Qantas Facebook post about frequent flyer points backfires
Qantas customers are furious after their frequent flyer points disappeared from their accounts.
Last month the airline posted a video on Facebook asking customers what they will do with their frequent flyer points, but the post was met with a barrage of complaints from customers feeling ripped off.
Some customer points vanished after they reached the 18-month expiry date, but others said an overhaul of the Woolworths Rewards program in 2016 was to blame.
They claim after the overhaul, customers who were receiving frequent flyer points through the rewards program had their accounts default back to collecting supermarket points instead.
Some customers have slammed Qantas and even claimed they would never fly with the airline again.
“I had been saving points for over 20 years when they took mine. I will never fly Qantas again,” one said.
Customer Ed Walters posted on Qantas’ Facebook page complaining he received no warning before his points expired.
“Very poor show Qantas. Just checked and 75,000 points expired without any warning by email (I’ve search my email),” he said.
“In fact you seem to have stopped emailing me altogether in 2016. I won’t be flying with you again and will tell everyone I know too.”
Another angry customer, Colleen Gleeson, said her points disappeared without any notification.
“What a low act from our Australian airline. I wrote to them about five weeks ago and so far have had no reply,” she said.
“What’s the point of saving frequent flyer points if you get punished for not using them by losing them.
“It would seem that points earned from Woolworths had some regulation that I didn’t know about and obviously a lot of others.
“It is punishing the people who had accrued their points little by little, not those who can get swags of points with holidays and flights. Just not fair Qantas.”
Qantas said in a statement changes to the Qantas frequent flyer and Woolworths program were well publicised at the time of the event.
It said a minority of customers only earned points through the Woolworths program.
Qantas claims it’s also easy for customers to stay active in the frequent flyer program.
“You only need to earn or redeem one point in an 18-month period,” the statement said.
“Non-active members who haven’t earned or used their Qantas points in 18 months are given 60 days notice before their points expire through their monthly newsletter eDM and online statement activity.”
A Qantas spokesperson said even members who did not fly regularly could earn and use points on the ground through everyday spend using Qantas points-earning credit.
