I have recently hit what I would call the “status trough” with Qantas Frequent Flyer.
I was Platinum pre-COVID, then slowly dropped to Gold, and now I have fallen to Silver after not flying enough to maintain status. I did benefit from Qantas extending status during COVID, but now I have fully fallen down the tiers.
I only recently realized Silver does not include lounge access, which was a bit of a shock. I used a lounge pass recently and sat there reflecting on how much value I actually place on status benefits.
While the lounge itself is nice and recently renovated, I have noticed the food and overall offering feels more basic than before. It feels like there has been a shift toward cost efficiency rather than premium experience. I also have not had an upgrade since 2018, which adds to the feeling of reduced value.
From a financial perspective, Qantas has clearly performed strongly over recent years, but as a customer I am questioning whether the service and experience still match what originally made me loyal.
As my international travel increases again, I am now wondering which frequent flyer program is actually worth focusing on going forward. I have also recently switched hotel loyalty from Accor to IHG for similar reasons related to experience versus points value.
At this point I feel like I am outside the “loyalty sweet spot” and am open to moving to whichever program provides the best overall value and experience rather than just chasing status.
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