Woolworths to make it easier to earn Qantas Points?
By David Flynn, June 22 2016
Woolworths is looking to expand its range of Qantas Points-earning products ahead of the relaunch of the grocery giant's partnership with the Qantas Frequent Flyer scheme.
Under the revised alliance, Woolworths Dollars – earned when buying selected products marked with an orange ticket – can be converted into Qantas Points as an alternative to receiving a cash discount at the checkout, with 10 Woolworths Dollars netting you 870 Qantas Points.
However, shoppers and frequent flyers alike have criticised the limited range of eligible products as well as their low Woolworths Dollar earning rate compared to the previous Woolworths/Qantas hookup, which saw shoppers earn Qantas Points for every actual dollar they spent above $30.
Woolworths now plans to broaden the range of Woolworths Dollars products as part of a makeover for the loyalty scheme, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
This would broaden the opportunity for earning Woolworths Dollars and in turn put more Qantas Points on the table when it's time to convert between the two 'virtual currencies', and in turn help foster continued customer loyalty to Woolworths.
"The problem is it's basically another discounting program, it should reward repeat visitation and loyalty to the Woolworths brand" retail analyst Brian Walker told Fairfax Media.
"This is only rewarding people who buy certain products that are discounted over and above, and it doesn't have any correlation to the supermarket brand."
Read more: Woolworths to reboot unpopular loyalty program
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 321
In regards to FF points I have given up on the whole Woolworths thing in confused frustration really, don't even bother pulling th rewards card out these days, doesn't seem worth the effort, all I believe I am doing is giving them a data point by using the card acknowledging I have shopped there, , nothing in it for me. They are opening a Coles next door to my local Woolies anyway, will probably start going there more anyway.
28 May 2016
Total posts 128
Remember that if you use a Flybuys card at Coles you can convert the points into Etihad status credits/points (can't remember if it is either one or both).
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3012
Woolworths should stop this marketing gimmick and focus on its core business. It's range of house brand products is lame compared to Coles. Coles is really exceeding my expectations and turning its house brands into the kind of trusted products you get at Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Sainsbury.
08 May 2015
Total posts 4
There doesn't seem to be any Waitrose or Sainsbury in Western Australia, just that other English one, Aldi.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Aug 2012
Total posts 2204
ALDI is German.
I inferred that TRB was just talking about how Coles and the British supermarkets have been able to create successful house brands and private labels and Woolworths hasn't.
I like house brands and private labels, simply because they are (now usually) just as good for quite a bit less, simply by cutting out the corporate middlemen (and associated costs like advertising), which in theory means a better deal for the suppliers (until the supermarkets squeeze) and customers (until the supermarkets hike).
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3012
Correct. I like them because I'm a tight arse! How else am I going to afford business class flights :p
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 444
Their whole marketing campaign is a shambles - confusing and inconsistent at best.
Coles are clearly miles ahead when it comes to their marketing and loyalty program, and in the near future I would expect them to team up with Virgin to go head-to-head.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Aug 2012
Total posts 2204
It's not just a shambles - it's an omnishambles!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Feb 2016
Total posts 3
Totally agree. I spend close to $200 a week in groceries and was getting next to nothing from Woolies under the new scheme. Have gone to Coles, earning points maybe not be as good as the old Woolies scheme, but for every dollar I receive something. Also of late many bonus offers and double/triple points.
13 May 2016
Total posts 40
DAVID IS Tassie in this progam ? Or do we stay in old program. You do a great job letting people know what is going on.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1027
TAS is not part of the Woolworths rewards program. Part of the deal when Woolworths aquired Roelf Vos and Purity was that the existing Frequent Shopper Club would remain in operation. If Woolies replaced the FSC and expanded WOW Rewards into TAS, the old owners of Roelf Vos and Purity would have rights to take back those stores.
26 Aug 2012
Total posts 43
Interesting. I was sent a survey on the weekend from QF Loyalty. They said it would take 15 to 20 mins. Ummmm no! The thing was massive and quite complex. It had many questions about shopping habits and whether I would change behaviour based on points. It also scored many factors. Seriously, Woolworths copped really low scores on every level relating to QFF and it does not really look like these changes would earn them a better score.
But, what a massive survey and a lot of my time and not even an email to say thank you. Hardly makes you feel valued at all. Very poorly done IMHO.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Nov 2015
Total posts 20
I got that one too.... didn't bother with it as if Qantas want so much of my Time and in such detail....then maybe they shouldn't have offered such an insulting 100 qf points as a reward...
Normally I would have been a suitable candidate to fill such a survey as I see it as a good mechanism to improve the service we WANT them to provide us... but I think they blundered with their token reward.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Oct 2013
Total posts 33
Most annoying that WOW do not let you collect these rewards $ - as soon as you hit $10 it cashes in... Hopefully that will be fixed as well.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1027
I don't think it will. The system treats it as a method of payment without an option to use it or not.
I have not had a single transaction over $10 since I got WOW$16 on Dec 24. I've split shops over 3 or 4 different transactions, all under $10 each.
Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club
20 Jun 2013
Total posts 56
Anyone else experianced general "pain" when trying to cash in Flybuy points? At least Woolies gives some genuine discount at the point of sale. (Still pref QF points though)
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 444
I dont see what's genuine about Woolworths choosing for you which items you earn points on. And so far I've found they're the items which clearly no-one buys or their margins are the highest on.
At least with the flybuys program, it's a blanket earn - even if the redemption is lower.
Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club
20 Jun 2013
Total posts 56
I dont do anything special or even buy that much, I only shop for items I want yet quite often I get $10 off my next shop or some type of cash off rebate, along with offers of spend $100 in one shop (regardless of the items) and get $10 off. Have never got that with Flybuys! But still prefer QFF points over anything else.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
30 Jun 2012
Total posts 6
This whole WW - Qantas rewards program has been a farce. Whoever is running the WW rewards should be rewarded by being shown the door. You need a maginifying glass the size of the Hubble telescope to see any orange tickets in the stores. I was offered a special that meaned i could receive Qantas points in place of the $10.00 offer. I activated that and next time I shopped i received $10.00 off in place of the points i had opted to receive. Enough is enough, time to shop ALDI and use the savings to buy a ticket on Virgin which means they both miss out
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Oct 2013
Total posts 33
Yes, I reckon the new program was designed by a couple spreadsheet jockeys who have never enjoyed an award flight.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1027
The did survey a limited amount of members before changing it... ~1400 out of 9 million.
They asked leading questions to get the answers they wanted, then changed the program with a complete lack of understanding of what people did with the points, claiming that few people had used the points during the last year, and they never mentioned anything about the woolworths points people who did not link to QFF were getting.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1027
I know. Woolworths lost a lot of customers when they changed programs and not many have returned.
The person running the program used to run Flybuys when it first started.
The old Everyday rewards program was just fine the way it was. The only thing that needed changing was an option to earn points on the first $30 instead of earning a fuel discount. (eg, spend $40, get 40 points instead of 10 points and a fuel discount)
21 Aug 2015
Total posts 86
The guys at Woolworths have lost the plot, they will not succeed in directing spending with FF points, if you don't want or use the product its a waste of money to buy it.
You would think they would learn, where is the Board? Do any of them ACTUALLY do any shopping in supermarkets? let alone Woolworths. Its time at re election time, the board disclosed how much of their own money they personally spent in a Woolworths store! Its a very easy number to access with a loyalty card.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Mar 2015
Total posts 9
Let's face it... Woolworths have totally lost the plot. How this formerly very switched on and savvy retailer could relinquish their lofty position and suddenly piss off so many loyal customers is quite beyond comprehension. And instead of totally waking up to their mistakes and reversing them, Woolies thinks that can repair the harm by tinkering at the edges. I've seen businesses (and politicians) attempt to save face in this way so many times over the years without realising that they actually adding to public anger and suspicion. How can an outfit like Woolworths be sooo stupid ?? Woolies need to do a total backflip, admit their misjudgements and prove that they're sincere. Alternatively they can continue to die by a thousand cuts as at present.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1027
The problems Woolworths has been having has little to do with the stores themselves. The store staff do what they can with what they have. The main problem is the people above the stores. People in head office just don't listen to what customers (or stores) are telling them. In many cases, when customer levels drop, they blame the store.
One of the major foucs topics in the company is "Customers putting us 1st"
If enough people contacted the CEO (Brad Banducci) or head of supermarkets (Michael James), they might start to get the idea.
04 Nov 2012
Total posts 213
Never thought I'd say it but after the debarcle of Woolies next to nothing QFF points saw no reason to stay and be loyal, we now do most of our shopping at ALDI and saving a bundle.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Oct 2013
Total posts 33
I hope all these comments make their way to Mr Banducci..
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1027
emails for many people at that level are formated first letter surname @ woolworths
(eg dflynn @ woolworths .com.au)
22 Jun 2016
Total posts 16
I had a request from VA to fill out a questionnaire regarding their FF program, and partners. A large proportion of questions was based on supermarket usage and brands, so maybe they will go the way of WW and sign up with Coles or Aldi.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1027
They sort of already have.
EY is linked with Flybuys/Coles. You can earn EY points when shopping at Coles, then convert them to VA points.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2441
You can't convert Etihad Guest miles into Velocity points, you can merely use those Etihad Guest miles to book flights with Virgin Australia.
24 Apr 2015
Total posts 128
Qantas ff programme is getting worse, while at same time Velocity is getting better all the time.
Just got sent an SMS for ff flights, but only 1st boarding pass is shown, so will have to line up at airport. Great.
Why doesn't somebody at Qantas test these systems before putting them out there ?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Jul 2014
Total posts 100
I used to shop reguarly at Woolworths and very little at Coles , now i just go where it suits seeing that QF Points have flown the Coop.
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