Invitation to PER coughtail function with Lesley Grant 29 Oct.

[Bundy Bear]

Short guy, suit, glasses, wine..... By the gift shop

Pity I didn't get an invite I KWYA

 

[dfcatch]

Ouch!!

Lesley used the "E" word.....

 

[dfcatch]

Pity I didn't get an invite I KWYA

Sorry Bundy, I should have claimed you as my partner......

Don't even think about asking for Partner Platinum

 

[Bundy Bear]

Sorry Bundy, I should have claimed you as my partner......

Don't even think about asking for Partner Platinum

I don't fly that much anyway, hadn't thought about being a partner, stuff you think about after the event, gate crash a Qantas event,
Where are you staying.

 

[dfcatch]

I don't fly that much anyway, hadn't thought about being a partner, stuff you think about after the event, gate crash a Qantas event,
Where are you staying.

At the Hilton. If you're about - we can catch for a drink

 

[JohnM]

No name tags messed the AFF plan.

Had a good chat with Justin Hyams, Executive Manager, Loyalty Operations before Lesley gave her talk, then it was general milling around chatting and buttonholing members of the QF team if one was so inclined or could get the chance.

Caught up with emily howard, who I had met before, and met his wife. We had a great chat. Also met dfcatch. Too bad about not managing to form up an AFF team.

The Taittinger was nice; I stuck to that and didn't see what the red and white wine was. The canapes were good.

A pleasant evening.

 

[cove]

Missed it by flying home from Sydney tonight.

 

[nauta1]

Miss it also flying back from Hong Kong, any titbits to share

 

[Bundy Bear]

I should have taken Cove's spot.

At the Hilton. If you're about - we can catch for a drink

I was in town, but I was out with friends.

 

[JohnM]

Miss it also flying back from Hong Kong, any titbits to share

It focussed, naturally enough, on the loyalty program and various things that have been rolled out within that in recent times and hints of new things to come. If you're a keen golfer (I'm not a golfer at all, but paging JohnK), look out for the upcoming Qantas Golf Club which sounded like an interesting initiative for those tragics.

Admission that dropping PER-SIN was one of the toughest decisions in the transformation process but they say the numbers just didn't work.

As a leisure traveller, as I said to Justin, I don't get distressed about cuts like that so don't take too great an interest in it or get steamed up. I just roll with the punches. I've got all the time in the world, so pretty much always I trundle over to the E coast to go into and out of Australia, whether heading E or W. YMMV.

If xONExs worked on EK (which they never will), then that may give reason to do things differently .

 

[nauta1]

Thanks for that, yes the dropping PER-SIN was taken hard by those in PER as now no international flights QF.

 

[swilk]

No name tags messed the AFF plan.



The Taittinger was nice; I stuck to that and didn't see what the red and white wine was. The canapes were good.

A pleasant evening.

I agree, the food was excellent and plenty of it about too. The red was Koonunga Hill.

I would have enjoyed meeting other AFFs but alas, no name tags. Perhaps we need a secret handshake.

Mrs Swilk and I arrived a little after 6 and Lesley walked over to us. We had what I thought was an honest chat. I put forward the points I wished to make about the loss of international flights and how we have no choice but to fly with other airlines but are still penalised by lower point earns. I also cheekily suggested they make Perth the West Coast hub and force all East Coast flights heading west to stopover in Perth. I got the impression that that was one of many options they considered when cutting the PER international flights.


I also spoke with Stephen Thompson, Exec Manager Global Sales about QFi. He assured me that PER-SIN would be one of the first flights re-instated when they returned to profitability and that we could expect seasonal PER-SIN flights in the future much like the PER-AUK ones.

I enjoyed the evening but I am probably biased being one of the door prize winners

 

[cfellows]

The PER-SIN just cuts deep, very deep. Mainly because SQ flies that route 4 times a day now and QF can't even turn enough business for the once daily service?

Everytime I get on that JQ flight to SIN I remember what used to be

 

[swilk]

The PER-SIN just cuts deep, very deep. Mainly because SQ flies that route 4 times a day now and QF can't even turn enough business for the once daily service?

Everytime I get on that JQ flight to SIN I remember what used to be

Couldn't agree more.

I did PER-SIN on Singapore Airlines in J the other week. I tried hard to convince the powers that be to fly me QF but alas - not possible. I mentioned this to Lesley and Stephen last night also.

I will lose P1 at the end of Nov and will not get it again as the PER options are heavily reduced. My next flight is not until early Dec so a final chance of a P1 op-up is zero.

 

[Cynicor]

I really wonder how they did the numbers on the profitability of PER-SIN. It's not just the flight itself, which might have been haemorrhaging money, but all the associated costs when you cut it.

Apart from JohnM who is happy to still fly QF from the East Coast, do you think they factored in how many people would abandon QF altogether once the Int options left the building? I can fly VA and SQ or fly QF but accrue to BA. All my options now cost QF money. Have also untethered myself from the CC by ditching QF and embracing the Citi warehouse.

Anyway, glad people brought it up on the night.

 

[V1213]

The PER-SIN just cuts deep, very deep. Mainly because SQ flies that route 4 times a day now and QF can't even turn enough business for the once daily service?

Everytime I get on that JQ flight to SIN I remember what used to be

Lesley did mention that, particularly in Perth, they were seeing more frequent flyers take Jetstar... hopefully they realise that this probably isn't by choice.

 

[dfcatch]

Lesley did mention that, particularly in Perth, they were seeing more frequent flyers take Jetstar... hopefully they realise that this probably isn't by choice.

No they don't.

They fail to accept the reality that those flyers will instantly choose another option when it becomes available (ie. Another airline).

Essentially - they fail to grasp the very basic concept that Qantas Loyalty's job should be to secure bums on seats across the Group (including JQ when that's all they offer).

They take those JQ pax for granted and wonder why so many pax end up on other airlines.

The fact that I am P1 with QF and WP with VA (as so many others have dual status) should be a massive alarm bell for them.

I'd be wanting to know how and why so many "loyal status holders" are not spending 100% of their flying with us.

But alas - QF management are much smarter than me.

 

[Comoman]

No they don't.

They fail to accept the reality that those flyers will instantly choose another option when it becomes available (ie. Another airline).

Essentially - they fail to grasp the very basic concept that Qantas Loyalty's job should be to secure bums on seats across the Group (including JQ when that's all they offer).

They take those JQ pax for granted and wonder why so many pax end up on other airlines.

The fact that I am P1 with QF and WP with VA (as so many others have dual status) should be a massive alarm bell for them.

I'd be wanting to know how and why so many "loyal status holders" are not spending 100% of their flying with us.

But alas - QF management are much smarter than me.

100% agree - when I need to go to Singapore/SE Asia from Perth I take SQ. There is 4 flights a day and they're invariably very full from my experience. There is absolutely no way I would take Jetstar from Perth. People who do take Jetstar over SQ really are slaves to the SC's and need to take a cold shower

QF are absolutely dreaming unfortunately....

 

[BobbyFlyer]

100% agree - when I need to go to Singapore/SE Asia from Perth I take SQ. There is 4 flights a day and they're invariably very full from my experience. There is absolutely no way I would take Jetstar from Perth. People who do take Jetstar over SQ really are slaves to the SC's and need to take a cold shower

QF are absolutely dreaming unfortunately....

100% agree as well.
The earlier comment that there were frequent flyers on Jetstar does not mean people are happy to fly them. I flew with family on them SIN-PER earlier this month and only did so as could not get seats on SQ flight in evening for all of us. Other friends of mine also are flying Jetstar because SQ has jacked up their pricing and at times there is no viably priced alternative.

My other main gripe is that its Jetstar Asia not Jetstar Australia. So cant even get Ipads on board for entertainment. And yes i know there are those that say well bring your own - but when you travel with a family that is very difficult. We only have 2 iPads in a family of four so difficult to share - unless we share earphones!!. So entertainment options do matter on board!

Everyone i speak to (to a tee) who has flown Jetstar always adds - Never Again. Maybe they could change the name to this instead

 

[oobi doobi]

100% agree - when I need to go to Singapore/SE Asia from Perth I take SQ. There is 4 flights a day and they're invariably very full from my experience. There is absolutely no way I would take Jetstar from Perth. People who do take Jetstar over SQ really are slaves to the SC's and need to take a cold shower

QF are absolutely dreaming unfortunately....

Couldn't agree more. I have just returned from Singapore on SQ J and will be doing another return trip on SQ J in December. Will not go by Jetstar ever so long as SQ operate or QF is reinstated.