"... we'll shortly announce a major investment to improve our Frequent Flyer program"

[CaptJCool]

What is the point of this post?

TEST PAGES are up and live while the info I was looking for is now no longer accessible

i suppose it's one step closer to the looming announcement to improve the FF program

Testing, Testing

 

[CaptJCool]

And here’s the official word from Qantas on why airfares will continue to be expensive - improving your experience of the FF program

This was emailed today to my kids inside

The latest flying news from Qantas

 

[Danger]

And here’s the official word from Qantas on why airfares will continue to be expensive - improving your experience of the FF program

This was emailed today to my kids inside

The latest flying news from Qantas

The gall. The message reads as though Qantas always loads cheap, discounted fares, even during peak periods and it's simply a case of the passenger being too slow of the mark. The response doesn't even address the question. Pathetic.

 

[SeaWolf]

The gall. The message reads as though Qantas always loads cheap, discounted fares, even during peak periods and it's simply a case of the passenger being too slow of the mark. The response doesn't even address the question. Pathetic.

I'm reminded of Alan Joyce's comment about passengers not being "match fit". Somehow it's always the customer's fault.

 

[CaptJCool]

The gall. The message reads as though Qantas always loads cheap, discounted fares, even during peak periods and it's simply a case of the passenger being too slow of the mark. The response doesn't even address the question. Pathetic.

Too slow off the mark

The early bird gets the worm
Delayed gratification behaviour is rewarded vs
I walk into the store today and buy the service at wait “pay through the nose prices” no, in retail there’s just usually the one price tag (with occasional discounts)

So perhaps there’s one price tag Y Flex (with occasional discounts) which really does make domestic air travel out of reach of the middle class punters and international well QF barely gets 15% of booked seats so punters have already “voted with their feet”

 

[MooTime]

Too slow off the mark

The early bird gets the worm
Delayed gratification behaviour is rewarded vs
I walk into the store today and buy the service at wait “pay through the nose prices” no, in retail there’s just usually the one price tag (with occasional discounts)

So perhaps there’s one price tag Y Flex (with occasional discounts) which really does make domestic air travel out of reach of the middle class punters and international well QF barely gets 15% of booked seats so punters have already “voted with their feet”
View attachment 373500

Similar here.
Gold down to 2nd past the post silver.

 

[rodkoguma]

Qantas: where enhancement is always synonymous to detriment...

 

[TheInsider]

Qantas: where enhancement is always synonymous to detriment...

Where's the detriment? Nothing is being taken away. Something is being added on top of the original awards

 

[Mr H]

Where's the detriment? Nothing is being taken away. Something is being added on top of the original awards

That’s what they say but I would bet if people start to use these new awards they will reduce the availability of classic awards.

 

[SeaWolf]

Where's the detriment? Nothing is being taken away. Something is being added on top of the original awards

That's sort of the point, it all looks like upside so everyone is just waiting for the full official announcement, and the other shoe to drop.

 

[sudoer]

Where's the detriment? Nothing is being taken away.

Do you really believe there will be no downsides/devaluations hidden among all the "enhancements" with this upcoming announcement?

Look at Qantas' track record on anything like this in the last 15 years. With the exception of Points Club, almost every major QFF change has left customers worse off - you can't blame us for expecting the same this time round!

 

[dvb2000]

The way airlines "sell" you on points and their "points schemes" they SHOULD just be treated like real dollars, and be used for ANY seat "purchase"

Maybe time for the government to legislate to make it so.

 

[Mr H]

The way airlines "sell" you on points and their "points schemes" they SHOULD just be treated like real dollars, and be used for ANY seat "purchase"

Maybe time for the government to legislate to make it so.

You realise that this would erode almost all of the potential value of the scheme for those who are smart/patient enough to make it work? Programs that have switched to dollarisation are not popular.

 

[CaptJCool]

The Classic Reward spend levels are akin to “industry travel” pricing so airlines are able to offer cheaper prices if they really wanted to

The big problem post COVID was huge demand to travel internationally to physically reconnect with family after several years of ZOOM only conversation

With ‘limited’ “capacity” as airlines geared up from low levels, and their stance on “every flight has its rather similar yield management pricing structure” and thus as 100% of seats are filled, the money comes pouring in, compared to the normal times 66-75% loadings (where lots of the expensive seats are left unfilled) and of course reliant on people who couldn’t travel for 3 years and with FREE accommodation “back home” people just paid the higher asking prices.

WFH working from home will also be affecting future pricing as the demand “bottoms” out

There is a role for two tier reward prices - EK carrier charges tell us this

So let’s say CR is at

10% of Y, J, F flex pricing and that were they to introduce something around the 25-33% of price, I suspect they will sell well. People still see they can score a “good deal”

After all, if you spent $500,000 just to score an F reward fare retailing at $19-20,000 (that’s a 4% cash back) deal so perhaps one might spend $20,000 less and buy the fare instead

 

[drron]

So I have been seeing how things go for February next year as a few trips planned and I would like as many as possible on awards. Yesterday QFF had all Feb plus 1/3 to look at. So I searched SYD + MEL to SIN, BKK, HND, NRT and JNB. Plus BNE-SIN and NRT. I was using Mrsdrron's account who is LTG. Not one CR on QF metal in any class. That is zilch, Nada. What a joke of a program. They would offer me a few J awards to or from SIN but on EK for more points and sky high charges. Basically I can buy a J ticket on TG for the same cost as the EK surcharge.

So I compared with what I can get via my AA account which had only released up to the first week in February But for BKK,SIN, They had classic J award rates fling JL ,MH but I discounted those, and CX. Now flying back. Same story. I really don't mind flying to or from BKK on JAL when it costs exactly the same as flying direct. Now there was no awards on QF metal but there were a few on BA to and from SIN which didn't appear on QFF.

 

[Berlin]

Maybe time for the government to legislate to make it so.

Oh god no, do not involve these useless morons or else even the last bit of value will be gone from those schemes!

 

[Gold Member]

Oh god no, do not involve these useless morons or else even the last bit of value will be gone from those schemes!

Rest assured their Chairmans Lounge benefit won’t be enhanced.

 

[clifford]

All I can say is that if Qantas enhance their FF program too much (which I expect they will, as it is Qantas), I'll just mostly ignore them, allow WP to lapse in 2026, and spend more time and money with BA and UA. After all, that's what competition is supposed to be about.

Others can pay through the nose for Qantas awards if they wish to. Good luck to them, but I'll be looking for better value for money.

 

[Mr H]

Others can pay through the nose for Qantas awards if they wish to. Good luck to them, but I'll be looking for better value for money.

And good luck to you getting better value from Avios.

 

[clifford]

And good luck to you getting better value from Avios.

Intra Europe and SH Asia is far better value IMO. Of course, I don't do LH BA as I can't afford the fees. Don't forget I was BA Gold for many years and have a British passport and personal and business connections with UK, so not a problem.

I only went across to QF Plat because of the pandemic (living in Australia), and now that's over it's a new ball game. But Qantas will make its decisions and customers will react accordingly.