My comments on the "enhancements"
New milestone rewards between Lifetime Gold & Platinum
In my humble opinion, this package is both a disaster and a slap in the face for loyal passengers.
The main problem is that the main problem remains unresolved.
The main problem is that Lifetime Platinum Status is in fact a Lifetime Super-Platinum One Status.
The obvious and necessary solution is a logical and consistent regime of lifetime status thresholds.
In other words, a threshold for each tier of lifetime status which is based on a consistent multiplier of the annual threshold.
For Lifetime Silver, the threshold is 7,000 =
20 x 350 - the annual Silver threshold.
For Lifetime Gold, the threshold is 14,000 =
20 x 700 - the annual Gold threshold.
So far, so good.
But for Lifetime Platinum, the threshold is 75,000 =
53.6 x 1,400 - the annual Platinum threshold.
So the truth is there is no such thing as a QFF lifetime Platinum Status.
What goes by that name is
much more difficult to attain, and delivers more benefits.
The remedy is to introduce a real Lifetime Platinum Status with a logically consistent status credit threshold and commensurate benefits.
Logically, the threshold for Lifetime Platinum should be 28,000 and for Lifetime Platinum One, 72,000.
I wouldn't quibble over the difference between 72,000 and 75,000.
What Qantas has introduced instead is not only different in the detail, it is a fundamentally, conceptually different thing.
One of the main attractions of Lifetime Status is that it continues after your peak flying years are over.
After you retire, when there are no more work trips, and your retirement income may not be able to fund the same frequency of travel, you know that you are going to be able to continue to enjoy, for example, lounge access, without worrying about your class of travel or earning SCs.
What Qantas has given us is not a benefit of this nature at all.
Instead, they have given us an additional benefit during our peak flying years.
While we are still flying, we can earn and "bank" additional years of Platinum status.
At best, this will delay our drop in status by 5 years.
I'm hoping to live for much longer than 5 years post-retirement.
But there is also a devil in the detail.
The threshold for each additional year of Platinum Status is 10,000 SCs.
That's more than 7 times the new threshold to retain Platinum and more than 8 times the current threshold.
So for every 7 additional years of flying at a Platinum level, we may earn as little as one additional year of Platinum Status.
This is the slap in the face.
What Qantas needs to do is cut the bullshit, the tricks, and, frankly, the misleading and deceptive conduct contrary to consumer law.
If you're really interested in simplifying the program, start here.
New, permanent ways to earn status credits on the ground
Awful, horrible idea. Reverse it, immediately.
The separation between points and SCs has meant that you need to fly to earn status.
It should stay that way.
The initial limits on this mean its impact will be marginal.
But it's the thin edge of the wedge.
New benefits added to existing status tiers
Meaningless tinkering around the edges.
Roll over status credits
The only "enhancement" which is actually positive.
However why impose a limit?
The limits make the impact of this marginal.
Removal of Loyalty Bonuses and Higher status retention targets
These are actual and/or de facto increases in the threshold to attain and retain status.
They are self-evidently negative and a devaluation of the QFF program.
Points Club will be axed and Green Tier gets the chop too
Je m'en fiche.
For the monoglots, I don't give a cough.
These subprograms were always distractions.
Overall comments and actions to take
As a Lifetime Gold member who continues to earn Platinum status each year, there is no prospect that I will achieve Lifetime Platinum (One) Status.
Despite the changes, my best option is to start using my BA FF membership for all my OneWorld flights.
There is a very realistic prospect of achieving Lifetime Gold, which also carries OneWorld Emerald status.
The only potential downside is a year without OWE benefits while I earn status with BA.
However, as I will be flying in business or first anyway, this will have little to no practical impact on me.
It will, however, represent my own little FU to Qantas in response to the giant FU they just delivered to their most loyal passengers.
I prefer this defiance, however meaningless and trivial, to the stomach-churning sycophancy which has generally been on display in response to these "enhancements".
