Dave Noble

You still have till may 24 to book it at the current prices

Dave

MJA

Dave

that's where I lost the plot (serves me right for reading the small print).

As I said in my earlier post, the new terms say WP's can only waitlist up to 72 hours in advance. Can't see how that sits with being able to request up to 24 hours in advance....

Feel free to call me stupid....

santana

Hey Dave,

I plan on starting the trip on Aug 2005, so if I book before 25 May 2005, I only use 240K? I'm confused with the 25 May 2005 cut-off date, is that for booking flights or commencment of travel?

Dave Noble

"As I said in my earlier post, the new terms say WP's can only waitlist up to 72 hours in advance. Can't see how that sits with being able to request up to 24 hours in advance...."

Section 15 of the Terms and conditions has 2 sections

parts 15.1 and 15.2 are the rules in place up till 24th may

part 15.3 , 15.4 and 15.5 are the rules which supercede this on the 25th May.

As from 25 May, the relevant term is

15.5.1 Requests for Flight Upgrades can be lodged on this website or by phoning Qantas, between 90 days and 24 hours before scheduled departure from the first port of the flight. Requests for Flight Upgrades will not be accepted within 24 hours of scheduled departure from the port of origin.

which will replace

15.2.3 Flight Upgrade waitlisting by the redeeming Member is permitted only as follows:
(a) Platinum Members - between 90 days and 72 hours prior to departure from point of origin of the flight; and
(b) Gold/Silver/Bronze Members - between 90 days and 14 days prior to departure from point of origin of the flight.


Dave

MJA

and yet you didn't call me stupid

Dave Noble

The change to points earning / redemption come into effect on the 25th May so as long as you make the booking on or before the 24th May, you will be able to redeem under the current scheme

Dave

virtualtroy

As with others who've already posted, at first I'd thought this was good news when it comes to the new status credit earning rates. But then I worked out how the new rates penalise long-haul segments of between 4,801-5,800 miles - bad news for anyone who used to bank on 160 SCs for flights between South America, US west coast ports and London.

On a RTW itin all of this tends to equal out with the more generous earning levels for shorter hops (my next one yields a loss of 40 SCs and a net gain of 40, so I'm 20 SCs up on the deal), but bizarrely QF seems to be rewarding those types of itineraries over straight returns.

The withdrawal of confirmed upgrades is a big downer. Am I right in understanding that checking-in late will reduce your chances?

All in all, the latest enhancements bring the QF scheme more into line with BA's (and, ironically, even make BA's scheme look attractive now).

As for those of you considering defecting to AA's scheme, I suspect that reforms are in the pipeline there too (though add the health warning that this is based on opinion, rather than rumour or evidence).

GoldFlyer

Has any thread on the QF board ever grown as rapidly as this one?

I didn't get the email so I presume the changes do not apply to me.

Thanks QF.

virtualtroy

Perhaps you're opted out of email. I'm afraid the changes apply to all members and you can read the joyous news here:

http://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/...rogramFeatures

Dani

From the website:

International Upgrade Awards

Because of this, from 25 May 2005, the International Flight Upgrade Award process will change.

Confirmed upgrades will no longer be available. If you hold a paid and confirmed ticket for an eligible Qantas marketed and operated* flight, you can register for an international Flight Upgrade from 90 days to 24 hours before departure.

If this is effective 25 May, does this mean one can continue to book confirmed upgrades for flights up to 355 days after 24 May 05 ? and come 25 May the "confirmed" upgrade award availability disappears.

virtualtroy

My read of this is that come 25 May confirmed upgrades disappear, but UCs can continue to be used until they expire (ie 24 months after issue) sans the confirmation. Anyone else interpret this otherwise?

Dave Noble

For awards booked up until 24th May, there is no change.

As from 25th may, no new Upgrade Credits will be issued , though those already earned will be valid until their expiry date. Also, as from the 25th May, it will no longer be possible to confirm upgrades on international flights; all upgrade requests will go into a de-facto waitlist which will clear (or not) on day of departure

Dave

luftaom

Just worked out how much my last redemption will set me back under the new rules.

SYD-ASP-BME-PER-SIN-MEL-SYD will go from 50,000 to 112,500 (BA was used SIN-MEL)

QF WP

Now I understand why Dave Noble has been ringing me on my mobile!! Actually was my best friend in SIN who advised me this morning about the changes, but I haven't had a chance to read them yet - will print them out and look at them from the WHY seat on my BNE/MEL seat on Friday - this'll be the first chance I'll get to digest them. The joys of being extremely busy at work

Very interesting reading the 6 pages of comments from all different levels of QF status FT'ers while I ate dinner (still at work, late one tonight). Seems very clearly the general concensus id negative, but we all have to look at how the changes affect us, because it will in different ways depending on our own travel patterns.

If this maligns the premium pax, then QF will have to do a backflip of great magnitude. I think it will be interesting to see how many of us drift over to reading the FT AA Board more regularly than the QF one...this might become a ghost town

Quotable quote from Dave Noble on the phone to me now: There are no winners, just different levels of losers

Wongo

The routes I fly this year alot is HKG-BKK used to earn 40 SC return, now it is only a 30 SC run.
This is crap from Qantas, they have already watered down the our points start of this year. They are doing it again.
Actually, anyone from any groups benefits from this apart from Qantas?



The points earning system is still business class bias. O well, bring in... Ansett the second. And no, we don't need people from Air NZ running it.