Article: Branded Fares Create Frequent Flyer Earn Confusion

[AFF Editor]

Branded Fares Create Frequent Flyer Earn Confusion is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

How to Calculate the Points You'll Earn Flying Partner Airlines

More airlines are offering branded fare categories that all book into the same fare class (RBD). This can cause confusion when trying to work out how many frequent flyer points and status credits you'll earn when flying partner airlines.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[SYD]

Almost a reason to book via an OTA to get the fare class but then you might have the reverse problem of not knowing what’s actually included?

 

[Mattg]

Almost a reason to book via an OTA to get the fare class but then you might have the reverse problem of not knowing what’s actually included?

A few years ago, I wanted to book a flight on Aegean and the fare class that was being offered for sale on Aegean's website was non-earning with the frequent flyer program I wanted to credit to.

The next-highest fare class cost around $20 more and would have earned miles. So, I called Aegean to ask if I could book this over the phone but they told me there would be a phone booking fee, even though this wasn't possible to book online.

So, I turned to Google flights and found an OTA that appeared to be selling the higher fare class as it was selling at the higher price. But that was a naïve assumption as I only realised after booking that it actually booked into the lower fare class. The OTA was just charging more. I tried calling the OTA to get a refund, but the ticket was non-refundable and they wouldn't budge.

Moral of the story: Book with the airline directly (even if this means calling up) or with a proper travel agent. Or at the very least, verify the fare class before paying.

 

[SYD]

Yep, and why I said “almost” .

 

[encryptededdy]

I'm just glad Cathay Premium Economy and Business doesn't use branded fares... yet anyway.

 

[SYD]

I'm just glad Cathay Premium Economy and Business doesn't use branded fares... yet anyway.

”Unbundled” J fares are the rage at the moment…. Although, they can be very good value for status PAX!

 

[elanshin]

”Unbundled” J fares are the rage at the moment…. Although, they can be very good value for status PAX!

Id be totally ok with more of this. There are times when i like the whole service. Other times i just want a lie flat bed.

Why pay for all the rest of it when im sleeping for 3/4 of the flight.

 

[SYD]

Id be totally ok with more of this. There are times when i like the whole service. Other times i just want a lie flat bed.

Why pay for all the rest of it when im sleeping for 3/4 of the flight.

and a QF WP flying QR or AY unbundled still gets lounge access and extra bags!

 

[Gold Member]

A comprehensive solid read @Mattg.

It can be overwhelming for many of us seasoned travellers here on AFF. So what chance does a newbie with little patience have for all these intricate details eventually earning a paltry set of points that wouldn’t even get them the power chord on their toaster redemption. But then, that’s what the airlines have set out to achieve ala “Simpler and Fairer”.

It’s also worth mentioning that WhereToCredit (www.WhereToCredit.com) does a pretty good job at helping out in a quick and easy manner for most airline earning combinations.

 

[tdimdad]

When you want to credit the partner airline flights to your FFP, this can also lead you to minimise the spend. Of course, why pay any extra? But if the SC accrual is the same regardless how much money you sink on the ticket, it'd be pointless to pay a cent above the minimum.

For that small part, it will also reduce the airline revenue. But does it reduce their cost, as well? I mean, does if cost the marketing carrier more or less to provide me with the e.g. Y Flex service & optionality if my home FFP credits 100% of points & SC's or only 50%?

The practical implication is that because the fare selection has no bearing on my FF earn, I aim at the bare minimum rock-bottom fare that suits my trip.

 

[qreality]

Finally, an article that dissects the intricacies of earning SCs and Points when flying partner airlines!

Long overdue.

After not getting any SCs and Points for a few flights many many years ago, I started to uncover the complexities of earning FF points. Buying a ticket is now a more elaborate exercise as one needs to read the fine prints.

I find it most disingenuous for airlines to sell branded-fares where all have the same Fare Codes. It is very easy for unsuspecting victims to assume paying for 'flexible' option will mean higher fare code - only to be served the dreaded no-point-earning fare code.

My pet peeve is when certain airlines don't even bother to tell you the fare code when you do the purchase. For example, I have problems with CX, I recently bought a ticket with them and I just can't see the fare code throughout the booking process - it is only after the e-ticket was sent to my email that I can see the fare code. If anyone knows how to find where the fare code is displayed (before purchasing the ticket) when booking CX, please share

And while I am at it, why many airlines' online booking systems does not allow passengers to select higher fare code? The airlines get more money and the passengers may be happier. For example, for a flight costing 600 dollars or so, some passengers would find it 'better value' to spend an extra 20 dollars or so to get something BACK (in teh forms of SCs and points). rather than spending 600 dollars for nothing (apart from the flights, of course).

Anyway, enough of my rants.

 

[RealtimeY]

If anyone knows how to find where the fare code is displayed (before purchasing the ticket) when booking CX, please share

You can look up your exact itinerary on ITA Matrix or even Amex Travel and it should come out at almost the same price (perhaps a few dollars more expensive at most), and will tell you the booking code. For now, CX still appears to be publishing all their fares on ITA Matrix.

 

[doctau]

This mess is going to get worse as the NDC uptake increases, airlines get away from their legacy PSSes, and then they can start removing the concept of etickets and the rules they enforce. There are already things appearing that break the old rules, such as the RBD being "Y-C" which is nominally Y-class but you sit in the business cabin.


If booking classes don't exist any more, what will they base partner earning rates on? Dollar value would be easy technically, but I'm not sure that would work well in practice for partner earning

 

[mel-world]

NDC? PSS? RBD? Could you please decipher.

I know PSS Club is the SQ level for its most frequent flyers but don't think that works in this case.

 

[AIRwin]

I know PSS Club is the SQ level for its most frequent flyers but don't think that works in this case.

PPS not PSS

 

[encryptededdy]

NDC? PSS? RBD? Could you please decipher.

I know PSS Club is the SQ level for its most frequent flyers but don't think that works in this case.

NDC - New Distribution Capability
PSS - Passenger Service System
RBD - Reservation Booking Designator

 

[mel-world]

PPS not PSS

My bad.

 

[Greystoke75]

Slighty related - I fly semi-frequently Brisbane to Wellington and have been using Air New Zealand a lot as they fly directly. Qantas recently announced that they are to recommence direct flights. I was pretty happy, but when booking I noticed no status points for the flights!
I asked Qantas and they told me rather dismissively that it was because the flights were operated by Alliance. I'm a little confused by that - basically Alliance operating on behalf of Qantas (wet-lease or some other similar arrangement) and no status points, yet when I fly on Qantas code-share or other set up, status points are awarded. I'm pretty sure this goes against their own policy but what can you do. Pretty disappointing.

 

[encryptededdy]

Slighty related - I fly semi-frequently Brisbane to Wellington and have been using Air New Zealand a lot as they fly directly. Qantas recently announced that they are to recommence direct flights. I was pretty happy, but when booking I noticed no status points for the flights!
I asked Qantas and they told me rather dismissively that it was because the flights were operated by Alliance. I'm a little confused by that - basically Alliance operating on behalf of Qantas (wet-lease or some other similar arrangement) and no status points, yet when I fly on Qantas code-share or other set up, status points are awarded. I'm pretty sure this goes against their own policy but what can you do. Pretty disappointing.

Did you receive points? Either way Qantas is definitely in the wrong here, you're on a QF flight number you should get status credits regardless. All the domestic Alliance flights credit properly. I think this is unfortunately yet another case of a clueless Qantas cell centre agent making stuff up.

Have you tried emailing [email protected] about this?

 

[Greystoke75]

Did you receive points? Either way Qantas is definitely in the wrong here, you're on a QF flight number you should get status credits regardless. All the domestic Alliance flights credit properly. I think this is unfortunately yet another case of a clueless Qantas cell centre agent making stuff up.

Have you tried emailing [email protected] about this?

I did and received this response:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We currently do not have any plans to have flights operated by Qantas that over Qantas status credits on that route. However, in future if this does change we will make our customers aware. Thank you again for providing your comments and we hope that you will give us the opportunity to welcome you aboard Qantas again soon.

Pretty poor - maybe they monitor these threads but I'm thinking about taking it further as from what I can see, it does breach their own policy. I know it is a first world problem but this is a first world airline and the response was so dismissive.