[Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26] was 10April

[roncritch]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

1. Minimum points levels apply which are subject to change.
2. From 26 June 2013 Any Seat Award bookings made in reservation classes X, Z, U or P cannot be made online at qantas.com. To make an Any Seat Award booking in these classes please call 1300 366 587 (dial in +61 2 8222 2430 from outside Australia) between the hours of 0900 and 1700 AEST on Mondays to Fridays. In most cases the points required for Any Seat Awards booked in these classes are higher than those required for a Classic Award in the same class of travel on the same fligh

This is from the page describing the ASA https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/program/usingPoints/qantas-any-seat

So it is on the site, just have to look

 

[QF WP]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

roncritch, it mentions everything else about the change to ASA's, but not the waiver of the fee

 

[medhead]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

1. Minimum points levels apply which are subject to change.
2. From 26 June 2013 Any Seat Award bookings made in reservation classes X, Z, U or P cannot be made online at qantas.com. To make an Any Seat Award booking in these classes please call 1300 366 587 (dial in +61 2 8222 2430 from outside Australia) between the hours of 0900 and 1700 AEST on Mondays to Fridays. In most cases the points required for Any Seat Awards booked in these classes are higher than those required for a Classic Award in the same class of travel on the same fligh

This is from the page describing the ASA https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/program/usingPoints/qantas-any-seat

So it is on the site, just have to look

The question is about the phone booking assistance fee waiver, which is not mentioned in what you quote.

 

[serfty]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

...
I know I heard it in the "Social Media" briefing and have it in my notes. My that isn't enough to produce in order to advise the CSA that we don't pay a fee. Mentioning Red Roo's name might, however still not officially in writing.

Not all media releases ever actually make it to that page. The not needing to pay a fee certainly was mentioned in passing in the AusBt article

One assumes that it must have been mentioned somewhere!

It certainly was mentioned.

The author of that article was part of the same briefing on June 25th. As a journalist, they kept a record of the conversation.

 

[roncritch]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

ah always forget about that bit Only an AFF perk???

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

ah always forget about that bit Only an AFF perk???

An issue I identified before. By not mentioning the waiving of the fee B]anywhere [/B] (apparently) to the great unwashed, then not adequately training or informing their phone staff about it either, Qantas gets to make charges and keep revenue that (by their rules relayed by Red Roo) are not legitimate.

Appears to be a type of sharp business practice to me.

Hmmm .. have an afternoon to spare tomorrow. Going to visit the ACCC to see if they might be interested in taking this up; will try to make a booking and maybe I will be charged the fee. Then, off the top of my head, the case might be:

* Qantas made some changes to their booking procedures for certain types of bookings which require them to be made by calling, rather than on-line.

* In private briefings, and to certain on-line communities, Qantas has divulged that such bookings made by calling a certain number will not be charged a call fee, unlike most if not all other booking calls;

* This exception does not appear to have been notified to the general public;

* Qantas has been informed that call centre agents are charging a fee for this type of booking and has offered refunds to members of the on-line community;

* The practice still appears to be happening;

* People are getting charged fees for services by Qantas which are said not to attract a fee.

 

[legroom]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

After John Phelan's post, I did go to the QF News Room looking for that media release but it is nowhere to be seen.

So, all I have is that #975 post as pointed out by Danny09 and Nizar.

 

[ferni]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Co-branded airline credit cards have definitely lost their appeal, given the flexibility which Amex MR or Diners Club Rewards provide.

But with recent amex changes it's no longer that attractive as an alternative... What i'd give for a CC that I could credit to AA/USDM

 

[robertz]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

What QF are doing here is they are trying to confuse the public that Points Plus Pay is the same thing as ASA.
(Or probably trying to change the definition they had on ASA program, into Points plus Pay program).
I received this email from them on the 6th July, which I'm not sure if its been posted here yet. (Sorry didnt go back over too far)

We are excited to announce that we’ve changed the way you search for fares at qantas.com. It’s now simpler to use your Qantas Points when searching for Qantas & Partner Classic Awards, Qantas & Partner Any Seat Awards or looking to book a cash fare.[SUP]Ω[/SUP]

Start your search at qantas.com. Once you log in, the new search panel is your single point of entry to search for cash fares, Classic Awards or Any Seat Awards. We’ve also introduced a new design and a handy notification if you're about to be logged out due to inactivity.

We are excited to announce that we’ve changed the way you search for fares at qantas.com. It’s now simpler to use your Qantas Points when searching for Qantas & Partner Classic Awards, Qantas & Partner Any Seat Awards or looking to book a cash fare.[SUP]Ω[/SUP]

Start your search at qantas.com. Once you log in, the new search panel is your single point of entry to search for cash fares, Classic Awards or Any Seat Awards. We’ve also introduced a new design and a handy notification if you're about to be logged out due to inactivity. Any Seat Awards For added flexibility you might like to choose an Any Seat Award˜, which allows you to: Book any available seat on a flight with a QF or JQ flight number Combine your Qantas or Jetstar flight with a range of flights on other selected airlines Earn Qantas Points & Status credits Request a Flight Award Upgrade using points on eligible Any Seat Awards on Qantas domestic and international routes Use your points for taxes, fees and carrier charges Use a mixture of cash and points to your liking with Points Plus Pay.[SUP]≠[/SUP] You can use Points Plus Pay on all Any Seat Award flights. Minimum points levels apply

There ISNT 1 seat I can see on the "View in Points" which is a ASA. Its just the Fare X 127.27 points (per dollar) = (Ridiculousness Amount).

IMO, QF are trying to redefine the term A.S.A, to mean the formula above AND not the previous way they costed ASA in points in the past.
Sly trick if you ask me.

 

[footy99]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Their hands were pretty much tied in that regard when some dropkicks representing the company made the false declarations that ASAs would never disappear. Now they have retained the name in reference to something with no relationship whatsoever to what were previously known as ASAs to save their bacon, while still removing actual ASAs, which was clearly the plan from the outset.

 

[oz_mark]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

What you are seeing have been ASAs ever since they were devised. They just don't provide ASA pricing for classoc awards onlinr anymore.

Go back to when ASAs were first introduced. We had competitions to find the most ridiculous price.

 

[opusman]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Playing devil's advocate for a moment:
- Classic awards have already been de-emphasized in the new look booking engine to a small, easily missed checkbox.
- ASAs similarly have been de-emphasized (and in the case of MASAs as we know, removed from the website altogether)
- Instead the focus is very much on Points+Pay, that is, an straight conversion of points to dollars offset against the cost of the fare.

Once the public has been trained away from thinking of FF points as "something you use to get a free flight" into thinking of them as "a currency you use to spend on things at the FF store", could the next step be removal of Classic awards altogether?

 

[11sjw]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Maybe not the place to ask but any ideas of how these changes will impact the 140k/280k around the world type seats?

 

[serfty]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Maybe not the place to ask but any ideas of how these changes will impact the 140k/280k around the world type seats?

These should not be specifically affected by this as the basic classic awards structures have not changed.

 

[medhead]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

What you are seeing have been ASAs ever since they were devised. They just don't provide ASA pricing for classoc awards onlinr anymore.

Go back to when ASAs were first introduced. We had competitions to find the most ridiculous price.

That may be the case. The problem is two fold. ASA are specifically defined as having to be called ASAs by Qantas. The new booking engine certainly does not clearly call them an ASA. What are the terms "See Points" and "Use Points plus pay". Secondly Points plus pay were introduced as a direct alternative to cash fares separate to ASAs and Classic awards.

IMO the obvious solution to the apparent problem with old ASAs should have been to make them only earn SCs and not points, and then increase the margin for MASA if the SC still cost too much. They could then also allow people to earn SC on Classic Awards. That could be sold as an enhancement/improvement/great recognition.

Given the money they make on points redemptions I firmly believe that SC should be earned on Classic Awards. If it costs too much to give full SC, then what about a reduced SC earn for classic awards? Even a flat 10/20/40/80 for Y/Y+/J/F classic awards per sector, or some other variation.

 

[straitman]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Their hands were pretty much tied in that regard when some dropkicks representing the company made the false declarations that ASAs would never disappear. Now they have retained the name in reference to something with no relationship whatsoever to what were previously known as ASAs to save their bacon, while still removing actual ASAs, which was clearly the plan from the outset.

footy99,

A nice post but factually incorrect.

.... also no need for name calling IMHO.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

this is what the laters news latter has to say about ASAs

Finding the right flight is now easier at qantas.com
We have changed the way you search and book flights as a Qantas Frequent Flyer member at qantas.com. You can now search for cash fares3, Classic Awards4 or Any Seat Awards5 from a single search panel making it easier to find the right flight for you.

exclusion/exception/note 5 then says this:

5. Qantas & Jetstar Any Seat Awards are available on any flight with a QF or JQ flight number. As long as there is a seat available for sale, you can book a Qantas or Jetstar Any Seat Award. The points required for an Any Seat Award includes taxes, fees and carrier charges (except any local airport fees or charges collected at the time of check-in), are variable and only valid when quoted at the time of booking. Award flights must be booked at least 24 hours before scheduled departure (and other advance booking requirements may apply). Qantas Points may not be earned on some fare types or on some oneworld® alliance or airline partner flights. See the Airline Earning Table for eligible flights and earning classes. Flight Upgrade Awards are subject to capacity controls and availability (which is limited). See qantas.com/anyseatawards for more information and full terms and conditions.

what is interesting is that note 5 directly refers to ASAs, but the explanatory nite goes on to talk about a whole range of stuff NOT in any way related to ASAs. it seems not even the people putting the newsletter together actually understand what they're talking about.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

with regards to the fee... the terms and conditions (Qfff) are very clear that any seat awards can be booked FREE OF CHARGE via the website.

the email we received outlining the new booking engine said that ASAs in P,U,Z,X can no longer be booked on line.

this would be a change to the terms and conditions had the fee not been waived as per one of the red roo's assurances.

if this is to change it requires three months notice. the longer there is no notice the better it is for us. more time to book these things.

 

[footy99]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

footy99,

A nice post but factually incorrect.

.... also no need for name calling IMHO.

Fair enough on the name-calling. Is changing the name "points + pay" to "Any Seat Awards" factually incorrect? Isn't that exactly what has happened? Or is there a difference between the 2?

And what were previously known as ASAs are gone completely from the site. The only remnants are an email sent to a few select members advising them of a temporary solution over the phone which currently has a booking success rate well under 50% because most Qantas operators haven't been told what they are.

So my summation is ASAs as they were known before a few weeks ago are gone from the site, gone altogether for 99.9% of customers and about to be gone altogether for the remaining 0.1%. Qantas guaranteed this wouldn't happen. So they have retained the name in reference to what was previously known as Points + Pay. They believe this helps maintain integrity and hides the fact that they said ASAs wouldn't disappear, and then they disappeared. If you believe this is factually incorrect, I'd love to hear your justification.

 

[Ansett]

Re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Here is a reply that we received from QF when providing feedback on the latest ASA changes

>
> Thank you for contacting The Qantas Club and Frequent Flyer Service Centre and taking the time to provide feedback on our online Award booking changes.
>
> The new search function removes the need for three separate entry points for commercial (retail) fares, Qantas & Jetstar Any Seat Awards, and Qantas & Partner Classic Awards. All three booking types can now commence through the one single search panel, with the exception of Classic Award seats purchased as an Any Seat Award.
>
> Any Seat Award bookings made in reservation classes X, Z, U or P (Classic Award classes) cannot be made online at qantas.com.
>
> These Award bookings are available by calling 1300 366 587 (+61 2 8222 2430 from outside Australia) between the hours of 0900 and 1700 AEST Monday to Friday. The Award Assistance Fee will be waived for these bookings, and the booking channel will remain available while the future of these Awards is under review.
>
> Commercial fares for sale on qantas.com are available as an Any Seat Award using a combination of cash and points or paying entirely with points.
>
> In most cases the points required for Any Seat Awards booked in these classes are higher than those required for a Classic Award in the same class of travel on the same flight. S
>
> If you'd like to know how you can use Qantas Frequent Flyer points, please visit qantas.com/rewards where you'll find details on how to redeem for Award Flights, Award Upgrades and purchases at the Qantas Frequent Flyer Store.
>
> , thank you again for taking the time to write and let us know your views. Your feedback will be submitted and is greatly appreciated.
>
> Kind Regards,
>
>
> Kellie
> The Qantas Club and Frequent Flyer Service Centre