Programs: oneworld sapphire, Star silver, SPG Gold, Sixt Platinum, IC Platinum RA
Posts: 250
"Are you sure it's for the suite? There is R class and then there is F class as far as I know and the suites are not available as award seats."
Yes I was referring to the suite flight. Suites are available as AnySeat awards for a higher price than B744 First Class AnySeat awards.
I was making the point that if you were to book a First Class Suite SYD-LHR ticket using AnySeat; if you choose to pay with minimum points/maximum cash it costs 192,000 points + $10,500. This makes the 192,000 points worth $2,000 because you are paying 192,000 points AND $10,500 for the seat which is worth $12,500.
I have a ticket in the First Class Suite SYD-LHR in late January 2009. It cost me 192,000 points + $300 taxes.... if you wanted to book it now add $10,200 OR 1million points to that! :P
I notice on routes with particuarly cheap flights (such as SIN-PER) - where the fare levels are particuarly low (at the moment SG$260 return plus taxes) that the anyseat redemption minimum price is the same as the classic price - 25,000 points each way plus taxes (though you can redeem in Sale or Super Saver fare classes at least).
You can get SIN-PER-SIN on anyseat for 50,000, PER-SIN-PER on exactly the same flights is 86,841!
Another crazy example
2 flights - a simple round trip
Either 2,212,294 points
or
384,000 points + 18,533.46
So $18,533 = 1,828,294
ie. basically 1 cent = 1 point.
That appears to be the rough logic of the system.
Charge Amex 1.25c / point to get a profit margin
Amex charges retailers 2.5% or 2.5c / $
at 1:1 conversion 2.5c / point
at 1.5:1 conversion 1.6c / point
Programs: QF WP, NZ GE, AA -, MH -, DJ -, VS -; HH GLD, PC GLD, SPG -
Posts: 855
Quote:
Originally Posted by futaris
There was a short segment on Today Tonight - Clifford from AFF gave a short quote...
I didn't get to see that segment, but I hope it wasn't too misinformed because my dad ranted and raved about what the article said after I got home. (And you don't ever argue with my dad, even if you were Hitler.) Basically he said that there's no chance anyone of us in the family will ever, ever, ever get a redemption flight of any sort unless we actually try pooling all of our points together. (What was the example they gave? To get a flight (can't remember return or one-way) to LAX you needed to spend the equivalent of $2M before you have enough points to get it? Well, at least that's what dad reported anyway.)
So basically the new scheme boils down to this:
Classic Awards
Same as before with prices, conditions of "sale".
Less availability on flights; some flights no such seats available.
AnySeat Awards
As long as there is a seat, you can obtain it.
Exorbitant points prices, much more noticeable on long haul / high class (viz expensive) choices.
Can control how much one pays in cash and in points.
Similar fare conditions to a cash ticket.
Personally if they shift over to the AnySeat award thing as the standard (and get rid of Classic Awards), I will seriously consider moving to *A, except for the annoying fact that there is only one allied airline in OZ, namely QF with OW (DJ is not allied with anything, JQ is a QF sub and I'm not even going to point a stick at Tiger). Pragmatically only because I'll literally be in my grave before I ever get enough points to redeem a reasonably long sector on AnySeat. Or I will continue to do what I'm doing, and use points for upgrades only. Hopefully those points prices won't be seriously going up at the same magnitudes as that exemplified by the new AnySeat system.
Well the Qantas Share Price did the opposite today. Up 20c to $3.24. So seems the investors like the changes, including I (I expect) the mention of floating the FF program.
__________________ NM aka Nelly Mobbs
Go directly to WHY, do not pass F, do not collect a J amenity kit.
Programs: QF WP (LT Gold), LH SEN, OZ Diamond, CO Nothing, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Avis PC
Posts: 6,847
Quote:
Originally Posted by anat0l
So basically the new scheme boils down to this:
[list][*]Classic Awards
Same as before with prices, conditions of "sale".
Less availability on flights; some flights no such seats available.
Personally if they shift over to the AnySeat award thing as the standard (and get rid of Classic Awards), I will seriously consider moving to *A, except for the annoying fact that there is only one allied airline in OZ....
I think nowhere does it say that QF is going to reduce award availability. And I don't think there is a danger that QF will stop having classic awards as this would be against OW rules.
The Qantas Shop is very similar to how the QFF first started. There were no award flights as I recall...at least not for the first year or so. Qualifying resulted in getting a flying bag and a catalogue of gifts to choose from...like video recorders and the like. I think the flight rewards started in 1991 and were very easy to get. A simple phone call and the seat was available...no questions, no taxes, no surcharge.
When I flew MEL-BNE last night, they had already loaded the July "On Q" and Deb, bless her, was giving the soft sell of the improved QFF.
I just saw the new QFF ad on Channel 10. Not a shot of a plane (bar the last frames of a couple in the interior) - but lots of shopping and a hot air balloon. All very feel good with Delta Goodrem singing "you give me love..." in the background. And a guy's credit card turns into an iPod when he swipes it. The marketing department is well on its way to having a Qantas branded Fly Buys type program. I dont want golf clubs from my frequent flyer program.
Am I wrong or maybe I just have gotten too cynical after too many hours in aluminum tubes.
In a way it seems that QFF is starting to have less to do with flying... I've stayed loyal to QF, but I think they have left me.
Sad really. Glad the balance is now under 200k.
__________________ "Must be in the front row!" - Bob Uecker
I have got to be honest the new award system does little to inspire me at all. Pretty much wiped the value off my points as the incentive to pay up 570k points for a J reward PER - DRW - PER is somewhere between slim and nil.
I wonder if value has been worked back from the gift voucher value of 6,500 points per $50 voucher.
I do like the sample at www.qff.com.au. Showing Ms CL Fides as the Chairmans Lounge flyer and a points balance of 48.9m... she will need every one of those for an F award to LAX or LHR at these rates! Still, why would a CL with that points balance be searching for a PE fare SYD-LHR?
In saying that, first time I have ever seen CL advertised on any website or literature. Strange they didnt demonstrate to us plebs using a Platinum or Bronze....
Hopefully when noone hands up any points in the first 6 months things will settle.
OT, anyone else recieve the QF survey recently asking how we will spend our points post this revolution (just like the Fevolution but half as satisfying)?
"Qantas today launched a new website detailing the changes, several hours before they were officially announced to the media. The website said the Qantas Frequent Flyer Store would include an expanded range of 700 products from travel and travel accessories to vouchers, wine, technology, home and lifestyle, entertainment and music, sports and outdoors and health and beauty products.
The website also claims frequent flyers can now earn points by making purchases with one of the airline's "credit and charge card partners", including ANZ Australia and New Zealand cards, Earth Australia, Diners Club Australia and American Express Australia.
Previously, frequent flyers could only earn points by producing a separate Qantas Frequent Flyer Card each time they made a purchase."
Whatever happened to research in journalism? Why don't they get someone who knows something about FF schemes to write about FF schemes.
Currently in the LA F lounge at SCL on the final leg to AKL of a GlobEx Tier 3 in A class and trying to digest what these changes mean. Well, not quite final, as I´ve still got an open AKL-NAN and look at the pricing and you´ll understand why. Since I´ve got another 5 hours to kill, it´s highly unlikely I´ll be able to make any sense of them before I´m poured on to the aircraft ;-)
However, the important thing for me is that I´ve now only got 200 SC´s to go for my Lifetime Gold and they don´t seem to have taken that away. So, since my WP is renewed through to 31/5/10 courtesy of this trip, when I´ve clocked up the other 200, which will be by end August, NZ will be getting a large chunk of my business. As for the 650,000 or so points I´ve got left to redeem, I´ll probably just blow them on something silly when I´ve figured out the system.
Also, if anybody might be interested, when I get home I could post a mini trip report with a back-to-back comparison of QF, BA, CX and LA service with emphasis on the F class service.
However, the important thing for me is that I´ve now only got 200 SC´s to go for my Lifetime Gold and they don´t seem to have taken that away. So, since my WP is renewed through to 31/5/10 courtesy of this trip, when I´ve clocked up the other 200, which will be by end August, NZ will be getting a large chunk of my business.
Just wondering why you would want to have status with an airline if you aren't going to actually use that airline.
I couldn't care less if IcelandAir gave me their top status, sure it would be a nice thing to have in my wallet, but I'm not actually going to be flying them, so I really don't care.
If you aren't going to be flying QF (or OW) why bother getting the status?
Quote:
Also, if anybody might be interested, when I get home I could post a mini trip report with a back-to-back comparison of QF, BA, CX and LA service with emphasis on the F class service.
Yes please, look forward to the trip report.
Dave
__________________
Politicians are like baby's diapers - they both need to be changed often, and for much the same reason.
I notice on routes with particuarly cheap flights (such as SIN-PER) - where the fare levels are particuarly low (at the moment SG$260 return plus taxes) that the anyseat redemption minimum price is the same as the classic price - 25,000 points each way plus taxes (though you can redeem in Sale or Super Saver fare classes at least).
So I guess that's why Qantas says the points aren't related to a monetary value and not all sale fares will be available (and no miles earnt regardless if making a redemption). Definitely a poor option compared to the AMEX Travelkey offering if I'm going to redeem points for an anytime redemption!
There is a big difference between blocking some sale fares from any seat awards and excluding altogether fares from some countries (incl the one with I'd guess the 2nd most number of QFFers).
I think nowhere does it say that QF is going to reduce award availability. And I don't think there is a danger that QF will stop having classic awards as this would be against OW rules.
Not necessarily. NZ does this - no fixed mileage awards for their own FFs (except business class and mixed airline awards) yet make regular award seats available for other *A and partner FFPs.
