Help! Looking for Business award space MEL-LAX for 2

[maz1]

i'm hoping someone will be able to give me some advice.

I've been searching for business awards from Melbourne to LAX for next year for 2 seats, and to my absolute delight and surprise, when I logged on to American Advantage this morning, I saw availability for business awards - actually I was searching in the Sydney to LAX but when I clicked onto the date, it showed the flight flying via Melbourne. (62,000 miles)

I immediately called up and indeed there was availability, BUT, only one seat. I need two (I cannot see my husband allowing me to travel in Business and he flies in Economy ;-( )

so, now my dilemma - I have this one seat on hold for five days. What do I do next? can someone please give me some advice.
Do I take this one seat and hope that another one will come up? I really have no idea at all how to tackle this. If I take this seat and am unable to book another, it will cost me either the price of a business seat or I pass it up and it costs me $150 to get my miles back to my account.

I even thought of taking the Business Anytime reward at 175000 miles, but there is no availability showing for Melbourne to LAX (so no matching flight)

really hoping for some good advice

 

[maz1]

I do also have a Qantas FF account with plenty of points- if only I could find a matching flight

 

[BillytheFIsh]

Do you have to fly together, or can you meet up at LAX? It will be a lot easier to get another single ticket than finding 2 on the same flight on a date that works for you. Maybe one or both of you could fly through HKG on CX?

Otherwise, are you prepared to pay for a second J ticket if you have to?

Either way, I would probably take it, set up some expert flyer alerts to try and get the second ticket. Worst comes to worst you have to make other plans, cancel and pay the cancellation fee. Direct AUS-US J awards are hard to come by.

 

[maz1]

Billy- thanks for the quick reply - much appreciated.

I'd fly separately but my husband would not hear of it. I did already consider the CX route but this is so much better.

I'm guessing I'm not going to get another ticket on this particular date and I agree with you, I think I'll just take it and make a decision later- I have 11 months to think about it. as you say, I can either cancel it and pay the $150 or buy him a ticket.

 

[BillytheFIsh]

When exactly do you want to fly? Looking at my QF account (Bronze - so nothing special) There seems to be a fair bit of availability for 2x J seats in October 2016 if you're flexible (not a lot on QF metal - but there is some from SYD/MEL and through BNE).

SYD-NAN-LAX on FJ is also worth considering booking with QF points as well. (Edit: AA points are good for FJ redemptions as well I've just learnt.)

 

[2infinity]

I found 2 J seats flying BNE - LAX on QF for my trip last year. Few and far between i'm lead to believe. grab them as soon as you find them and build your trip around the flights. lol. Business was reasonably full heading to US but near on empty coming back. You would think they would open more up for use especially if the plane is empty. I don't know about grabbing the one and hoping for another to magic itself for you especially since your hubby won't be up for single travel. All good if you've got the $5k+ to buy another seat. Worst comes to worst, it's $150 to get your points back I suppose. What about QF any seat awards if you have heaps and heaps of points. Try and book 353 days out if you can. The closer you are to travel, the less likely you'll find the seats. Plenty of economy if you want them

 

[PLANT]

How much do you love your hubbie?

 

[maz1]

2Infinity- thanks for replying- I think I'm going to keep this one ticket and just look day and night for the next 11 months lol.
then, I've got to tackle the return flight.
were you able to snag award seats coming back from the US?

btw- I tried (in vain) to get award seats to/from LAX this past August with no absolutely no luck- and in the end I gave up and went to asia flying CX instead. that was lovely 'n all, but wasn't what I wanted ("you can't always get what you want" lol)

 

[UP4014]

Funny enough I just got a survey from QF about availability of award seats. Let's hope for no enhancements.

It's can be hard enough now.

Matt

 

[maz1]

Billy - I am committed to being in Los Angeles by the 10th September so October is no good.

btw I already had the option to take 2 J Seats Mel-Syd-Nan-LAX flying with Fiji Airways- I had those seats on hold via Advantage for a few days before I thought twice about it- I felt 3 flights the day before we are supposed to be on a cruise leaving LA might be just too stressful - if anything were to go wrong with any of those three flights, or if we got stranded in Fiji- it was just too stressful.

 

[maz1]

hahahah- Plant- it's much more "how much does he love me" - I tested him and he gave it up fairly easily- I said "how would you feel if you fly in Economy and I take this business seat...." he caved pretty quickly but, now I feel too guilty to do that.

 

[maz1]

Bam - any more 'enhancements' and I think I will totally give up trying to accrue QFF miles - as it is I've already changed my loyalty (on one of my cc cards) and I'm now building points with Velocity.

 

[UP4014]

Billy - I am committed to being in Los Angeles by the 10th September so October is no good.

btw I already had the option to take 2 J Seats Mel-Syd-Nan-LAX flying with Fiji Airways- I had those seats on hold via Advantage for a few days before I thought twice about it- I felt 3 flights the day before we are supposed to be on a cruise leaving LA might be just too stressful - if anything were to go wrong with any of those three flights, or if we got stranded in Fiji- it was just too stressful.

Not just 3 flights, but using Fiji Airways. I waited for someone at Sydney once coming one of their aircraft, 2 hours they sat on the plane as couldn't get the door open. Sorry, don't do it to yourself.

Matt

 

[BillytheFIsh]

Billy - I am committed to being in Los Angeles by the 10th September so October is no good.

btw I already had the option to take 2 J Seats Mel-Syd-Nan-LAX flying with Fiji Airways- I had those seats on hold via Advantage for a few days before I thought twice about it- I felt 3 flights the day before we are supposed to be on a cruise leaving LA might be just too stressful - if anything were to go wrong with any of those three flights, or if we got stranded in Fiji- it was just too stressful.

OK. Yes, September is tougher than October.

To be honest, you will be very lucky to pick up another J (or F) seat on that flight or 2 on the same date direct Aus-LAX at that time, so I wouldn't rely on that happening.

To play this game (particularly on the Aus-US routes) and get 2+ premium cabin seats, you need to be flexible with dates/routing/airline or all of the above. If you're not, that's fine, but the solution is to pay the $$ for the second seat now that you've secured one.

If you're not prepared to do that, or risk the hubby (or you!) sitting in Y, then don't book the single ticket.

 

[2infinity]

2Infinity- thanks for replying- I think I'm going to keep this one ticket and just look day and night for the next 11 months lol.
then, I've got to tackle the return flight.
were you able to snag award seats coming back from the US?

btw- I tried (in vain) to get award seats to/from LAX this past August with no absolutely no luck- and in the end I gave up and went to asia flying CX instead. that was lovely 'n all, but wasn't what I wanted ("you can't always get what you want" lol)

I luckily got 2 return J CNS - BNE - LAX depart May 18 return June 19 2014. I found them in September 2013 and grabbed them. I then had to plan my holiday around the flights, but it wasn't too hard and J was awesome. I'm corrupted. can't wait to travel J again.

 

[maz1]

I'm still so undecided whether to give up the one seat and wait and keep looking. I don't really have much flexibility and that's the problem I guess. I know how you feel 2Infinity- once you fly in J, it is VERY hard to go back to economy. particularly on long-haul.

I really appreciate all the input - I'm definitely not going to chance Fiji Airways that much I do know. I'm also not going to take a CX Route. too much faffing around.

 

[zig]

Would you consider purchasing one seat PE and at the same time putting in a request to upgrade using your QFF points? It is a lottery, but if it doesn't come through at least one of you is in PE instead of Y.

 

[Hvr]

Can you travel to the US via SFO or DFW? I've just booked my travel for Oct 2016 and got a J seat to DFW using AA miles and then returning from SFO (J) at the end of the month using QF points.

Very happy that I've got two new flights to try on QF metal.

 

[grussellt]

Have you tried calling AAdvantage to see if there is anything via TN/Tahiti. It's a long shot and still several flights but it would get you in a holiday mood!

 

[maz1]

Grusselt-i can very easily get J seats flying through Fiji but I don't have the time to fly around. So tahiti/Fiji and even honolulu are all not options for this particular flight