Qantas is cracking down on illegal buying & selling of frequent flyer points
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DeepAvThroat
DeepAvThroat
Member since 21 Mar 2017
Total posts 22
highflyer
highflyer
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 10 Apr 2012
Total posts 186
Does this include using points to upgrade only "family" members? I never understood why there was that limitation... the points are yours to spend.. why only limit it to family members?
johnaboxall
johnaboxall
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 24 Aug 2011
Total posts 384
One of the benefits of showing loyalty to an airline is by receiving and having the ability to use points to get upgrades and reward seats. By allowing a points grey market to flourish, it diminishes the ability for the points to be used appropriately (that is, within the terms and conditions of the program that each member agrees to when signing up to QFF).
Stuart Jackson
Stuart Jackson
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 15 Mar 2015
Total posts 84
I assume the people selling these large parcels of points are higher level frequent flyers who have accumulated large amounts of points and have no use for them. By selling the points via ozbargain and such they are devaluing the whole program. No wonder it’s so hard to find awards seat availability!
Nichokiu
Nichokiu
Member since 13 Apr 2018
Total posts 26
Good on Qantas! Ban the bargain hunter scrum, and increase seat availability for all! Definitely should happen more often.
Bob Burgess
Bob Burgess
Member since 13 Sep 2016
Total posts 49
They're not really 'high level frequent flyers', most of the time they are people who can put a lot of transactions through cards such as if they have a business, and they also churn credit cards. This is just a deliberate strategy to earn stacks of points so they can sell them. Sure, there are many actual frequent flyers with millions of points who can't use them but they tend to be legit people, not the ones out to make a fast buck but who also risk having their account shut down, that's something that a real frequent flyer would never risk!
patrickk
patrickk
Qantas
Member since 19 Apr 2012
Total posts 737
Because that is the rules of the program. It is not compulsory to use the points, you can allow them to lapse.
patrickk
patrickk
Qantas
Member since 19 Apr 2012
Total posts 737
It’s hard to not know it’s against the rules when it is called a family transfer with a long list of eligible members of what is a ‘family’. A good way to churn through a zillion points is to fly points plus pay.
GBRGB
GBRGB
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 21 Jan 2014
Total posts 295
In these modern times I would have thought that anyone could be considered a relation of someone in a relationship, no matter what the circumstances, it would be difficult for a business to suddenly define a relationship on only their selective terms, that would be grounds for discrimination I would have thought.
mannej
mannej
QF
Member since 21 May 2014
Total posts 176
Not all discrimination is illegal, and I believe that QF are fairly generous with their definitions so I’m not sure there is an issue here.
maabbot
maabbot
Member since 06 Feb 2014
Total posts 10
Sorry but what is the fundamental problem with this. You have earned he points so why shouldn’t you have he right to use / transfer as you see fit. Qantas happily sells points to banks etc - this is all about protecting Qantas as being the sole source of points available (outside of flying) and reducing competition. You selling them does change the supply of points in the market or diminish the ability to use.
Stuart Jackson
Stuart Jackson
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 15 Mar 2015
Total posts 84
What’s fundamentally wrong is that selling points on eBay and such is against the rules of the program! It devalues the program because there are more people with more points trying to upgrade/get awards so making it harder for legitimate ff. People aren’t buying points to get a toaster!
maabbot
maabbot
Member since 06 Feb 2014
Total posts 10
Sorry it’s a zero sum game there are more people with on average fewer points and the same aggregate points. SCs play key role in your priority for bookings and FF points can be used at the Qantas store to buy everyday appliances. They are not limited to just flights.
highflyer
highflyer
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 10 Apr 2012
Total posts 186
I think i've been misunderstood by some comments... what i meant is, you have earned the points... why does Qantas limit upgrades only to Family members... there have been plenty of times i've wanted to upgrade friends or colleagues i've been travelling with (not sell the points)... since I've earnt the points... shouldn't i be able to upgrade anyone i want using the points i've earned... and not only be limited to "family" members...?
Stuart Jackson
Stuart Jackson
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 15 Mar 2015
Total posts 84
You can’t buy points as you can in a US based system. Qantas only allows a purchase of points towards a specific redemption and only a certain % of points can be purchased.