Qantas unveils the biggest changes to status in program history

[Johnxx]

It’s possible there may be a new way to earn CR on points seats, possibly tied to what status you have and in any case you will have PC+ for a little bit if you have it.

yes I'm PC+ right now but was saving points to dump into my new year in September and aim for PC+ again - that won't happen now with the changes so I'm going to add some now to qualify for PC (for next year) just in case and then dump 150k in September - that means I should get SC on point seats up until most of 2028 if they grandfather properly and close it in Nov/Dec as they guided

 

[Johnxx]

It blows my mind that people have Qantas points balances in the millions.

well you can't use them as Bronze. I did get some Fiji Airway J to the US a few years ago and that's it
I've gotten them mainly from trying to qualify for PC+ every second year since it's inception

 

[serfty]

yes I'm PC+ right now but was saving points to dump into my new year in September and aim for PC+ again - that won't happen now with the changes so I'm going to add some now to qualify for PC (for next year) just in case and then dump 150k in September - that means I should get SC on point seats up until most of 2028 if they grandfather properly and close it in Nov/Dec as they guided

Given you are PC+ until September, why not wait until there is more clarity. If the changes do not come into effect until after September, then you can stick to your original plan and PC+ may still be earned for up to 24 months past September.

 

[Johnxx]

Given you are PC+ until September, why not wait until there is more clarity. If the changes do not come into effect until after September, then you can stick to your original plan and PC+ may still be earned for up to 24 months past September.

it would take me until around Feb '27 to get to PC+ and it will be closed by then with regards to qualifying so I figure ensure I have PC until Aug '27 by getting to 150k now and then dumping 150k in September and hope I get PC grandfathered to Aug '28. SC on CR flights is priority over the 100 SC rollover

 

[Laptop Jockey]

Adding to the confusion, I just got an email congratulating me on unlocking Points Club until March 2027!
Presumably they're going to slowly phase out PC over twelve months? Any indication when the benefits like SC for rewards flights actually ends?
So much for "simpler"...

 

[oz_mark]

Adding to the confusion, I just got an email congratulating me on unlocking Points Club until March 2027!
Presumably they're going to slowly phase out PC over twelve months? Any indication when the benefits like SC for rewards flights actually ends?
So much for "simpler"...

Once they stop awarding PC, they will probably just let it run out till everyone's PC status expires.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Agreed. I suspect the main aim is to give LTG members pause for thought when it comes to straying across to other programs and alliances. They don't want to be too generous, but at the same time, they're trying to amend the status quo of "I've hit LTG but have zero chance of ever reaching LTP, so why bother doing anything with more with QF?"

QF have messed it up. The logic they're using is data-driven, but the issue is that status is almost entirely an emotional attachment.

So QF looks at it and thinks, how do we keep semi/dis-enaged LTG members going...
The correct question is, how do we keep these members spending on QF in premium cabins, as they are historically the highest yield members.

The answer is super simple - make LTG "Gold Plus", and give these members QF F lounge access so long as they're on a PE/Biz class ticket.
This encourages spend-up to keep yield high, provides recognition of the lifetime achievement, engages non-Australian based LTG memebers.

Versus:

1 year of free Plat for every 10,000 status credits above an already high threshold- devalues Platinum by giving it for "free" (noting that LTG members have previously been Platinum or higher at some stage in their life so they know what you get with it, and have deliberately not tried to earn platinum because the juice aint worth the squeeze), so shelling out a free year of plat, while logical if you're a McKinsey consultant who is about to lose their job to AI doing whatever you can to desperately hold on to your consutling gig with QF Loyalt --- is not an emotional draw

And thus, the +1 year free platinum, will most likely achieve the opposite of what QF want it to do.

People will not fly more and will not spend more.
Instead, they will use it for the benefits just like they do today.

Great job Qantas.

It blows my mind that people have Qantas points balances in the millions.

Blows my mind too.

If you're not churning 100% of your points every 2 years; you're either:
1) Foolish
2) Collecting too many points/collecting into the wrong program

Airline points are not investments.
Spend them frequently.

well you can't use them as Bronze. I did get some Fiji Airway J to the US a few years ago and that's it
I've gotten them mainly from trying to qualify for PC+ every second year since it's inception

As a bronze without large points earning capacity, there's a very real argument that you shouldn't even bother trying to earn QF points.
One of my credit cards auto redeems points for cashback. Points are worth nothing if you can't use them for what you want. Infact it might be negative value if you factor in time going out of your way to collect/understand changes/search for flights...

 

[mviy]

The answer is super simple - make LTG "Gold Plus", and give these members QF F lounge access so long as they're on a PE/Biz class ticket.
This encourages spend-up to keep yield high, provides recognition of the lifetime achievement, engages non-Australian based LTG memebers.
.

I would certainly like that, but if you are flying Business long haul you're likely only going to need maybe a couple of those trips a year to keep WP.

The F lounges already can get very crowded without giving even more passengers access.

1 year of free Plat for every 10,000 status credits above an already high threshold- devalues Platinum by giving it for "free" (noting that LTG members have previously been Platinum or higher at some stage in their life so they know what you get with it, and have deliberately not tried to earn platinum because the juice aint worth the squeeze), so shelling out a free year of plat, while logical if you're a McKinsey consultant who is about to lose their job to AI doing whatever you can to desperately hold on to your consutling gig with QF Loyalt --- is not an emotional draw

And thus, the +1 year free platinum, will most likely achieve the opposite of what QF want it to do.

People will not fly more and will not spend more.
Instead, they will use it for the benefits just like they do today.

Great job Qantas.

I don't disagree that I would have preferred more in the way of new benefits for LTG.

This benefit is aimed at rewarding those who have flown significantly more than what's needed to get LTG, but for whom LTP is out of reach.

As ~30% of LTG members will immediately qualify for at least 1 free year of WP, if many of those have stopped being WP many years ago, QF may hope that by giving a free year of WP, some of those travellers may decide they have missed having it and increase their flying to keep it again.

Then there's the potential attraction of Project Sunrise flights, that QF may hope these members start flying.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

I would certainly like that, but if you are flying Business long haul you're likely only going to need maybe a couple of those trips a year to keep WP.

The F lounges already can get very crowded without giving even more passengers access.



I don't disagree that I would have preferred more in the way of new benefits for LTG.

This benefit is aimed at rewarding those who have flown significantly more than what's needed to get LTG, but for whom LTP is out of reach.

As ~30% of LTG members will immediately qualify for at least 1 free year of WP, if many of those have stopped being WP many years ago, QF may hope that by giving a free year of WP, some of those travellers may decide they have missed having it and increase their flying to keep it again.

Then there's the potential attraction of Project Sunrise flights, that QF may hope these members start flying.

If you're LTG flying in biz, this is the perfect customer for Qantas.
Remember - their goal is to sell high-margin seats for as much as possible.

A free year of Plat won't encourage LTG/Ex-Platinums to strive for Plat again. However, it would encourage a non-QF status (ie Virgin or air NZ or SQ) holder to fly QF and strive for Plat.... but we're talking seasoned travellers who understand the value (or lack of) of Platinum, versus what they already get as LTG.

Therefore, free plat will do more harm than good.

 

[SYD]

If you're LTG flying in biz, this is the perfect customer for Qantas.
Remember - their goal is to sell high-margin seats for as much as possible.

A free year of Plat won't encourage LTG/Ex-Platinums to strive for Plat again. However, it would encourage a non-QF status (ie Virgin or air NZ or SQ) holder to fly QF and strive for Plat.... but we're talking seasoned travellers who understand the value (or lack of) of Platinum, versus what they already get as LTG.

Therefore, free plat will do more harm than good.

Except a WP/LTG (like me) can currently easily retain WP flying Biz on partner airlines. Just get the 4x squiggles (~)*.

The changes are going to encourage QFFs looking to retain WP (as LTG) to be overachievers, to not only retain WP but rollover some SCs for the next year.

As a business, that makes perfect sense.

It’ll still be possible to achieve QF LT status without ever stepping foot on a QF aircraft (for those playing a long game). That’s not happening over in VA land!

* ”Squiggles” were “enhanced” a few years back and “Eligible sectors” now have no distinguishing marks nor features.

 

[LondonAussie]

There have been a few years where I got the 4 QF flights on Emirates

 

[CaptJCool]

As one of the LTG who took 24 years to get there and is not chasing and because I’m in Adelaide there has not been a business lounge anyway, but I digress; even with lots of other people’s money plus AFF learnings (eg JASA), this enhancement is worth zero to me. Some future based hope that’ll take Upto a decade to realise, no thanks

 

[SYD]

There have been a few years where I got the 4 QF flights on Emirates

and for now, you still can! Plus a reasonable haul of SCs/points in most fare classes if booked with a QF code (just no DSCs).

 

[MH_fan]

To me, the problem is keeping LTG members engaged with QFF and encouraging them to fly with QF rather than partner airlines. As I've said before, the simplest way is to gift LTGs 600-700SC (as they're already SG) each year but you then need to earn the remaining 700-800SC (now that requalifying requires 1400SCs) to retain platinum flying exclusively on QF. They can even exclude DSC offers and other ways of non-flying SCs.

 

[CaptJCool]

To me, the problem is keeping LTG members engaged with QFF and encouraging them to fly with QF rather than partner airlines. As I've said before, the simplest way is to gift LTGs 600-700SC (as they're already SG) each year but you then need to earn the remaining 700-800SC (now that requalifying requires 1400SCs) to retain platinum flying exclusively on QF.

The idea that F lounge access comes with premium tickets means you’re guaranteed the access (instant gratification and recognition of many years of effort) and QF are guaranteed the money. Win win

Chasing STATUS CREDITS does not in the first instance guarantee Flounge access UNTIL YOU earn it (the slower way) delayed gratification but no recognition of past performance

 

[Johnxx]

As a bronze without large points earning capacity, there's a very real argument that you shouldn't even bother trying to earn QF points.
One of my credit cards auto redeems points for cashback. Points are worth nothing if you can't use them for what you want. Infact it might be negative value if you factor in time going out of your way to collect/understand changes/search for flights...

I've earnt them (2m points) from earning PC+ where with good timing I have had QC for 20 out of every 24 months and enough lounge passes to cover the 4 months of no QC. And free QC is good value proposition, the points are a bonus. I've had a long term plan to jump from NB to WP to use the points and finally executed with the DCS from 2 weeks ago.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

The idea that F lounge access comes with premium tickets means you’re guaranteed the access (instant gratification and recognition of many years of effort) and QF are guaranteed the money. Win win

Chasing STATUS CREDITS does not in the first instance guarantee Flounge access UNTIL YOU earn it (the slower way) delayed gratification but no recognition of past performance

My blueprint here also plays perfectly into the psychology of LTG/ex-Platinums who tend to think more about value than price. This is every airlines dream passenger. Less price sensitivity, chasing something that is useless to the passenger until they pay even more money, and by then the customer has locked themselves into QF even more -- and thus achieving exactly what Qantas wants.

Incentivise premium ticket sales with passengers who have proven ability to spend more, but are also disengaged, and have MANY options on who they fly with. DSC, sale fares, status freebies, and economy-class things don't motivate this audience the same way other things can, so why give out things that are likely to have a negative impact on the metrics you're trying to drive up? Laziness...

Technically, QF could code up "Gold+" to be an exclusive LTG benefit (i.e., there is no other way to obtain this underlying tier without having earned 14k status credits), which essentially acts like a F-Lounge version of Qantas Club. This would have no impact on oneworld or codeshare partners, and Qantas has a good story about how they're protecting revenue leakage every day (versus this nonsense once every 10k status credits which has flaws and will not solve the crux of the issue which is revenue protection).

IBS/ifly loyalty (the system QFF uses) supports this kind of setup, and operationally, it's effectively a new tier that links up only within internal systems, which is straightforward.

But hey, what do I know?

 

[PineappleSkip]

operationally, it's effectively a new tier

Interesting you bring this term up. The thing I find curious about QF’s statements is their launch of “new tiers” in 2027 in the context of maybe blending PC into the existing tiers. “New tiers” suggests a rehash of the whole SG-WP-P1 ecosystem. The only thing that is clear is that the 2027 changes aren’t half baked, they just haven’t gone into the oven yet.

 

[Johnxx]

TBH there seems to be so many salty LTG here if they offered anything too easy it would be a stampede into the FC lounges.
You must have had a lot of WP to obtain LTG so just keep doing what you did. Or if the goal was to achieve LTG be happy with it

 

[SYD]

Interesting you bring this term up. The thing I find curious about QF’s statements is their launch of “new tiers” in 2027 in the context of maybe blending PC into the existing tiers. “New tiers” suggests a rehash of the whole SG-WP-P1 ecosystem. The only thing that is clear is that the 2027 changes aren’t half baked, they just haven’t gone into the oven yet.

Incorporating some of the PC benefits was implicitly conveyed in the announced changes. Your guess is as good as mine what that that will actually look like.

The sooner we know the better and not “Late 2026” nor even “Late 2027”!