Krisflyer going soft ?

[MAN Flyer]

Some may have seen this already on Fast Track but there is a part about people being able to use their FF miles. Of course they managed to dig out some of the naïve people around who don't understand the programmes (or bother spending time learning) and they moan about being able to use their points.

SQ are dragged in by a couple who are 'regular SQ customers', although how regular is open for discussion if they have to top up a YCL award ticket, who end up topping up their account then redeeming their points for a YCL award ticket to SIN (doesn't say where from but presumably the UK), which ends up costing more than if they just bought the ticket.

SQ end up refunding everything, which I personally think is far more than they needed to do.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01cn7mr

[Kyo]

SQ didn't need to do that but bad publicity for them in the UK is precisely what they don't need. Fat chance if everybody in Singapore did that on national TV...

[RHG]

The issue of FFP being devalued is increasingly becoming more common. It is a valid and current complaint.

The episode only justifies another reason why SQ business has been faltering due to poor quality of its FFP.

[sushiinSYD]

As a relatively new holiday flyer's point of view, it did not make much sense. Even I knew with SQ, I had to pay fuel surcharge and tax on redemption booking...

Particularly at the very end of the show, it suggested: consider buying the CHEAPEST economy tickets and use your points to upgrade to normal business fare tickets. I thought it was misleading. Did I misunderstand anything here?

[B727]

Particularly at the very end of the show, it suggested: consider buying the CHEAPEST economy tickets and use your points to upgrade to normal business fare tickets. I thought it was misleading. Did I misunderstand anything here?

They should've said the cheapest UPGRADABLE economy tickets...

[MAN Flyer]

The episode only justifies another reason why SQ business has been faltering due to poor quality of its FFP.

There are numerous reasons why SQ are not doing as well as they could be these days, a website that hasn't worked properly for over 2 years now being top of the list. But to say it's all because of Krisflyer is rubbish. In fact, KF has actually improved in recent times as who would ever have thought a couple of years ago that they would allow Saver Awards in Suites as well as one way awards ?.

It remains a very stingy programme as far as earning rates while flying are concerned, and that does still put a few people off. But like most FFP's there are plenty other ways to earn the miles through credit card spend and others.

[RHG]

It remains a very stingy programme as far as earning rates while flying are concerned,

I think you just answered your own question. what i had meant was that the KF programme is another reason of SQ's faltering business, NOT the main reason.

Respectfully, i think you just need to look at other complaints posted, including this forum. It just serves to justify that there are many unhappy customers of SQ around. These customers are not the minority anymore.

[KC*]

SQ end up refunding everything, which I personally think is far more than they needed to do.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01cn7mr

I agree with you here. Anyone with any processing power up on top should know that if he need to pay a significant number of top up miles to get a redemption Y ticket may possibly pay more than a lowest bucket ticket. More so when this couple claim to be regular customers.

Having said that, it was good PR to refund them in full. Doing more than one needs to always turn a potentially nasty situation into one that puts the airline in good light. What surprised me was that SQ knows how to do so. Hee....

[KC*]

Like the people interviewed, I do lament the "devalued" FF points. I remember in the past, all surcharges were included in a redemption ticket and it was truly "free".

[MAN Flyer]

I think you just answered your own question. what i had meant was that the KF programme is another reason of SQ's faltering business, NOT the main reason.

Ah, that's not what your post above said.

Respectfully, i think you just need to look at other complaints posted, including this forum. It just serves to justify that there are many unhappy customers of SQ around. These customers are not the minority anymore.

I don't need to read complaints on here to know how unhappy some people are with SQ. I am well aware of it and if there are more than a handful of people (if any) that have done more moaning and complaining about SQ on here than myself over the last few years I'd be very surprised. I get reminded about it enough by certain people.

Having said that, I still believe the recent opening up of Saver Awards for all flights (and with decent availability as well) was a surprise and is to be welcomed. I know they are doing it because they need us back on side and seem to value us a little again unlike during previous years at the latter end of the Chew era when they destroyed the PPS programme and were basically telling us to **** Off they don't care how much we have spent in the past, but it is to be welcomed all the same.

[inix]

While SQ haven't really been making big changes, there were enough incremental small changes to make me believe that they have listened. Its just that sometimes these changes are so small that we tend to forget them.

Saver for all flights is 1, and lest we forget, PPS value for taxes recently as well. Are they doing enough, not yet IMO, but its a good start.

[cplh]

its not panglossian to give KF and SQ some credit

i remember the good old days when KF did exist and economy class passengers earned nowt flying on SQ
even when saver awards omitted the "new" seats, it was feasible to get awards on the older planes and i must admit nostalgia for row 17 in the upper deck and for 1B in the pointy end
mr o'leary is correct when he notes that a plane is just “just a b----- bus with wings” but SQ's consistently good service makes it less painful