of reaching P1. Assuming LTG is in the bank, more SC's are of little benefit. If you could carry them over, you could build up the numbers, achieve P1 for one year and drop 3600 in one hit, back down to the beginning, whereupon you start building up again.

 

[Tropic]

I think if you're flying enough to earn LTG you very unlikely to be ambivalent even if you not paying for it....

 

[JCD]

There is of course an option 5 available to them being admit you made a mistake and lower the threshold to a level which your more regular elite FF feels is attainable to maintain their loyalty. Say 50K SC

Totally agree. Just admit that 75K was an absurd amount and has just pissed off many loyal flyers. I'm at about 42K lifetime credits and feel inclined to start sharing loyalty with another airline that may have lower fares. My business flying will taper off soon and my personal flying is more price-sensitive so I am less inclined to fly with Qantas if I lose Emerald status.