I was pondering the earn/burn ration for both NZ and QF and this is what I found:
NZ: AKL-LAX-AKL gets you AP$600 in J. As you need AP$1 = NZ$1, you need AP$9,365.20 to get an award AKL-LAX-AKL in J. This means you need to pay for 16 flights AKL-LAX-AKL in J to get an award flight in J on the same route.
QF: AKL-LAX-AKL gets 16,294 points for a NB member. You need 168,000 points to get an AKL-LAX-AKL award in J. Meaning that if you only need to pay for 10.5 AKL-LAX-AKL flights in J to get an award in J on the same route. Now 10.5 is the absolute max as I havn't computed SC's into the equation and am assuming you are an NB all your life. So in fact, if you completed this calculation on the basis that you have status/gain status then you need even less flights. If you are a WP when you start (and maintain WP) then you would only require 6 trips in J to get the free trip. Not to mention loyalty bonus.
Now I understand the trade-off with NZ is a crap earn/burn for anytime awards, but I don't terribly mind QF as I generally use my points for upgrades on paid Y/J tickets or for leisure holidays (which are extremely flexible). So I guess it really depends. If you really need anytime awards then the trade off is necessary but for a lot of people, I think that they have some degree of flexibility and QF scheme makes far better earn/burn sense than NZ.
That is an unfair comparison. QF awards AKL-LAX-AKL in J are extremely limited (QF reserves most award space on those flights for MEL-LAX and LAX-MEL not for NZ O&D). Whereas the full fare price is available on every flight that isn't totally sold out. A better comparison would be with Z fares, but even there the availability on NZ is much better than the QF business award, at least on that route. Perhaps the only fair comparison will be when QF finally launches any seat awards?
[Note, I am quoted in this article with a 2 year old quote from another board, so skip that bit!]
It talks heavily about the changes due on July 1. So I think that's the target date.
Looks like it to me! Sounds like QF is doing the same as UA - saver awards with blackout dates and less availability, and standard awards with no restrictions. If they really aren't changing anything, then the benefit will be to have access to standard awards.
A QF ff survey has been sent to some people (but not me):-
A few points from the survey
SYD-LHY in Y
now (classic) 128,000 points plus $633 tax-surcharge
anyseat will be 294,367 points (100% points) or 128,000 points & $2030 co pay
(classic seat taxes & surcharges must be paid in cash)
SYD-SIN in bus
now (classic) 120,000 points plus $345 tax-surcharge
anyseat will be 510,907 points (100% points) or 120,000 points & $3620 co pay
A QF ff survey has been sent to some people (but not me):-
A few points from the survey
SYD-LHY in Y
now (classic) 128,000 points plus $633 tax-surcharge
anyseat will be 294,367 points (100% points) or 128,000 points & $2030 co pay
(classic seat taxes & surcharges must be paid in cash)
SYD-SIN in bus
now (classic) 120,000 points plus $345 tax-surcharge
anyseat will be 510,907 points (100% points) or 120,000 points & $3620 co pay
THAT seems ridiculous. Especially the 510, 907 points for Business to Singapore!! (how come its not 510, 908 points while we're at it). The co pay options seems stupid too, for the amount of the co pay money supplement, you can get an outright ticket....Qantas "enhancements" at their best...
SYD-LHY in Y
now (classic) 128,000 points plus $633 tax-surcharge
anyseat will be 294,367 points (100% points) or 128,000 points & $2030 co pay
(classic seat taxes & surcharges must be paid in cash)
SYD-SIN in bus
now (classic) 120,000 points plus $345 tax-surcharge
anyseat will be 510,907 points (100% points) or 120,000 points & $3620 co pay
For comparison I just made some dummy bookings:
SYD-LHR in Y out this week back next (so typical of an urgent travel need): ~$3500
SYD-LHR in Y in Sept (typical of a holiday planned 3 months out): ~$2600
SYD-SIN in J this week and Sept: ~$4700 (would actually be D but i think everyone knows that)
We all know we could probably find cheaper prices on other carriers too.
Interesting that they are surveying on this still - I expected this would be decided internally already.
I didnt get the email from QF but got the survey screen shots from a very kind FF who did. As a NB (who had PS for a couple of years) based in a state that is not served very well by SC ops I can honestly see my miles just sitting there if these changes go ahead. Its always been my dream to use the miles to give myself a really wonderful trip somewhere either by upgrading or using the miles to get a seat, but currently I have BUCKLEYS of getting the upgrade due to status (and thats not going to improve with the supposed changes) and my point balance may not have enough in it to redeem anytime awards in a high cabin.
I used to earn most of my points from flying, but now its generally CC spend with 3-4 flights a year (mainly due to cost and the fact Jet* dont like me travelling with sporting equipment). Either way I'm screwed.
Oh dear. The any seat redemptions look atrocious value. The examples given are minimum costs, and can get paid tickets for around the $ surcharge of points + $ so effectively the points are worthless.
A good way for QFF to reduce its liabilities from suckers, methinks.
Did anyone really, truly, expect the Anytime Award enhancements to be good value? remember which airline's FF program we are discussing here.
If a J award SYD-SIN-SYD is over 500K points, just imagine what an F award SYD-LHR or SYD-JFK will come to .
The only people this is going to benefit are those that launder millions of points through corporate/business credit card spend .... and of course the winner is Qantas as they are earning good revenue by selling those millions of points to the credit card companies.
I consider myself a Frequent Flyer. I hold Lifetime Gold status with QF and qualified for AA Executive Platinum in the first 6 months of this year. Had I put all my flights to my QFF account I would have earned around 100K QF FF points from flying.
And I consider I have a reasonable income and spend as much as possible through my points earning credit cards (including 1.5 points/$ Amex Rewards Maximiser). Doing this I could launder around another 80K points per year to QFF.
So to earn enough for an anytime J award SYD-SIN-SYD I will need to maintain this earning rate for 2.8 years - or 5.6 years if I want to take Mrs NM with me. How absolutely ridiculous.
No wonder my priority was to retain my AA EXP status.
__________________ NM aka Nelly Mobbs
Go directly to WHY, do not pass F, do not collect a J amenity kit.
One point not raised yet is the promotion of the QFF Store. One question requested that I give a likelyhood of me purchasing a Myer Voucher or MP3 player with my points. My answer "Not bloody likely!".
Unfortunatly I am with lots of others here that see the amount of Classic Awards available falling to nil very quickly. Guess then the next best option is to only take patner awards or go the oneworld award track.
How the new Qantas Frequent Flyer program rewards true loyalty.
OUT FRIDAY
I guess we will have a more accurate idea of what will happen this Friday or the following Tuesday (July 1). I am not holding my breath that the July 1 changes will benefit customers going on past experience with Qantas FF program announcements/enhancements.
From my perspective I am keeping my expectations very low and I have been leaving my credit card points with the cards since last year (Amex and Citibank) until things become a bit clearer. I addition I have put a couple of FF flights into the system to London for October and May for myself and Mrs Orac to lock some value in at the present rate. I have no idea what the rate would/will be if I need to change a date?
My strategy has been to lock points in asap and leave purchasing points with the credit cards until the dust settles.
.
