Article: Airlines Reach Status Extension Crossroads

[AFF Editor]

Airlines Reach Status Extension Crossroads is an article written by AFF editorial staff:

Airlines Reach Status Extension Crossroads

Many of the elite status extensions offered by frequent flyer programs due to COVID-19 are about to come to an end. For some airlines, this will mean a

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[levelnine]

What's most interesting to me about the shifting status landscape during COVID-19 is American Airline's change to determining status based on points accumulated.

This means you can attain top tier status on American (oneworld emerald) without stepping foot on a plane. There seem to be some interesting 'hacks' for doing so through, for example, the AA shopping portal that are discussed on various US credit card forums. Hard to do from Australia, but seemingly achievable for anyone with a foot each in Australia and the US.

That, of course, completely changes the status extension equation for airlines because the number of elites varies according to engagement with the program (ie dedication of credit card spend to AA-earning cards), not the number of people flying on AA aircraft.

 

[SYD]

I hope at least we’ll see them moving to an incentive scheme such as DSC (both airlines and hotels, as per HH current promo).

As a July anniversary QFF, it’s going to be tough maintaining WP unless some particularly good J sale fares and/or DSC offers arrive literally within the next couple of weeks.

 

[Palyadoc]

I like CX's idea of rewarding those who continued to fly with them throughout the pandemic. I think many airlines (QF included) missed a trick on this one. I kept my WP status up this way and boy it wasn't easy at times with all the ever changing rules, forms, queues, risks of sudden lockdowns etc. Standing on tarmac at ASP in 42 degrees heat waiting to be processed by the COVID team as a delayed VA flight had landed just before us and we weren't allowed to mingle was a real highlight! For me , a wee recognition of these tough times would have meant more than a $50 voucher.

 

[antycbr]

I like CX's idea of rewarding those who continued to fly with them throughout the pandemic. I think many airlines (QF included) missed a trick on this one. I kept my WP status up this way and boy it wasn't easy at times with all the ever changing rules, forms, queues, risks of sudden lockdowns etc. Standing on tarmac at ASP in 42 degrees heat waiting to be processed by the COVID team as a delayed VA flight had landed just before us and we weren't allowed to mingle was a real highlight! For me , a wee recognition of these tough times would have meant more than a $50 voucher.

I don’t think that’s a valid option. For long periods people in the two most populous states couldn’t leave their state. QF international was shutdown. VA from Sydney had BNK as the only option for months at a time.

 

[Palyadoc]

I don’t think that’s a valid option. For long periods people in the two most populous states couldn’t leave their state. QF international was shutdown. VA from Sydney had BNK as the only option for months at a time.

Ok but I don't see why not. Some of us had no choice but to chance it and fly as and when we could. It wasn't easy at all as outlined. It doesn't affect anyone else who couldn't fly - they can still have their status extensions and $50 voucher. Just would have been nice to acknowledge (even in a small way) those who continued to fly, even if we didn't particularly want to.

I work in healthcare and we certainly went to great lengths to recognise and acknowledge those on the front line who continued to battle on.

 

[ChrisMars]

Ok but I don't see why not. Some of us had no choice but to chance it and fly as and when we could. It wasn't easy at all as outlined. It doesn't affect anyone else who couldn't fly - they can still have their status extensions and $50 voucher. Just would have been nice to acknowledge (even in a small way) those who continued to fly, even if we didn't particularly want to.

I work in healthcare and we certainly went to great lengths to recognise and acknowledge those on the front line who continued to battle on.

In my circustances, which might differ from others, I feel rewarded for continuing flying (and requled WP on my own): got to rollover a big chunck of sc that will help me retain by March 2024, got 15k QFF more than those who didn't requal by the time the AJ's sorry package got announced. Those two makes me feel fine with respect to the latest extension that was announced. This also buy me enough time to accumulate Velocity points and transition to VA if I drop Gold in March 2025, and if Qantas didnt fix all its call center / reward / ticketing issue by then.

 

[Pushka]

I don’t think that’s a valid option. For long periods people in the two most populous states couldn’t leave their state. QF international was shutdown. VA from Sydney had BNK as the only option for months at a time.

Agree. Our business would gladly have continued to fly interstate and also to UK but main clients in Victoria were completely in lockdown.

 

[slaussie]

Airlines Reach Status Extension Crossroads is an article written by AFF editorial staff:

Airlines Reach Status Extension Crossroads

Many of the elite status extensions offered by frequent flyer programs due to COVID-19 are about to come to an end. For some airlines, this will mean a

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

During covid-19 fiasco with fligt cancellations (not by me!), my Plat status I held with Virgin for at least a decade, did Jack. I wasn’t even given a more courteous treatment, let alone preferential treatment. You’ve heard about the great migration or great resignation phenomenon that was triggered by covid, in the space of property, work, living, life priorities, etc. Well, the same applies to airline loyalty. They can’t expect this to be a one way journey, but it has been for ever. Time to re-evaluate your default loyalty position folks, I have. 28 February 2023 means Jack to me!

 

[JohnK]

In my opinion airlines had to and may still continue to offer fast track status for some time yet.

If they don't and people lose status then they will fly on best fare of the day and Qantas will lose those customers. Trying to do status runs with current ridiculous airfares make no sense.

 

[oz_mark]

In my opinion airlines had to and may still continue to offer fast track status for some time yet.

If they don't and people lose status then they will fly on best fare of the day and Qantas will lose those customers. Trying to do status runs with current ridiculous airfares make no sense.

While I think CX was a bit of a special case, given its circumstances, I think the days of just handing out extensions is mostly behind us.

 

[JohnK]

While I think CX was a bit of a special case, given its circumstances, I think the days of just handing out extensions is mostly behind us.

With that I agree but I think/feel the targets are going to be easier for some time.

Double SCs, carry over SCs, maybe even reduced qualification etc.

 

[featheast]

I'd hope airlines can build more business/first class only lounges, and those with status (or pass/invite/whatever) but flying economy have a separate lounge, just like what SQ is doing at SIN. The way currently QF/VA's lounge at SYD/MEL(and more) is just a zoo, pretty much pointless to sit in there.

 

[ChrisMars]

I'd hope airlines can build more business/first class only lounges, and those with status (or pass/invite/whatever) but flying economy have a separate lounge, just like what SQ is doing at SIN. The way currently QF/VA's lounge at SYD/MEL(and more) is just a zoo, pretty much pointless to sit in there.

The more lounges, the better, though I am personally keen to keep access to OW F lounges as a frequent flyer flying mostly in Y. Sad I will likely never try the real QR F lounges in Doha.

Is your comment somehow connected with this thread topic around status extension? Or maybe did you aim to comment on this thread Article: Qantas Auckland Lounge Upgrade: The End of an Era ?

 

[featheast]

The more lounges, the better, though I am personally keen to keep access to OW F lounges as a frequent flyer flying mostly in Y. Sad I will likely never try the real QR F lounges in Doha.

Is your comment somehow connected with this thread topic around status extension? Or maybe did you aim to comment on this thread Article: Qantas Auckland Lounge Upgrade: The End of an Era ?

Ya, basically the more status extension it runs, the less value it will be for many frequent flyers, especially those use cash to booking the premium seats.
These days it is just way to easy to access a lounge, that in most cases the domestic lounges here is no better than the terminal itself.

 

[Laptop Jockey]

The reality is it is in the airline's best interest to keep status holders on their books rather than lose them. It can be easy to see the packed airports and flights and assume everything is back to normal with travel, but a disproportionate number of those are one-time recreational travelers getting in three years worth of travel in a few months. And that was disproportionately domestic too, international travel is still significantly depressed.
We only really saw work travel start to return after the new FY rolled around this year, and even then it is significantly reduced domestically, and international travel is massively reduced still.
And then cap it all off with the current economic situation which is only going to get worse over the next 12 months. (remember when we all got a status extension in 2008/09 because of the GFC? That looked like a good day in the last three years) Our company has already changed policy regarding travel, it is now only PY for international to US/UK, and thats if you're lucky enough to get a trip. Domestic is Y as a rule, and it is lowest fare as a hard and fast.

I think the solution lays in something like reducing the SC requirements, because even maintaining gold with only domestic travel is beyond the pale for a huge number of clients, and once those golden handcuffs are removed, they aren't likely to get those clients back in a recession, especially with the way Qantas is pissing off just about everyone, and maintaining that "loyalty" is more important than anything right now.