Article: Public Servants Spent $1 Million More on Flights During Double Qantas Status Credits

[SeaWolf]

NSW State government travel receives both points and SC on domestic flights. Whilst policy states you cannot earn either, all you do is add the flight reference to your carrier profile and budda bing there you go (I know this is correct for QF, VA never had 'suitable' flights)

With Fed gov the status credits post but the points don't automatically. Supposedly this is because of both appearances and because DoF has negotiated a discount by forgoing the points, however I've heard, very unofficially, that the overhead to make sure the points don't post costs the airlines more than their value and they charge accordingly.

I suspect a lot of people in NSW gov probably have no idea that they shouldn't be accepting the points and probably don't give it much thought.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Whilst policy states you cannot earn either, all you do is add the flight reference to your carrier profile and budda bing there you go (I know this is correct for QF, VA never had 'suitable' flights)

I don't see how earning both status credits and points is a violation of the policy you stated as the term either implies that one must choose between the status credits or the points to be outside the policy. Hence earning neither of the items or earning both of the items is considered within policy. Why they have such a policy is beyond me, as I have yet to meet a traveller who is insistent on earning just status credits but no points or vice versa.

 

[serfty]

Fares are comparable to retail - funny that since they use Flight Centre Corporate for all bookings -, BFOD is easily able to be manipulated ("I need to be in X at Y hrs and Virgin/QF can't do it).

I think if you dug, you'd find there's a rebate on the monthly total billing of 20% or more.

 

[andye]

I think if you dug, you'd find there's a rebate on the monthly total billing of 20% or more.

My understanding is that the FCM rebate goes to consolidated NSW revenue.
Fine for the govt but not so good if you have a personal (or departmental) travel allowance

 

[smckay]

Consolidated revenue strikes again. Oh how I hate that program.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I don't see how earning both status credits and points is a violation of the policy you stated as the term either implies that one must choose between the status credits or the points to be outside the policy. Hence earning neither of the items or earning both of the items is considered within policy. Why they have such a policy is beyond me, as I have yet to meet a traveller who is insistent on earning just status credits but no points or vice versa.

In general, public servants aren’t permitted to earn points, only SCs.

so there’s a violation of the policy there.

Earning SCs benefits through priority at all stages, including IRROPS. As well as additional baggage allowance and a place to grab ‘free’ food in the lounge. Those are useful benefits for public servants travelling on taxpayer $$, especially when they don’t get overtime.