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

[eastwest101]

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

Fantastic source. I'm pretty sure they mentioned off the record that the IT department didn't consult another business unit which resulted in this mess. Everything else put forward by QF has been spin.

I strongly suspect this is close to the reality of the case as well, an original genuine mistake or lack of planning/consultation followed by an attempt to spin their way out of it rather than just admitting the original mistake.

 

[ozkid]

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

Problem is most don't know what to do or about the AFF sticky, the whole process is ridiculous to say the least, wake up Qantas your annoying your loyal customers. Whoever came up with this half baked idea to remove ASA's on line and inconvenience so many QFF members should be sent to his room or worse!.

Yes, having done it now it's quite Byzantine. I took my time to read and re-read the sticky and some of this thread before calling up. And then in front of my pc, with multiple windows open. It sure wasn't straight forward, and the CSR did his best to steer me away.

 

[Limewood]

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

I strongly suspect this is close to the reality of the case as well, an original genuine mistake or lack of planning/consultation followed by an attempt to spin their way out of it rather than just admitting the original mistake.

I think so too.

Of course they want this all to fade away, I think not.

 

[TonyHancock]

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

Corrected, but my main point stands. QFF has shown they want to make sneaky, obfuscated, unclear stealth devaluations a la what Delta Skymiles is known for. Not the sort of business I like to interact with.

Without wishing to sound trite if QF is not a company you want to interact with then don't. It is a simple business decision on your behalf, and that is my point. I have more to lose than most if the MASA disappears but the reality is if it does go I will try to work out the best way to maximise my travel expenditure. It is an ever evolving experience.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

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

Without wishing to sound trite if QF is not a company you want to interact with then don't. It is a simple business decision on your behalf, and that is my point. I have more to lose than most if the MASA disappears but the reality is if it does go I will try to work out the best way to maximise my travel expenditure. It is an ever evolving experience.

Without wishing to sound trite, I am no longer interacting with them. MASA's were the only reason I could see to earn QFF rather than other more rewarding programs, whether their removal online was intentional or a mistake, the lack of honesty and spin around their removal online only confirmed my suspicions that QFF is no longer run as primarily an airline loyalty program but purely a profit centre and one which can't be honest with customers about negative changes to its business model.

It's inevitable that all FF programs will devalue, but I'm avoiding the Qantas' and Delta's of the world which can't be upfront and honest about it.

 

[lovestotravel]

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

I find it hilarious that people expect QF to come out and say they are making it harder/removing MASA's as they are sick of people earning status through MASA's instead of more $$ spent.

No issues here, more classic awards available and more MASA's available and less people in lounges

 

[ketsuzei]

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

I find it hilarious that people expect QF to come out and say they are making it harder/removing MASA's as they are sick of people earning status through MASA's instead of more $$ spent.

Equally hilarious to expect them to come out and say that their IT division is a shambles and that one hand doesn't know what the other's doing.

 

[JessicaTam]

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

Without wishing to sound trite, I am no longer interacting with them. MASA's were the only reason I could see to earn QFF rather than other more rewarding programs, whether their removal online was intentional or a mistake, the lack of honesty and spin around their removal online only confirmed my suspicions that QFF is no longer run as primarily an airline loyalty program but purely a profit centre and one which can't be honest with customers about negative changes to its business model.

It's inevitable that all FF programs will devalue, but I'm avoiding the Qantas' and Delta's of the world which can't be upfront and honest about it.

It would always have been profit first, loyalty second. They are a public company not a benevolent society. A loyalty program would only be supported by QF if it was profitable.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

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

I find it hilarious that people expect QF to come out and say they are making it harder/removing MASA's as they are sick of people earning status through MASA's instead of more $$ spent.

Yet they were able to organise a private briefing about the impact of the change the evening before the change took effect to which they invited along 2 AFF moderators, but communication to any QFF member who doesn't read AFF was limited to a line buried in the fine print at the bottom of an email sent out afterwards.

I may still see you in the lounges thanks to AAdvantage.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

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

It would always have been profit first, loyalty second. They are a public company not a benevolent society. A loyalty program would only be supported by QF if it was profitable.

Trust me I am the last person to question the profit motive. But when their frequent shopper program's profitability is effectively supporting the rest of QF, and value for the customer continues to get squeezed out by stealth, as a customer I'm no longer playing.

 

[Fruitcake]

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

I may still see you in the lounges thanks to AAdvantage.

...which no doubt will please QF greatly, because they'll send a bill to AA for your lounge access. At that point, the cost of your elite status becomes AA's problem, not QF's.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

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

...which no doubt will please QF greatly, because they'll send a bill to AA for your lounge access. At that point, the cost of your elite status becomes AA's problem, not QF's.

AA will also send them the bill for all my QF flights being credited to AAdvantage, all revenue which previously went to QFF.

 

[Limewood]

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

No none of that, they'll come up with another 'enhancement" like they did in taking ASA's away to make it as inconvenient as possible to book in the MASA lottery.

 

[serfty]

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

[MODERATOR HAT (ON)]

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[/MODERATOR HAT (OFF)]

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

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

No none of that, they'll come up with another 'enhancement" like they did in taking ASA's away to make it as inconvenient as possible to book in the MASA lottery.

And of course knowing full well the impact of the 'enhancement', QFF will hold a tightly-controlled PR briefing the night before it takes effect, make no general public announcement other than a cryptic 'terms and conditions' style message buried at the bottom of some email days later, and hope that 8.999m QFF members will continue to swipe their EDR card at Woolies and use their QFF co-branded credit card as if nothing had changed.

 

[serfty]

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

Yet they were able to organise a private briefing about the impact of the change the evening before the change took effect to which they invited along 2 AFF moderators, but communication to any QFF member who doesn't read AFF was limited to a line buried in the fine print at the bottom of an email sent out afterwards.

I may still see you in the lounges thanks to AAdvantage.

Such private briefing was at extremely short notice and all moderators were invited, along with Admin. Also a representative from Australian Business Traveler and one from another website also were involved. This is discussed up thread along with Qantas' reasons why.

 

[lovestotravel]

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

Yep and that's one of the reasons why I'll never pay to use this site again

 

[TonyHancock]

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

There are ways of doing business, and there are ways of doing business.

The QF approach in relation to the removal of online MASA bookings, and the recent removal of the ability to book First Class awards on Swiss by anyone other than top tier Miles & More members - Miles & More - Flight awards on SWISS First flights

The different approaches speak volumes about the underlying business and their willingness to communicate negative changes to their customers.

To be fair I believe a rep from thefrequentflyer.com.au and David Flynn from ausbt.com.au also attended the briefing so I think you are being a bit harsh on the mods from AFF.

edit. serfty beat me to it.

 

[Deleted User]

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

And of course knowing full well the impact of the 'enhancement', QFF will hold a tightly-controlled PR briefing the night before it takes effect, make no general public announcement other than a cryptic 'terms and conditions' style message buried at the bottom of some email days later, and hope that 8.999m QFF members will continue to swipe their EDR card at Woolies and use their QFF co-branded credit card as if nothing had changed.

Moderately speaking, I think that’s exactly their plan, but hey it’s their company so they can do whatever they like as long as it’s legal...

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

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

Such private briefing was at extremely short notice and all moderators were invited, along with Admin. Also a representative from Australian Business Traveler was invited. A representative from another website also was involved. This is discussed up thread along with Qantas' reasons why.

Serfty I'm not quibbling with the fact that you or any other moderators attended the briefing so please don't think I am attacking you personally. I think it was poor form of QFF to take this approach rather than being clear and upfront about the change to all members.

Any QFF email I now get I ignore the main PR blurb and pore through the small print right at the bottom looking for the latest devaluation they're trying to slip by members.

Moderately speaking, I think that’s exactly their plan, but hey it’s their company so they can do whatever they like as long as it’s legal...

Yes and that's their prerogative as a company. Just like it is mine as a customer to react to that sort of behaviour. And their online MASA has been the nail in my QFF coffin. I'm not hanging around for when they finally remove all MASAs.