Is Qantas Actually Listening?

[serfty]

I was a bit appalled yesterday when my partner redeemed 2 Classic Award economy flights CBR-BNE return, and the surcharge was over $370. That certainly seems excessive to me.

Is that C&P?

The standard +++ on a direct return is about $65. Via SYD each way it is ~$83.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I don't disagree that surcharges on QFF award tickets is extremely high. No different to other carriers though.

Please list all the carriers with high fuel surcharges on award tickets that also allow those award tickets to contribute towards earning status.

Once we see that list then we can review whether Qantas made a mistake or not.

There are still major carriers - those from the US, that don't charge fuel surcharges on award tickets. Fair enough that their terms and conditions still say 'no points for award tickets'.

But other carriers are riding on the back of terms and conditions drafted 20 or more years ago. Qantas will no doubt happily point to the USA carriers and say 'our FF terms and conditions are in line with those from the USA'. But the issue is that QF and some other carriers now charge massive co-pays for their awards. And yet they haven't changed their terms and conditions to recognise that.

 

[codash1099]

Agree - AFF is a small highly engaged, and highly vocal minority, is is sometimes easy to forget that.

MASAs were popular on AFF and among AFF lurkers, but frankly the average Joe on the street has no idea.

We may be few but, if you are right, our economic clout is obviously enough to cause QF to react by removing the offending item.

 

[SeatBackForward]

We may be few but, if you are right, our economic clout is obviously enough to cause QF to react by removing the offending item.

Then it stands to reason they should listen to our concerns also.

 

[wandering_fred]

I wonder what the airlines would do if fuel adjustment levies had to be rolled into the airfares or reduced (to zero) after six months?

I think I may have wandered too far.

Fred

 

[JohnK]

VIRGIN
AA
UsDM
LM

and there is more.

That wasn't my question.

SQ and TG also have high fuel surcharges. There are more.

Tell me which airlines allow award bookings to count towards earning status?

I am curious.

 

[Himeno]

I wonder what the airlines would do if fuel adjustment levies had to be rolled into the airfares or reduced (to zero) after six months?

I think I may have wandered too far.

Fred

Might be more useful if fuel surcharges were regulated like in Japan and Hong Kong. They are based on a 2 month average fuel price in Singapore which fit into predefined bands with a set surcharge for each band. eg Feb 05, 2014 JAL Announces International Fare Fuel Surcharge for Tickets Issued between April and May 2014

 

[TonyHancock]

Tell me which airlines allow award bookings to count towards earning status?

Of course there is something we could all be missing. Perhaps MASA's were actually a brilliantly conceived idea from a top class visionary management team to make money and engender loyalty and perhaps QF was leading the field in their implementation......mmmmmmmmmm then again....

 

[Aussie_flyer]

That wasn't my question.

.

Oh please....

 

[medhead]

I was a bit appalled yesterday when my partner redeemed 2 Classic Award economy flights CBR-BNE return, and the surcharge was over $370. That certainly seems excessive to me.

Hope you're in the 10% points rebate on classic awards.

 

[JohnK]

Of course there is something we could all be missing. Perhaps MASA's were actually a brilliantly conceived idea from a top class visionary management team to make money and engender loyalty and perhaps QF was leading the field in their implementation......mmmmmmmmmm then again....

We are not missing anything.

Marginal Any Seat awards were extremely generous. That is the only reason people are missing them.

What did people do before Any Seat Awards? Classic award bookings with high fuel surcharges and non status earning? That option is still there.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Then it stands to reason they should listen to our concerns also.

No, I don't see how that follows at all. Quite the opposite in fact.

 

[SeatBackForward]

What did people do before Any Seat Awards? Classic award bookings with high fuel surcharges and non status earning? That option is still there.

Not burn their points as often. Points not spent, sit as a liability on their books. Its better for them to have the points being burnt - and is probably more profitable for them than pure cost revenue.

 

[SeatBackForward]

No, I don't see how that follows at all. Quite the opposite in fact.

If the AFF representative population's use of MASA's constitutes a threat to QF's profitability, then surely there is enough $$ represented by the AFF population to listen to our concerns.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What did people do before Any Seat Awards? Classic award bookings with high fuel surcharges and non status earning? That option is still there.

Before mASAs we had classic awards with lower charges. The couple of hundred dollars extra we paid for SCs and points on mASAs can now sit in our pocket and be used for AA domestic travel to get the same status.

Instead of the few hundred dollars extra per ticket going to QF as part of an mASA (for a seat it can't sell anyway), it goes into AA's revenue. And we still get the status from QF.

 

[nlagalle]

What did people do before Any Seat Awards? Classic award bookings with high fuel surcharges and non status earning? That option is still there.

I remember when ASA's earned the same as classic awards.. i.e. zero..

 

[JohnK]

I remember when ASA's earned the same as classic awards.. i.e. zero..

I remember that as well. Wasn't that long ago.

A bit like heroi_ though....

 

[amaroo]

Not burn their points as often. Points not spent, sit as a liability on their books. Its better for them to have the points being burnt - and is probably more profitable for them than pure cost revenue.

They can fix that with a few keystrokes + 3 months.

 

[wandering_fred]

Not burn their points as often. Points not spent, sit as a liability on their books. Its better for them to have the points being burnt - and is probably more profitable for them than pure cost revenue.

No easy way to use points for flying. Consider the eShop (very profitable for QF). No good deals? Points expire (even more profitable for QF)

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[drron]

We are not missing anything.

Marginal Any Seat awards were extremely generous. That is the only reason people are missing them.

What did people do before Any Seat Awards? Classic award bookings with high fuel surcharges and non status earning? That option is still there.

The problem John is that QFF by removing MASAs now competes directly with the other OW airlines with awards.
I just looked at SYD-LHR in J for 23rd May next year.The AA website offered me SYD-MEL in J,MEL-SIN in J and SIN-LHR in F for 80000 points and $US285.

QF offers me SYD-SIN in Y then SIN-LHR in F and 168000 points.No idea of surcharge as neither of us have enough points.
But being the generous souls they are they will offer SYD-DBX in Y with DBX-LHR in J for 98000 points plus $472.
So do you consider QF competitive?