Qantas and One World becoming a joke

32 replies

docsimonm

Member since 29 Mar 2017

Total posts 34

Hello everyone,


I'm off to Kuala Lumpur next week. I was checking Qantas' earning calculator and subsequent earning tables, and worked out that Malaysia Airlines flights in business between Aus and Malaysia earns a measly 30 status credits - compared to Syd-Sin with QF in discount business: 120 status credits, but doesn't get me to KL.
I also recently flew an economy flight in Spain with Iberia and earned a measly 5 status credits.

The One World Alliance used to be fantastic if you were a QFF. Now it's complicated and downright rubbish unless you fly with Qantas.

Compared to Virgin for example: Virgin holds all airlines pretty much on par.

I can't really be bothered flying Qantas anymore. I find Virgin crew so, so much better and generally their lounge, hard and soft product better (although I did just have one of the most horrific business class breakfasts in business to New Zealand). The QFF program is unrewarding beyond QF and reward flight availability is rubbish. Qantas long-haul business is pretty ordinary compared to asian and middle-eastern carriers (and VA where they fly). Customer service is absolute crap with unanswered emails and when you ring, 25 minute wait (QC and Golf FF) on multiple occasions recently.

The logical answer to "why bother?" would be "reciprocal lounges". But seriously, I have Priority Pass and my employer gives me a Diner's Club - so for the few hours I can be comfortable enough. Some of them are quite incredible.

What else is there really to Qantas and their FF program that holds any value? If they're looking for loyalty, I'm finding it's too hard to be loyal with them anymore. I'd rather spend my hours in the air on a premium product and not bother stressing about status credits and poor customer service.

Am I on my own here, am I missing something, or do people agree? Love to hear peoples comments.

whoppersandwich

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 11 Dec 2017

Total posts 125

Status credits with OW are very much inconsistent (ie flying MH in standard economy nets you nothing), whilst I’m about to earn 120SC for flying BA’s Club Euro (arguably worse than MH economy) between LHR-VIE for AUD$600 return. Whilst I’m quite happy to take the good with the bad, there will be some flyers who will always be getting the short end of the stat creds.


Most of my colleagues here in Perth aren’t overly keen on chasing QF loyalty, but they are certainly a clear winner here. With VA winding back their transcon widebody services and QF tipped to add more (once PER-CDG starts) Qantas get my vote domestically.


International flying features far more variety, and since my employer generally chooses the best fare I’m happy to try out whichever product I’m given. That said the non-stop to LHR has proven to be very advantageous for us, with rumours now swirling about that negotiations with Perth Airport will produce a very good result for customers (and probably QF) - I am very optimistic about red-tailed flying in the short-medium term.


Last editedby whoppersandwich at Jul 15, 2018, 10:04 PM.

blingwad

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 04 Jun 2015

Total posts 75

Hello everyone,

I'm off to Kuala Lumpur next week. I was checking Qantas' earning calculator and subsequent earning tables, and worked out that Malaysia Airlines flights in business between Aus and Malaysia earns a measly 30 status credits - compared to Syd-Sin with QF in discount business: 120 status credits, but doesn't get me to KL.
I also recently flew an economy flight in Spain with Iberia and earned a measly 5 status credits.

The One World Alliance used to be fantastic if you were a QFF. Now it's complicated and downright rubbish unless you fly with Qantas.

Compared to Virgin for example: Virgin holds all airlines pretty much on par.

I can't really be bothered flying Qantas anymore. I find Virgin crew so, so much better and generally their lounge, hard and soft product better (although I did just have one of the most horrific business class breakfasts in business to New Zealand). The QFF program is unrewarding beyond QF and reward flight availability is rubbish. Qantas long-haul business is pretty ordinary compared to asian and middle-eastern carriers (and VA where they fly). Customer service is absolute crap with unanswered emails and when you ring, 25 minute wait (QC and Golf FF) on multiple occasions recently.

The logical answer to "why bother?" would be "reciprocal lounges". But seriously, I have Priority Pass and my employer gives me a Diner's Club - so for the few hours I can be comfortable enough. Some of them are quite incredible.

What else is there really to Qantas and their FF program that holds any value? If they're looking for loyalty, I'm finding it's too hard to be loyal with them anymore. I'd rather spend my hours in the air on a premium product and not bother stressing about status credits and poor customer service.

Am I on my own here, am I missing something, or do people agree? Love to hear peoples comments.

I earned 40sc for KUL-HKG with MAS in J. Maybe your figures are off.

moa999

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 02 Jul 2011

Total posts 834

Been this way for a few years since Simply Fairer changes were introduced. It's the Qantas FF program and they want you to fly on Qantas in preference to other oneworld airlines.


In effect these changes halved the points earn on 'competitive routes' eg. To KUL (QF wants you to fly with it to SIN and then transfer to 3K Jetstar Asia). MH Malaysian was even worse with Business class fares treated as Flex Economy in the tables.

In addition AA Domestic First got reclassified as Business, and earn on short AA flights culled.

anonymous

Member since 24 Dec 2013

Total posts 159

The QFF program is what it is. It is designed to persuade people to fly Qantas instead of its competitors. Given the popularity of the program, a lot of frequent flyers are ok with that. The program is not meant to suit everyone. You have the option not to chase status with Qantas if you feel it is not in your benefit to do so. I think there was an article on this site recently with tips on how to free yourself from an airline loyalty program.

john wayne

Member since 23 Mar 2018

Total posts 3

Qantas have just reduced Life time Club membership to 50 years. We bought our children Life club on their 18th birthdays and suddenly there is an expiry date. That means they are akready a qurter thru their memberships. When they turn 68 it expires. Very sneaky and underhanded.

hutch

Member since 07 Oct 2012

Total posts 772

Hello everyone,

I'm off to Kuala Lumpur next week. I was checking Qantas' earning calculator and subsequent earning tables, and worked out that Malaysia Airlines flights in business between Aus and Malaysia earns a measly 30 status credits - compared to Syd-Sin with QF in discount business: 120 status credits, but doesn't get me to KL.
I also recently flew an economy flight in Spain with Iberia and earned a measly 5 status credits.

The One World Alliance used to be fantastic if you were a QFF. Now it's complicated and downright rubbish unless you fly with Qantas.

Compared to Virgin for example: Virgin holds all airlines pretty much on par.

I can't really be bothered flying Qantas anymore. I find Virgin crew so, so much better and generally their lounge, hard and soft product better (although I did just have one of the most horrific business class breakfasts in business to New Zealand). The QFF program is unrewarding beyond QF and reward flight availability is rubbish. Qantas long-haul business is pretty ordinary compared to asian and middle-eastern carriers (and VA where they fly). Customer service is absolute crap with unanswered emails and when you ring, 25 minute wait (QC and Golf FF) on multiple occasions recently.

The logical answer to "why bother?" would be "reciprocal lounges". But seriously, I have Priority Pass and my employer gives me a Diner's Club - so for the few hours I can be comfortable enough. Some of them are quite incredible.

What else is there really to Qantas and their FF program that holds any value? If they're looking for loyalty, I'm finding it's too hard to be loyal with them anymore. I'd rather spend my hours in the air on a premium product and not bother stressing about status credits and poor customer service.

Am I on my own here, am I missing something, or do people agree? Love to hear peoples comments.

I think Virgin and Qantas are pretty similar. And when one is better than the other, the other changes to end up the same eventually.  I've had good and bad experiences across both cabins on Virgin and Qantas, and experienced poor service from their respective call centres.  People should just choose the airline that they like.  


OW and lounge access is probably QFs trump card.  So while you can complain about status points earn rates on OW airlines, this problem would be experienced on Virgin by them not having a partner for you to earn anything.  Also many Velocity users express frustration at Virgins complicated lounge access for international flights - so I think  it's fair to say that not only QFF can have its complications.  

Austline

Member since 23 Aug 2011

Total posts 43

What a rant, just enroll in Enrich and fly Aust/KL direct!

QFF isn't for everyone but it sure beats a lot of other programms.

koji

Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club

Member since 11 Jun 2018

Total posts 58

To be honest, Qantas earning rate on partner airlines is one of the best in the alliance. (Compared to CX) But I won’t stop you if you wanna join BA program, with travel plans on BA metal annually, or you wanna join the tricky JL plan, which I doubt how long that insane promotion will last.

Being one member of the giant alliance (well, ow is the smallest), it is important to let members enjoy the convenience of the alliance network but keep loyal to its own program in the same time. And I do reckon va’s partnership shouldn’t be regarded as one of those alliances, as the benefits and codeshare cooperation are both limited.

koji

Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club

Member since 11 Jun 2018

Total posts 58

What a rant, just enroll in Enrich and fly Aust/KL direct!
QFF isn't for everyone but it sure beats a lot of other programms.


Check the enrich redemption rate. You will abandon it ASAP.

mannej

QF

Member since 21 May 2014

Total posts 176

What a rant, just enroll in Enrich and fly Aust/KL direct!
QFF isn't for everyone but it sure beats a lot of other programms.


Enrich being one of those programs?

mannej

QF

Member since 21 May 2014

Total posts 176

Qantas have just reduced Life time Club membership to 50 years. We bought our children Life club on their 18th birthdays and suddenly there is an expiry date. That means they are akready a qurter thru their memberships. When they turn 68 it expires. Very sneaky and underhanded.


Has this been confirmed in writing, as I wouldn't put it past being a result of the recent updates to QF's IT systems and backend?

john wayne

Member since 23 Mar 2018

Total posts 3

Qantas have just reduced Life time Club membership to 50 years. We bought our children Life club on their 18th birthdays and suddenly there is an expiry date. That means they are akready a qurter thru their memberships. When they turn 68 it expires. Very sneaky and underhanded.


Has this been confirmed in writing, as I wouldn't put it past being a result of the recent updates to QF's IT systems and backend?


Where it used to state Expiry Life: It has the 2 dates when my children will have their 50th anniversary of joining. In other words their 68th birthday. One in 2054 and the other in 2056. quite odd seeing those dates become a relevant factor in our lives. Although not mine by then. haha

Big Easy

Member since 18 Apr 2018

Total posts 2

Qantas have just reduced Life time Club membership to 50 years. We bought our children Life club on their 18th birthdays and suddenly there is an expiry date. That means they are akready a qurter thru their memberships. When they turn 68 it expires. Very sneaky and underhanded.

Howdy,

I tried to check this but couldn't find anything on it. I'm a life member (was a wedding present from my parents 20 years ago) - does that mean I've only got 30 years of membership left? Doesn't sound very "lifetime" to me! How can I clarify this?
Thanks.

hakkinen5

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 20 Aug 2014

Total posts 206

Qantas have just reduced Life time Club membership to 50 years. We bought our children Life club on their 18th birthdays and suddenly there is an expiry date. That means they are akready a qurter thru their memberships. When they turn 68 it expires. Very sneaky and underhanded.


Has this been confirmed in writing, as I wouldn't put it past being a result of the recent updates to QF's IT systems and backend?


Where it used to state Expiry Life: It has the 2 dates when my children will have their 50th anniversary of joining. In other words their 68th birthday. One in 2054 and the other in 2056. quite odd seeing those dates become a relevant factor in our lives. Although not mine by then. haha

I doubt that will fly. They can't sell a product as lifetime then say after you've paid, its not actually lifetime anymore.

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