ADL SC woes and looking at QFF alternatives

[$CJ]

Some QF changes in the last few years are hurting us ADL folk

* Enhancements in 2014 cut SCs to SYD by 33%
* Flights into Asia culled completely, despite apparently still being worthwhile for CX, MH, EK, SQ, QR and CZ
* SC severely cut on alternative airlines (CX, MH etc)

Any suggestions to start looking at alternative programmes that might yield better results? BA, AA, MH etc? Mainly looking at SCs and maintaining status. Would these make me a second class citizen in terms of seat selection etc?

 

[mviy]

How far along are you towards LTG?

Do you mainly fly internationally to EU/Asia/US/somewhere else?

 

[$CJ]

How far along are you towards LTG?

32%

Do you mainly fly internationally to EU/Asia/US/somewhere else?

Mainly Sydney and occasionally Asia.

 

[mviy]

O.K. so LTG is still too far off to care too much about as a factor.

Mainly domestic may suggest that you could be best to stick with QF. If you have a preferred non-QF airline for visiting Asia I guess you should look into how much flying you'd need to do to get similar status on that airline and whether you'd have access to QF lounges when flying ADL-SYD return if that is important to you.

If you flew often to LHR and like BA then BA would be a good choice. Similarly for AA and the US.

With QF you can get confirmed upgrades to business class domestically if there are business award seats available. So if you do go with another airline's program you could still want to use your QF membership a bit if you fly more than enough to retain status especially since there are a range of credit cards you can get which provide QF points (though the earn rates are expected to drop yet again later this year). You do need to earn points at least once every 18 months to keep your QFF points from expiring so do keep this in mind if you change programs and have a healthy points balance with QF. This is easy to do if you have a QFF points earning credit card or shop regularly at Woolworths and have chosen to get QFF points.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I would stick with QF if I were in your shoes, I feel VA has a long way to go compared to QF.
Also can fly JQ to DPS and connect to SIN for BA or QR or AY to Europe.
OR VA tie in with SQ is an advantage, bypassing DPS.

 

[RichardMEL]

I would stick with QF if I were in your shoes, I feel VA has a long way to go compared to QF.
Also can fly JQ to DPS and connect to SIN for BA or QR or AY to Europe.
OR VA tie in with SQ is an advantage, bypassing DPS.

sigh. except the OP indicated they are mostly domestic to/from SYD and into Asia. In that case it may make some sense to move to VA and leverage the SQ partnership for one stop access to Asia via SIN and VA to/from SYD.

Unless the OP's occasional trip to Asia is actually Bali, it would make absolutely no sense to connect via DPS on JQ to get to other parts of Asia - ADL-DPS on JQ is in the 320, so it's not even a service with an opportunity for JQ "Business" and it would be a time and comfort kill to go via DPS (in my view).

As for europe, if one was to go there there's still the EK offering ex-ADL which would be far more direct than hopping around to get to SIN (on QF or partner)
Agree that QF has made it more difficult for ADL pax with the loss of QF81 to SIN and the changing of the SC earning boundaries from 600 to 750.

 

[Matt_01]

I feel your pain as I am based in ADL. Tried VA for a while but soon went back to QF. The continual changes to the VA program rules, lounge access issues overseas and no LTS program I feel I have made the correct choice for my circumstances.

It is a bit inconvenient when traveling abroad, however I will fly out of the eastern states using QF, at least that way you pick up a few extra SC for the internal flights and get access the airside lounges.

I am of the understanding that QF has the space to build an airside lounge at ADL on the top floor (I may be wrong). One can only hope in the future QF (via EK operated flights), CX, QR and MH may put their hands in their pockets and build a joint lounge.

 

[RichardMEL]

re ADL Qantas Club - I do agree there needs to be some sort of J lounge and/or improved offerings for guests on international flights operated by partners

Having said that though I was there over the weekend and have spent a bit of time there over the past couple of years and the changes to service over the past 18 months or so have made it, in my view, one of the best QC's in the system. For example the the other day while I was there staff came around offering snacks and ice cream and when clearing my gass actually offered me another and actually knew (not sure how) what I'd been drinking to offer another. The detail aside, that degree of service is rare at other clubs and ADL has been consistently good in this regard. The bar area is fairly large and there's a fair amount of seating space and I'd say even the food offerings are slightly above the QC level at other domestic lounges. Not massively so mind you, but it certainly seems that there is a difference in ADL to some degree..

but really the staff and the table service(if you will) that stands out for me. Over the time I've been offered things like ice cream, hot savory snacks, coughtails, etc as well as drink refills etc. I've never had that in SYD J for example.

It's not the worst lounge out there by far (but yes for your EK/QR/CX premium pax it's also not the greatest I understand).

just a lounge view

 

[Matt_01]

Richard,

I do not disagree with any of the comments you make and it was not my intention to put down the ADL QP, I spend time there every Sunday evening.

It is just unfortunate that when travelling international you get called an hour before boarding to clear customs then you get to wait in the fish bowl. In my experience that is what lets the OW carriers and QF code shares down.

Slightly off topic but when travelling back to ADL I have flown with some PAX who have chosen to fly out of ADL on the QR350 rather than the soon to be replaced QR777 from MEL.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

There are some big plans for ADL airport.
New pet hotel, new 5 star hotel close by etc.
There is a billboard inside ADL airport stating this.
No large QF own int flights apart from JQ to DPS being noted of course.

 

[VPS]

Some QF changes in the last few years are hurting us ADL folk

* Enhancements in 2014 cut SCs to SYD by 33%
* Flights into Asia culled completely, despite apparently still being worthwhile for CX, MH, EK, SQ, QR and CZ
* SC severely cut on alternative airlines (CX, MH etc)

Any suggestions to start looking at alternative programmes that might yield better results? BA, AA, MH etc? Mainly looking at SCs and maintaining status. Would these make me a second class citizen in terms of seat selection etc?

I hear you but I'm very close to LTG so will stick with Q

 

[Matt_01]

There are some big plans for ADL airport.
New pet hotel, new 5 star hotel close by etc.
There is a billboard inside ADL airport stating this.
No large QF own int flights apart from JQ to DPS being noted of course.

Whilst I admire your enthusiasm I have been flying in and out of ADL on a weekly basis for the past 2.5 years and have never noticed the billboard. Admittedly the airport to me is just the means of getting onto the plane. I will make an effort to look at the plans but these would be my initial thoughts based on the info provided:

Pet hotel - possibly good for short term domestic travelers, I would question how many international travelers either outbound or limited inbound (quarantine) would use this.

5 star hotel - yes many airports have these, Adelaide CBD is not that far away and when you look at the in/outbound schedules how many travelers would use this.

Apart from domestic travel I do not use ADL international services, I assume the the biggest PAX carriers in order from ADL are EK, SQ, QR, CX, JQ, then MH or NZ, just a guess, never looked into loads. If we just take QR as an example, they started flying out of ADL last year with the a350 and after 3 months the schedule was cut back, they are now flying out of SYD with the 380 and a 380 starting this year from MEL. Both these airports have OW F airside lounges, also other OW carriers can access QF F in SYD and MEL as well.

My+1 and child are based in SA and I fully support any initiative that supports growth but cannot see how a pet hotel and another hotel will contribute to SA growth. IMO SA would be better off if it gave better incentives to entice carriers to fly into/ out of SA and offer better international facilities within the constraints of the airport design/ limitations and layout.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I think that billboard is near the security guy that prevents willy nilly people from getting into the dom secure area without being xrayed scanned.
He/she used to stand, visibly in the open, then a chair got provided, then it was set into a U shape sort of metal area, so arriving pax cannot see him or her unless they look back once they have got out into the non secure area.
AAL website also might have info on 5/10/15 years future developments of/for the AAL site.
Edit:
http://www.adelaideairport.com.au/c...oads/2015/04/NJ00176-Masterplan_FA_Chap11.pdf
Under Airport Services, Terminal 1 expansion.
Works probably start 2019.

 

[Anna]

5 star hotel - yes many airports have these, Adelaide CBD is not that far away and when you look at the in/outbound schedules how many travelers would use this.

I assume the the biggest PAX carriers in order from ADL are EK, SQ, QR, CX, JQ, then MH or NZ, just a guess

My theory about the hotel is that a significant market will be pax from rural and remote SA who either have early morning flights or who arrive on EK or QR in the evening too late for connections. Yes the CBD is not that far but it may mean up to an extra hour's sleep before an early flight if there is a hotel at the airport. Plus no faffing around with taxis and luggage etc.

With 2 flights per day to EK's 1, my guess is that SQ is the biggest int carrier ex ADL but actual figures would be interesting. (Not sure how seasonal the 2 SQ flights are).

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

The 2nd SQ flight SIN - ADL is only 2 days a week.
They probably will disappear the end of summer.
Would love if it stayed till April at the least Easter.