"... we'll shortly announce a major investment to improve our Frequent Flyer program"

[RooFlyer]

the need to warn investors of a known upcoming impact to the bottom line,

I can’t see them being so generous to frequent fliers as to make a material impact on the bottom line.

What better time for business resurrection than Easter

I’m not sure that an analogy really works

I can't see the point of announcing before the holidays start when most have already booked travel..

To get them to book yet more! That’s why they have DSCs straight after a sale.

 

[RichardMEL]

I can’t see them being so generous to frequent fliers as to make a material impact on the bottom line.

Well there is the note in the investor presentation implying the changes may impact on the QF Loyalty EBIT...

 

[Mr H]

Well there is the note in the investor presentation implying the changes may impact on the QF Loyalty EBIT...

My experience of the private sector (always from outside, looking in through the windows) is that they wouldn't even fart if they didn't see a relation to the bottom line. What a very limiting way to live.

 

[RichardMEL]

My cynical thought is that even if there is a short term negative impact for QF, it will be recouped when the other shoe drops....

 

[CaptJCool]

My cynical thought is that even if there is a short term negative impact for QF, it will be recouped when the other shoe drops....

Was interesting the share buyback was placed on hold until the FF announcement is made

We are all so used to each new initiative being a devaluation it beggars our belief (doubting Thomas will always doubt)

It’s more likely as in 2019
Hey look we’ve cut the carrier charges and asked you to pay 25,000 points more

They do know they got to solve the redemption problem

Had a bit of a dig last night.

Seems there’s next to zero current redemptions available to Europe or USA (aside a few CX ones) for their summers (15,000,000 members into 8 seats a day hardly counts)

So perhaps they’re stockpiling awards for the announcem

 

[mviy]

Wasn’t there a big release a while back of seats? I remember finding out about it a few hours after the email was sent and it was already too late to find the J/F seats that I wanted.

 

[SYD]

Wasn’t there a big release a while back of seats? I remember finding out about it a few hours after the email was sent and it was already too late to find the J/F seats that I wanted.

There’s been several block releases. Including the infamous website meltdown day. But we managed to get several bookings in.

 

[Seat0B]

I hate the block releases. It’s not always possible to be sitting on a computer all day waiting for seats to land.

 

[Mr H]

I hate the block releases. It’s not always possible to be sitting on a computer all day waiting for seats to land.

Different things work for different people. I am constrained by leave from work and I have all my leave planned out like a chess game for the next 14 months - and I have ideas beyond that. I book things as soon as they become available. So QF releasing seats with only a few months' notice - and all to be gone within a day - will never work for me. But for others they may be the catalyst for an exciting trip instead of taking leave to sit at home and watch Tipping Point.

 

[Seat0B]

Different things work for different people. I am constrained by leave from work and I have all my leave planned out like a chess game for the next 14 months - and I have ideas beyond that. I book things as soon as they become available. So QF releasing seats with only a few months' notice - and all to be gone within a day - will never work for me. But for others they may be the catalyst for an exciting trip instead of taking leave to sit at home and watch Tipping Point.

Which would be fine if QF returned to regular predictable releases some time out as well as the short notice surprise dumps. Like you I usually need more warning and like you I plan well in advance, which used to work well. But now, not so much… hence the millions of point built up by the Seats that are pretty hard to use.

 

[tdimdad]

Same here. I have my upcoming leaves predicted to fair accuracy, e.g. first half of June and most likely second half of Nov or early Dec (depending on flight prices). Within those, I have room to move but wouldn't suddenly say that sorry, I'll be away all of August. A predictable seat release schedule is a must for this to work nicely if I want to use CR's for the flights because then I can sit on the computer on specific days watching releases like a hawk. Bring back the release schedule!

 

[opusman]

I was idly wondering if something like a guaranteed return J/F seat at CR rates, once a year per member, on any flight they wanted (subject to general availability) would work.

Yes they have 15 million members or whatever but most of those wouldn't actually have enough points to redeem J to Europe or USA.

If I knew my partner and I could both book a J seat to wherever once a year (and get home) I'd certainly feel a lot happier about the program. Even once every 3 years would be something.

 

[I love to travel]

I was idly wondering if something like a guaranteed return J/F seat at CR rates, once a year per member, on any flight they wanted (subject to general availability) would work.

Yes they have 15 million members or whatever but most of those wouldn't actually have enough points to redeem J to Europe or USA.

If I knew my partner and I could both book a J seat to wherever once a year (and get home) I'd certainly feel a lot happier about the program. Even once every 3 years would be something.

I like the idea of one return J flight. But then we are talking about QF IT issues and would be too expensive to manually staff.

 

[RichardMEL]

How could a seat be guaranteed subject to availability? Sounds like you'd wind up with "Well there's nothing on SYD-LAX, but we can honour your guarantee with a 0600 Sunday SYD-BNE in J..."

Nice idea but I don't see how that can possibly be a thing. Not even for Y on many routes. Apart from anything else, there just isn't the cacacity.

Not to mention often people want/need to redeem two or more seats..

Just not practical imo.

 

[Mr H]

I was idly wondering if something like a guaranteed return J/F seat at CR rates, once a year per member, on any flight they wanted (subject to general availability) would work.

Yes they have 15 million members or whatever but most of those wouldn't actually have enough points to redeem J to Europe or USA.

I think you greatly underestimate the number of people who have stashes of points. Most members would only want one return ticket a year - this change would effectively make any seat available for redemption at CR rates. Plus, it would make it cheaper to buy points than to buy a premium seat. That is just not going to happen.

 

[Lynda2475]

Seems there’s next to zero current redemptions available to Europe or USA (aside a few CX ones) for their summers (15,000,000 members into 8 seats a day hardly counts)

That is because a bulk dump of award seats for june/July 2024 to USA and UK was done back in Oct 23 and snapped up.

 

[opusman]

How could a seat be guaranteed subject to availability? Sounds like you'd wind up with "Well there's nothing on SYD-LAX, but we can honour your guarantee with a 0600 Sunday SYD-BNE in J..."

If there's a seat available for 1.5 million points or whatever, you could get a "discount" and redeem it at CR rates once a year.

 

[Mr H]

Not to mention often people want/need to redeem two or more seats..

Presumably two members = two guarantees. Family of five = five members = five guarantees...

There are just so many ways this idea would not work.

 

[levelnine]

I was idly wondering if something like a guaranteed return J/F seat at CR rates, once a year per member, on any flight they wanted (subject to general availability) would work.

Yes they have 15 million members or whatever but most of those wouldn't actually have enough points to redeem J to Europe or USA.

If I knew my partner and I could both book a J seat to wherever once a year (and get home) I'd certainly feel a lot happier about the program. Even once every 3 years would be something.

Will never happen, but it's nice to dream!

 

[RichardMEL]

If there's a seat available for 1.5 million points or whatever, you could get a "discount" and redeem it at CR rates once a year.

OK. that puts a bit more flesh on the bones of your earlier post. You mentioned a "Guarantee" - how is that supposed to work for all the members?

Also that dull thud you just heard was a revenue manager's head exploding....