Qantas unveils the biggest changes to status in program history

[mviy]

The requesting of awards (as I understand it as WP benefit rather than a P1 benefit)

Requesting of QF reward seat releases is an unpublished benefit for WP and much harder to get approved than for P1.

 

[mviy]

I understand the frustration with the LTP target, but probably most here if they had LTP would try to do all/most of their QF flying on points if they had LTP, which is not what QF wants.

As much as I’d like a 28k/35k LTSC target to get LTP, I can’t see that happening unless there’s a serious devaluation in benefits, which we wouldn’t want.

 

[arrow]

I understand the frustration with the LTP target, but probably most here if they had LTP would try to do all/most of their QF flying on points if they had LTP, which is not what QF wants.

As much as I’d like a 28k/35k LTSC target to get LTP, I can’t see that happening unless there’s a serious devaluation in benefits, which we wouldn’t want.

Agree. I don’t see the threshold decreasing, however I do think there are levers around the milestones which they can improve. For example, access to QF only F lounges when travelling on QF for those that hit 50,000 SCs which was something they floated pre-COVID.

 

[Jacques Vert]

I agree with others that QF have missed the mark with these changes. Since reaching LTG two years ago, I've amassed a grand total of 235 more SCs.

There is nothing in these enhancements that are an incentive for me to fly QF more often. The cost to get to WP for the limited additional benefits isn't worth it to me and the increase to 1,400 to retain WP thereafter is a further disincentive.

 

[DejaBrew]

the increase to 14,000 to retain WP thereafter is a further disincentive

You only need 1,400 to retain WP so it's literally 10 times easier than you think

 

[Jacques Vert]

You only need 1,400 to retain WP so it's literally 10 times easier than you think

Of course it is; but I'm still not incentivised to achieve it.

 

[MH_fan]

75000 was simply too high for LTP. I think 50000 is much more reasonable. Still higher than the equivalent of attaining LTD or LTG, but farer.

 

[Kangol]

BA release to their own members 4 award seats in each of Y, PE, J on every flight which tends to be 4 more in each of those classes than Qantas ever do. Means there’s less of a need to request seats.

How about F? Is that an equal priority for all levels of membership? You'd expect better availability for higher tier, over lower ones.

The requesting of awards (as I understand it as WP benefit rather than a P1 benefit) and as vhojm points out BA and SQ have much better availability of award seats to their members which negate the need for requests. SQ does provide better availability and can unlock award seats / upgrades via chasers

I suppose the difference is that there might be the need for a request if there's none available.
You could be unlucky with BA and someone snaps up all the J award seats the day they are released. If you wait one more day and they're gone, the option to request would be valuable. Even if it's unlikely to happen across the board, when it happens to you - it's 100% failure.
If SQ can do something like the manual review after rejection for P1, that would be great - for Solitaire/PPS I'm guessing. However I have not read any reports of this.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I would argue Qantas’ P1 benefits are less than those offered for comparable tiers with other airlines (e.g. PPS with SQ and GGL with BA)

Then surely you've switched and are now flying with SQ or BA?

 

[XavierP]

My comments on the "enhancements"

New milestone rewards between Lifetime Gold & Platinum
In my humble opinion, this package is both a disaster and a slap in the face for loyal passengers.
The main problem is that the main problem remains unresolved.

The main problem is that Lifetime Platinum Status is in fact a Lifetime Super-Platinum One Status.
The obvious and necessary solution is a logical and consistent regime of lifetime status thresholds.
In other words, a threshold for each tier of lifetime status which is based on a consistent multiplier of the annual threshold.

For Lifetime Silver, the threshold is 7,000 = 20 x 350 - the annual Silver threshold.
For Lifetime Gold, the threshold is 14,000 = 20 x 700 - the annual Gold threshold.
So far, so good.

But for Lifetime Platinum, the threshold is 75,000 = 53.6 x 1,400 - the annual Platinum threshold.

So the truth is there is no such thing as a QFF lifetime Platinum Status.
What goes by that name is much more difficult to attain, and delivers more benefits.

The remedy is to introduce a real Lifetime Platinum Status with a logically consistent status credit threshold and commensurate benefits.
Logically, the threshold for Lifetime Platinum should be 28,000 and for Lifetime Platinum One, 72,000.
I wouldn't quibble over the difference between 72,000 and 75,000.

What Qantas has introduced instead is not only different in the detail, it is a fundamentally, conceptually different thing.

One of the main attractions of Lifetime Status is that it continues after your peak flying years are over.
After you retire, when there are no more work trips, and your retirement income may not be able to fund the same frequency of travel, you know that you are going to be able to continue to enjoy, for example, lounge access, without worrying about your class of travel or earning SCs.

What Qantas has given us is not a benefit of this nature at all.
Instead, they have given us an additional benefit during our peak flying years.
While we are still flying, we can earn and "bank" additional years of Platinum status.
At best, this will delay our drop in status by 5 years.
I'm hoping to live for much longer than 5 years post-retirement.

But there is also a devil in the detail.
The threshold for each additional year of Platinum Status is 10,000 SCs.
That's more than 7 times the new threshold to retain Platinum and more than 8 times the current threshold.
So for every 7 additional years of flying at a Platinum level, we may earn as little as one additional year of Platinum Status.

This is the slap in the face.

What Qantas needs to do is cut the bullshit, the tricks, and, frankly, the misleading and deceptive conduct contrary to consumer law.
If you're really interested in simplifying the program, start here.

New, permanent ways to earn status credits on the ground​

Awful, horrible idea. Reverse it, immediately.
The separation between points and SCs has meant that you need to fly to earn status.
It should stay that way.

The initial limits on this mean its impact will be marginal.
But it's the thin edge of the wedge.

New benefits added to existing status tiers​

Meaningless tinkering around the edges.

Roll over status credits​

The only "enhancement" which is actually positive.
However why impose a limit?
The limits make the impact of this marginal.

Removal of Loyalty Bonuses and Higher status retention targets​

These are actual and/or de facto increases in the threshold to attain and retain status.
They are self-evidently negative and a devaluation of the QFF program.

Points Club will be axed and Green Tier gets the chop too​

Je m'en fiche.
For the monoglots, I don't give a cough.
These subprograms were always distractions.

Overall comments and actions to take​

As a Lifetime Gold member who continues to earn Platinum status each year, there is no prospect that I will achieve Lifetime Platinum (One) Status.
Despite the changes, my best option is to start using my BA FF membership for all my OneWorld flights.
There is a very realistic prospect of achieving Lifetime Gold, which also carries OneWorld Emerald status.
The only potential downside is a year without OWE benefits while I earn status with BA.
However, as I will be flying in business or first anyway, this will have little to no practical impact on me.

It will, however, represent my own little FU to Qantas in response to the giant FU they just delivered to their most loyal passengers.

I prefer this defiance, however meaningless and trivial, to the stomach-churning sycophancy which has generally been on display in response to these "enhancements".

Interesting perspective and read here. Thank you.

 

[VPS]

I agree with others that QF have missed the mark with these changes. Since reaching LTG two years ago, I've amassed a grand total of 235 more SCs.

There is nothing in these enhancements that are an incentive for me to fly QF more often. The cost to get to WP for the limited additional benefits isn't worth it to me and the increase to 14,000 to retain WP thereafter is a further disincentive.

I reached LTG in 2020 and I would be surprised if I have received more than 100 SC since then. Definitely less than 200

 

[Jacques Vert]

I reached LTG in 2020 and I would be surprised if I have received more than 100 SC since then. Definitely less than 200

Surely you're working on that next 11,000 so you can bank a year of WP?

 

[Princess Fiona]

75000 was simply too high for LTP. I think 50000 is much more reasonable. Still higher than the equivalent of attaining LTD or LTG, but farer.

They will no way change the LTP thresholds. Agree it’s massive but they must have done the sums. I would not be surprised if they released a LTP1 tier to be honest. Unsure how many gazillion SC that would be but I know personally P1s who are LTP and well in excess of the LTP threshold.

 

[VPS]

Surely you're working on that next 11,000 so you can bank a year of WP?

Let me think about it. Yeah nup

 

[justinbrett]

I agree with others that QF have missed the mark with these changes. Since reaching LTG two years ago, I've amassed a grand total of 235 more SCs.

There is nothing in these enhancements that are an incentive for me to fly QF more often. The cost to get to WP for the limited additional benefits isn't worth it to me and the increase to 14,000 to retain WP thereafter is a further disincentive.

If you've only flown 235 SCs after getting LTG it sounds like you were already lost to QF. I also wonder what the point of LTG was?