Changes to PPS?

[milehighj]

Assuming that the changes mentioned in the OP to the PPS are true, then qualifying for the PPS club will actually become easier for those prepared to spend money, e.g. £4.5k for SIN-LHR vv in F; two of these and you've more than qualified under the new S$25k criteria; but under the present system, that would give you 24 PPS sectors.

My calculations are S$7000 for SIN-Europe vv in J.
Three of these were an easy 30 sectors, but only now $21k towards requalification.

[yvrcnx]

Before we are getting the official announcement from SQ regarding the exclusive canges in PPS, while I am deleting my text messages, I found sms from one of my dearest friends who replied to my news about how disappointed I am with SQ. Hope you all can give answers or comments.

... I am surprised that so many are so surprised at this (new enhanced PPS)... lesser airlines have been chnaging benefits etc for the past few years. So I am curios why everyone seems to think SQ wouldn't do the same?

Regarding Life PPS being abolish:

Do any other FFP have lifetime status at that level? Do you really think UA 1P (or AA PLT) for life equates to PPS for life? IMHO those two status levels are a joke compared to PPS.
Both being *G is as close as they get to being the same. One can achieve 1P by flying only on cheap cheap cheap tickets, and in fact without ever having status on UA. At least with PPS it's always been driven at those buyng F & C fares.

I would have to agree with most of what your friend wrote though I admit that I am too like most here saddened by the way it's been done.
Milehighj put it very well, so many have been loyal, going the extra mile and out of our way to fly SQ, I know I have done that quite often, backtracking because I enjoy flying SQ and their service is just great.
I won't change my flying habits wit SQ to much, just on certain routes I will choose to fly more direct rather then going "back" through SIN, using a different carrier.
But as it was mentioned somewhere else, SQ service is already that good in the air that it will make missing PPS a little more bearable.
The most important benefits for me have been priority check-in, which I will still get wether flying C/J or using other airlines *G status when flying Y, lounge access - SKL will still be accessible when flying C/J or F though no more guests otherwise it's back to the other *G lounges.
These are the things I treasure the most when flying a lot of longhaul.

[Guy Betsy]

Whilst I don't like it, I'm not surprised at all by this. SQ is a profit making business and not a charity.

Assuming that the changes mentioned in the OP to the PPS are true, then qualifying for the PPS club will actually become easier for those prepared to spend money, e.g. £4.5k for SIN-LHR vv in F; two of these and you've more than qualified under the new S$25k criteria; but under the present system, that would give you 24 PPS sectors.

That is precisely the main reason for this change. SQ was aware of people taking sector runs to qualify. They want to be able to seperate the 'real' PPS members who earned it the hard way by buying full fare tickets.

[yvrcnx]

A suggestion to protect all of us who will not re-qualify for PPS under the new rules, and to help us make our grieving more bearable;
Those of you who will continue to be PPS please do not share how you are treated like gods as we will start thinking and agonizing over how things could still be if our long lost friend PPS was still around.......just a suggestion, at least until the grieving period is over.

[jhm]

SQ was aware of people taking sector runs to qualify.

Are/were there people crazy enough to do that ?

[CGK]

Are/were there people crazy enough to do that ?

It's me. It's me.

That is precisely the main reason for this change. SQ was aware of people taking sector runs to qualify. They want to be able to seperate the 'real' PPS members who earned it the hard way by buying full fare tickets.

There is also a related matter that certain PITAs complaining about. To be precise, SKL F is too FULL. Day after day they complained. And majority who complained were not the F pax, but QPP/TPP/LPP not flying in F. Guess what? SQ listens to the complaints.

[SQflyergirl]

I wonder if anyone at the meeting when they addressed the overcrowded lounges (the main excuse for this, allegedly) stuck their hand up and suggested making the lounge bigger ?.

That'd be giving them too much credit my dear.....

[tfung]

this is terrible... basically if both a TPP and a QPP spend the exact same amount of money, say $30k SGD a year, the QPP will remain a QPP forever even though he spends as much as the TPP... what a lame system...

[SQflyergirl]

.. There's really no point to fly on SQ more than $25k a year after you reach TPPS..

How's that for shooting yourself in the foot?

[MAN Flyer]

I am looking for the 'carrots' in all this, but I can't seem to find any. Can anyone please point out the benefit in all this to those that do qualify for this new elite PPS ?. There must be some, or one even. Surely ?.

When airlines have previously 'enhanced' their FFP's (which generally means bad news all round), they usually drop a few new benefits in to soften the blow or to help persuade the masses that this is actually good news for them as they will now be entitled to or get 'X', 'Y' and/or 'Z'.

I know SQ seem to be getting more arrogant by the month, but surely they realise they need to offer something. Or has the new PR contact gone to the same company BA use ?.

[CGK]

CGK

cumulative PPSV of $250k within 5 consecutive years sounds pretty clear, in my reading...

I am not a lawyer, and English is my second language here. But I see it as 5 consecutive years being QPP.
Okay, I am sure someone has access to the older rules of TPP before SARS era.
As far as I remember, prior to year 2001 or 2002, to get TPP, someone has to be QPP for 5 years consecutively and the total cumulative 250 sectors.
Then SQ changed the requirement to only 2 years. I got my QPP1 with 25 sectors. Then QPP2 150 sectors. So in the middle of the 3 years, I have passed 250, and was changed to TPP3 right away. And yes, I was 2 years consecutively being QPP.

[SQflyergirl]

Manflyer is right. Logic would tell you that you cut the number of PPSers by raising the threshold, you allow "enable(ing) us to continue delivering good PPS club services" - i have yet to see it.

What's the point of trying harder to join an exclusive club, that has no apparent "specialness"?

[milehighj]

Thinking about it and assuming that your interpretation is not the correct one, it's the S$250k TPP requirement (i.e. S$50k/year for 5 years) which really bugs me about the new changes. Everything else (e.g. lounge access, check-in and even the S$25k/year requirement which means - if possible - just flying more SQ!), I can more or less live with ... assuming I decide to requalify for QPP of course!

I feel exactly the same way. I was prepared for the $25k and losing the F lounge (for now), but to close the door on TPP to anyone who doesn't spend $250k in 5 years leaves me speachless.

[fimo]

Wow the guy wasn't kidding when he said "soon" to my question about when the announcement would be made....

Congratulations on the move, fimo. Where to?

But unfortunately, intra-Europe travel isn't really more civilized than intra-Asia, especially if you're used to SQ shorthaul. (Better than domestic US, I suppose.)

Thanks, I'll be heading to a non-SQ, non-*A country

Anyway, the job in Europe would be a slightly different scope with less travel and no region responsibilities, so I will not be so bothered by FF issues for at least the next 2 years.

The changes to PPS are bizarre at best, though given how I've snuck through in the lean years, I can see why members like me aren't exactly of 'value'. Bloodsuckers that we are... heh. But seriously, what added value is there to being PPS with the new scheme? If I spend "$25K" on SQ (and that's not counting all the additional taxes and surchages), I'd expect quite a bit more than $180 vouchers and token gifts.

I wonder how fancy the new T3 F lounge is going to be if they feel the need to eliminate J PPS members from access. And I suppose I'm lucky that I will no longer be going on my KUL runs since the SKL in KLIA is a F class lounge. I guess the "cheap" way to check out the T3 F lounge is to but a OW F ticket to KL. Though I seem to remember that they tried to raise the prices significantly last year, but didn't go through with it.

Oh it was fun while it lasted!

[TerryK]

Wow! Other than retaining the one guest policy, it is pretty much the worst of all the rumors.

It has yet to be seen how well SQ could track interline revenue.

If you spend S$250K in F and C within 5 years, does it matter if you are TPP or not? PPS program just become irrelevant for most passengers.