djsflynn

Qantas sweetens the Platinum One pot with new 'complimentary Partner Platinum' status, along with new Platinum One bonus points levels [75,000 points at 5,000 SCs, 100,000 points at 7,000SCs].

http://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-sweet...t-flyer-status

thadocta

As far as the bonus points go, big whoopedy do, if you are flying enough that you are Platinum !, then you probably have so may points that you don't know what to do with them, let alone have the time to do anything with them, an extra 75K points won't make much of a difference. And if you qualify for the 100K bonus, even more so.

Dave

Platy

QF need to get the basics right on their P1. Whereas some others report some benefit, my experience was totally underwhelming as P1 for one year. Invites to events largely didn't happen. The 24/7 phone line reverts to an answer phone on many call attempts because one staff member on duty out of Canberra office hours, etc.


A P1 member's partner likely to be at least Gold in any case when 2400 credits achieved.

Those extra points are worth very little relative to the additional flights taken to achieve the additional status credits and of poor redemption value compared with other FF schemes...

Already get free bookings from call centre as a P1 (the same call centre you would use as a Platinum - not special one for P1)

og

What a lost opportunity for Red Roo to burst back on the scene and make these announcements.

perthflyer

I can't help it, but I keep wanting to compare P1 to BA's GGL and it doesn't look pretty for QF. The thresholds for P1 qualification compared to GGL (when factoring the ease of earning SCs/TPs) seem steep.

P1 - 3600SC with 3/4 on QF
GGL - 3000TP for 2 consecutive years or 5000TP in one year

Also making the partner Platinum valid only for a spouse or de facto seems limiting compared to BA giving each GGL one Gold (OWE) and two Silver (OWS) cards to give to anyone.

I'm surprised with P1 that there are no arrangements in place with hotel chains to provide comped status.

A dedicated phone line surely has to be one of the most appreciated benefits of status - it's a shame that Qantas doesn't have a separate P1 line. I've never had any experience with it (only being Gold), but BA's dedicated GGL line is meant to be very helpful (from what I've read over on the BA board).

^

seat_4D

Re points - I agree fairly pointless when you are already accumulating points into the 100,000's per annum on flights alone let along CC's / Hotels etc. A gesture, but like so many of them a poor one!

Partner Plat is a gesture, but again if the partner does (as mine) most of the flying with the Plat 1 anyway, then that is really only about additional points and a bit of in flight recognition (with the Comp Gold as others have noted in play)

Nothing still on the horizon to reward long term flying loyalty I see, it all remains about the "now"

As for Red Roo, his / her "half pregnant" approach pretty much sums up Qantas at the moment doesn't it?

Dave Noble

Actually, the article in the Sydney Morning Herald states

"Ms Grant ruled out the prospect of introducing a lifetime Platinum membership "

aster

I was just thinking about lifetime status when I wandered into this thread. So basically no way to earn lifetime OW Emerald with QF? Or at least not yet...

Are they worried about costs and/or people shifting to other alliance carriers once Emerald status would be fixed for life? I noticed Finnair has lifetime OW Emerald with its top status so others are taking a different approach.

seat_4D

So pretty much confirming my comment that there is nothing on the horizon to reward long term loyalty!

djsflynn

Similar response to that which Stephanie Tully, Chief Marketing Officer for Qantas Loyalty, offered in my article: Lifetime Platinum status "is not something we're considering at the moment, it's not on the radar."

I'm sure they get tired of hearing the same question, but I'm equally sure it will be trotted out at the Qantas-hosted QFF get-togethers over the coming weeks.

Kiwi Flyer

Not surprising but doesn't stop it being disappointing.

RichardMEL

This explains the invite I had to a "cocktail" party tomorrow night from "Ms Grant" to discuss the business blah blah blah... (I'm not going, though it is the first peep I've heard of any kind of offer from the P1 team/QF since I initially gained it over a year ago...).

So yeah i got the email this afternoon at the end of a very trying work day and like many here already... meh.

the points bonus? come on QF. And how many people really reach 7k SC's in a year? I mean that would be about 7 R/T Oz-LHR in paid F a year.. which I suppose doesn't sound that much put that way, but that's a significant spend level. I managed 3700 odd last year just squeaked over the line to P1, but then again I am all self funded. I guess if you flew to asia several times a month in paid J you'd probably rack up significant SC's, but seriously it must be a fairly small (relative) crowd that earns 5000+ - and for that spend with the airline, you're looking at a token gesture back.

(and yes I'm sure at least 2 of you on here will post you've done over 6k SC's this year already )

The partner plat yeah ... but definied as having same address etc which is fine to a degree, but as many say if you have your partner, likely the only time they'd value or use a Plat membership (over the "give someone gold" at 2400 SC') would probably me, one would assume, when they would be travelling .. with their P1 partner. So really costs QF next to nothing to offer that.

I think a more aluring way to offer perks but generate more spend (since this is what they are trying to "reward") is to say OK fine after 4000 SC's in a year, we;ll give you 110% bonus points, and after 4800 SC's you can nominate someone for plat status (anyone as in 2x2400) and at 5000 or 5500 SC's say, you get upgrade priority ABOVE other P1's or maybe even a CL invite (come to think of it, how many P1's would also be CL? I don't know what CL benefits are apart from the private lounges and higher priority but I'm sure there's others). Again though, if you reach these levels of earn/spend you're probably already in the highest cabin.

I guess it makes people feel more special somehow, but really....

I've earned 80SC's so far this membershop year and only on track to get to about 1000 in my first quarter, with no huge plans to come close to 3600 again.

IMHO.

Kiwi Flyer

While token it is 100k more than I got the one year I earned 7000 SCs.

Supersonic Swinger

Not really, I think Red Roo is on message. QFF is clearly morphing into an Australian focussed shoppers rewards program and an international website devoted to travel miles is not part of that.

seat_4D

Half pregnant referring to the "I want to be here but not be here" approach of the "Official Lurker".

Your other point is spot on, in fact my "membership" to a Qantas Frequent Flyer Advisory Committee was terminated because I constantly pointed that very fact out to them. While the other 100 odd committee earners fawned over every single suggestion that would add to their ability to accumulate points on the ground, I continually questioned the reason why the focus was not on taking on Virgin in the skies, as people will credit to the program they ultimately desire to fly with.

Apparently in the North Korea that is Qantas loyalty such questions are not tolerated....