It started with the the removal of ATA. I had only once or twice stepped foot on a non QF/OW flight for four years before the removal of ATA, happy in the knowledge that on the very off chance I did fly someone else I could still get into a lounge.
Since the removal of ATA (with a well timed status match from VA), I now maintain QFWP, but also fly VA and its partners enough to maintain VAWP. A not insignificant loss to QF.
While the removal of CD didn't affect me directly, and if it isn't making money I understand the business decision to cut it. What I really cant fathom as a business owner myself, the logic of cancelling already booked CD?!?! By definition these are premium passengers. At what would have been a cost of what, $50-$100 per trip? They now have the cost of ringing affected passengers, (after some time and backlash) offering compensation, and p1ssing off a whole bunch of people that extends much further than just those directly affected (which was a low take up rate anyway !?!?). I have read on AFF multiple post where $ paying J & F pax are saying they will look elsewhere, even if only 1 or 2 of those actually go through with it, that is $10k's lost to QF.
Penalising customers for flying partner (?) airlines to ports where QF doesn't even fly - no need to say more.
Despite all this (but I will admit, not before checking other options) I decided to book the upcoming family holiday to Europe on QF metal (bar a BA flight CDG-LHR to meet up with QF2). The hope is to do well in the upgrade lottery to try to reduce my points balance.
Try to upgrade on line - errors out at the My Booking page - not a good start, but I ring as suggested.
The flex tickets, as per the link in my booking, state For the purposes of redeeming Qantas Points for a Flight Upgrade Award, this fare is classed as Flexible Economy. ,however the chap on the premium line tries to charge me 96K per pax rather than 60k. I suggest he checks again, he gives up pretty quickly and puts me through to another department who are not interested at all and transfer me back to reservations, where I wait 5 mins on hold for someone to answer. The next person tries to tell me 96k, I suggest again that as per the QF website there is a new table for travel after 1 July which states 60k. Computer says no. Says she will check with her supervisor. After a further 15 mins on hold (with no comms from the QF end) I hang up. I had to pick up the kids from care, I didn't think a phone call to request upgrades to a simple QF booking would take over 40 mins!
They call me back 10 mins later (very welcomed) and say again computer says no, it is 96k, and that is all they can do. I don't quite have enough points for 4 pax x 96k x 2 legs, so they suggest waiting until after 1 july to see what happens. The supervisor will talk to FF the next morning and call me back. They dont.
I phone back later the next day and get another operator. Same answer and suggests the website is not clearly written, I suggest the website is black and white and it is just a F up at the QF end. They confirm that they have had a many complaints about the website over the last few months, and also confirms they have had a few people call with the same issue as mine but nothing will be done. Meanwhile, there will be other pax requesting upgrades and getting in the lottery queue ahead of me (either because they are on lower fare classes or dont know they should't be paying so much) all because QF continually fail to deliver what they say they do.
I am very close to just cancelling the $13k worth of flights and booking with someone else. You know, you just get that feeling when people/businesses make things too hard and continually disappoint. They only fly to a handful of destinations and the new calculator doesn't even recognise QF1, no flights from SYD - LHR!!
What a load of ramble! Anyway, in short, I have had enough!
Since the removal of ATA (with a well timed status match from VA), I now maintain QFWP, but also fly VA and its partners enough to maintain VAWP. A not insignificant loss to QF.
While the removal of CD didn't affect me directly, and if it isn't making money I understand the business decision to cut it. What I really cant fathom as a business owner myself, the logic of cancelling already booked CD?!?! By definition these are premium passengers. At what would have been a cost of what, $50-$100 per trip? They now have the cost of ringing affected passengers, (after some time and backlash) offering compensation, and p1ssing off a whole bunch of people that extends much further than just those directly affected (which was a low take up rate anyway !?!?). I have read on AFF multiple post where $ paying J & F pax are saying they will look elsewhere, even if only 1 or 2 of those actually go through with it, that is $10k's lost to QF.
Penalising customers for flying partner (?) airlines to ports where QF doesn't even fly - no need to say more.
Despite all this (but I will admit, not before checking other options) I decided to book the upcoming family holiday to Europe on QF metal (bar a BA flight CDG-LHR to meet up with QF2). The hope is to do well in the upgrade lottery to try to reduce my points balance.
Try to upgrade on line - errors out at the My Booking page - not a good start, but I ring as suggested.
The flex tickets, as per the link in my booking, state For the purposes of redeeming Qantas Points for a Flight Upgrade Award, this fare is classed as Flexible Economy. ,however the chap on the premium line tries to charge me 96K per pax rather than 60k. I suggest he checks again, he gives up pretty quickly and puts me through to another department who are not interested at all and transfer me back to reservations, where I wait 5 mins on hold for someone to answer. The next person tries to tell me 96k, I suggest again that as per the QF website there is a new table for travel after 1 July which states 60k. Computer says no. Says she will check with her supervisor. After a further 15 mins on hold (with no comms from the QF end) I hang up. I had to pick up the kids from care, I didn't think a phone call to request upgrades to a simple QF booking would take over 40 mins!
They call me back 10 mins later (very welcomed) and say again computer says no, it is 96k, and that is all they can do. I don't quite have enough points for 4 pax x 96k x 2 legs, so they suggest waiting until after 1 july to see what happens. The supervisor will talk to FF the next morning and call me back. They dont.
I phone back later the next day and get another operator. Same answer and suggests the website is not clearly written, I suggest the website is black and white and it is just a F up at the QF end. They confirm that they have had a many complaints about the website over the last few months, and also confirms they have had a few people call with the same issue as mine but nothing will be done. Meanwhile, there will be other pax requesting upgrades and getting in the lottery queue ahead of me (either because they are on lower fare classes or dont know they should't be paying so much) all because QF continually fail to deliver what they say they do.
I am very close to just cancelling the $13k worth of flights and booking with someone else. You know, you just get that feeling when people/businesses make things too hard and continually disappoint. They only fly to a handful of destinations and the new calculator doesn't even recognise QF1, no flights from SYD - LHR!!
What a load of ramble! Anyway, in short, I have had enough!