Help in Booking on Points

[Deno]

Hi All,
I will be attempting my first ever ASA booking and need some assistance. I have read many pages on this post, and want to make sure I get the points / pay correct before I ring.

The flight will be for 2 people (wife & I), Brisbane to London return. We could go Brisbane to Paris or Rome if that makes any difference. Also happy to leave from Sydney if that is easier / better.

What combination of points / pay should I be quoted. I have 250K in points. Thanks.

 

[blackcat20]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Hi All,
I will be attempting my first ever ASA booking and need some assistance. I have read many pages on this post, and want to make sure I get the points / pay correct before I ring.

The flight will be for 2 people (wife & I), Brisbane to London return. We could go Brisbane to Paris or Rome if that makes any difference. Also happy to leave from Sydney if that is easier / better.

What combination of points / pay should I be quoted. I have 250K in points. Thanks.

You can no longer book a fare by this method.

 

[Baysider]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

You can no longer book a fare by this method.

You can book an ASA via the QF website, but marginal ASAs (MASAs), booked for lower points outlay into classic award fare classes, no longer exist since June 30.

 

[Deno]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Maybe my wording was wrong. I want to book a JASA. I note plenty of people have booked JASA flights after June 30. Is this correct?

 

[Mr_Orange]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Maybe my wording was wrong. I want to book a JASA. I note plenty of people have booked JASA flights after June 30. Is this correct?

No, nobody has booked a JASA post June 30. A JASA is just a MASA in J. You can book Points plus Pay which QF is touting as an ASA, but a JASA in the AFF world is gone, dead and buried.

The only people still flying JASAs are those who booked them prior to June 30 for flights later in the year. My last, for instance, will be in Jan next year.

 

[Deno]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Ok, thanks for clearing that up Mr_Orange. Looks like I missed the boat there. Points plus pay still looks an expensive option though.

 

[blackcat20]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Ok, thanks for clearing that up Mr_Orange. Looks like I missed the boat there. Points plus pay still looks an expensive option though.

Sorry, was rushing out the door and didn't get a chance to elaborate. But yes, as stated above, you can no longer book an ASA in a Classic award fare bucket. If you want to earn points and SC then you book the online "ASA" which, as you've noted, it very very expensive points-wise.

 

[Buzzard]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Ok, thanks for clearing that up Mr_Orange. Looks like I missed the boat there. Points plus pay still looks an expensive option though.

I think you will find Points + Pay to be VERY expensive. Have a look at Classic Awards but I doubt you have enough points for 2 x J fares.

You might want to consider buying an upgradeable fare and then hoping for the upgrade.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

I think you will find Points + Pay to be VERY expensive. Have a look at Classic Awards but I doubt you have enough points for 2 x J fares.

You might want to consider buying an upgradeable fare and then hoping for the upgrade.

Quite achievable if you want to burn 2 million points !!

 

[Buzzard]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Quite achievable if you want to burn 2 million points !!

So as not to confuse Deno, an upgrade would not be that expensive.

Points + Pay, now that's a different story.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

You could always buy a return fare Aust to HKG & use points HKG/CDG/HKG on CX as a partner award. I don't think 250K points is enough for 2 x J return but you could go one way in Y or PE then J on the return.

There are always credit card sign up offers that give you 50K bonus points so that might get you a bit closer to a J return ticket.

 

[Deno]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

You could always buy a return fare Aust to HKG & use points HKG/CDG/HKG on CX as a partner award. I don't think 250K points is enough for 2 x J return but you could go one way in Y or PE then J on the return.

There are always credit card sign up offers that give you 50K bonus points so that might get you a bit closer to a J return ticket.

Thanks Ozbeachbabe. Is it easy to book PE one way and J return ? Do I use Qantas site or CX site?

Thanks.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Thanks Ozbeachbabe. Is it easy to book PE one way and J return ? Do I use Qantas site or CX site?

Thanks.

If you're using QF ff points you use the QF site to book your partner award flights (CX, BA, AA etc).

You can combine different classes on the one booking eg whY outbound & J back but I couldn't see any PE award seats at all in the search. It's probably a good idea just to have a practice run searching for flights & selecting them to get familiar with how to do it so you're in the box seat for when you want to do the real thing.

I did a test run just now using random dates of 09 April HKG/CDG & 25 Jun CDG/HKG. I do prefer the old version of the QF website as it was much more user friendly however using a Toshiba netbook I find accessing their site better using Google Chrome than IE.

Thu 09 Apr HKG/CDG 0950/1640 CX279 (economy class)
Thu 25 Jun CDG/HKG 1315/0615+1 CX260 (business class)

Per person it would be 142,000 QF ff points plus airlines fees/charges/taxes of HKD2873.00 or AUD398.75 each. J both ways would be 184,000 points plus AUD398.75 taxes etc. Remember this is only ex HKG to Europe & back so you'd still have to get a separate ticket to/from HKG.

I'd have a night or two in HKG then if you do the day flight on CX279 HKG/CDG at least it's a day flight so more survivable in whY then you've got J to look forward to on the way home.

I wouldn't waste precious points doing HKG/CDG/HKG in whY as you may as well just purchase the cheapest why airfare Aust/Europe/Aust & save the points for premium travel which is where you get the most value.

 

[Deno]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Thanks Oz. I have QC membership. Will I have access to CX or Qantas lounges if I fly Businees HKG/CDG/HKG ? Not keen doing Y class HKG/CDG. Getting too old for that .

Thanks.

 

[Deno]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Thank Buzzard and comeflywith me for suggestions.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Thanks Oz. I have QC membership. Will I have access to CX or Qantas lounges if I fly Businees HKG/CDG/HKG ? Not keen doing Y class HKG/CDG. Getting too old for that .

Thanks.

If you fly in business class then you will have access to all the OW lounges at all those ports.
If you fly in Y then the QC membership will only get you into QF lounges

 

[Mr_Orange]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Thanks Oz. I have QC membership. Will I have access to CX or Qantas lounges if I fly Businees HKG/CDG/HKG ? Not keen doing Y class HKG/CDG. Getting too old for that .

Thanks.

Your QC membership is largely irrelevant if flying J. You will have access to any 1W J lounge in HKG and CDG.

 

[Deno]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Thanks to all for the responses.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

Thanks Oz. I have QC membership. Will I have access to CX or Qantas lounges if I fly Businees HKG/CDG/HKG ? Not keen doing Y class HKG/CDG. Getting too old for that .

Thanks.

Better rustle up some more points then Deno! Do any family members have some points they'd like to donate to your benevolent society? Remember you can now do up to 4 family transfers per year.

Just make sure you have had activity on your account in the last 18 months or your points get wiped so I hope you shop at Woollies with your EDR card.

Another option would be to use your QF points to redeem a Classic award in PE, J etc Aust/SIN/Aust then purchase a cheap J fare ex Asia to Europe and return. There are some good deals to be had for AUD$2-3K return on AI (can credit to a Star Alliance freq flyer program) or UL which can be credited to QF or any other participating OW carrier.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

CX J HKG-CDG is a great route. I did it in F too, both on points. Not as cheap points wise being a 'partner' redemption but great value if you ask me. Their J product rivals most carriers F products.

It's cheap to get around Europe on AF or across to LHR on BA.

CX also do HKG-FCO, another good option.