Rewarding Long Term Frequent Flyer Loyalty

[TonyHancock]

I doubt there's anyone here loyal to QF simply because of love for the red roo.

I agree, but I do wonder when I read some of the posts in this thread.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I doubt there's anyone here loyal to QF simply because of love for the red roo.

I used to be - loved the brand, loved the staff, flew them from 1980 onwards. Stayed with them much longer than I should have because of all those touchy, feely sentiments.

 

[RichardMEL]

Yep, same sort of thing happened to me 8 Years ago when I was on the verge of retirement and had to cancel a trip in December....no understanding....not even a reply!
So voted with my wallet. Since then my wife and I have paid for around 15 first and business class trips to Europe and America on other airlines.
If I can avoid it I will not pay to fly with Q although I have flown Q using FF points from other one world airlines.
Most satisfying is that this year we have a First Q flight to Europe booked using Q points earned thru CC points!
I have nothing but disdain for Q’s version of loyalty and wouldn’t p*** on that little ...... if he was on fire.
Why the little a*** h*** gets a massive bonus just because the jet fuel price tanks but nothing happens to him for losses and no dividends beats me.
I get the feeling I’m not alone on this!

Amusing language there (and welcome to AFF) and all but you do have slightly a contradiction - you've earned QFF points with CC spend, so you have such disdain for them, yet still use it. Absolutely to your advantage (F redemption) but still helping QF's bottom line in a big way (both with the CC revenue for the points, and the redemption charges, fuel fines etc).

That aside...

You're NOT exactly the customer who needs to give a cough about things like lifetime status or the like. You can obviously afford premium cabin travel on a regular basis and that's wonderful and gives you absolute freedom to pick and choose from the world's best airlines.. and as such flying paid F (whichever way) you get everything even lifetime platinum etc would give, so it seems to me a bit irrelevant how ANY program treats your patronage.

The only time, in my view, things like lifetime status and recognition come into it are for folks who perhaps travelled heaps during working lives (self funded or otherwise) but then either that stops for whatever reason, and/or retirement.. if one goes from earning P1 every year to only a few domestic flights in discount Y to VFR or perhaps a OS trip every other year for a holiday, then having these rewards is far more important. I'm not there yet myself, and it may well be that come my own retirement I hopefully willstill be able to afford some degree of premium travel, which I am forever thankful for, but for many that's not an option and it's nice to think that having decades of patronage with the one brand does give something. Of course we always want more

Enjoy your travels and life.. it's not worth getting so upset about any company execs given the position you appear to be in lifestyle wise. Make the most of it, and enjoy I reckon

 

[RichardMEL]

But other OW loyalty programs mostly let you earn full points etc on any flight in or out of Australia*.some have far cheaper awards as well.So if I ever do fly QF out of Australia I won't be penalised by my AA,BA programs but they also let me choose any other OW airline flying those routes without penalty-but I am flying* premium cabins.

For now, yes.. but you can't expect the status quo to be maintained. At some point they are all going to go a similar way IMHO.

 

[opusman]

I used to be - loved the brand, loved the staff, flew them from 1980 onwards. Stayed with them much longer than I should have because of all those touchy, feely sentiments.

"I still call Australia home" still brings a tear to the eye whenever you hear it?

 

[Flying mermaid]

"I still call Australia home" still brings a tear to the eye whenever you hear it?

Sure does - I love to wallow in sentiment

 

[RichardMEL]

Funnily enough I still think of flying when I hear Rhapsody in Blue (UA).. that's far sadder than any attachment to QF!

Seriously though many of us, depending on our generation, will equate QF as *THE* national flag carrier. Because up to about the 90's it pretty much was QF and there's a certain home town loyalty inherent to most of us I think. A bit like as a Victorian I support a Victorian football team rathe rthan one from WA or QLD.

I do think though these are historic ties but most of us are pragmatic enough and also in a position (eg: have LTG) to recognise this and find what works for us at the lowest cost. Much like nobody buys(and makes) Oz cars anymore.

and despite everything, I'd rather hang in your average QC than a UA Club and we do forget that the service levels Australia receives, specially domestic, are still way more than most of the world get. QF has a product that has gone downhill absolutely, but they generally run a decent schedule that is reliable. I'm flying to BNE over the weekend and I don't really consider that a delay is very likely. Surethey happen, but it's not the norm for QF domestic, and if it is, often it's stuff like the weather (hello SYD) affecting ops rather than tech issues or stuff specifically within QF's control (yes I know the 717 and 744 fleet are not doing so great).

One key thing for me is reliability and that I get where I want, when i want. QF, more or less, delivers on that through hundreds of flights I can only count on one, or maybe both, hands the number of real issues that have happened over the past few decades. That's a pretty decent record IMHO. Not to say that other carriers are much worse mind you, though there are many more out there with far worse reliability and safety records.

That doesn't mean I'm wedding to QF, but I'd rather stay with them vs VA - yes partly due to LTG - but also because the grass isn't specifically that much greener over there. This is domestically speaking of course. International, it's a whole other ball game. and yes, I to o vote with my $$$. Next month it's NZ to the USA, a few months back it was MH/SQ/TG. However I'm also looking at the current QF sale with a view to a flight or two. That's just me.

Luckily we live in a country and environment with quite a bit of choice, and that's a good thing.

 

[drron]

For now, yes.. but you can't expect the status quo to be maintained. At some point they are all going to go a similar way IMHO.

I've been at it full time for 12 years now and certainly the other programs are much less value than they were but if anything the gap to QFF has become greater.They are the master of the enhancement.

 

[TomVexille]

Funnily enough I still think of flying when I hear Rhapsody in Blue (UA).. that's far sadder than any attachment to QF!

Rhapsody in Blue is part of my childhood. It certainly makes me nostalgic.

 

[TonyHancock]

......now this gives me an idea.

I have several Mars bars for sale that are usually $1 each, but can do a special deal for AFF Members - I'll have Griselda play I Still Call Australia Home on her portable music player thingy and charge you $1.50 each. Everyone wins.

mmmmm I wonder if I create some 1970's style packaging I can get away with $2?

 

[RichardMEL]

......now this gives me an idea.

I have several Mars bars for sale that are usually $1 each, but can do a special deal for AFF Members - I'll have Griselda play I Still Call Australia Home on her portable music player thingy and charge you $1.50 each. Everyone wins.

mmmmm I wonder if I create some 1970's style packaging I can get away with $2?

Only if the doctor will give me twice the usual sugar credits for consumption of overpriced confectionary....

... and free access to the sample jar when I do the factory tour.

 

[dajop]

I have nothing but disdain for Q’s version of loyalty and wouldn’t p*** on that little ...... if he was on fire.
Why the little a*** h*** gets a massive bonus just because the jet fuel price tanks but nothing happens to him for losses and no dividends beats me.I get the feeling I’m not alone on this!

Don't hold back

Might not like him, but if his predecessor (who as an aside had the good fortune to inherit QF only 6 months before AN collapsed, so probably had a bigger external boost than low fuel prices) got his way (which he very nearly did), and sold it to private investors in 2007, QF might have been a very different beast today, if it existed at all. One can only speculate whether it would have improved, deteriorated or disappeared altogether, and who know what would have happened to the QFF program.

 

[woodborer]

Might not like him, but if his predecessor (who as an aside had the good fortune to inherit QF only 6 months before AN collapsed, so probably had a bigger external boost than low fuel prices) got his way (which he very nearly did), and sold it to private investors in 2007, QF might have been a very different beast today, if it existed at all. One can only speculate whether it would have improved, deteriorated or disappeared altogether, and who know what would have happened to the QFF program.

My view - Qantas would be gone, and our skies would be ruled by Virgin Blue and Tiger (and maybe another entrant)

 

[mrsterryn]

Whilst I am Platinium I spend my points on pointy end tickets.
If when I get to 14000 status credits and I am only gold then I can look around for deals on other carriers
At this point in time Qantas goes the destinations I want...I earn credits and points
If it all ends ....I have spent my points prior to Platinium ending
. Qantas is a business...just grateful I can get some form of long term deal out of it LTG
I don't have the resources or the inclination to build another decent FF situation with a different carrier

 

[RichardMEL]

AJ is a bean counter. Absolutely. One reason he was brought in after running JQ (in preference to Borghetti - and look at VA now?!). ove him or hate him he's done a reasona job over the journey (shareholders ARE receiving dividends now, and the share price has bounced around but currently at decent levels, though I got out years ago before it's plunge to around a buck). Yes, his leadership has had affects on the workforce - race freezes, entitlement cuts, the "shut down" of some years back and all of that. Plus the product has been "enhanced" many times (both front line ie paxex and QFF etc) but he's also done what he said he would do more or less. I'm no fan, but as a CEO he's delivered longer term (helped very much by the recent fuel price decline). Some decisions taken before his tenure haunt the company (eg: 380 over 777) and have had an impact.

And, trying to bring this back on topic a bit (and I apologise for my own contributions here for taking it off) but the long term retention strategies are not specifically decisions made by ONE CEO. Blame a figurehead yes, but QFF/"Loyalty" have seen any number of leaders over the years, and enior teams with a remit to boost profits AND retain customers/get more. It is one of the profitable parts of QF ongoing. Not by accident. Part of that has been strategic decisions in terms of benefits - not just for long term loyalty (ie: LTG and the lack of a beyond) but also things like the P1 program, tweaks to benefits for Gold and Plat. and let's not forget some years back the rejiggling of the status boundaries in terms of attain and retain rates, where some were lowered.

As said multiple times it's all a business and business decisions (right and wrong). And, VA have nothing close to this so in this marketplace, for the majority of consumers(ie not the TonyHancock's of this world and others who can and actively seek solace in the arms of internationals) there's little reason for QF to do more, which would only hurt their bottom line more than it would probably aid it.

And while harsh calls have been made in terms of seemingly hard lines and a lack of common sense to either not extend status or provide more perks for the uber long term consumers, I suppose it's a very diffcult area because once you start blurring the lines, making exceptions and so on, then you open a can of worms. I have enormous sympathy for those that have fallen foul of these kinds of choices, and as someone with a decent LTSC count obviously I'd be all over a LTP level or other perks, I also recognise the commercial realities and know that the chances of getting the things I personally would really like to see are slim so I keep my expectations to a certain level and vary my business as appropriate to make the most out of what is out there at any one time as much as I can.

 

[JohnK]

But other OW loyalty programs mostly let you earn full points etc on any flight in or out of Australia*.some have far cheaper awards as well.So if I ever do fly QF out of Australia I won't be penalised by my AA,BA programs but they also let me choose any other OW airline flying those routes without penalty-but I am flying* premium cabins.

That may be true for some premium airfares but not true for economy.

Quite a few Oneworld airlines have zero or limited earning on cheap economy airfares even for their own members. Qantas does not have this in place yet.

 

[burmans]

well duh! what business ever does anything else! Loyalty programs are there to try and maximise revenue and profit. The fact that they hand out some nice benefits to entice you doesn't make it anything else.

Yes I know I'm stating the obvious but this whole thread sems to be full of people who seem to have an idea that this is not the case so was just trying to help balance the discussion.

 

[RichardMEL]

That may be true for some premium airfares but not true for economy.

Quite a few Oneworld airlines have zero or limited earning on cheap economy airfares even for their own members. Qantas does not have this in place yet.

Yes, like AA only credits 25% on QF fares booked in N, G, S, O, Q (and 0.5 EQM credit) and 50% on QF fares booked in H, K, L, M, V (and some of those are "Flex" fare types!)

Qantas − Partner airlines − American Airlines

Also BA only give 25% Avios on most Y:
Economy lowest (M, K, L, N, G, Q, S, V, O)



similar to MH earn rates on QF for various sectors.

Most airlines do this with specific partners depending on the individual agreements.

I remember the days when SQ did not credit anything to partners for *any* Y fares. I think that was the mid-late 90's.

 

[burmans]

"I still call Australia home" still brings a tear to the eye whenever you hear it?

Yep, should be the Australian anthem, far better than the current pretty cough one. And I'm not even an Australian citizen, Kiwi albeit with daughters who are Australian so you can bet I have an investment!

 

[kermatu]

"I still call Australia home" still brings a tear to the eye whenever you hear it?

Does to me. But doesn't influence my spend. What I used to like as a kid returning from an o/s holiday was hearing an Aussie accent from the flight deck. Slightly softened the blow of holiday over.