Having a nightmare with Qantas FF

[timster]

Well, some more "patriarchal" societies are already offering this for up to 8 family members! Family joining benefits
Not sure "family head" is a cherished concept in Australia though

Sometimes you can even include your driver and housemaids Family Member Program

I wonder if they allow female family heads ?

 

[samiam]

/zzzz wakes from extended slumber /zzzz

Whilst there were lots of great questions to draw out the specific situation, as well as solid solutions and honest responses, it's a shame that (IMO) there were a couple of straightforward and somewhat blunt statements, that wouldn't have appeared helpful or welcoming for a new member.

I certainly remember my first few weeks lurking on here before posting, and feel fortunate to have received more than one 'Welcome to AFF' in the process.

My knowledge back then was zip, and I'm glad it wasn't pointed out so acutely.

Anyhow, if the original poster is still around, I think the one great suggestion to retain status with QF is to review the status run thread(s) and see if there's an opportunity to clock up a few more SC's prior to expiration of the membership year.

If the reason for retaining Gold is to improve the likelihood of an upgrade for 4 pax, I'm in agreement with the overwhelming majority (ie. 100%) that there's very little chance, given number of higher status passengers, compounded by the introduction of 'Bid Now' upgrades.

On the return call from Qantas issue, it's been reported that posting the fact that a return call hasn't been received on social media (Twitter, for example), will often draw a quicker response.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do, Bermuda - there are plenty of threads on the forum that cover many different airline programmes, and I hope you stick around to maximise the benefits from your (not insignificant) $20-25k spend.

 

[Quickstatus]

Isn't there an assumption here that most large spend max - your $20k flyer - is on the corporate dime? OK I've never spent $20k on a ticket (*shudder*) but ALL my travel for the past 20+ years, bar one return MEL-SYD back in the 90's on AN has been self funded.

I'd say that to QF yor one pax spending $20k on, well let's say 2 seats (say 2 J to europe) is more valuable than your family of 4 spending $20k.. why? simply because the yield is so much larger for them AND they can still fit 2 more pax from your 2xJ spend vs 4xW spend. Or if you want to compare apples with apples, Your passenger paying full-Y on a MEL-SYD is obviously going to be of more value than 1 pax on a cheapo-Y fare, even though they may sit next to each other and receive the same service. And, that same full-Y pax will still be worth more than 2 cheapo Y fares - that combined are less than your full0Y, or even if they are even in value - because they've sold the one seat for that high value/yield, but with the cheapo fares you've sold 2, tus reducing the available capacity for other pax. This is the core, of course, of yield and revenue management, and the "magic formula" all airlines strive to find the right mix where they can fill their flights so that all seats are sold at the highest average price = more revenue to the airline.

As a solo pax with no family who travel to pool anything with, in some ways the pooling systems could possibly seem a bit unfair. It doesn't really bother me so much but some may feel that way

Yes overall yield per ticket plays a part in calculating your value to the airline.However if the yield/pax is the same then why is the one passenger's value lower than the other. As i said $30k spend for 4 J seats on one flight per year compared with same $$$ spend for same yielding 4 J seats but on 4 separate flights should be the same in terms of value.


The person whose company pays for their flight is not necessary loyal to the brand. The company who is paying for it is. Unless the passenger controls the company's spend in this regard or if the passenger has a choice of airline.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Yes overall yield per ticket plays a part in calculating your value to the airline.However if the yield/pax is the same then why is the one passenger's value lower than the other. As i said $30k spend for 4 J seats on one flight per year compared with same $$$ spend for same yielding 4 J seats but on 4 separate flights should be the same in terms of value.


The person whose company pays for their flight is not necessary loyal to the brand. The company who is paying for it is. Unless the passenger controls the company's spend in this regard or if the passenger has a choice of airline.

I agree with you in part. Company sponsored flyers have the loyalty of the company, not the flyer, but they consider that the potential future revenue from company and pax combined is a good bet.

Where one flyer buys 4 tickets, that flyer has directly contributed to 4 times the revenue.

Where one flyer buys tickets for themselves and 3 others, how would the carrier know that one person paid for the lot? Sure it might come off one credit card but many people buy flights for others and get paid back. Not to mention, those who have tickets purchased for them can gain the benefit of status too, by spending nothing.

QF's program is clearly targeting the corporates to make them sticky, along with individual flyers only.

In my opinion, family pooling is for non-frequent flyers who travel in bulk. If that works for VA, great, but QF don't operate that way.

I get kinda annoyed when my mate travels with his 3 kids and pools the status credits to his account on VA. He flies less than half as much as I do yet maintains the same status. Of course it is my opinion that status with VA is worthless due to a lack of alliance and internationally recognised benefits, but for mostly domestic travellers I'm sure it's fine.

I've bought tickets for partners, parents and friends before, but the best you can do is get a bonus point gift voucher and/or put it on a points earning credit card.

Either that or perhaps I'll have a child with the same name and we can earn SCs to the one account. Might be a touch difficult not travelling together though

 

[amaroo]

My $30k per year spend for 1J flight for 4 persons is lower in value than a single QF member spending $30k for 1 person's 4J flights. It has never made sense to me. I am introducing 3 passengers to the Qantas brand as well.


VA has a better idea with SC pooling.

Pity about family pooling ... I'd be sitting on >27,000SC if they offered it

As it is - they have three other members sitting on a decent stash thinking about LT status :idea: two of those members are aged under 14.....

 

[Pleb Status]

With respect to the failure of QF to call back (three times according to the OP), as the matter was not urgent at all (as travel is in June), what does the group believe would be an expected time for a QF response to the query?

From my dealings with QF, I would think two to three weeks should be anticipated for a response, particularly as the OP wanted the SG qualification rules to be broken and I would guess approval would have been required by a senior manager. Calling back after a day or two for this complex matter would appear to be very ambitious as even simple things (like calling to get my missing Christmas gift voucher points credited) takes a few weeks to get though the QF system.

 

[drron]

The OP probably would be better off switching to VA with family pooling.4 returns SYD-LAX in PE would get 960 SCs and as he mentioned going to the east coast the extra 40SCs for WP should be a doddle.
But the OP probably isn't coming back from the tone of his last post.

 

[MrJetset]

IME WP get action on emails and customer care with phone calls returned within 24-28 hours. Everybody else including SG seem to be 14 days or more.

 

[JohnK]

Yes overall yield per ticket plays a part in calculating your value to the airline.However if the yield/pax is the same then why is the one passenger's value lower than the other. As i said $30k spend for 4 J seats on one flight per year compared with same $$$ spend for same yielding 4 J seats but on 4 separate flights should be the same in terms of value.

Every single customer plays a part in the success of the airline.

The person buying 100 x $89 red-deals SYD-BNE is just as important as the person who spends $10,000 on one trip in a year.

Why? Flights are scheduled based on demand.

 

[Pleb Status]

Every single customer plays a part in the success of the airline.

The person buying 100 x $89 red-deals SYD-BNE is just as important as the person who spends $10,000 on one trip in a year.

Why? Flights are scheduled based on demand.

Success (for a company) is based purely on net profit. A full service airline may actually lose money on the passenger who buys the 100 x $89 red-edeals (and nothing else). However, there is a very good chance the airline will make a net profit on the single $10,000 trip in an upper class.

However, to keep a reasonable schedule (and other commercial realities), the 100 x $89 red-edeals customer is tolerated. If an airline could operate effectively without the 100 x $89 red-edeals customer, they would (even freight makes a better return).

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Success (for a company) is based purely on net profit. A full service airline may actually lose money on the passenger who buys the 100 x $89 red-edeals (and nothing else). However, there is a very good chance the airline will make a net profit on the single $10,000 trip in an upper class.

However, to keep a reasonable schedule (and other commercial realities), the 100 x $89 red-edeals customer is tolerated. If an airline could operate effectively without the 100 x $89 red-edeals customer, they would (even freight makes a better return).

Spot on. The 10 x red-deals are subsidised by the 1 x J fare from a profitability perspective. It's called yield management and its a cross between science and art.

 

[Quickstatus]

Spot on. The 10 x red-deals are subsidised by the 1 x J fare from a profitability perspective. It's called yield management and its a cross between science and art.

But 4 J on the same flight vs 1 J over 4 flights should count as the same especially when its in the same fare bucket.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

But 4 J on the same flight vs 1 J over 4 flights should count as the same especially when its in the same fare bucket.

You forget that the potential loyalty is diluted among 4 people.

 

[Colster]

Are we not completely OT now? mods?. Surely a separate thread exists on the value of $'s spent to SCs earned

Bermuda, did they ever call you back?

 

[amaroo]

You forget that the potential loyalty is diluted among 4 people.

I see things differently http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-nightmare-qantas-ff-66204-2.html#post1201379

QFF have their $hit together! Building the "status habit" within the family is a genius long term manoeuvre.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I see things differently http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-nightmare-qantas-ff-66204-2.html#post1201379

QFF have their $hit together! Building the "status habit" within the family is a genius long term manoeuvre.

At your levels all of your family would already have status. What more would you want?

 

[Quickstatus]

You forget that the potential loyalty is diluted among 4 people.

Thats what QF is doing - diluting that loyalty over 4 passengers. VA however concentrates that to one person (if you choose to pool to one person)

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Thats what QF is doing - diluting that loyalty over 4 passengers. VA however concentrates that to one person (if you choose to pool to one person)

There are two different methods, you are welcome to take your pick of available programmes.

IMO, family pooling is flawed. Nothing guarantees the one with status spent the cash, and members who get status are often not true frequent flyers, but while it is what it is, take the one that has the best advantage for your situation.

 

[amaroo]

At your levels all of your family would already have status. What more would you want?

Nothing.

QFF are creating/embedding a desire for status - locking in loyalty at a young age. It's a beautiful marketing tool. I doubt my kids will stray given the head start they've been given. If all their flying "status" was gifted to me or mum ... they'd probably wouldn't give a rats where their own money was spent.

 

[Quickstatus]

Nothing.

QFF are creating/embedding a desire for status - locking in loyalty at a young age. It's a beautiful marketing tool. I doubt my kids will stray given the head start they've been given. If all their flying "status" was gifted to me or mum ... they'd probably wouldn't give a rats where their own money was spent.

Yes I can see that POV, except that I have QF Plat and my daughter gets all the pooled VA SC so she is VA Plat. I dont think my daughter has a desire for status which fits in with her generation - they are happily not locked in to any system, view, philosophy, loyalty. They are carefree and would switch quicker than a political week. In fact Im the one that is making sure she maximises her Status.