Life Time Gold - The [Realistic] Holy Grail

[SeatBackForward]

then he quotes me a different SR number they raised when I called the first time. I assume this helps KPI, as we're dealing with a two week old enquiry and not one into its second month

This has always frustrated me with QF support. Raise a query and you get emailed a reply back with SR reference number. However when you reply to that email, you receive a a response back with a new SR number allocated to it. It's been this way for several years now.

 

[AIRwin]

This has always frustrated me with QF support. Raise a query and you get emailed a reply back with SR reference number. However when you reply to that email, you receive a a response back with a new SR number allocated to it. It's been this way for several years now.

Moving goalposts...

 

[Flashback]

Which was perfect for me and Mrs w on a recent family (5 of us) trip to the UK, the return leg being on BA and therefore T5 @ LHR - no QF anywhere there so no lounge access.

However being LTG, dumped the teenagers near the gate with food and devices, and enjoyed the Terraces Lounge.

We'll be travelling a lot more for leisure, so LTG is just the ticket.

Oh and the early access to those X, U and P seats

Must have been time travelling if you found a Terraces lounge!

 

[RichardMEL]

Moving goalposts...

yup.

standard with job/case management type systems like this. Super common in IT too.

For example often I would have a call open about some support issue or other with (any number of large technology vendors) re a fix or a bug or something... and often if something wasn't resolved in a short amount of time, the orignal support person (first level, usually) who would retain overall "ownership" of the ticket would often want to close the job even if it wasn't closed but for THEIR stats they want the job closed - even if it meant creating a new one via some other person... because they needed their job resolution counts and timings to meet their SLA's and so on. Meanwhile, as the customer, I'm still like "Yeah, but we haven't actually resolved the issue..."

then we'd have to untangle which case number was "live" vs the originally opened one and then maybe I'd have to explain to some manager or other why they get an email saying the case I opened is closed, but the issue isn't resolved.

yeah.. annoying.

The other thing is when some case management systems automatically create new tickets if emails come in without references or seem different to an existing one, and they're stupid so create a new one. For example, say I put in a request and have a subject like "QFF points not posting".. system allocates a SR (Service Request) number and sometimes can append that SR to the email subject when sending back.. but if I reply to the original one again for some reason, the system thinks it's a new request and aha assigns a new SR.

When I was working 2nd/3rd level support we would often see this that someone would put in a request for something, let's say "QFF points not posting" (and no, I never worked for QFF before people misconstrue this hypothetical example ) which would raise a ticket for that. OK, then a day or so later, they'd write another one, perhaps with the same subject line, but saying "Yesterday I asked about...." and yep.. new SR number. sometimes we'd have the same problem with multiple open tickets and it could get really frustrating (specially when the system would respond back to the first one with a SR attached, and explicit instructions to "reply to this..." but sometimes people wouldn't, and it would get very confused when one has many tickets to deal with, some with similar subject lines, and trying to figure out 3 tickets are actually from the same person about the same thing could be a real time sink).

So there's cynical explanations and just poor case management systems/software that can cause these kinds of things.

 

[RooFlyer]

yup.

standard with job/case management type systems like this. Super common in IT too.

For example often I would have a call open about some support issue or other with (any number of large technology vendors) re a fix or a bug or something... and often if something wasn't resolved in a short amount of time, the orignal support person (first level, usually) who would retain overall "ownership" of the ticket would often want to close the job even if it wasn't closed but for THEIR stats they want the job closed - even if it meant creating a new one via some other person... because they needed their job resolution counts and timings to meet their SLA's and so on. Meanwhile, as the customer, I'm still like "Yeah, but we haven't actually resolved the issue..."

then we'd have to untangle which case number was "live" vs the originally opened one and then maybe I'd have to explain to some manager or other why they get an email saying the case I opened is closed, but the issue isn't resolved.

yeah.. annoying.

The other thing is when some case management systems automatically create new tickets if emails come in without references or seem different to an existing one, and they're stupid so create a new one. For example, say I put in a request and have a subject like "QFF points not posting".. system allocates a SR (Service Request) number and sometimes can append that SR to the email subject when sending back.. but if I reply to the original one again for some reason, the system thinks it's a new request and aha assigns a new SR.

When I was working 2nd/3rd level support we would often see this that someone would put in a request for something, let's say "QFF points not posting" (and no, I never worked for QFF before people misconstrue this hypothetical example ) which would raise a ticket for that. OK, then a day or so later, they'd write another one, perhaps with the same subject line, but saying "Yesterday I asked about...." and yep.. new SR number. sometimes we'd have the same problem with multiple open tickets and it could get really frustrating (specially when the system would respond back to the first one with a SR attached, and explicit instructions to "reply to this..." but sometimes people wouldn't, and it would get very confused when one has many tickets to deal with, some with similar subject lines, and trying to figure out 3 tickets are actually from the same person about the same thing could be a real time sink).

So there's cynical explanations and just poor case management systems/software that can cause these kinds of things.

Easy

Adam Scott Ben Wyatt GIF – Adam Scott Ben Wyatt Parks And Rec – discover and share GIFs

Click to view the GIF

tenor.com

(My own tech limitations prevents me from embedding just the GIF. Maybe the Help Desk can help? )

 

[justinbrett]

Some traction on the QP refund.

They've asked me to sign a stat dec. They've given me dates of my last QP payment and the payment reference, they just want that information in a stat dec.

I'm not really sure why I am declaring information they gave to me - but who am I to question them.

They did confirm they won't transfer it, seems weird to me - what business prefers to give a cash refund instead of goods/services - especially when transferring the QP membership could result in that other person renewing the membership?

 

[serfty]

We'll be travelling a lot more for leisure, so LTG is just the ticket.

Must have been time travelling if you found a Terraces lounge!

I feel like a time traveller realising that post was from the seemingly immortal @willyroo ....

 

[levelnine]

Oh and the early access to those X, U and P seats

I think this is a tangible way in which QF has 'enhanced' lifetime gold status.

Prior to the pandemic, QF fairly reliably released award seats at the end of the calendar, allowing elite members first pick of the bunch.

They appear to no longer do this for premium routes, instead releasing them in batches at random intervals (the most recent batches have been on flights to the US in July/August). When they do that, all members (including of other OW airlines) get access to them at the same time.

 

[liamg]

Same here - omg good luck trying to get that credit refunded - the “service centre” agents are beyond unhelpful and want signed stat declarations (not kidding!!!) about when and what I paid and more paperwork to try and get the unused portion refunded

I finally got a new update - my request has been authorised and passed to the finance team for payment. $450-odd. Won’t complain when that arrives. Though of course that could still be a while.

 

[dairyfloss]

I finally got a new update - my request has been authorised and passed to the finance team for payment. $450-odd. Won’t complain when that arrives. Though of course that could still be a while.

Did the matter of how you paid originally come up, or were they ok to refund it however you liked? I have no idea how I paid mine over a decade ago, and would prefer to just give them details from current accounts. I’m about 12-18 mths away from dealing with the same scenario as you

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[liamg]

Did the matter of how you paid originally come up, or were they ok to refund it however you liked?

I had to send a stat dec with my new bank details. It’s now six weeks since I did that and it took 3-4 calls to get the answer I just did, so hope you are ready to be patient.

 

[Jacques Vert]

I had to send a stat dec with my new bank details. It’s now six weeks since I did that and it took 3-4 calls to get the answer I just did, so hope you are ready to be patient.

Only 3 or 4 calls so far; you have a long way to go.

When I had to send a stat dec I ended up ringing once a week for around three months. Each time they said they hadn't received the state dec so I would send it again. Ended up sending it about a dozen times in quick succession while I had the agent on the phone and he finally acknowledged having received it.

Only took another six weeks after that.

 

[liamg]

Only 3 or 4 calls so far; you have a long way to go.

I didn’t follow up my last call from 10 days ago when they said it had been sent to the finance team, and $458 appeared in my account today. Well worth the effort.

 

[RooFlyer]

Is Qantas still doing physical cards. I haven't had one for three years.

Need a Qantas Cash Mastercard attached and you get a new number on renewal each year. Mine has a small non zero balance and it must be a decade since I last looked at it.

Maybe not for non Oz residents

Apols if there is more about having a physical card since the above, a few pages back.

I was very surprised to get a QFF Plat card in the post today. I haven't had one for ... ?7+ years, since I called up and said I didn't want the Mastercard attached. IIRC I got a plain card after hassling them for one to be delivered after my call, but nothing since.

The new card does not have a Mastercard attached

 

[serfty]

Mine’s zero balance also but I didn’t get a new card back in Jul/Aug… I must check if it’s still active.

I actually just looked and it got a few USD on it. Must be at least a decade sine I checked.

 

[SYD]

I actually just looked and it got a few USD on it. Must be at least a decade sine I checked.

I should have left A$1 on mine…. Maybe I’ll transfer $1 and see what happens…

Edit: except the min load is $50…

 

[serfty]

Edit: except the min load is $50…

Mine has less than that ... I think it was a bonus point promo that made it worth the poor exchange rate. I used it a bit on a trip.

Likely turned out a good investment as the dollar has dropped againt the greenback by about 20% in that time.

Anyway, off to the USA in May so will make use of.

 

[SYD]

Mine has less than that ... I think it was a bonus point promo that made it worth the poor exchange rate. I used it a bit on a trip.

Likely turned out a good investment as the dollar has dropped againt the greenback by about 20% in that time.

Anyway, off to the USA in May so will make use of.

Staying OT (apologies), I had A$50 on my card over Covid and thought, “Oh, I should take that out while I have a valid card”. So wander up to a local ATM and withdrew the lot. I should have left 10 bucks and tapped a coffee or two…

 

[CaptJCool]

Yes physical card came in the mail. Plus highlighting is QF Travel money in need of activation !

 

[Kendall Roy]

After a fairly hectic year of Business/Personal travel + DSC leverage post-COVID, I'm relieved that the shackles are now off and I can consider other OW/Partner options when traveling abroad

Thanks AFF, you shaved at least 5-years off my time to obtain LTG "Insurance", with no plans on the horizon to pursue LTP!