Australia DISloyalty: Qantas deleting points
Qantas deleting frequent flyer points – choose or lose. Oh look, is there a loyalty program out there that doesn’t treat you like you are a nuisance? It’s almost as though the points are rewards but “carrots” to be dangled in front of our noses. Don’t know why, but most loyalty programs cause me to…
Qantas deleting frequent flyer points – choose or lose. Oh look, is there a loyalty program out there that doesn’t treat you like you are a nuisance? It’s almost as though the points are rewards but “carrots” to be dangled in front of our noses.
Don’t know why, but most loyalty programs cause me to feel distinctly disloyal. Everytime they say “no” to me – no to upgrades, no to changes, no you can’t have points, no you can’t use points, no you can’t give points to someone else, no no no – I want to scream NO back to them. No I won’t use your shitty service so I can get some meaningless points that I’ll never spend anyway.
Anyway, you’ve been warned. Qantas expects you to know about this, deal with it yourself, otherwise they will take your points away from you. ‘cos, y’know, it was too hard for them to put something in place, and you’ve got time to find out what to do, and they don’t. (more nutso decisions from Qantas on molt:n blog)
Actually, I quite liked United Star Alliance when I flew to the States a lot. They never flew with a business class seat empty so I got heaps more upgrades (I ended up Platininum). They would always call out 3 or 4 names at the Gate, with upgrade passes. I don’t even bother asking at the Qantas desk anymore.
What does this have to do with social networks? Well, a network uses ‘currency’ for what they ‘value’. Frequent flyer points could be a great currency system. The more value the member gives the network – flying with them, using their services – the more points they get. But deleting currency, deleting money, is a no-no. Just because Qantas doesn’t value it’s loyalty program (and sees it as a non-income earner) doesn’t mean the customer doesn’t value it. Wonder how much social network currency (and loyalty) they will lose, come March 31st?
By the way, my birthday is the week before, 24th March. *hint hint* whatcha gonna get me? 😛
EDIT 17 February – amusing followup email from Virgin to their database
If you’re a QANTAS Frequent Flyer you may have recently received communications suggesting that you consider moving points earned with credit and charge cards to their program by the end of March.
You don’t have to do anything of the sort
- You can keep reward points with your bank or charge card provider ’til whenever you wish (within the bounds of your program of course).
- The way we see it, it seems unfair that someone else is suggesting what you do with your points. That’s a choice for you alone to decide.
- And just to set the record straight, the act of doing nothing (not moving those credit and charge card points) does not mean you’re about to lose them. All it means is that you prefer having a say in the matter of your points and how you choose to use them.
We believe in the simple things
Like giving you, our Members, the right to decide how to use the points earned with your credit and charge card reward programs. We don’t believe in telling you what to do (although we’re not shy of enticing from time to time – as with our current out-of-this-world bonus Points promo – but that’s another story).
So please don’t be spooked by the QANTAS changes. Just remember that what you do with your points – and when you do it – is completely up to you.
The Velocity Team 🙂
PS: Just remember that we’re always here as a transfer option, with our massive range of flights and a loyalty program that can get you right around the world – Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, V Australia^, Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue.
See, you don’t have to lose them. Only to Qantas. Virgin is making hay while the sun shines… speaking of which, what happened to summer in Sydney? Is it gone already? o.O
Re: Birthday present. Not a qantas flight obviously 🙂
I love some well placed angst. Good blog
Presume that crucial word “want” (second instance) really should be “wont”
…otherwise, great rant!
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fixed the naughty won’t word 😛 Thanks!
Thanks for alerting me to it… thankfully our card is fine, but very much concurr with the disloyalty i have for these points gatherers – Fly Buys hits the top of my list as the most useless.
PS. I like the new look of your blog – very nice on the eye!
PPS. Am finding the DMs from your updates in twitter a little much as i also get alerted via email.
Claire McLennan’s last blog post..Like it or lump it… like all words change over time.
Laurel…I think you may have slightly misunderstood this. QF isn’t “deleting” points. They’ve simply changed their program so that certain credit cards can no longer have their points transferred over to their QFF.
@Anon I understand the difference technically but in reality… well put it this way. When someone who’s been saving their points for a flight tries to transfer them on April 1st or later in the year, and is told “you missed the deadline”, they will see it as wasted effort, and have a negative brand experience. Like trying to use Netherlands guilders 2 days after Europe switched to the Euro. Sucks.
Either we (consumer and company) value the points and that brings the company benefit of loyalty. Or we don’t value them, in which case the program is a waste of time.
We can’t have it both ways. 🙂
@Claire glad to have been of help – if you didn’t find out from the posters at the airport, or from Qantas newsletters, at least I have been of service.
Re: Twitter. Not sure why you are getting DMs of my updates, that’s not an ability that one person has over anothers account. I suggest you check SETTINGS (top of page), and only get emails of DMs and new followers?
Good points Laurel. There’s no doubt that when you want to ‘cash in your chips’ as reward for loyalty just to be told you can’t, it leaves a rather unpleasant taste in the mouth. Heading to the coffee shop with your completed card to be told they’ve run out of beans, ain’t the best way to drive customer satisfaction.
Annoying as that is though, I’d almost certainly go back to the coffee shop at a later date and claim my coffee. What’s more, I’d enjoy it too – after all, I’ve earnt it. Most likely, I’d then start another coffee card because I like the coffee there and I know I can get a free one every ninth visit.
I guess it’s the same with flights. If you call up and can’t get a flight when you want it, you get off the phone pretty pissed off. However, you’ve earnt that free flight so you keep trying. And when you eventually do get one, (as I have recently for Thailand), the disappointment of the earlier event subsides.
So, like the coffee shop, I’ll probably continue to use Qantas because it gives me everything I want, and I get something free at the end of it. What’s more, I’m able to get the ‘free something’ without even flying. I’ve just put a new kitchen and bathroom on my Qantas Earth credit card and it’s given me almost 70,000 points – hence the Thailand trip.
As Anon said, I’m not sure Qantas are taking points away – they’re simply asking whether you want to keep your points in your credit card program or if you want to move them into Qantas.
For me, I’ll be moving them. I don’t see any point having two coffee cards for different coffee shops offering the same coffee. It not only takes twice as long to get my free cup of coffee, I frankly can’t be bothered tracking two loyalty programs.
The choice that you have make I guess is this – if you’re thinking of using your credit card reward points with Qantas either now or in the future, transfer. If not, keep them where they are.
Yeah, Zed, you might persist because you feel you’d earnt the points, but I also suspect you’d think twice about it next time. After all if they’re not loyal to you why would you bother to be burnt a second time? And you’d certainly tell your mates about your bad experience so they’d have a negative view of the shop too. Not exactly the wisest marketing strategy.
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Yeah, just read about this… My points wont be deleted from Qantas freqnt flyer… I just cant transfer my points from westpac altitude after this date. p.s nice blog format laurel
Mate you have no idea what you’re talking about.
They’re not taking points away from anyone, they’re ENCOURAGING people to get involved and transfer bank rewards points to QFF.
Get your facts straight before slandering.
Cheers
Dear MCSaatchi otherwise known as Anon. Why not admit you are the agency handling the PR for this mess?
Cheers
Love it!
I would be rather annoyed if my points were deleted because you work so hard (and spend so much) to get those points. I agree that they should allow you to transfer them at a later date.
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A woman missed her flight at the boarding gate HKIA – FULL 7min version – where watch????
Qantas deleted my points. Will never fly with them again.