Angry members of Qantas Frequent Flyer (QFF) criticized the airline over the terms and conditions of its $50 voucher, which was issued in line with CEO Alan Joyce’s apology on Sunday.
The airline gave frequent flyers a $50 promo code, as well as a host of other rewards for each membership level, as a way of thanking them for their patience and commitment to Qantas during its post-Covid-19 recovery.
“We know that the return to flying has not gone well. Over the past few months, many of you have had flights delayed, canceled or missed,” Joyce said in a video addressed to customers.
“There are good reasons for that, but when it comes to what you expect from Qantas, it’s not good enough.”
The Qantas CEO later apologized on behalf of the airline, assuring his passengers that the airline is “working hard” to restore its reputation as the country’s leading airline.
In line with its strategy of bringing back passengers, QFFs with a bronze plus level membership are eligible to receive a $50 promo code to use on a return flight booking.
The terms and conditions state that QFFs have until 11:59 pm on September 30, 2022 to accept their flight promotion code. That code must then be used to book a Qantas-operated flight by November 30, 2022 for travel before June 30, 2023.
“Promotional flight codes are valid only for individual adult passenger itinerary bookings and are limited to one per adult. The promo code is non-transferable,” reads a statement on the Qantas app that further explains the criteria for the coupon.
But despite having a period of at least 10 months to use the coupon, passengers have taken to social media to raise concerns about the promotion’s redemption period, “return flight” criteria, and even the value. of the coupon.
In a post on Reddit, a QFF member posted a screenshot of the coupon’s “how it works” page with the caption “Qantas Fake $50 Coupon – Not a Happy Camper.”
“I see it as a cost of acquiring passengers to increase their revenue before November 30, 2022,” the original poster added further down the post’s feed.
The post drew more than 300 comments as discussion raged over whether the coupon rules were realistic.
“If it was actually goodwill, everyone would get (the coupon) in their account and it would be valid for at least 12 months like normal coupons,” one Reddit user commented.
“Not an apology, just marketing – you must book an eligible return flight to use it,” said another.
“This is an epic corporate failure. $50 is just insulting,” a third responded.
The airline believes its terms provide enough time for passengers to use their coupons.
Meanwhile, other QFF members took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the coupon criteria, describing Alan Joyce’s “thank you” as a marketing ploy.
“Here’s the ‘thank you’ from Qantas. It must be a return trip. Must be booked before November 30. You must travel by June 30,” noted a Sydney resident.
“There are no thanks here. It’s just a ploy to get him to hurry up and book flights to get more money flowing into his books.”
Meanwhile, another traveler said the money should go towards paying staff, as not all frequent flyers intend to travel in the given time frame.
“I just received a $50 coupon offer from Alan Joyce before September 30th. There are no plans to travel between now and then. Keep your coupon, Alan…give it to a baggage handler,” they said.
But not everyone criticized the airline’s good deed, with some users responding to defend Qantas’ apology sign.
“I mean it’s a free coupon, even if you don’t use it, you’re not worse off. I’m actually very grateful for mine,” a Qantas follower posted on Reddit.
“You have more than a month to accept, more than 3 months to reserve and 10 months to travel, approximately. What is the problem? It’s free $ (money). Better than nothing,” said another.
Non-members can also join the loyalty program and be eligible for the coupon
QFF members have until September 30 to get the promo code, or risk missing out.
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