What to do with your QFF points during the COVID-19 travel slump?

[nerdag]

Hi all,

First world problem in context of the current health crisis.

I'm sitting on a very healthy QFF points balance that I can't use to their full potential as my personal travel is confined to school holidays, meaning I rarely, if ever, am able to secure J rewards seats at the times I need to fly for the multiple seats I need. Y to J upgrade lottery is a loss more often than a win, even as a long time platinum. A P1 colleague of mine reports similar.

Given nobody is flying anywhere other than domestic for at least a few months, and VA is looking very shaky and may well fall over, what would you do with points you can't really use?

QF will survive, but I suspect once (ok, if...) it becomes a monopoly market, you can expect further enhancements to a loyalty program that is redundant in a monopoly situation.

WWYD? Cash out for shopping vouchers, or some other strategy?

Appreciate thoughts before I pull the trigger and really trim my points balance. I've already cashed out my small balance of VA points.

n

 

[sudoer]

WWYD?

Book classic J/F awards for Sep/Oct or Dec/Jan holidays? Or is that off the cards for some reason?

Award availability is pretty good from what I can see

 

[nerdag]

Book classic J/F awards for Sep/Oct or Dec/Jan holidays? Or is that off the cards for some reason?

I'm a doctor, and all leave in my public sector jobs have been cancelled for the next three months with no new approvals being considered for the foreseeable future so as to deal with disaster that is coming. There's also the two weeks in self-isolation upon re-entry, effectively doubling the forgone income cost.

There is a good chance that frontline health workers will get a solid dose of CV, so it may well be the case that quite a few health workers will die if we are swamped. Given the reports from the ground in Italy about plenty of fit and healthy young people needing intensive care, if there's no bed when I need one, then there's a pretty good chance I'll be dead.

So it's a little hollow to think about my QFF points balance, but I am, and booking flights for later this year is off the cards. Cash vouchers are looking very good if certainty is what is needed.

 

[justinbrett]

A bit to unpack here.

First, I'm sitting on around 600,000 QFF points. I am mildly nervous. I don't think the government would let QF fail but if it were re-nationalised like Air New Zealand was, it's quite likely points could be extremely devalued - and in an extreme scenario - made null and void. I guess by QF "ceasing" to trade, and then later rescued by the government as Qantas II (remember the short lived Ansett II?) - thereby meeting the T&Cs to invalidate your points.

Second - as to the prospect of Virgin failing. If this is a time limited crisis of 6-9 months, I don't think the government would let VA fail. If it goes on much longer than that - all bets are off - we're all in deep doodoo if that happens. But in the most likely scenario, I'd expect a government bailout. They've had there issues but they wouldn't have failed due to poor business management (like Ansett) - this is a temporary external factor.

I don't think any immediate action is required. Wait and see. If there is a devaluation I'd expect a notice period in which case - if it were extreme enough - you could cash in for gift cards.

I don't think Sep/Oct is safe at this point. Most of the experts are saying mid Sep is about the earliest we'd expect things to be back to relative normal but there's no guarantee. This is a brave new world.

 

[nerdag]

If there is a devaluation I'd expect a notice period in which case - if it were extreme enough - you could cash in for gift cards.

Fair point. As you say, QFF 'enhancements' tend to have a warning period, with little ability to actually do anything,

I doubt there'd be a notice period if it was dire straits, however.

I can't really imagine value being worse than 0.8c/pt. Except if it was 0.4c/pt.

 

[exceladdict]

Many will say that points are not for hoarding. Nobody knows what tomorrow brings, but, I think it's fair to say QF points are very unlikely to go up in value as time goes on.

Ive read some on here say that they aim to turn over their entire points balance every year or so.

I for one have very little prospect for high value QFF redemptions (any J or F travel) in the next 12 months so find myself in a similar position to OP.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I'm a doctor, and all leave in my public sector jobs have been cancelled for the next three months with no new approvals being considered for the foreseeable future so as to deal with disaster that is coming. There's also the two weeks in self-isolation upon re-entry, effectively doubling the forgone income cost.

There is a good chance that frontline health workers will get a solid dose of CV, so it may well be the case that quite a few health workers will die if we are swamped. Given the reports from the ground in Italy about plenty of fit and healthy young people needing intensive care, if there's no bed when I need one, then there's a pretty good chance I'll be dead.
.

With a daughter who is an ICU Respiratory Nurse I hear you loud and clear.

 

[JohnK]

Many will say that points are not for hoarding. Nobody knows what tomorrow brings, but, I think it's fair to say QF points are very unlikely to go up in value as time goes on.

Ive read some on here say that they aim to turn over their entire points balance every year or so.

I for one have very little prospect for high value QFF redemptions (any J or F travel) in the next 12 months so find myself in a similar position to OP.

I had 1.2 million QFF points and saving them for rainy days. Fuel surcharges pretty much rendered them useless. I've been actively using points for daughter and wife's travels and will continue to do so.

No point continuing to hoard points. I've pretty much stoped chasing points including Amex. I'll try to maintain status and pay for cheapest flights possible if I need to travel.

 

[Matt_01]

2020/21 was planned to be points redemption and use all my QF points. 2020 started off well with over 1.8M points redeemed. At the moment 840K points have come back to my account and most likely more to follow.

@nerdag I am surprised that your P1 friend has difficulty redeeming points. I am also P1 and travel with the family in school holidays and on key routes and to date have had no issues redeeming points however for some trips I have had to request the seats to be released.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Ive read some on here say that they aim to turn over their entire points balance every year or so.

I do that every year.

 

[nerdag]

for some trips I have had to request the seats to be released.

Yep, had to request every time and never got it, which is why he gave up once he got to LTG.

He's happily embedded in Krisflyer now, even though he has to 'tolerate' VA on domestic (his words, not mine).

 

[Matt_01]

Yep, had to request every time and never got it, which is why he gave up once he got to LTG.

He's happily embedded in Krisflyer now, even though he has to 'tolerate' VA on domestic (his words, not mine).

Sounds like he is like most P1s on this site. It was around 18 -24 months back that QF changed the redemption rules for P1s (for the better) and I started redeeming a large amount of QF points to get my balance down however this virus thing is messing with my plan. I did look at BA but my due to my travel BA did not make sense to do that switch. These days I am well and truly embedded with KF and am on record (like others) would "tolerate VA" if they could just join *A which will not happen any time soon.

 

[opusman]

They've got 40% off TVs at the moment!

 

[Matt_01]

They've got 40% off TVs at the moment!

Is that 40% off TVs (televisions) or 40% off TVs (travel vouchers) sorry I just do not know as the QF store is the last place I would to purchase anything from. In saying that I may just have considered buying a toaster just to say 'I have'.

 

[tdimdad]

2020/21 was planned to be points redemption and use all my QF points.

Same here: collecting points to enable couple of good RTW's in the next couple of years. Now that all the flight schedules are changed, there's no way to even plan far-future trips for any pre-emptive bookings for e.g. H1/2021.

 

[Mr H]

I would suggest that as flights are grounded and we are likely to be spending more time working from home in isolation, it would be an excellent opportunity to invest in a new or upgraded toaster.

If you can find any bread in the shops...

 

[Beano]

Just a thought and not sure if anyone has mentioned this but what if this goes on for 18 months and we can't fly. (I can't because no Qantas flights in NZ and don't know if Jetstar counts). Willwe losse all our points?

 

[tdimdad]

Just a thought and not sure if anyone has mentioned this but what if this goes on for 18 months and we can't fly. ... Will we lose all our points?

You keep your points as long as there is any activity on your FF account. Buy a toaster, use a FF points earning credit card, etc. But the status credits would be cleared every 12 months - unless QF comes up with something that prolongs that period.

 

[Beano]

You keep your points as long as there is any activity on your FF account. Buy a toaster, use a FF points earning credit card, etc. But the status credits would be cleared every 12 months - unless QF comes up with something that prolongs that period.

OK, good idea, perhaps some head phones. Just heard from Qantas. They will look at my status nearer my anniversary date. Keep fingers crossed.

Post automatically merged: Mar 18, 2020

Sound cancelling so can WFH uninterupted by houshold activity.

 

[Fil-Ski]

I'm keeping an eye out on the QAN share price. If it looks like they could go under I'm tempted to convert to vouchers.