Qantas FF $82.50 What do you get for the Money?

[tassiedude]

It seems a rather expensive price to pay

Was just wondering what exactly you get for the $$$ you pay?

What do they send out in the mail too once you have joined?

 

[Evan]

A card and some infomation on QFF, so not much at all really.
You get the ability to collect points from flights you take.

Some credit cards (mostly AMEX gold/plat, ANZ visa maybe?) will include 'free' membership to QFF

Evan

 

[JohnK]

You don't get anything for joining other than the privilige of being being able to credit SC's and points for flights to the Qantas FF program. You can also accumulate points from hotel stays, car hire, credit cards etc.

It has been a few years since I joined but if I remember correctly you don't get very much in the mail after you join other than a QFF Bronze card and the terms and conditions booklet of the FF program.

 

[tassiedude]

I might email Qantas and ask them how they justify the $82.50 Joining fee

My bet is they'll say they don't have to Justify it

 

[v8Statesman]

There is a _very_ easy way to avoid the fee. PM for details. Don't want to make it public.

 

[tassiedude]

There is a _very_ easy way to avoid the fee. PM for details. Don't want to make it public.

PM Sent

 

[Dave Noble]

I don't see a reason for keeping this method secret. If you have a friend living abroad somewhere other than NZ, then use their address to sign up. There is no charge for joining for countries other than AU/NZ

Dave

 

[simongr]

Do you then change address back to Oz?

 

[Dave Noble]

Do you then change address back to Oz?

Leave it a few months for politeness and then move to wherever you want your mail to go

Dave

 

[oz_mark]

I don't see a reason for keeping this method secret. If you have a friend living abroad somewhere other than NZ, then use their address to sign up. There is no charge for joining for countries other than AU/NZ

It certainly something I have seen discussed many times, so I don't think it is a secret. Also, from time to time, people have been known to 'relocate' for bonus points reasons!

 

[NM]

They have set the fee in place so that people will only join if they are going to use it. It costs them money to hold open accounts that are basically inactive, including postage etc for statements and other info. If there was no joining fee for Aus and NZ residents, then almost every Australian and Kiwi would be a member just because it was free to join.

Now in other countries, where there is more FF program competition such as the LOTFAP, the FF programs cannor charge a joining fee or they would not have any members joining. So it is generally free to join programs like AA, UA etc.

Back when I joined at the start of the Australian Airlines FF program in 1991, I think the joining fee was something like $30.

 

[Evan]

Posting statemenst does cost money !
I still get mine mailed as i was busy and didn't get around to converting when there was points on offer to switch over, i just wait now until hopefully they offer me something to switch to electronic statements.
(Reason i had paper was because electronic was not an option when i joined sometime in the 90's)

One thing i like about QFF is points dont expire ! With others you need to make sure you use them up in time.

Evan

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Reminds me I should switch back to paper statements in case there is another incentive to electrify

NZ Airpoints goes one step further than QF, not only is there a joining fee but they charge an annual membership fee that is reduced if all correspondence is set in your profile to be electronic and waived if you fly at least 1 NZ paid flight each year (regardless of whether or not that flight was airbucks earning). So those collecting lots of airpoints solely through credit cards, partner airlines, etc are encouraged to chose another program.

 

[Dave Noble]

One thing i like about QFF is points dont expire ! With others you need to make sure you use them up in time.

Evan

Yes they do expire if there is 3 years inactivity, just like many of the other schemes

Dave

 

[Evan]

But the difference is all you need is activity, a lot of the others have an expiry on points earnt, ie you earn them and regardless of activity they expire 2 years after earning.

SQ is an example, they do offer you the chance to extend expiring points for a 6 month or 1 year period depending on status for no cost.

I am completely convinced that AA for example is better if doing a lot of F/J travel, earn and burn rates is heaps better, but for less regular flyers or people who fly mostly discount economy and Australian residents that fly domestic as well them the QFF is in my mind a better option. Its also often a no brainer if you have a QFF affiliated credit card, i am always surprised even with my modest CC spend that i could get atleast 1 of not 2 return MEL-SYD tickets a year.

Evan

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

But the difference is all you need is activity, a lot of the others have an expiry on points earnt, ie you earn them and regardless of activity they expire 2 years after earning.

SQ is an example, they do offer you the chance to extend expiring points for a 6 month or 1 year period depending on status for no cost.

That is incorrect. SQ miles expire after 3 years. If you want to extend for 6 months (or can be 12 months if PPS), then you have to pay a fairly expensive fee.

 

[Febs]

Best $82.50 I've ever spent, but only because I use the membership.

1 year of membership has got me enough points for SYD-LAX return (x2 - one for me, one for my gf), preferred seating, and access to OW lounges all over the world. Because I use all these benefits, it was money well spent.

Keep in mind also - it's a one-off fee, not an annual fee.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[tassiedude]

I was under the impression the points expired after 3 years of collection if you didn't use them (Like Fly Buys) I was not aware it was after 3 years of inactivity like virgin Blue Velocity (One of the reasons I joined Velocity in the first place).

I think I will pay the membership fee and join as I will be flying to perth soon and even though Qantas is Double the Cost of Virgin, I really don't think I could stand 4 Hours without any IFE or whatever it is, and I don't like my chances of getting the one aircrafy that has Live2Air installed on Virgin 1/53 or whatever is not good odds

Believe me a 1 Hr 20 Min flight from SYD-LST I was bored stiff

 

[Flashback]

I'm assuming you don't have a laptop then..? Flying SYD-PER last night, I watched 2 movies on mine (Mine has a 12.1" screen, perfect for economy even when the seat comes flying back at you!), even though we had AVOD/IFE in the back of our seats (my first ride on a 747!).

 

[serfty]

Note that even though QFF points will not expire as long as you keep your account active, there have been frequent enough devaluations of the program as to not make keeping them that period or longer a good long term investment. :evil:

My next intended major burn of QFF points will hopefully see myself and mrs serfty in skybeds at easter time plying the air between Oz and HKG.

I have carefully chosen the flights and am quite confident these upgrades will come through each way for a total cost of 160K QFF points.

For us, these points being used in this manner have a relative value of ~$8700 when considering the cheapest available Discount J fare for the same flights and what we paid for our WHY fares. The only issue is that the upgrade are not guaranteed.