Should Qantas open more award seats to Points Club members?

[Mattg]

We often see cases where people have millions of Qantas Frequent Flyer points (e.g. through credit card spend), but can't get access to premium reward seats on long-haul Qantas flights because they only have Bronze or Silver status. As we know, Qantas releases more seats to Gold (and above) members from the 353 day mark, only making the leftovers available to Bronze and Silver members around 297 days out. This leaves some people at a disadvantage, obviously.

Qantas will soon launch a "Points Club" to reward frequent spenders earning a large number of points on the ground. We don't yet know the details of how this would work. But do you think that, as one of the benefits, Qantas should reward members with Points Club "status" with the same award availability that Gold frequent flyers get? Or would this just make it even harder for the "actual" frequent flyers to get reward seats?

 

[knightfall88]

I am a silver and I definitely want more availability however gold and platinum should always get first dibs, they deserve it.

I heard from Qantas on the extra availability but I fear that it is not on all routes and will be insignificant. I also fear that this may be all concentrated on their "Awards Only" flight experiment which will purposely be a sub-standard product.

 

[Pierre_a]

I just want them to answer the Effing phone so I can get them to correct the problems caused by their broken systems.

If they could change the horrific music they are playing to customers on hold that would go a long way.

 

[RichardMEL]

IMO - no

If they did this then what is the point of earning status by actually flying in their metal tubs (and payinf for it obviously).

Sorry but if it's between me who's flown XX sectors this year and gotten a certain level of status and someone who earnings points buying property and LV handbags and whaever, churning CC's and all the rest then frankly I see no reason why they should get an advantage.

I think the idea of the points club to give some bits and pieces away like a lounge pass or valet parking or whatever is quite good. Doesn't cost QF much but doesn't sabotage the opportunities for the hard FLYING warriors

 

[whughes3]

If "points club" people want privileges, they can give them discounts on toasters...

 

[cove]

With 10 million frequent flyer members you will see why nothing much can change. We try to jump that queue by remaining Platinum on top of Lifetime Gold.

 

[tdimdad]

It would sound (and be) a lot fairer if there was a right-of-way to those who are active customers (or users) of QF services, not only of external partners. I.e. open the awards to the "points club" as if they'd be bronze or silver.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

IMO - no

If they did this then what is the point of earning status by actually flying in their metal tubs (and payinf for it obviously).

Sorry but if it's between me who's flown XX sectors this year and gotten a certain level of status and someone who earnings points buying property and LV handbags and whaever, churning CC's and all the rest then frankly I see no reason why they should get an advantage.

I think the idea of the points club to give some bits and pieces away like a lounge pass or valet parking or whatever is quite good. Doesn't cost QF much but doesn't sabotage the opportunities for the hard FLYING warriors

Maybe it's all about profit to the airline? Who makes QFFF more money? A person on 50 cheapie red e-deals MEL-SYD or the person spending $150,000 with the bank paying 1c a point?

 

[33kft]

It doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. QF could go ahead and open up more Y availability with a tier for points club members and everyone would win in their own way, except QF when it comes to seat revenue, and for that reason alone it's unlikely but who knows?

 

[codash1099]

Definitely no! My WP and LTG cost me a fortune.

Let them eat cake!

 

[oz_mark]

I don't think they will directly do it. What I think is more likely is that Points Club members will be given some sort of leg up into status (e.g. bonus SC on flying) that will help propel them to Gold.

But given we don't really know what Qantas have in mind, I guess anything is possible.

 

[bertflyer]

Part of my “privilege” as a QFF SG to be able to have enhanced access to award seats above everyone below my QF status (and my place below WP, WP1) should also be based on the time I have spend away from home and family (as it it is now, more or less). It rewards my bum in seat time. I wouldn’t like to be usurped by someone that can collect a million points per year using credit cards etc but hasn’t sat on a plane at all.
I do understand financial benefit for QF to encourage those people to spend more though as the QFF program is extremely profitable for them. In the end my spend with QF to maintain SG would likely be less profitable than someone who earns a million frequent flier points with their credit card.

 

[RichardMEL]

Maybe it's all about profit to the airline? Who makes QFFF more money? A person on 50 cheapie red e-deals MEL-SYD or the person spending $150,000 with the bank paying 1c a point?

well of COURSE it's all about money - to QF.

To them though an reward seat is a reward seat - if they offer it up as distressed inventory then they're assuming nobody will pay for it, and they are happy to get some yield for it in terms of the points paid. Fine. From that point of view they don't care where those points come from, so why not keep the status quo (see how I used Status there? ) and keep SOME meaning to the alleged benefit of attaining status? There's way more demand for reward seats on popular routes then supply so people with actual flying related status should have first dibs.

Now, I quite like the idea of extra Y rewards for points club - I mean the status folks likely are looking (more for) premium rewards, and Y seats are more plentiful, and there could be something to that but I still think status members should Donald Trump the hoi poloi in the points club.

But obviously my point above that QF doesn't care where the points come from can go both ways and PC members could get some sort of benefit but really I'd be a bit steamed if some CC churnr got a seat I wanted to LAX if I've earned Gold, Plat or higher the hard way.

Life isn't fair though....

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I’m not sure i agree. If someone is spending $150k a year in their credit card, they may be looking for premium award seats. Who needs extra economy ones? Virtually every day of the year has plenty of coach availability.

I would not be opposed to defining the origin of the $150k spend. For example, should a one-off bonus of 100k for a credit card be counted? Or should there be a monthly minimum spend of 15k?

 

[RichardMEL]

I’m not sure i agree. If someone is spending $150k a year in their credit card, they may be looking for premium award seats. Who needs extra economy ones? Virtually every day of the year has plenty of coach availability.

Oh no doubt.. but that's not what I wrote (or at least not what I meant ). I am sure a points rich individual would absolutely DEMAND a F or J seat(s) for their infrequent travel redemption. Who woudn't?

What I was suggesting is that these "points club" members are earning by NOT flying in the main. If one was to give them a perk, then why not make it in the Y cabin? If they want W, J or F like the rest of us entitled snobs (joke joyce) then join the lottery behind those who have earned better access to flying rewards because you know.. they FLY to generate the status (and incidently it is likely that if someone earns WP or more with paid premium fares, their yield value to QF is much more than a CC churner or someone earning 10 pts/$ via QF shopping.

I think QF has a good idea with the points club because there are people who don't fly often but are wedding to QFF via things like woolies, bank CC's and the like and sure throw something to them. I odn't know if a valet park pass or lounge pass is what most would want - I think lounge passes are a great reward honestly because for QF it's a win/win since in order to use the pass the PC member needs to buy a ticket with $$ or their points - so that's further revenue.. and a bit like the 18-35 lounge pass promo of a few months ago it would make the frequent churner feel a bit special (maybe).

[qupte]
I would not be opposed to defining the origin of the $150k spend. For example, should a one-off bonus of 100k for a credit card be counted? Or should there be a monthly minimum spend of 15k?
[/QUOTE]

This I absolutely agree with! Very much akin to SCs earned flying QF/JQ vs partners. I like this idea.
(hardly "simpler and fairer" though )

 

[Andz]

If "points club" people want privileges, they can give them discounts on toasters...

The problem now is that point members make more money for QF that platinum status people. You an fly J x 3 times a year to LA or London and get Platinum. This about $30,000 spending. Someone that has earned 100k points (not card churning) spends $100k and is more valuable than VIP ( No fuel, no crew, no plane leasing, no airport fees, no food, no alcohol, no lounges, no baggage, no call center (if they answer), no customer services crew etc)

 

[drron]

Even though I am a lowly NB premium cabin awards should still be more available for higher status members.
In the words of Jim Trott-"no,no,no,no.And definitely though not to be followed by a yes.

 

[JohnK]

Maybe it's all about profit to the airline? Who makes QFFF more money? A person on 50 cheapie red e-deals MEL-SYD or the person spending $150,000 with the bank paying 1c a point?

QFF wouldn't exist without the loyal passengers and they are the ones that should receive the majority of benefits.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

QFF wouldn't exist without the loyal passengers and they are the ones that should receive the majority of benefits.

That’s the thing... it probably would exist without BIS passengers. QFFF makes money from selling points to banks, businesses, hotels, you name it. And in buying toasters and selling them for a mark-up.

If QFFF didn’t have to provide seats to pesky BIS flyers, it could probably sell points for even more money direct to those businesses.

 

[Isochronous]

I think defining benefits for Points Club that make it worthwhile may be a challenge - for those earning big from CC spend, they will have sufficient points for J redemption anyway so they wouldn't need a Qantas Club pass most of the time...