Do free upgrades exist?

[Gremlin]

I think the question that must be asked is "What free upgrades do QF promise they will give?"

..and go on from there....

As a Gold Elite on NZ I can ask the same question.... and the answer is (no doubt) the same.. "None"

And yet, as a Virgin WP, I ask the same question... and the answer is "Four per year". YMMV!

 

[harvyk]

- Rub the lamp and ask the genie

I think that's about the only way you'll get a guaranteed opup... Although if I did find a genie in a lamp I'd personally be asking for unlimited F travel...

 

[PMHI]

This will probably give me the kiss of death but on four trans-Pacific flights on Qantas this year I got Op-Ups from Business to First. Also a couple of domestic upgrades this year. Have been Platinum since it started, and top tier for multiple years before that, but not sure if this is a factor and otherwise do not know how these free upgrades occurred. Maybe just lucky.

The main "problem" with getting an upgrade is a bit of disappointment in not getting in on subsequent flights.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

When I first attained QF WP in 2003, upgrades were frequent and did not require special planning (I won't mention QFi was also profitable back then).

That investment by QF is now paying dividends where I only ever fly paid biz/first. Sure, it took 6 years to happen, but that premium travel is secured for the next what... 50 years of my life?! Great ROI

Since most plat/plat1s are not getting any upgrades, I'm not sure how QF expects to 'upgrade' their spend level. I would love to chat with management about how they plan the strategy around this.




Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[Grooba]

I am extraordinarily lucky with opups, golden triangle and in and out of DRW

I have to say I agree with this generally. I'd say in 6 years and about 500 domestic sectors, all as WP I've had probably 20 opups. Most of them due to traveling during school holidays and on flexi tickets.
I fondly remember hitting 3 consecutive opups (SYD-CNS, CNS-SYD then SYD-ADL iirc) back in 2010, I really thought I found the genie.

 

[penegal]

You should always expect to fly in the cabin you book. This goes for any airline, but especially Qantas.

There is some method to the madness of who QF gives op-ups to, however the airline would definitely prefer passengers to pay for premium cabins.


Now the big push seems to be to get FF's to use points for upgrades through pre-registration. Take the scenario where there is no U class and Y is overbooked, and over-checked in. Rather than giving 2 op-ups, QF could upgrade 2 pre-registered passengers at the gate and charge them points for it. This makes good business sense for QF, but may further reduce the number of op-ups offered.

 

[penegal]

Since most plat/plat1s are not getting any upgrades, I'm not sure how QF expects to 'upgrade' their spend level. I would love to chat with management about how they plan the strategy around this.

That would be an interesting discussion.

FWIW I don't 'feel the love' from Qantas. Upgrades are only part of that equation.

 

[harvyk]

The main "problem" with getting an upgrade is a bit of disappointment in not getting in on subsequent flights.

Amen to that, I had an excellent run of luck with getting op-up's. I was most disappointed when I actually had to sit in Y again (ignoring that all I had brought in that time was Y tickets, and I believe most of them was in the E, Q, and O class).

 

[kamiao]

I know this is off-topic, but anyone can share a feeling on Op-up chances between QF and CX?

 

[amaroo]

I know this is off-topic, but anyone can share a feeling on Op-up chances between QF and CX?

Had my fair share of op-up's with QF.......nothing with CX. However, IMO they do recognise your status better than any other in the OW group.

 

[kamiao]

Had my fair share of op-up's with QF.......nothing with CX. However, IMO they do recognise your status better than any other in the OW group.

Thanks for that! As a CX GO I have never got op-uped by QF but a few times a year by CX - but when I was QF PS a fews years back, yes I did remember I enjoyed all benefits that a CX SL (QF PS eqv) enjoys at the time, excpet for the lounge access. I was even op-uped by CX to J in a flight SYD-HKG during Christmas period... but still, I have never ever op-uped by QF (due to low status I know).

 

[simongr]

By a lot of reports the likelihood of an OpUp on CX as a OWE is higher than the same on QF. Sadly for me I only tend to travel on CX in J with no F cabin...

 

[drewbles]

And yet, as a Virgin WP, I ask the same question... and the answer is "Four per year". YMMV!

Hardly free though, just complimentary. You have to pay a chunk of change to buy those flexi fares first

 

[trippin_the_rift]

That would be an interesting discussion.

FWIW I don't 'feel the love' from Qantas. Upgrades are only part of that equation.

What the lovely people at QF don't appear to realise is that they have many different types of travellers. A public servant with WP should not be treated the same as a business owner, even though they may hold the same status level. That gov employee will probably never pay for a premium cabin in their life, whereas the business owner has much more potential to spend higher amounts in the future. QF do ZERO segmenting (yes I have proof) and I bet my first born this is costing them hundreds of millions every year in lost opportunity that other carriers are exploiting at QFs expense.

Given the types of travellers on AFF and the combined knowledge, experience and business acumen - I'm honestly very confused why QF (yes, specifically QF because other airlines already do it - and it shows) does not tap into this incredible resource they won't find anywhere else.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Infact - If I owned AFF, I'd charge the airlines a hefty fee to have a presence on here.

It's like having extremely experienced, high value employees that work for free and are passionate about your brand.

 

[simongr]

How do we know that they don't

 

[drewbles]

Infact - If I owned AFF, I'd charge the airlines a hefty fee to have a presence on here.

It's like having extremely experienced, high value employees that work for free and are passionate about your brand.

And unfortunately, none would oblige with their people i'm sure. QF have only recently gotten in on the social media thing. Whilst I agree with your idea, I don't believe QF take this place seriously enough (it seems to be a real token effort; look at FT and the hotel/airline rep involvements there, it's astounding!).

 

[penegal]

What the lovely people at QF don't appear to realise is that they have many different types of travellers. A public servant with WP should not be treated the same as a business owner, even though they may hold the same status level. That gov employee will probably never pay for a premium cabin in their life, whereas the business owner has much more potential to spend higher amounts in the future. QF do ZERO segmenting (yes I have proof) and I bet my first born this is costing them hundreds of millions every year in lost opportunity that other carriers are exploiting at QFs expense.

Indeed.

I was actually quite intrigued by the QF 'get to know you' survey... Was this the first step in the right direction? or simply a blunt instrument to put together a slide deck about the 'typical QF customer'? Either way the irony is that most of QF's higher revenue customers wouldn't have filled it in because (a) they had no time, or (b) their connection timed out, or (c) the prize was a Y ticket, so no incentive.


Perhaps relevant - I read something by Hal Brierley in HBR the other day. He is one of the fathers of the FFP. It is a good snapshot of some of the wider conversations in the industry currently. He muses about things such as lifetime/emeritus status for retiring baby boomers, how to reward the top (best), and the near-top (good) customers (future best customers?), as well as the poor correlation of miles flown and customer revenue or 'value'. Most airline elite statues are based around miles or sectors flown, rather than money spent, or profit for the business. And the piece has a QF reference for good measure.

Alas, this is getting OT, but I'm sure it will come up on Saturday while we are enjoying the hospitality of that other airline.

 

[harvyk]

What the lovely people at QF don't appear to realise is that they have many different types of travellers. A public servant with WP should not be treated the same as a business owner, even though they may hold the same status level. That gov employee will probably never pay for a premium cabin in their life, whereas the business owner has much more potential to spend higher amounts in the future. QF do ZERO segmenting (yes I have proof) and I bet my first born this is costing them hundreds of millions every year in lost opportunity that other carriers are exploiting at QFs expense.

Given the types of travellers on AFF and the combined knowledge, experience and business acumen - I'm honestly very confused why QF (yes, specifically QF because other airlines already do it - and it shows) does not tap into this incredible resource they won't find anywhere else.

QF look to one thing and one thing only, their balance sheet, and whilst a person who is forced to fly QF based on preferred supplier arrangements may not fly QF when they have a choice, and whilst the business owner may chose to do all their flying on QF, ultimately both these types of individuals represent a very small amount of income.

QF only really care about individuals collectively, (so a WP switching to virgin they won't care about, 50% of all WP's switching to virgin will be considered a very big problem), and decision makers who have the sole power to make real changes to the bottom line dollars.

Beyond that they don't really care who you are and why you are flying, at least not at an individual level.

And unfortunately, none would oblige with their people i'm sure. QF have only recently gotten in on the social media thing. Whilst I agree with your idea, I don't believe QF take this place seriously enough (it seems to be a real token effort; look at FT and the hotel/airline rep involvements there, it's astounding!).

As far as I'm concerned QF still only have "L" plates for their social media and internet efforts.

 

[Shane B]

Only have received 1 OpUp, which was last year from Brisbane to Darwin. The factors there were:

1. Last day of school holidays.

2. Y was full.

It was a nice upgrade as well - Qantas were using one of their international Airbus planes on the route.