"Loyalty"

[Borisdog]

I look at it this way;

I'm flying anyway.
1 airline has no lounge at my home port.
I spend lots of money on things every month.
I can get credit cards that give me points on the airline that DOES have a lounge in my home port ( And with the other lot to be fair )
I fly 90% domestic.

So - I fly a lot with the mob that have a lounge at my home port and I spend money that I was going to spend anyway using credit cards that get me points on that airline.

Loyalty, maybe. Preference, DEFINITELY
It's called tailoring my spend and flying to what gives me the best personal outcome. In other words being a smart consumer.

Everyone's circumstances will be different. Those are mine.

 

[andyhui01]

I don't do enough domestic flying to be a WP with QF and VA at the same time. I therefore choose one and I stick to it (I mean really stick to it, 0 QF DOM flights in years). I view it more as a business contract, ie. if I gain X amount of SC's, I am entitled to these published benefits. That isn't loyalty, it is a business transaction. You are getting something in return for doing something.

Real Loyalty is flying with VA/QF blindly with no published benefits for doing so because they like to associate themselves with this brand. I think the NR flyers who only ever fly VA/QF when they choose to fly Domestic on their once/twice a year holiday are more loyal than any of us SG/WP flyers as they don't get anything in return for choosing to fly with QF/VA (apart from a small amount of points).

We on the other hand are loyal because we get things in return (ie PB, Lounge, better seats, Priority check in, upgrade priority... etc)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Real Loyalty is flying with VA/QF blindly with no published benefits for doing so because they like to associate themselves with this brand.

Good point. And probably there are a significant number of people loyal to the QF brand, particularly when it comes to safety.

 

[TheRealTMA]

‘Loyalty’ to an airline (or any company) I suggest is not how many times you fly with them, nor how many points you accumulate, or FF flights, but simply the bottom line - how much money you make for them.

And despite a spend of more than $30-50K a year with QF for some years now, we haven’t seen any enhancements from our end.

So, in fact, loyalty ‘from’ the airline to the pax is a fantasy.

 

[amaroo]

I'd much prefer to see a revenue based system.

Me too. The recent changes at Hyatt where revenue is taken into account works well.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So, in fact, loyalty ‘from’ the airline to the pax is a fantasy.

Although... QF does offer 'soft' landings. Although on the other hand you could equally argue it has strong commercial incentives to offer soft landings (to stop you flying a competitor).

 

[juddles]

Good point. And probably there are a significant number of people loyal to the QF brand, particularly when it comes to safety.

On the contrary - flying QF because it is "safer" is not loyalty at all - it is done solely in the passengers self-interest (the desire to avoid death)

 

[Lord_Lenny]

I don't do enough domestic flying to be a WP with QF and VA at the same time. I therefore choose one and I stick to it (I mean really stick to it, 0 QF DOM flights in years). I view it more as a business contract, ie. if I gain X amount of SC's, I am entitled to these published benefits. That isn't loyalty, it is a business transaction. You are getting something in return for doing something.
...
We on the other hand are loyal because we get things in return (ie PB, Lounge, better seats, Priority check in, upgrade priority... etc)

I'd largely agree with this, I fly VA (and partners) and stay with Hilton where possible as I am able to receive their published benefits. Now in my case this wasn't a deliberate calculated decision, when I was travelling for work their corporate policy was VA & Hilton bookings preferred, so of course that's what I did. I was lucky enough to travel regularly and so built up status with VA, this encouraged me to preference VA/SQ/DL/NZ with my own personal travel, so I could not only enjoy the benefits, but also allow Lady_Lenny to enjoy them as 'compensation' for my being away from home.

We both appreciate the benefits that status brings, especially when travelling overseas - we can only afford to travel in Y so any additional benefit (lounge, priority checkin/security screening) does add significant value to our trips.

Where it did become a calculated decison was when I changed jobs. I no longer travel for work (although I have my eye on a promotion path that will get me back there) but we decided that we had become accustomed/appreciative enough of the benefits to deliberately try and maintain them. So I went out and swapped my normal Visa for one that gives Hilton Gold as long as you have it (of course I have held a Velocity Amex since I joined the program), and our already existing travel plans have been slightly tweaked to ensure that we are able to maintain at least VA Gold for the next 2-3 years (potentially longer depending on long term travel plans)

In my case it kind of evolved organically, had my job required Qantas/Accor travel and accomodation then we would have gone that route. Honestly VA/Hilton isn't the most perfect Loyalty schemes for us if you evaluate it with a critical eye (we'd probably be better off with QF/BA given our preference for European trips that start/end in London, and the lack of Hilton's in Australia), but my opinion is better to have status than not, so here we are.

 

[JohnK]

Everyone wants to be treated better but I'm not sure loyalty exists and if it does it's a one way street.

I would hate to see a revenue based system introduced.

 

[drron]

Loyalty sometimes is a 2 way street.It seems there are some here that QF treats very well.
I also had a very good run with AA.for a few years despite not having top status I still got upgrades,fantastic service both in the air and on the ground-eg if a cancelled flight other options where in place before we reached the airport.Sadly with the takeover this run ended along with premium cabin redemptions so time for me to move on.

 

[kiwitripper64]

If you are looking at Loyalty as a devotion to a company, loyalty can have many causal factors. These can range from practical, such as ability to access the service, the reliability of flights, hard product on offer and costs through to consistency of service from flight crew and ground staff, lounge access, status benefits and ease of use.
There has been plenty of discussion on airlines announcing benefits that they then ignore ( priority boarding) or change ( anytime lounge access)
We all justify our loyalty to a brand for our own reasons, but they are often not entirely logical. Remember the tribal Holden Vs Ford era. What did "loyalty " get the owners or companies.
Which gives the marketing department another 50 staff to give us reasons to be loyal.

 

[KaiK]

As everyone has said, unfortunately loyalty is one-sided. If complaints don't help, then all we can do is follow the terms of service and shop around.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

What a good gripe thread. Everyone feeling better now?

I've always bought my own fares and always tended to buy DJ/VA up until I saw too many signs of them expecting that reward from me with very little in return whilst showering the disloyal with copious glimmering, shiny gifts from heaven. Now I'm loyal to whoever offers me what I most want at the time. I think that is loyalty to me! It's actually enlightening when you look beyond the shackles ...

 

[Pleb Status]

My only 'loyalty' now is to my wallet/bank account...

 

[cmon0005]

Loyalty in it's real term from a dictionary "a strong feeling of support or allegiance."

That could mean someone who fly 4 times a year in economy mel-syd may well be loyal as they only choose qantas. By the very definition that is loyalty.

Though yes i tend to agree that i dislike people who 'over use' the term loyalty to get something.