Loyalty and airlines - are we expecting ridiculous things??

[dajop]

This is where I get defensive of Qantas, in that terms such as "ridiculous profits" do not make sense to me. QF bled for many years. Now, and only recently, they are in the "black", a great part of this due to the FF program. To say they make "rididiculous profits" ignores the totality of their airline. .

Agree with you, yes they don't make ridiculous profits, not at all. Apple makes ridiculous profits and we all love them right

But, they didn't exactly bleed for "many years" either, they technically only made losses in 2012 & 2014 (with 2014 being significant with major writedowns). Although they only had measly profits over 2009-11 (~1% of sales), and just broke even (more or less) in 2013.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I agree they are loyal in their minds. But what I do not get is the expectations that follow. If you have bough several $1000 fares over a few years, then demand or expect that due to "loyalty" the airline will do you a multi-thousand dollar favour, that is unrealistic, in my view. I am unaware of another industry or service where people expect so much.

I'm not sure why you're focusing on a passenger seeking a benefit of multi-thousands of dollars? There are plenty of examples where people are asking for something very small. That would cost the airline next to nothing. And it might be a one off.

The passenger has been flexible despite delays, cancellations, 'enhancements' of service. But the same doesn't appear to be given in return.

MEL T, there are no "additional perks" that are not paid for in cold hard cash several-fold. To me, in Aussie terminology, a "perk' is something beneficial that is a bonus.

That is not how status programs or higher class of travel works. You PAY (highly) for any additional benefit. You actually pay a hell of a lot!

The "real product" is what you pay for. Nothing more or less.

These days you can fly to the USA for about a $1000. My God, what do people expect that is more!!

Exactly - some platinums are paying $1000 to the USA but get to enjoy business class wines, perhaps even a glass of champagne. They get business class PJs. Business class headphones. A business class amenity kit. A shadow perhaps. That, to me, those are perks. That to me, means the views of some platinums may be rose-coloured. (And yes, platinums in business class might get champagne, wines or amenity kits from First class. Another 'perk'.)

And yet the 'ordinary' flyer, who might take QF once a year for their holiday, for the same $1000, gets none of those. And is then told to shut up when they complain that when things go wrong, they are not looked after to the standard they thought they might be. Some of those flyers are 'loyal' to Qantas, paying the higher fares Qantas demands. To them that is loyalty and - incorrectly - that loyalty is a two-way street.

 

[Happy Trails]

The last three cars I purchased in Australia were Ford wagons. So in some definition I am a devoutly loyal Ford customer. Do I expect that when I buiy the next car they will giove me a $20k discount for loyalty? No!

As it happens, Ford (Thailand) just gave me a THB10,000 'loyalty discount' when I bought a second vehicle about four years after the first.
Not quite $20K, but better than a poke in the eye.