redslert

Must praise Qantas PR in drumming up so much speculation about P1 without announcing anything. Clearly they have no idea and are just gathering information from forums like this...

AnonymousCoward

It's not really a .... The ongoing accounting complexity of accruing a liability is probably a huge PITA, and similar to managing the liabilities of a pension fund with perpetual lifetime expectancy changes. At least this way, they can know from year-to-year what their ongoing liability is. Maybe they could have made it a bit more generous, but they've done their numbers. If you don't like it, there are plenty of other carriers around.

Upgrade vouchers -> SC bonus: well some people discovered that there were cheap ways to get $10000 flights for $500 worth of outlay. Once too many people figured this out, well, what so you expect?

Even still, people here are still scheming on how to best "beat" or "manage" the system. "i'll fly 3600 SCs on AA in YUPPs to get my P1" type comments, will just result in QF changing the rules again, because they need to balance the costs/benefits. If too many people game the system, then QF is going to change the rules. They are not a charity.

Blackcloud

I agree with your points except I do not recall anyone here scheming on how to fly AA YUPPS to get P1. Why would you just to get a different type of card, especially considering that P1 would more than likely require a certain amount of QF coded flying. It is clear the ehancements in ths round are orientated to making QFFers fly QF, especially international premium cabins, more.
FTers and or forum frequenters are not the majority type of flyers, this was the view of managers of a certain airline I have spoken to. They value our comments but regarding the FFP's we tend not to be the majority type of consumer.
If there is abuse of the system I am sure QF will look to close the hole and quickly if it is in the QF Group, eg. StarClass sales fares, you need to buy the expensive add on to get the points and SC now.

Dave Noble

Would totally agree, but some people do seem to spend money to fly around just to get a prettier coloured card

serfty

I'm not sure there was any abuse in relation to StarClass fares.

You booked D/J on JQi flight and received SCs/QFF point in line with that.

No, Qantas Group are testing the waters. They may reduce the cost differential to earn SC's/Points in the future or they may not.

They certainly felt the need to introduce SC/Point earning on JQ fares some months after the commenced operation - initially none were to be earned (nor was there QP/lounge access available).

og

The same level of abuse but the other way: QF charging full Biz Class points for a StarClass seat redemption - the very seat that is little more than a PE seat on the 744/388..

Blackcloud

Judging by how many posts there were about the StarClass SC runs there were definitely some flyers, although I believe the bulk of StarClass pax were more interested in the cheaper fares than SC and QFF points, that took the fullest advantage of these flights and if that is what they wanted then good for them. However QF now has reduced the value of these fares, and likely ODU to StarClass, by the need to purchase the add on to garner the previously included SC and QFF points. I for one am not happy about the large price increases that JQ have instituted for the same level of product and services and do not consider the JQ value proposition to be as high anymore.
JQ has now priced itself in the same range as NZ domestic for many fares and I know which one I would take, for the record not JQ.
However my original point was regarding the reported "I am now WP and if QF has made a new tier PO (I am still undecided what the new abbreviation I will use) I will now go to the US and fly AA YUPPs to get to the 3,600 required to retain my top tier status." IMO I cannot see the benefit, yet to be determined by QF, or logic of that.
But FTers, are a varied and strange bunch so some people will see the logic behind it.

Oneworldplus2

AnonymousCoward; good points you made, but...(If l read correctly) QF will be resetting the loyalty bonus SC count every year. I may end up on 890 or 930 SC's and it will get reset to 0 and have to start from scratch next 'year'.

QF used to offer upgrade vouchers upon reaching a certain milestone, that changed to 5000 QFF points for every 450SC, now it's changed to 8000 QFF points for 500SC's (AND, QF now reset the tally every year and the loyalty bonus is capped after x).

AnonymousCoward

Correct. It means that QANTAS doesn't have to accrue liabilities on the balance sheet for all these people who have, and are carrying, small SC balances. Someone who has 100 SCs, or 110, or 120 is a liability that has to be carried year after year - because eventually they might get to 450, and then be owed some points.

Now they are just resetting that liability to $0 every twelve months. In return they are handing out a few more points (again, arguably, given what they will be saving, maybe they should have been a bit more generous)

mattm199

Thinking about it, what I really see as "mean spirited" is the resetting of the loyalty bonus clock each membership year - if you fall just short of the threshold, I'm not sure how it rewards "loyalty" by taking the whole lot away.
The Status Credits don't themselves represent a balance sheet liability, just the points that they might eventually earn, which in some cases might take years. Truly "frequent flyers" (or FT'ers) will surely be earning lots of points regardless of this SC reset.

AnonymousCoward

Correct

Under accrual accounting, this represents a liability. You need to assign some % percentage cost against this, presenting the liklihood that it may be redeemed for actual $ (which diminishes the further away in time that the liklihood eventuates).

So, it's an accounting nightmare to justify the assumptions to the auditors (we reckon that x% will get their points next year, and y% the year after, and the points are worth $x next year and $y the year after - ad infinitum for an infinite number of years - since SCs don't expire), and it's also an actual cost on the balance sheet. Might be worth reading up on accrual accounting...

m0hamed

Shouldn't we all then ask for our membership years to be reset to December 31st, otherwise if undertaking DONEX or AONEX so that we don't lose out on the SC loyalty bonus accrual while trying to requalify?

TonyHancock

I am keen to see what QF will offer in the form of upgrades for WP's*. This is the one area that would gain my loyalty, and it wouldn't take much. Two or three, confirmed at booking, points upgrades would be a huge benefit to me and one that would keep my flying QF.


*Off topic but worth a note. Those quick to criticise the use of an apostrophe with an abbreviation might do well to consult The Oxford Companion To The English Language. (I won't criticise anyone for incorrect usage because I make lots of grammatical and spelling errors.......but not in this case! )

AnonymousCoward

Agree that there could be some scheme for guaranteed upgrades for WPs.

Disagree with your use of the apostrophe (and I have consulted some sources). Apostrophes are for contractions (it is -> it's) and to indicate possession (AC's car). Plurals (an upgrade for a WP -> upgrades for WPs) do not use an apostrophe. Happy to see what your source indicates.

Lucky_man

Just to contribute to he apsotrophe thing. It is an Australian topic, and if the language is Australian then the reference is Macquarie.

You can find an explanation here

http://www.macquariedictionary.com.a...tion.html#apos

So to my surprise plural acronyms do not take the apostrophe. I thought they did if they ended in a vowel eg GPO's.

I don't agree with gauranteed upgrades for Plat's (apostrophe of contraction). Plat' benefits should be things money can not buy.

By the same token I don't understand why people think Plat's should be exempt from booking fees. These are supposedly the high spenders and I don't see that the booking fee impacts much.

The one thing that needs to be unwound is denial of anytime access. Their partial wind back did not go far enough. The biggest loss for me is that when I fly guests to Australia I can not lounge them on their return departure - would make sense to give plats lounge access if any of the 3 people are travelling Q.

Also when I flew to Wenzhou for example on a QF ticket I can't access QF lounge in HKG. Certainly felt like a poor relative that day.

Rants over.