Upcoming Qantas Frequent Flyer Changes

[NM]

My real-world scenario:

Next week I fly to HK. I have a choice of airlines (primarily QF or CX) and a choice of FF programs to use (QFF or AAdvantage). I hold oneworld Sapphire status with both FF programs. Fare will be B booking class.

Choice 1: Fly QF flights and credit to QFF

To depart Sunday and fly day-time, I need to take QF8 to SYD and QF127 to HKG. Returning Friday night on the direct overnight :evil: QF97. No direct daytime option from QF in either direction.

I will earn 16,549 QFF points based on 75% status bonus and traveling in economy. That is 61.3% of the points needed for a one-way BNE-PER business class award (the award flight I redeemed was return BNE-PER for Mrs NM).

I will also earn 70 SCs (no double SC promo for me), which is 5% of what I would need to reach Platinum status or 11.7% of that required for Gold re-qualification - but I have lifetime gold so status retention is not relevant to QFF.

Choice 2: Fly QF and credit to AAdvantage

Same flights and fare class as above. I would earn 18,774 AA miles (I get 100% status bonus with AAdvantage Platinum status) which is 107% of that required for a BNE-PER business class award.

I will also earn 14,080 Elite Qualifying Points, which is 14% of that required for Executive Platinum (oneworld Emerald) status or 28.2% of the way to re-qualifying AA Platinum status for next year.

Choice 3: Fly CX and credit to QF

CX has direct daytime flights in each direction, thus saving me about 4 hours on the outbound and avoiding the overnight return.

I would earn 8,861 QFF points (31.9% of required for the same award as above) and 70 SCs (same as for QF flights).

Choice 4: Fly CX and credit to AAdvantage

Direct daytime flights as per choice 3. I would earn 16,144 AAdvantage miles (100% status bonus applies to CX flights) which is 92.3% of that required for the same award as above. I would also earn 12,918 EQP or 12.9% of Executive Platinum status earning or 25.8% of Platinum status re-qualification.

Someone please tell me why I should consider using QFF, even with the "enhanced" Gold Status benefits?

Note my current reservation is for QF flights and crediting to AAdvantage. But I may very well change to the CX flights for convenience.

 

[connieguy]

Someone please tell me why I should consider using QFF, even with the "enhanced" Gold Status benefits?

Like the way you think. My plans this QF year are to get AA EXP as quickly as I can and then re-qualify for WP using JASA domestic flights paid for from the AA EXP gained miles. Nothing against QF, just working to generate the best benefits for the spend and the best comfort for the miles my butt sits in aircraft seats.

Oh BTW it is my money that pays for my flights, so yes I do feel I have the right to play the QF and AA FF systems for my max benefit.

 

[russ]

Just to clarify, 3600 Status credits is the threshold to entry, however we are evaluating a QF Status credits requirement as part of that.

So in summary, QF doesn't know:
1. what the benefits are
2. how many people it will apply to
3. whether or not it will require additional QF status credits

Good one, QF!

Virgin Australia, now's the time for a status match!

 

[Archphoto]

The relevance of this is, relative to other tiers, Platinum Frequent Flyers have a far higher incidence in premium cabins. Naturally, the situation will vary from Member to Member.

Red Roo, I appreciate that the incidence of WPs flying are quite possibly in the "Premium Cabins", however why alienate those who cannot afford to fly Premium, but still show QF loyalty by choosing you over other OW carriers?

I fly a great deal for business, but trying to explain to a client that they should pay J fares is nigh on impossible; they want me to go from A - B, the cheapest way possible, and I'm afraid that is Y.

To keep WP is difficult, as I get 1/2 the SCs of a J traveller, so by definition I need to fly 2x as much as a WP in J.

And I choose to do so with QF (or 3K here in Asia) as often as I possibly can, only choosing another OW carrier when you don't service the region.

Can you explain what makes a WP spending in J (or F) so much more important than one who flies Y that they get Loyalty Bonus and the Y WP does not?

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Red Roo:

Can I be greedy and make a special request?

Please replace that 40yr old 767 on QF3/QF4 Sydney<>Honolulu.

Many AFF members have taken this flight and have vouched never to book it again. Small, old seats, non-existent AVOD, etc on a very BUSY high profile route that deserves better! I would happily earn points on this flight is a change was made.

I'm sure Qantas can do better

 

[OverrideServlet]

There is work taking place behind the scenes to improve the customer experience and delivery is an area of focus.

Great to hear.

I think this is an area that QF can really set itself apart from the competition. I'm looking forward to seeing the changes.

 

[docjames]

Can you explain what makes a WP spending in J (or F) so much more important than one who flies Y that they get Loyalty Bonus and the Y WP does not?

I'd have thought the answer to that is QF make more money from the WP in J or F than the WP in Y.

 

[oz_mark]

So in summary, QF doesn't know:
1. what the benefits are
2. how many people it will apply to
3. whether or not it will require additional QF status credits

Good one, QF!

Virgin Australia, now's the time for a status match!

Is that because there is much more clarity in their forthcoming program changes?

 

[NM]

Like the way you think. My plans this QF year are to get AA EXP as quickly as I can and then re-qualify for WP using JASA domestic flights paid for from the AA EXP gained miles.

One problem in your theory .... You cannot book a JASA using AA miles. AA awards on QF flights are only available as the equivalent of Classic Awards, so they do not earn any FF miles/points or SC/EQP in either program.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Red Roo:

Can I be greedy and make a special request?

Please replace that 40yr old 767 on QF3/QF4 Sydney<>Honolulu.

Many AFF members have taken this flight and have vouched never to book it again. Small, old seats, non-existent AVOD, etc on a very BUSY high profile route that deserves better! I would happily earn points on this flight is a change was made.

I'm sure Qantas can do better

I agree that the 767 should be replaced on the HNL route; preferably by a 744 (at least until the 787s arrive).

The 767 Dreamtime seats are still better than JQ's Millennium seats, of course.

But to be fair - the 767s are not 40 years old - that would make them manufactured in 1971!!

The oldest 767 still in the QF fleet was manufactured in late 1988; the youngest in 2000. So that means they are aged between 11 and 22 years - a long way short of 40!

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Red Roo
There is work taking place behind the scenes to improve the customer experience and delivery is an area of focus.

I was targeted for a QF survey today (via e-mail) asking in great detail about my most recent flight. About 20-30 questions with lots of ways to answer each question. Lots of cabin crew, meal, baggage, price, how often you travel, what QF level are you questions and a "Are you a member of Velocity and if so, what tier?" question in the mix too.
The last one was the best, "Any ways to improve QF?".....YES, stop ripping Platinum's off....

 

[MatF]

I still can't see anything in the changes for me, except for a reduction in relativity to the other membership grades.

My flying pattern places me in the wilderness, at ~2000SCs a year, still significantly over WP requal (167%), but not enough to get the 50,000pts at 2400, and well short of WP1 at 3600.

I have just been invited (and have accepted) an invitation to take part in a Qantas focus group discussion next week. Will be happy to represent some of the feedback expressed in this forum.

I was invited too (at 11:25am), but I don't get my QF emails at work. When I got home and checked my email, there was another email at 4:04pm, advising that the discussion sessions were full. "Response was overwhelming" ... interesting timing I guess.

I probably couldn't have made it anyway, given it was in Sydney on a Monday or Tuesday night (and I don't work or live in Sydney). Interesting that $120 of compensation was on offer!

 

[Jobu]

Just to clarify, 3600 Status credits is the threshold to entry, however we are evaluating a QF Status credits requirement as part of that.

Interesting update Red Roo. I'm curious at what level of QF SCs you are thinking? I hope that people who travel on OW partner airlines won't be penalised too much, considering that other than the staple-diet flights to places like LHR and LAX, there are alot of destinations not serviced at all, or have infrequent schedules, difficult connection times, and/or require OW partners to reach. I can give lots of examples.

Bear in mind that people flying OW partners instead of QF will already generally get less by way of bonus points, and there are already a minimum number of QF segments that need to be flown to retain membership.

Cheers

 

[pshepvic]

The Platinum One members are already becoming targets of the 'tall poppy syndrome' .....

Along with Qantas...

 

[drewbles]

There is work taking place behind the scenes to improve the customer experience and delivery is an area of focus.

Call me sceptical, But I seem to remember Miss Deborah "Welcome Aboard" Hutton spruiking the wine program and the customer excellence centre that QF had built several years ago to ensure that service was exceptional.

I've not seen any real improvement since this. I'm very jaded these days, especially now that they're replaced 'enhanced' with 'exciting' in the announcement (there certainly was nothing exciting about nothing happening to the Platinum level and making someone who flies half as much get only 25% less bonus points in Economy).

 

[JohnK]

the more I read the more I understand the changes.

To be fair, we have increased the Premium Economy Cabin bonus from 10% to 25%, Business from 25% to 50% and First from 50% to 100%. The Cabin bonus applies to points earned at the time of flying, unlike the Loyalty bonus.

Status bonus is the important factor here. It takes 300 SCs to get Silver, 700 SCs to get Gold and also 1,400 SCs to get Platinum.

What QF is saying here is that the Status bonus increase for Silver to 50% and Gold to 75% is justified compared to the status bonus for Platinum of 100% How anyone can get to that conclusion is well beyond me.

I think QF have got that one totally wrong. The message I am receiving is stay at Gold and spread your wings....

 

[pshepvic]

So in summary, QF doesn't know:
1. what the benefits are
2. how many people it will apply to
3. whether or not it will require additional QF status credits

Good one, QF!

Virgin Australia, now's the time for a status match!

Do you realise the irony here?

You're criticising QF for not releasing every detail about WP1. And in the same sentence, you're asking VA for a status match. Bit cheeky I think...

VA's announcements a few months ago, and again this month, have stated there are changes to VA and Velocity coming. Do you have any idea what they all are? No. We've been told of some of the changes, and will be told of many more over the next few months.

QF has just released a swag of changes, including indication that there is more coming for the most frequent flyers. They released a lot more in a single announcement than VA did over a few months. Not that I'm having a go at VA either, it is a successful marketing technique no matter how much people on this forum might complain about it.

Let's wait and see what else both QF and VA come up with, and make some objective assessments once everything is on the table from both parties.

I may have jumped the gun on that last statement - do we need to wait for Tiger to revamp their offering as well??

 

[Leumas]

Don't say I don't try to be positive and constructive...

To find out how many members had 3600 or more SCs last year, ask any beginner DBA to run:

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM Members
WHERE last_membership_year_SC >= 3600;

 

[Archphoto]

I'd have thought the answer to that is QF make more money from the WP in J or F than the WP in Y.

I'd like to know how they do so as for anyone flying Y (most would be flying discount economy) you need to fly twice as much as anyone flying J.

In any case, it's seems to be favouritism towards WP "Premium" customers - anyone flying WP in Y (hmmmm, I seem to remember it being said that Y is the more profitable area???) is not deemed worthy of their WP status.

Sorry, but not everyone can afford the luxury of flying J, but can fly enough in Y to gain their status. Therefore they should be afforded the same loyalty (and rewards) from QF as any other WP.

I'm not saying I should get 100% bonus increase like a J customer - 25%- 50% (as I'm not flying J) but what about 10%?

 

[pshepvic]

Call me sceptical, But I seem to remember Miss Deborah "Welcome Aboard" Hutton spruiking the wine program and the customer excellence centre that QF had built several years ago to ensure that service was exceptional.

I've not seen any real improvement since this. I'm very jaded these days, especially now that they're replaced 'enhanced' with 'exciting' in the announcement (there certainly was nothing exciting about nothing happening to the Platinum level and making someone who flies half as much get only 25% less bonus points in Economy).

My experience has actually been that QF service has improved significantly over the last few years. I have found domestic staff, whilst not necessarily "exceptional", to be friendly, polite, helpful and certainly delivering what I would expect. I don't think any better or worse than VA - I've had great service on both.

Compared to overseas airlines, they are exceptional (particularly domestic North American carriers - comparing them to AA, UA, AC, AS, WS). The only one that has met or exceeded QF or VA, has been VX.

Same for international - in that case I have had exceptional service from QF, including Y, PE and J flights. Maybe not quite the military precision I experienced with JAL earlier this year, but outstanding in any case. I've certainly had other people report the same experiences to me.

I know it's subjective, and I know that there will always be good days and bad days with every airline, but the bad days have been few and far between with me. The one area I would like to see improvement is with ground staff - could be friendlier, and could adhere to some of the policies a little more consistently (eg. priority boarding which a lot of people have mentioned here). On that note though, staff in the Melbourne Flounge a few weeks ago were absolutely exceptional.