Qantas enforces 'minimum 4 QF/JQ segments' rule for QFF status

[KeithMEL]

This is relevant to people still participating in Qantas Frequent Flyer. The program has been 'enhanced' (not that it was exactly an attractive option before) as a previously unenforced term in the T&Cs will now be enforced. You will now need to fly a minimum of 4 eligible segments on QF (Qantaslink and Jetconnect flights count) or JQ (not sure about 3K) to re/qualify for QFF status.

If you log into your account, you will notice a tracker of the number of eligible flight segments you've flown on QF/JQ.

Although not to the extent of recent alterations to SQ PPS, this change represents a raw deal for members of QFF not based in AU/NZ.

[jjpb3]

I'm not really opposed to requirements about minimum own-metal flights. An airline has to incur some costs to run and administer an FFP. If optimizing those costs involves requiring some "payment" in the form of direct revenue on the airline itself, I don't really see imposing the requirement as a raw deal in itself.

This is a raw deal, though, if the change is abrupt and doesn't give the FFP members much time to adjust their travel patterns. I couldn't tell from your post, KeithMEL: is the new enforcement with immediate effect, so someone coming up to the end of his membership year suddenly has to scramble for 4 eligible segments?

[KeithMEL]

This is a raw deal, though, if the change is abrupt and doesn't give the FFP members much time to adjust their travel patterns. I couldn't tell from your post, KeithMEL: is the new enforcement with immediate effect, so someone coming up to the end of his membership year suddenly has to scramble for 4 eligible segments?

I do agree with the enforcement of 4 eligible segments. It's not too hard to achieve 4 QF segments if you happen to be based in AU/NZ like myself. They must be noticing the sheer number of US-based members who hold QFF SG or WP, who've never set foot onboard a QF aircraft for over an extended period, and incur costs by using it to enter Admirals Club on domestic itineraries. QFF is possibly the easiest oneworld FFP to get sapphire/emerald statuses on and you can use it to enter the Admirals Club without paying for membership.

However it is the lack of notice I'm concerned about. There is not really any notice. Online statements changed overnight to include a counter to track the number of QF/JQ flights one has taken. The T&C has always contained the rule, it's just recently updated to include segments operated by JQ and there's an 'effective 27th March' at the top of the current set of T&Cs. So I'd assume the enforcement came into effect on the 27th of March.

I only got confirmation of the enforcement when I rang up QFF to enquire. The problem with QFF is qualification is not by calendar, rather your joining date is your anniversary and you then have 12 months to re/qualify for status by that date. So far I've not received any official notification, although from QF's point of view the rule has always been there so they might not feel the need to notify anyone. I hope they allow a bit of a leeway as 'effective 27th March' in the T&C page is not good enough and the amount of notice that provides varies from person to person depending on when your status anniversary is. And like, who on earth checks the online T&Cs everyday anyway?

I'm letting my QFF status lapse anyway as AA has been so kind to extend my Plat on a complimentary basis. But I don't think I'd have any problem keeping QFF status with the new enforcement as I have to fly to CBR at least once a month. The people that lose out are expatriate Aussies in the US who can currently get SG by YUPing their way there over a weekend.