QR withholding award seats from Qantas?

[Mattg]

It's been pointed out to me that Qatar Airways seems to be releasing fewer award seats to Qantas Frequent Flyer members than it is for other Oneworld partner airlines.

For example, if you search for Qatar Airways business class award availability from PER to LHR anytime in 2022, there are 4 "U" class seats available according to Expert Flyer.



The JAL website and pretty much every other Oneworld airline website (AA, BA, etc.) also shows 4 seats available.



Yet, if you search on the Qantas website, it only shows 1 QR J award seat available. This seems to be a systematic issue as it's happening on different routes and dates.

Does anyone know what's going on? Is this a Qantas IT issue or is Qatar deliberately withholding award seats from Qantas?

 

[RooFlyer]

I reckon either possibility is equally likely!

 

[henrus]

Out of interest have you tried calling Qantas (wait times) and getting a quote for 4 people on that route/date to see if it's just a website problem?

Something tells me that the systems Oneworld airlines use aren't that impressive and lack the ability to hold seats back from one airline but not others.

 

[Daver6]

Something tells me that the systems Oneworld airlines use aren't that impressive and lack the ability to hold seats back from one airline but not others.

I agree. My thinking is this would be QF withholding. Why? I presume it costs QF a lot less if you redeem your points on QF metal rather then QR metal (but I could be mistaken).

 

[Matt_01]

I have no idea how it all works but I don't think it is just limited to QR/QF. From memory I have searched AU-JP and had no issues finding a couple of J seats but if searching via BA I could find 3. Maybe @trippin_the_rift knows the answer.

The other option may be "His Excellency" and "King Alan" just don't get along.

 

[clifford]

I agree. My thinking is this would be QF withholding. Why? I presume it costs QF a lot less if you redeem your points on QF metal rather then QR metal (but I could be mistaken).

I also agree. Having just checked with the BA website, it does show 4 reward seats available in business (although the cost is a bit off the planet at 154750 Avios + £324.40).

Naughty (but predictable) Qantas.

BTW and slightly off topic, I have found recently that JQ and VA offer vastly shorter on-hold wait times and refund times (without quibble) than QF. It doesn't say much for our national carrier.

 

[Ansett]

Or is it because of the EK and QF relationship and the tensions with QR and EK?

 

[PLM]

The call centre might be able to get it for you. QF has phantom availability issues so it could just be incompetence rather than conspiracy.

 

[Duncan]

Could be that QF can't offer seats to other Oneworld members in return?

 

[PineappleSkip]

our national carrier.

LOL. Only when they want to be!

BTW the idea would be pretty annoying. QR J much better than EK J IMHO

cheers skip

 

[clifford]

BTW the idea would be pretty annoying. QR J much better than EK J IMHO

Depend on the aircraft and the crew in my experience, but generally yes.

 

[LA10]

This issue appears to be still going on - I tried calling QF and they could see no availability that AA or BA could see on their respective sites

 

[drron]

Pretty sure it is QF.They have form.heck they even do it to their own WPs.I have recounted the time mrsdrron couldn't get a J reward seat BKK-SYD as a WP.Not one.So I went to my AA acct as an OWS and got 2 on the flight we wanted.

 

[moa999]

tried calling QF and they could see no availability that AA or BA could see on their respective sites

Could also be phantom availability on AA and BA.
Four J seats is uncommon I'd think.

 

[V1V2]

Hi all
Could someone out of curiosity do an LHR-SYD on 22 Jul 2022 in J for me on their QR/BA/AA accounts(I don't have any of those). Nothing on QF via QF website or call centre.
Thanks.

 

[Notyourbag]

Hi all
Could someone out of curiosity do an LHR-SYD on 22 Jul 2022 in J for me on their QR/BA/AA accounts(I don't have any of those). Nothing on QF via QF website or call centre.
Thanks.

Just searched on AA and only a BA reward flight in economy is coming up.

 

[V1V2]

Just searched on AA and only a BA reward flight in economy is coming up.

Thank you. Same as QF website.

 

[bam71]

Nothing coming up in premium cabins, only economy

 

[V1V2]

Thanks guys, really appreciate your time. Reassuring that QF availability is consistent. I think the other thing to remember when looking for redemption seats is to break them up. e.g. LHR-DOH/CMB/SIN/HND/HKG/KUL-SYD; rather than an LHR - SYD which sometimes produces zero.

 

[SYD]

Hi all
Could someone out of curiosity do an LHR-SYD on 22 Jul 2022 in J for me on their QR/BA/AA accounts(I don't have any of those). Nothing on QF via QF website or call centre.
Thanks.

For future ref, you don't need an AA FF account to search. Just make sure you go to AA.com (USA website). It's also free to join anyway.