QF PG for one day only!

[Hvr]

How'd you like to receive a year's upgrade to Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold, but find it actually lasts for just one day?
That's the bizarre situation Australian Business Traveller reader and Qantas Frequent Flyer member Rick Ramsey found himself in recently, when he received a letter from Qantas on March 30th, advising him he'd been granted gold status -- but that his gold status would expire the very next day, on March 31st.

Wow I'd be really annoyed if this happened to my nominated partner. Has anybody else had this issue?

The kicker though when QF had a chance to rectify the matter..

a media spokeswoman took nearly two weeks to respond to the enquiry, and when she did, insisted the airline was in the right and that no mistake had been made.

 

[TonyHancock]

mmmm cough ups happen, but you'd think they would sort it out when questions are asked. :-|

It seems, from this article, we have a new abbreviation to add to the list - SWP, for the "super" platinum's.

 

[nlagalle]

The article also has a few things that need attention, personally I think it is poorly written:

Although it can take 210 flights that's an extreme at Disc Y earning rates.

How about showing return flights instead as most people do fly return.oh hang on that doesn't make it sound so big.

Whilst I agree it's bad PR on Qantas's behalf, why did the "super Platinum" wait nearly 12 months to give away his PG??

 

[oz_mark]

The article talks about not being able to find where it is limited to the platinum members status. Well, maybe they need to look in the T&C's because that's where it is written.

Having said that, I would have thought the platinum members status would have been extended to 2012 by that time. You'd need to be looking at the donor members account to figure it out!

 

[Flying Fox]

Poor bugger, I really feel for him!

I would feel pretty annoyed to only get SG for a day!

 

[Jobu]

Still not sure how that happened. When you qualify for PG, you have up until the end of your current QF year to nominate someone for PG, and they will retain Gold til the end of the next qualification year.

J

 

[Aus ATC]

Sounds like an error to me. Mrs Aus ATC is PG (2nd year now), and while her membership year realigned to mine, having renewed her PG before my anniversary she ended up with the status till Feb 2012.

But for us, the real benefit has been that Mrs Aus ATCs SC's didn't reset on the anniversary date (either time she got PG). She will actually retain gold status in her own right based on this years flying, added to about 400SCs for trips dating back almost 3 years!!! Good thing too as PG is unlikely for me this year as the work trips have dried up.

 

[simongr]

The only way that this could happen would be that SWP earns PG status in the year to 31 March 2010. Then the SWP gifts the PG status to his family member in around January 2011 and it takes QF two months to sort out the paper work.

And to quote the T&Cs:

20.3.3 In respect of any Complimentary Gold Membership offered under clause 20.3.1:
(a) each Member may have only one nominated family member or friend at any one time. Until 3 May 2011 retention of Complimentary Gold Membership will require the Platinum Member to accrue another 2100 Status credits in the subsequent Membership Year. The Complimentary Gold Membership Year will be aligned with that of the primary Platinum Member;

Mind you I wouldnt expect people to read that. You also might need to be careful gifting it to someone without knowing about the alignment. You might get someone gold a little early but prevent them getting Platinum...

 

[Jobu]

The only way that this could happen would be that SWP earns PG status in the year to 31 March 2010. Then the SWP gifts the PG status to his family member in around January 2011 and it takes QF two months to sort out the paper work.

I don't think that's possible. The offer for PG expires at the end of your qualification year. If you don't gift it to someone by then (or within about a month of year ending if you only just qualify at the last minute) you forfeit the offer.

So in your above example, the SWP couldn't gift the PG to anyone after April 2010.

 

[simongr]

Good pick up Jobu. I hadnt read this clause:

Any offers made under this clause 20.3.2 will expire at the end of the relevant Membership Year that the Member achieves 2,400 Status Credits or, if the Member achieves 2,400 Status Credits in their Membership Anniversary Month in that Membership Year, the end of the following month. Retrospective claims cannot be made if the offer has expired.

So in theory - given a 31 March membership year end. For a 31 March 2011 expiry of PG the gift would have to have been given by 30 April 2010.

There is something not right about this story...

 

[Flying Fox]

Now that I think about it, having PG for only one day is truely Pathetic Gold!

 

[Jobu]

Good pick up Jobu.

I only know this from personal experience...