They're now right up there with Telstra in terms of corporates I hate.

Just went to book 2 flights with FFlyer points. Qantas website tells me I'm 1500 points short, so I buy 1500 points from them for $77. Wicked - 2 return flights to Bali for $77.

Go back to make the booking with newly acquired points and get told it'll be $0 + $770 taxes and charges. WTF? Go to make the same booking with Jetstar (the flights are operated by Jetstar but also offered by Qantas) and cost is $840 including taxes and charges for the same flights.

Call Qantas. On hold for 15 minutes then get cut off. Missus calls Qantas. Qantas tell here that yes, the situation is as we understand it and the same flights are FFlyer points + $0 + $770 "taxes and charges" with Qantas, or no points and $840 all included with Jetstar.

WTF is the point of Frequent Flyer points?

FF points give you the plane component free. You still have to pay government taxes including departure taxes etc. I think terminal charges are in there too.

I would fly international with Qantas anyday over Jetstar, although could probably handle the flight to Bali. Budget airlines suck.

FF points are best used on long international trips, domestic flights, upgrades or buying stuff other than flights. Using them for jetstar flights does tend to be pointless, although I recall going to Vietnam a year or two back for around $400 for 2 on FF points, so yours does seem high.

seems strange, I went from Perth to Auckland NZ and back on South African Airlines aquired FF and the cost was less than $ 100.00???? but anyway why would you use Quantas? have you a death wish????

surfnsirhiss said...

Seems really strange, I didnt know that Qantas flew to Bali anymore, they havent for a couple of years. I think you have some crossed wires somewhere along the line.

Yeah - but Qantas own Jetstar so offer Jetstar's flights for sale through their website and as items available with FF points.

And yes, it seems really strange. If I hadn't had to listen to the long, painful conversation the missus had with the lady at the other end of the phone I'd have said it was a case of crossed wires too.

dirtyharry said...
WTF is the point of Frequent Flyer points?

The way it works is that if you spend $50,000, you get a free bus trip to Kempsey.

Thats crazy!

Last year I travelled return to NYC from Sydney on United using their Frequent Flyer points (actually I accrued the points flying Singapore Air).
I paid a total of USD $117.90 for fees and taxes and then a further USD$100 to upgrade to economy plus.

Paradox said...

The problem is you are using qantas FF points to fly on an economy service (Jetstar).

No, the problem is that Qantas make out they're letting me get a free Jetstar flight using my FF points, only to then charge me in supposed "Taxes & charges" 95% of what it would cost me to buy exactly the same flight directly from Jetstar anyway.

If the thieving ****ers have that much of a problem with people using their points to buy Jetstar flights that they need to make up fees worth 95% of the reward value, then don't ****ing offer them as a "reward" in the first place. [}:)]

It allows Qantas to rank passengers. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Platinum 1, just a way of classifying cattle.

There are some benefits - higher you go, the better the seats you can choose, the more likely you are to be upgraded, opportunity to "lock out" the seat next to you if you have to travel cattle, more likely to get a seat if wait listed, and access to the Qantas Club for Silver and above.

doggie said...

I hear ya, but as far as Telstra goes Ive had an amazing experience with them.

I recieved a bill for $1625.00 and Im on an $80 cap. Needless to say I sh@t myself.

Had the exact same thing-$500 bill on my $49 cap, they upped and backdated the $79 plan but it took a few calls. They were supposed to text an alert to me.

QANTAS-I used my points to take me and 3 kids to NZ last year-cost $200 odd in taxes total-happy with that.

The greedy prucks will end up negotiating the company into bankruptcy eventually, same as Ansett.
And then they will be crying to the government to pay all their holiday pay and other entitlements.
And the government will be stupid enought to agree if they think there's a vote in it for them.

And then the gonvermnet will add a special levy so that you will pay for their generosity.