I wonder where Qantas Club sits with all of this QFF spin off. Will Life members slowly have their membership devalued?
I now look at my QP Life as an insurance policy that means I have the possibility of lounge access when having to fly JQ, which has become more and more of a reality with my organisation's BFOD policy.
I have managed to keep AA Plat thanks to overseas travel (both work and personal) through until Feb 2010 and that is my primary mileage earning point. Thanks also the better transfer rate from MR to SPG to AA, it has become even more attractive.
I have used QP membership very well for the 8 or so years I've had it. It has certainly saved me in the US when flights have gone pear shaped and AC AAngels have come to the rescue (before the candy steal).
Last edited by goback; Apr 21, 08 at 8:23 pm.
Reason: Add info about AAngels
I think it is a given that they will sell? It is only to whom and when that remain unanswered
And at what price, what format the new program will take, what impact it will have on seats, the pricing of redemptions between the spun organisation and QF, whether it will include JQ and many many other factors. QF will only sell it if the total package contributes to the value to QF shareholders.
Spun programs are not the norm so assuming that because one set of people said it was a good idea does not mean it will happen.
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The luggage has landed - just not where I did...
Why stop flying QF? Do you have other options than to fly QF on your required routes? If you are fairly nonchalant about the QF FF program then why not consider another program and still fly QF?
Between Europe and AUS I have quite some choices.
Having (and earning) quite a significant amount on SCs on short BA trips I considered moving to BA. Lifetime Status is the reason I do not put all my money into LH/SQ/NZ
So lets just lock in this lifetime status and then reconsider things...
For those who have lifetime elite status on Qantas, I hope that both the airline and the future management of the FFP decide that it is worth honoring current lifetime status after the sale -- and I hope that they decide to stick to such a decision.
Unfortunately, my expectations of the dynamics of a post-spin-off environment fall far short of meeting my hopes.
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This game is not as much fun as it used to be: 2008/2009 Frequent Flyer Program Fleecing Award goes to Delta Airlines
Between Europe and AUS I have quite some choices.
Having (and earning) quite a significant amount on SCs on short BA trips I considered moving to BA. Lifetime Status is the reason I do not put all my money into LH/SQ/NZ
Unless doing a lot of US-LHR/LHR-US trips, some may want to consider AA lifetime status. And even if doing a lot of those trips, it is my expectation that if some mergers of US airlines are allowed to go ahead, then sooner than later the restriction on earning AA miles for BA flights between the US and Heathrow will be set aside eventually.
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This game is not as much fun as it used to be: 2008/2009 Frequent Flyer Program Fleecing Award goes to Delta Airlines
QANTAS Loyalty boss Simon Hickey is well aware that the airline's 5 million frequent flyers are a vocal bunch when it comes to expressing their displeasure.
He has seen the complaints about not being able to redeem points, the lack of seats on key routes at popular times and the difficulty in getting upgrades.
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Other changes will include the ability to pay for taxes and charges using frequent flyer points, as well as to more easily use a mix of cash and points to pay for flights. Qantas estimates that taxes and charges on a Sydney-London return trip of roughly $700 will add about 70,000 points to the 128,000-point cost. The result, says Hickey, is a win for frequent flyers looking to convert what he calls their "invested value" in their points balance.
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Qantas is not planning to spin off its entire frequent-flyer program and is believed to be looking at an initial public offering of about 40 per cent of the business later this year. But work has been under way for some time on separating the business so it operates as an independent segment, with its own balance sheet.
Strategy planning began in May last year, after Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon appointed Hickey at the helm of the new business. In October, it moved into its own headquarters in Sydney's CBD.
Programs: QP (Life) Bronze, Velocity Rewards, Rex Flyer, Priority Club
Posts: 51
*A alternatives
As the majority of my points are from Amex & Diners, I think it maybe time to consider an alternate *A program.
Any suggestions?
I would want no annual fee, ability to have an Australian address and not a dollar/point earner (eg. AirNZ). I'm not worried about status; just the abilty to spend Amex/Diners points and as I anticipate being able to make 1 rtw trip each year from next year I would like the ability to earn points if a *A rtw happens to be attractive than a OW rtw at the time.
The less said about my previous *A experience (650,000 AN points down the gurgler) the better
