Qantas Platinum One experiences?

[aus_flyer]

To all the newly-minted Platinum One frequent flyers out there... I'm curious to hear... what's been your experience so far?

Anything different?

Free upgrades?

... or all hype?

 

[Daver6]

The VIP team is definitely a downgrade on the SST and I miss those CBR based guys/gals (I hope they have somehow retained positions within QF). They are good but they are not great, and I get the feeling the little extras we used to get via the SST are gone. Now to be fair I did get a great VIP team member last week who changed my flights without question and without fare change fee which was greatly appreciated (but given the situation it is what SHOULD have happened with any res agent tbh) but there was still a fair wait on the eau de cologne and it is telling.

It is no secret how the majority of QF customers are being treated by the long wait queues on the phone which is terrible, but seriously for your P1 and CL to have to wait minutes, or even over an hour as above, is simply insane.

How the powers that be can think this is OK is beyond me.

Perhaps they just think that you're so stuck to QF and not likely to move to VA so why spend the money. I don't agree with this, but it has to be their thinking. What else could it be?

 

[RichardMEL]

Perhaps they just think that you're so stuck to QF and not likely to move to VA so why spend the money. I don't agree with this, but it has to be their thinking. What else could it be?

oh for sure. I definitely think this notion has merit.. and there's that QF (domestic) market dominance driven arrogance in the mix too.

I guess though since they made a reasonable effort with the SST (which really was the biggest benefit of P1 to many on a consistent basis) that now to be lumped in with a "VIP Team" whoose customer base/scope seems ill defined and probably just a subset of the more experienced res agents (which IS appreciated for sure given the horror stories with the offshore agents!) that there seems definitely less attention or care to pobably some of the higher yielding customers they have.

I'm not one to be ooh ahh I can call the team in CBR and make things happen type. I actually rarely called them directly but when I felt the need I did sometimes need a quick response (like in an irrops situation) and when I got an answer right away and things dealt with that was great. Now? I'd hate to be going to miss a connection or wanting a reroute or something and call and have a wait time of what? 20 minutes? 30? an hour?

This probably reads as being quite elitist and entitled given 99.5% of QF customers would not have this level of service which I fully recognise (and they were NOT perfect either - mostly being a marketing driven device) and for most having to wait 15 minutes to get a competent agent would be bliss.. I fully realise ALL of this and just how much QF has let customer service (on the ground) go to pot in every respect and it is beyond dire.

but yes I guess when looking to cut costs there was probably an idea that a) those folks are not flying near as much as they were and b) they'll keep flying QF when they do - and there is that "status handcuffs" thing thatcan be a real thing. I have far less incentive to go to VA and start again, even with a status match than say a Bronze or Silver migh - that is true. For me though, internationally, I've always split between the big two alliances for a number of reasons (so I am cuffed to different alliances on each arm ) but those are all choices we make... and everyone is different.

I just hope QF ups their game for EVERYBODY (not just the "top 1%" as it were) though I do not think this will happen anytime soon.

 

[flyingfan]

I’ve dwelled on the current DSC promo and finally decided I won’t chase P1 for another year. I feel a bit sad - it’s been great to consistently get 4A in Y, a supposedly powerful shadow, my family have appreciated the gifted SG and WP, the VIP team made me feel special and the gifts I got a while ago were nice. But things have dried up, I haven’t had a response to my last two emails to the team, never got an Enjoy Your Flight upgrade, the wait times people are reporting atm tell me QF isn’t serious about service and I never ever got a single one of those so called exclusive invitations ever. And I was bemused yet frustrated when cabin crew gave special treatment to FFPL because they didn’t seem to know what FFPO meant.

If I had more scraps thrown my way I would have been much keener to spend the $$ to chase status, but that coin would pay for J or F as a WP, maybe even on another airline.

 

[Big John]

Please forgive my ignorance.

What are FFPL and FFPO ?

 

[sudoer]

What are FFPL and FFPO ?

Platinum Frequent Flyer / Platinum One Frequent Flyer.

 

[Fergo747]

P1 brains trust, did anyone notice the (I think) recent change that states that loyalty bonus SCs no longer count towards retaining P1? From the T&Cs:

"§ For the purposes of the Loyalty Bonus, the Status Credits earned must be from eligible Qantas or Jetstar flights (JQ, 3K, GK and BL, for travel on BL until 28 July 2020) within a single membership year. Loyalty Bonus can be earned up to four times each membership year, to a maximum Loyalty Bonus of 32,000 Qantas Points or 200 Status Credits. If selected, Loyalty Bonus Qantas Points do not count towards attaining or retaining Points Club or Points Club Plus, or unlocking the Points Club Milestone Bonus Reward. If selected before 31 December 2021, Loyalty Bonus Status Credits do count towards reaching and keeping Platinum One status. The Loyalty Bonus reward must be selected within 90 days from the date a member achieves the Loyalty Bonus. Once selected the reward cannot be changed."

My bolding - whilst it doesn't state that if selected after they do not count towards P1, the inference here is that they only do if selected pre 31 Dec 21.

 

[RichardMEL]

I’ve dwelled on the current DSC promo and finally decided I won’t chase P1 for another year. I feel a bit sad - it’s been great to consistently get 4A in Y, a supposedly powerful shadow, my family have appreciated the gifted SG and WP, the VIP team made me feel special and the gifts I got a while ago were nice. But things have dried up, I haven’t had a response to my last two emails to the team, never got an Enjoy Your Flight upgrade, the wait times people are reporting atm tell me QF isn’t serious about service and I never ever got a single one of those so called exclusive invitations ever. And I was bemused yet frustrated when cabin crew gave special treatment to FFPL because they didn’t seem to know what FFPO meant.

If I had more scraps thrown my way I would have been much keener to spend the $$ to chase status, but that coin would pay for J or F as a WP, maybe even on another airline.

I don't think anyone here seriously thinks P1 is worth "chasing" as in a goal unto itself (of course many moons ago it was a challenge for some to sniff the white ). Those who fly enough to attain it I feel personally valued the extras it (used to?) provide, but not a goal as say Plat may still be.

That aside, you're absolutely right. The general decline of service just underlines a desire to potentially look elsewhere - where BFOD can apply, or even to enjoy new experiences (say SQ, QR, or whatever). Covid has obviously affected so much and QF have had to slash and burn like many other companies - specially when for 18+ months their operations were cut severely and ability to make money moreso.. and so things like the SST have gone, the VIP Team are spread pretty thin etc.. some of these are understandable, but we all know that these won't return which is sad. The SST were, in general, a very very good team and very responsive in most cases and I felt had our backs specially when things got pear shaped (again, mostly not always) and it just doesn't feel the same now.

Coupled with overall downgrades on board (spirits on dom), the appalling situation with the call centres (which are affecting the VIP Team queue also) and other things and QF have dropped the ball on customer service in many areas imo - removing many points for it suggesting technology is the solution when it is still broken in many areas and needs much work (as we all know).. all of these affect the customer experience (and impact on what staff are left too, I am certain - specially with front line folks feeling the brunt of customer frustration unfairly no doubt).

It's so disappointing as a customer to see so many negative "enhancements" and few (there have been a couple) good ones but definitely understandable to pull back on engagement.

Each to their own of course. I may or may not get there next year. Many factors at play, but certainly when it comes to international there are other carriers that appeal more.

 

[CMA222]

.....
Each to their own of course. I may or may not get there next year. Many factors at play, but certainly when it comes to international there are other carriers that appeal more.

After WP is reached each year there is so little incentive to continue to accumulate status credits (LTP yea right !!) that it is logical to build status in an alternative program or just go BFOD. For me SQ is always worth having as a back-up.

 

[RichardMEL]

After WP is reached each year there is so little incentive to continue to accumulate status credits (LTP yea right !!) that it is logical to build status in an alternative program or just go BFOD. For me SQ is always worth having as a back-up.

Definitely. I have personally long had a dual alliance strategy so hold elite status across OW and Star for exactly these reasons.

None of them are perfect, but it means options for most places (covid aside, of course)

 

[Princess Fiona]

P1 brains trust, did anyone notice the (I think) recent change that states that loyalty bonus SCs no longer count towards retaining P1? From the T&Cs:

"§ For the purposes of the Loyalty Bonus, the Status Credits earned must be from eligible Qantas or Jetstar flights (JQ, 3K, GK and BL, for travel on BL until 28 July 2020) within a single membership year. Loyalty Bonus can be earned up to four times each membership year, to a maximum Loyalty Bonus of 32,000 Qantas Points or 200 Status Credits. If selected, Loyalty Bonus Qantas Points do not count towards attaining or retaining Points Club or Points Club Plus, or unlocking the Points Club Milestone Bonus Reward. If selected before 31 December 2021, Loyalty Bonus Status Credits do count towards reaching and keeping Platinum One status. The Loyalty Bonus reward must be selected within 90 days from the date a member achieves the Loyalty Bonus. Once selected the reward cannot be changed."

My bolding - whilst it doesn't state that if selected after they do not count towards P1, the inference here is that they only do if selected pre 31 Dec 21.

They never counted previously towards P1. I always picked the points

 

[RichardMEL]

They never counted previously towards P1. I always picked the points

Ditto.

I believe the LB counting was a temporary covid change though I am not sure when that came in (I only noticed the new wording a couple of months ago and was actually a little surprised to see it). A bit irrelevant really with all the extensions during this time anyway (except for the rare souls who may have made P1 during this time of course).

 

[Fergo747]

They never counted previously towards P1. I always picked the points

Thank you - something I clearly previously missed.

Why pick the points when the 50 SC amount to an almighty 0.07% of LTP

 

[Matt_01]

I’ve dwelled on the current DSC promo and finally decided I won’t chase P1 for another year. I feel a bit sad - it’s been great to consistently get 4A in Y, a supposedly powerful shadow, my family have appreciated the gifted SG and WP, the VIP team made me feel special and the gifts I got a while ago were nice. But things have dried up, I haven’t had a response to my last two emails to the team, never got an Enjoy Your Flight upgrade, the wait times people are reporting atm tell me QF isn’t serious about service and I never ever got a single one of those so called exclusive invitations ever. And I was bemused yet frustrated when cabin crew gave special treatment to FFPL because they didn’t seem to know what FFPO meant.

If I had more scraps thrown my way I would have been much keener to spend the $$ to chase status, but that coin would pay for J or F as a WP, maybe even on another airline.

I came to the same conclusion in late 2019 early 2020 and at one of the Olive Tree dinner catch ups around this period I was discussing with another AFFer I was done with P1 and had no further interest in the programme and would just see out my last 18 months. Then Covid struck, my status has been extended however my views on remaining P1 remain unchanged. For the DSC promotion I selected the points option as currently I do not give a rats about QF status and your experience of no response to emails is similar to mine.

 

[Kangol]

1hr 54min wait on the phone for me. Answered by VIP team. Either they've sacked lots of people or there's still plenty of disruption due to isolation, floods or other excuses/reasons.

 

[defurax]

Well, the "spirit of SST" is truly dead. QF9 tomorrow is delayed 6 hours with 33 hours advance notice by SMS. No call, no email to ask if I'm happy getting to LHR at 11am instead of 5am.
Really no point in P1...WP is the status to aim for.

 

[BVT]

I have had some interesting experiences with the SST of late. With one exception, no long wait times on the telephone. The issue that I noticed is that some of the team are unaware of how to fix pretty straight forward problems and that I have had to gently lead them to the solution. On more than one occasion I have had examples of poor attention to detail and obvious errors, that sometimes required another telephone call ..... Like others have said, P1 is nice, but not worth the effort on current performance. Other options for premium travel appeal more.

 

[Matt_01]

I was just posting in the has QF lost my business thread when I received a call and then had to make a booking for tomorrow. My initial search was online and either the QF site or my internet was having issues so ended up calling the standard QF reservation line. After entering my QFF number the IVR informed me the call centre was shut. Next I rang the VIP number which to my surprise was answered immediately (within 2 rings) and from there it went down hill. In the end the agent was able to help out and the booking has been made and ticketed, however the agent kept putting me on hold with the excuse of 'I will just check' or words to that effect in the end making a simple domestic return booking took almost 60 minutes. Also when did the VIP line start getting routed though to AKL as in the past post of my calls to the VIP line have been answered by the HBT (TAS) team.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

On Friday my domestic flight for yesterday was already showing a 2 hour delay.

VIP team tried to call me to discuss what I wanted to do. I didn't answer as still going through immigration and customs at the time. They proactively reserved a business seat on both the flights scheduled before and after the one I'd booked as well retaining the original one so I could select whichever worked best for me.

When I got the message and checked there were no business seats for sale on either flight, so either the last one was being reserved or they were willing to bump a staff pax down to economy.

Great service which makes it up for a mis-step on my previous trip.

As it happened my new flight also had 40 minute delay (firstly late catering and then no tug to push back) but the original flight was worse at nearly 3 hours.

 

[Fergo747]

Received the below from the VIP Service Team regarding upcoming travel. Initially got excited as thought they might be offering me an opportunity to book the spa or something but reading through it's pretty generic. Will be interested to see whether I get any further updates in the event there are changes / delays to my flight.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I’m going to a coughtail event in Sydney in a couple of weeks. AJ and OW will be in attendance.
Invite in the inbox a few days ago.
Will report back if I hear any news.