What is your intention in relation to your QFF membership?

[SeatBackForward]

I understand that Asia Miles doesn't permit any sort of SC's but how would they stack up?

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

I'll be moving to BFOD.

This will actually mean I'll be joining more FF programmes because if points are on offer with a flight I might as well take them, even if they accumulate at a glacial pace. But I won't be paying the thousands of dollars in premium fares or status runs to climb up the status ladder with any one programme as I've done with Qantas for the past few years.

I have enough advance bookings to get Gold next year, so will continue to enjoy some of the perks of QFFP. And even if I hadn't, I would be getting a soft landing to Gold. Ironic, that I'd end up getting the same Gold status even if I pulled all of my business from Qantas entirely. In fact, I'm looking to see if I can get a refund on some of my advance status run bookings because why pay the extra thousand dollars for the same tier status? Before yesterday, Gold was just a stepping stone to retain Platinum, but that's changed now.

I also have enough points to afford a business class Round-The-World ticket, so will need to look at burning those before that particular reward gets enhanced away.

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

Surprised the overwelming majority staying with Qantas?

Not at all. The majority of frequent flyers would have employers who pay the bulk of their fares and in many cases also determine which airline they fly with. So while there's justifiable grumbling at the devaluation of the programme, their participation is largely not on their dime and beyond their control anyway.

That said, based on the very limited and statistically worthless sample set in the poll results so far, 45% of people have indicate they'd move away from QFFP. If the true figure is even a fraction of that, it's going to hit Qantas very hard. I suspect the real churn rate will be tiny, but even a 0.1% reduction would produce an identifiable impact. If, say, 9,000 people or 0.1% of members took, all their business elsewhere and even if they spent only $2,000 each per year, that's lost revenue of $18M and an impact on the bottom line of close to that (given Qantas has a high fixed cost base). Of course, if Qantas can persuade 9,000 people to spend an extra two grand each then it all nets out.

 

[Cossie]

Surprised the overwelming majority staying with Qantas?

Doesn't mean I'll cancel my qf membership, as I have said in previous posts, rather than automatically go to qf.com to book flights, hotels and cars out of some sort of misguided loyalty, I'll now look after number one (i.e. myself) and find the deals that are best for me.

I've always preferred to fly qf in preference to other airlines (especially government owned ones) as I thought I was doing the 'right' thing, this meant paying more on most occasions, however qf has shown that it doesn't really care about me as I don't fit their wanted demographics, so they don't deserve my patronage.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I will be staying put for now. I have WP + PG until June '15 and VA Plat until Sep 15. I'm not really very happy about the changes to OW partner SC earnings but I can probably live with it. I personally would have preferred either an increase in QF sectors for Status or a minimum threshold SC earn on QF as exists currently for P1. I fear that this is the start of a QF exodus from OW, I hope I am wrong.

I think there will be a thinning out of numbers at the premium status levels.
I'm not upset or surprised about the removal of MASA's. They were great value for points spend. To be brutally honest I don't see how anyone could think that flying around the country on multi segment day trips to the back of beyond to attain/maintain status was a sustainable strategy for either themselves or QF.


There are so many naff quotes I could put into this post but I'll restrict myself to one from the poet Ernest Dowson

"They are not long, the days of wine and roses"

 

[Pukka]

I'm staying more than 95% of my points are earned on credit cards I rarely pay for a flight and try to fly business for international flights. Domestic I have a free Qantas club through Amex cent so I can't really see a change for me.

 

[SQ421]

Staying, for now, but will explore status match to CX/BA/EK.

Not giving Qantas any more $$ than needed for the 4x Mr Squiggles needed each year; and a few TT price beat JQ F Lounge runs, while they last. After all, it's just business.

 

[AstroDamo]

Staying for now, I'm already requalified for platinum until November 2015, I will use some of my points before July for next year to give me a bit of breathing room to hopefully maintain Platinum for November 2016 and achieve lifetime Silver. In 2016 probably just let myself drop to Gold, then look at a DONE in 2017 to reachieve Platinum, however if Virgin improve drastically and join Star Alliance that would probably draw me across. I can't afford to maintain constantly every year, and unless I'm actually visiting a place I usually won't go out of my way for a status run. If I happen to end up in America I may if I can also find a destination that I wouldn't mind visiting, not really into same day returns.

 

[Deleted User]

Staying with Qantas while maintaining the status I have, then...? who knows...

More than likely will have a look at VA with easy status earn via family pooling... Being an ADL pax there's no point looking at Qantas for international so QFI has been off the radar for some time now...

The old earn and burn points on upgrades will more than likely creep back into my flying habits... zero status but up the front & in the lounge anyway ;-)

 

[Anna]

I haven't decided yet whether my habits will change but I definitely feel I am being pushed in the direction of EK and away from OW. I might resist or I might go with the flow. VA just isn't a realistic competitor for QF in the dom market for the routes I mainly fly, so my real choice will be whether to keep dom and int flying aligned as far as loyalty goes, or separate them, or maybe forget loyalty altogether for int flying.

 

[yohy?!]

Run QFF status down (wp through end of 2014)...im one of the ones who directed a lot of oneworld flights to my membership.... these are now all directed to MPC.

Understand why domestic AU travellers are less likely to make the jump but it's clear that QF is resolved to kill off Int. and the ratio of very good to very poor flights on QF Int. Is to variable for tolerance. . .CX is very good at contrasting how an airline should be run.

Might throw a few 3K trips to qff to keep the ~ up.

 

[Limewood]

Being in CNS its not that hard to change membership as Q have no international flights out of here, so going via SYD one has to overnight anyway unless leaving at 6am to get the Int. flight, and CX do have a direct flight CNS to HKG of 7 hours, from there plenty of seats to buy or via awards. I've joined CX Marco Polo.

Going via HKG from CNS its not that much extra time to Europe or HKG plus have many Aussie friends who live & work in the latter, we usually go in J anyway, so can use lounges etc. Our travel now is self funded with 80% international. Currently Q Plat till 1st Nov, following year QG and still have 2 years of Qantas club remaining. Once i get my USA Debit Card it'll be Alaska air miles to use on a myriad of international airlines in J at Y cost.

Really I'm just fed up with Q who are forever moving the gold posts to the detriment of customers on most occasions, this one being no different.

 

[Catweazle]

Likewise, I'm still with them. Understandably, I don't spend hundreds of thousands each year, and those who do ought to get top priority. But having said that, will be keeping an eye (both) on things...

 

[samh004]

To further qualify my statement, based on what Red Roo has now said about MASA's booked up until July earning at the new rates, I'll probably blow some points for my next membership year to give me a chance at Platinum requal (this year I have P1 with a soft drop for next year... But it's the year after that worries me and a final JASA could be helpful). With any luck that'll leave me 5000SC shy of LTG, and when I do eventually hit it, I'll stick with the Roo. If I never hit it, such that the benefit is removed, I'm not sure what the future will be.

 

[Orca]

Staying, because I haven't quite spat the dummy yet...

 

[serfty]

Surprised the overwelming majority staying with Qantas?

Since I am Life Time Gold I have little reason to abandon QFF.

I have WP until October next year and am already planning to re-qualify for 2016.

Beyond that I am not sure - but I would know by this time next year.

I do have VA WP until April next year as well - I am not planning to re-qualify VA WP until early 2016.

(Yes, I do plan ahead ... )

 

[Rugby]

Staying on for the moment. The MASA change takes a lot fun out of the game, but the status/points earn changes are okay for my flying. I really feel for one world flyers, getting smashed on SCs, who have to pick a partner because Qantas don't service a certain route.

 

[Fantic125]

From July onward for my domestic flights it will be BFOD.

I'm currently PS with VA so I'll aim for SG with them, and drop back from WP to SG with QF.

 

[drewbles]

Someone suggested a poll in the other thread, so I thought I would have a go.

What is your intention regarding your QFF membership given the latest changes? Staying or leaving?

And to avoid those who just come in and vote they're leaving, the poll is public.

You appear to have left off the 'keeping a foot in both camps' option.

I have no plans to abandon QFF at this stage, but i'll certainly be hedging my bets with another FF program somewhere as well.

The way forward unfortunately is de-valuation of loyalty programs (look at the airlines in the USA).

We may all thing FlyBuys sucks, but they have not really had huge changes since launch, meaning perhaps they got it right (as far as for their business, not as an overall loyalty scheme).

As someone once sung Times they are a changin'.

 

[RooFlyer]

I will be staying put for now. I have WP + PG until June '15 and VA Plat until Sep 15.

<snip>

But isn't that a reason for going onto another airline and its OW loyalty program (say AA) now? (I'm assuming there is a fair bit of international in your flights.)

You'll still be able to enjoy the perks of QF Plat and OW emerald for over a year and in that time should be able to build status on the other program. Come Sept '15 hopefully you still have OW emerald and can continue to enjoy the QF Flounge etc.