Qantas unveils the biggest changes to status in program history

[elanshin]

hey @Mattg wheres the announcement about the removal of loyalty bonus for every 500 SC?

 

[Princess Fiona]

hey @Mattg wheres the announcement about the removal of loyalty bonus for every 500 SC?

It’s in the email

 

[QFFHntrGthr]

Will need to wait to see what the ultimate impact for myself is; this will largely depend on exact timing of when these changes take effect; but on the surface it does seem I will be worse off.

I do feel it was extremely cheeky / bad form of Qantas to announce these changes after the DSC had started; I would have made some different choices with the bookings I made over the past few days had I known the requalification thresholds were increasing, and we were losing the loyalty bonuses and PC points earn on award flights.

Case in point, just yesterday I made the decision to use some points on domestic CR (something I would not usually do, my usual rule is international J or F only) for positioning flights because with DSC and PC the status earn would be just enough to get me over the line (with loyalty bonus).

But as those flights are in Dec and Jan; my PC benefit may not be available then

Cheer up and battle on @Aeryn , the way I read it your PC benefits will stay until the end of your current year so those CR positioning flights will not be in vain.
Additionally, if you qualify for PC again before Qantas announces it end date, you will retain your PC until the end of your next year. The sky is a lot brighter for you.

 

[TeaKozy]

With a big FF announcement to keep the chooks fed, you know there's always going to be something else going on with Qantas that might be less appealing to their customers:

Qantas posts record H1 profit

Given they are able to sell PE on MEL-DFW for $1000 less than business on United to TX, this doesn’t surprise me.

 

[TheCollecter]

hey @Mattg wheres the announcement about the removal of loyalty bonus for every 500 SC?;

And here also... I'm guessing you have a good 6 months to rack up a bonus meantime:

 

[Ade]

This is my understanding with the SC rollover.

Say, currently WP at 2000SC (600SC more than the required 1400SC). Come (anniversary date+1), members' QFF account with be credited with 300SC (0.5*(2000-1400)) ? Is this correct?

Edit: Say, currently WP at 3000SC (1600SC more than the required 1400SC). Come (anniversary date+1), members' QFF account will be credited with 500SC (0.5*(3000-1400)). Actual rollover number will be 800SC, but final rollover number will be cut off at 500SC.

Correct.

Is the "unused SC" defined anywhere? Does it have to be the original SC earn or would DSC earn would be considered? For example, the WP benefit of getting 50k QFF points once member hits 2400 original SC (does not include any DSC SCs in that 2400 earn). Is there any similar restriction on this "unused SC" ?

 

[TheCollecter]

I'm sure someone has already pointed this out, but the maths is puzzling... you'll need 700 SC to get/retain Gold, but you can keep 50% of excess SC to max of 350 SC. To get max of 350 SC, you'd have to have 700 SC on top of your 700 SC, making you Platinum in any case???

 

[DejaBrew]

Is the "unused SC" defined anywhere? Does it have to be the original SC earn or would DSC earn would be considered? For example, the WP benefit of getting 50k QFF points once member hits 2400 original SC (does not include any DSC SCs in that 2400 earn). Is there any similar restriction on this "unused SC" ?

Don't think it's been specified, but given DSC are counting towards LT Status (as it stands, at least), then I would assume they're also valid as "unused SC" for the purposes of rollover.

 

[Daver6]

Possibly depends on how quick you can do it? Before “Late 2026”?

Good point there actually. For some reason I just assumed even if retained earlier, if they ditched the concept prior to the end of my year, I'd be out of luck.

PC will be retained easily. Might not bother chasing PC+.

 

[DejaBrew]

I'm sure someone has already pointed this out, but the maths is puzzling... you'll need 700 SC to get/retain Gold, but you can keep 50% of excess SC to max of 350 SC. To get max of 350 SC, you'd have to have 700 SC on top of your 700 SC, making you Platinum in any case???

View attachment 499038

I think this still works. Maybe poorly-worded, but it works. Read literally, it says "up to (but not including) 350SC for SG". So in effect, you could roll over up to and including 349SC, but at the 350SC mark, you're correct in pointing out that you'd have attained WP.

 

[Invisible Monkey]

Is the "unused SC" defined anywhere? Does it have to be the original SC earn or would DSC earn would be considered? For example, the WP benefit of getting 50k QFF points once member hits 2400 original SC (does not include any DSC SCs in that 2400 earn). Is there any similar restriction on this "unused SC" ?

I don't believe Qantas has provided details over exactly which SC can be rolled over, apart from the 100 SC from PC+ excluded from the rollover tally.

For example: if someone achieved PC+ and rolled over 100 SC into the new member year when the changes take effect, they would start with 100SC and let's say they get to 1600SC, they would think they could rollover 100 SC but if the 100 from PC+ are ineligible, their total eligible SC earn to be rolled over would drop down to 1500, meaning they could rollover 50 SC.

 

[TheCollecter]

I think this still works. Maybe poorly-worded, but it works. Read literally, it says "up to (but not including) 350SC for SG". So in effect, you could roll over up to and including 349SC, but at the 350SC mark, you're correct in pointing out that you'd have attained WP.

As an SG, if I had 349 roll-overs available you can bet I'd be taking the world's shortest status run!

 

[SYD]

As an SG, if I had 349 roll-overs available you can bet I'd be taking the world's shortest status run!

Or earning on the ground!

 

[DejaBrew]

I don't believe Qantas has provided details over exactly which SC can be rolled over, apart from the 100 SC from PC+ excluded from the rollover tally.

For example: if someone achieved PC+ and rolled over 100 SC into the new member year when the changes take effect, they would start with 100SC and let's say they get to 1600SC, they would think they could rollover 100 SC but if the 100 from PC+ are ineligible, their total eligible SC earn to be rolled over would drop down to 1500, meaning they could rollover 50 SC.

And at face value, they should be the only exclusions, and that will only be relevant for the first member year under the new (a.k.a. "enhanced") program.

 

[Invisible Monkey]

I'm sure someone has already pointed this out, but the maths is puzzling... you'll need 700 SC to get/retain Gold, but you can keep 50% of excess SC to max of 350 SC. To get max of 350 SC, you'd have to have 700 SC on top of your 700 SC, making you Platinum in any case???

View attachment 499038

You make a great point. I'm sure Qantas will make some adjustments based on feedback like this before rolling out these changes.

Maybe they'll change the cap for Gold FF to 300...even then if I was Gold and got to 1300SC, I'd be pushing to get the 100 SC needed to move to Platinum.

 

[Invisible Monkey]

The majority of FF today (including myself) following Qantas' FF changes:

 

[QFFHntrGthr]

SYD+1 just asked me a curly one.

Someone who is LTG has a requal threshold of 0 SCs each year. Does that mean they rollover 50% of any SCs earned (up to 300)?

Edit:
The QF FAQ at the link above does states that Gold is eligible for rollover for any excess over 700 SCs. Although it doesn’t mention LTG. Curious, what does someone who’s LTG (but not P1/WP) see for “retention”?

Not sure if it's answered upthread (I'm only up to page 5 and the posts are already at 12 pages) but here goes.
QFF status is not one dimensional. If you are LTG and still fly QF and earning SCs, the count each year is towards the next tier which is WP. If the LTG does not earn 1400SC by their membership year end, then there's nothing to rollover. Lifetime status is just that. It is not reliant on a 700SC earn so that SG tier is irrelevant. If the LTG reaches 1400SC, their tier will be elevated to WP until their next year end date. Otherwise they are guaranteed SG until the end of their time.

 

[SYD]

Not sure if it's answered upthread (I'm only up to page 5 and the posts are already at 12 pages) but here goes.
QFF status is not one dimensional. If you are LTG and still fly QF and earning SCs, the count each year is towards the next tier which is WP. If the LTG does not earn 1400SC by their membership year end, then there's nothing to rollover. Lifetime status is just that. It is not reliant on a 700SC earn so that SG tier is irrelevant. If the LTG reaches 1400SC, their tier will be elevated to WP until their next year end date. Otherwise they are guaranteed SG until the end of their time.

Actually, the reading of the official QF FAQ suggests LTG will get the same rollover as SG (over 700 SCs). I guess that would incentivise a few to try and try again for WP every now and then.

Of course, the devils in the detail to follow.

 

[bPeteb]

I see nothing in this for me. I'll get to LTG in October. I/we won't make any effort to go for WP ever again. The F lounges just aren't that important to us and the only other perk that I have used, requesting release of award seats, has become more miss than hit.

I won't ever get another 10k to get the LTG 'additional recognition'. As a LTG I will get no more recognition than someone who has earned SG for the first time.

I think they missed an opportunity with LTG to start the earn year with 700. That was my suggestion when surveyed (I had said 600 back then). I would possibly have tried for another 700 to retain WP each year but not any more. We'll be very happy to use Q pubs and international business lounges for any future travels on QF our other OW Airlines.

The earn on the ground will provide me with enough sc to do, nothing. Maybe one day the program will be renamed QFS - to what it's becoming, Qantas Frequent Shopper.

We'll be flying Singapore, for the first time ever, to Delhi at the end of the year.

 

[bPeteb]

Actually, the reading of the official QF FAQ suggests LTG will get the same rollover as SG (over 700 SCs). I guess that would incentivise a few to try and try again for WP every now and then.

Of course, the devils in the detail to follow.

I hadn't read your post SYD before I pressed enter. If this is the case then maybe there is something in this for me, but maybe not enough to still aim for another 700. There's a lot of interesting airlines our there that we haven't flown with.