Frequent flyers face a credit card deadline. (Media article)

[Mal]

While biased towards Qantas, this article does have some interesting points. Obviously Qantas has been working hard on selling the good parts of their plan.

Turning point - Planning - Money - Business - Home - smh.com.au

QFF chief executive Simon Hickey says: "We have had problems where different card issuers converted reward points from their programs to frequent flyer points at different rates.

"A lot of members did not know that the conversion rate could vary. Now one point is one point. We also had problems with issuers putting restrictions, such as minimum points, around points transfers. There were too many complications."

"Based on what we have seen so far, and our research, we are going to see about 50 per cent of QFF participants take a direct earn card or option," Hickey says. "So far 25 per cent of the people who have taken up the direct earn offer are people who have never transferred credit card points to us before. It is a very strong response."

Comparative research by MWE Consulting says the QFF program offers the greatest potential shopping voucher and travel rewards for almost all consumers. "This is due to the strong earn and redeem proposition," the findings say. "Qantas has the broadest overall scope and number of reward partners. The ability to earn reward points will be widened by the forthcoming inclusion of the Woolworths Everyday Rewards scheme.

"The domestic and international flight options available through Qantas and the affiliated OneWorld partners is considered the broadest."

 

[pauly7]

Thanks for posting - it is interesting.

While I'll be splitting my cards (half direct sweep to QF and half to MR) asking around the office seems like everyone has just ticked the QF box in the land of the normal general public. I think it just comes down to the fact that people are more familiar/comfortable with the QFF program than Amex and other card providers programs.

 

[serfty]

"Based on what we have seen so far, and our research, we are going to see about 50 per cent of QFF participants take a direct earn card or option," Hickey says. "So far 25 per cent of the people who have taken up the direct earn offer are people who have never transferred credit card points to us before. It is a very strong response."

I wonder what the percentage is of those who have transferred point before (non direct sweep) who have converted?

 

[oz_mark]

QFF felt this arrangement lacked transparency so it has introduced a "direct earn" system

Lack of transparency seems to be being cited more and more to change things these days....I don't know what wasn't transparent - seemed fairly simple to me, and left your choices open

 

[albatross710]

"Based on what we have seen so far, and our research, we are going to see about 50 per cent of QFF participants take a direct earn card or option," Hickey says. "So far 25 per cent of the people who have taken up the direct earn offer are people who have never transferred credit card points to us before. It is a very strong response."

or put another way

50 per cent of QFF participants have not taken a direct earn card or option. 75% have not taken up the offer so far.

 

[codash1099]

Lack of transparency seems to be being cited more and more to change things these days....I don't know what wasn't transparent - seemed fairly simple to me, and left your choices open

I think QF's problem is that it isn't transparent to them, with an unknown number of points out there which may or may not come to them.

 

[Mal]

Actually, I just realised that Simon Hickey is wrong with his assumption of transparency.

He says in the article "Now one point is one point."

Commonwealth bank have stated:

Are there any changes to the conversion rates from Commonwealth Awards to Qantas Frequent Flyer?
No. Conversion rates will remain as they do today. Platinum cardholders will receive 1 Qantas Frequent Flyer point for every 1 Commonwealth Awards point, Gold cardholders will receive 1 Qantas Frequent Flyer point for every 1.5 Commonwealth Awards points and Standard cardholders will receive 1 Qantas Frequent Flyer point for every 2 Commonwealth Awards points.

So, one Commbank point will not equal one FF point, unless you have a Commbank Platinum card. Nor is Commbank adjusting their disparate way of converting spend into Qantas FF points -- or at least that's my understanding of how the new scheme will work with Commbank.

 

[JohnK]

QFF chief executive Simon Hickey says: "We have had problems where different card issuers converted reward points from their programs to frequent flyer points at different rates.

What is the relevance of this point? The Qantas Amex card earns 1:1, the Qantas Premium card earns 1.25:1 while the Qantas Ultimate card earne 1.5:1. So why is this different to the redemption options offered by Citibank cards, CBA cards, Amex cards etc? One would assume that most people do their research into redemption rates.

 

[oz_mark]

What is the relevance of this point? The Qantas Amex card earns 1:1, the Qantas Premium card earns 1.25:1 while the Qantas Ultimate card earne 1.5:1. So why is this different to the redemption options offered by Citibank cards, CBA cards, Amex cards etc? One would assume that most people do their research into redemption rates.

You would also think that the average person would not have one of every card, and would have a good idea of what redemption rate applid to their card.

The problem certainly hasn't gone away so it's a silly point. Now instead od how many points get a FF point, it is how many dollars spent get an FF point. If it were confusing before, it must still be confusing now.

Not that I ever considered it confusing.

 

[PLANT]

Can someone please confirm that if I transfer points from credit card to QFF on the 30th March it will go through.
All online.
No need to do it a week before?

 

[MAX_1]

Can someone please confirm that if I transfer points from credit card to QFF on the 30th March it will go through.
All online.
No need to do it a week before?

If you are going to do it on the 30Mar why not do it earlier and risk some sort of problem?
If u decide to sweep, you just call your Credit Card provider and they arrange immediately.
I just have a feeling that last minute may cause server overloads and points will not tranfer

 

[Mal]

Can someone please confirm that if I transfer points from credit card to QFF on the 30th March it will go through.

The only Qantas information I've seen about your question is that it is up to the Credit Card provider to indicate their cut-off time.

So best you ask them... I also would allow a few days at least to ensure my transaction was processed correctly.

 

[ric_melb]

The way I look at it is you should be making a decision now.
You either transfer under the new Qantas rules, or leave the points
with your credit card provider. If you decide to transfer to Qantas, I would do that now. No way I would wait till end of March and suffer possible complications.

 

[PLANT]

Just going on the newspaper article yesterday about Qantas offering some bonus for transfering closer to cutoff.

Just a rumour.

 

[Mal]

Just going on the newspaper article yesterday about Qantas offering some bonus for transfering closer to cutoff.

Just a rumour.

*If* anything is offered, it would be offered this week probably, allowing all of next week for transfers. Qantas has already offered something - they'll waive the FF joining fee if you sweep some points across. Will more sweeteners come out? Don't know.

 

[jakeseven7]

*If* anything is offered, it would be offered this week probably, allowing all of next week for transfers. Qantas has already offered something - they'll waive the FF joining fee if you sweep some points across. Will more sweeteners come out? Don't know.

bets anyone?!

clock is ticking down....