Aaagh THE CX status run ... so close yet so far.

[dajop]

A little frustration sharing here, I had the opportunity to get a good start to retaining WP by using the SIN-HKG-BKK-HKG-SIN $700 SGD J fare, for very little out-of-pocket money as I have to fly to work in Y SIN-BKK. And I could have spent Sat night in HKG. Our policy of course prohibits this sort of thing (ie J travel for somewhere that's only 2hrs away), but does allow it if the incremental cost is apportioned to personal expenses (so we don't get reimbursed). All good, and even had TA looking into it, but alas our company TA cannot access these fares, only available via CX website (even after calling CX) and is big no no to book work related travel directly via web. Sigh. So close yet so far. Will have to look into it later next month as a personal trip.

 

[markis10]

Pity your work does not have a scheme where you can be compensated for saving the company the expense by paying it yourself, not sure how long the fares will last.

 

[Dave Noble]

Probably that the fare is only available for sale in Singapore so unavailable to an Auistralian agent

 

[dajop]

Probably that the fare is only available for sale in Singapore so unavailable to an Auistralian agent

Dealing with a Singapore agent as I'm based there (here). Extremely difficult trying to get them do anything out of the box, think they may be able to get on SIN-BKK-SIN, but when they spoke to CX, CX said fare rules don't permit travel via HKG. However as we know, that is not the case when purchased via web. I think we are very lucky with this one.

 

[djfuzz]

FWIW, even online availability for these fares is extremely deceptive.

Partly my fault, but I'd been looking at booking some of them a couple of months out, and it looked to be quite plentiful. A few weeks ago when I finally started to make some bookings, I'd repeatedly make it to the confirmation/payment screen only to be told that the flights couldn't be confirmed, and that I'd have to select different flights, often leading to the only remaining flights being the direct SIN-BKK service.

Ended up taking a completely different routing but finally managed to snare one of these SC runs which I had to plan everything else around (better than nothing I suppose). Looking at it now, there still appears to be some availability in June, but not a lot - and it might change once someone starts making a few dummy bookings on those remaining dates. And after June, it seems to be gone.

Maybe this is what happens when these fares go public, but they did seem to have quite a lot of options to offer for quite some time - I'm surprised at how quickly it all closed up.

 

[JohnK]

It is a shame you can't book flights yourself and be re-imbursed by work. FWIW the travel agents in Bangkok cannot access these CX special airfares either.

Party my fault, but I'd been looking at booking some of them a couple of months out, and it looked to be quite plentiful. A few weeks ago when I finally started to make some bookings, I'd repeatedly make it to the confirmation/payment screen only to be told that the flights couldn't be confirmed, and that I'd have to select different flights, often leading to the only remaining flights being the direct SIN-BKK service.

The same thing happened to me late last year when I was looking at some flights around New Year's. Availability was there for many months and then disappeared but I persevered and looked back several times a day and when availability appeared again I booked the flights.

Maybe this is what happens when these fares go public, but they did seem to have quite a lot of options to offer for quite some time - I'm surprised at how quickly it all closed up.

I have no proof but I believe the competition for these airfares is very tough. Think of how many travel related forums are out there and people looking to get status quickly. One reason why I do not discuss any of my findings in public forums anymore and I have found some good ones recently.

Unfortunately though I have also seen CX airfares out of BKK increase since late last year. I expect the same may happen out of other cities as well in the not too distant future. No problem for me though as I will have Platinum easily until May 2012....

 

[dajop]

FWIW, even online availability for these fares is extremely deceptive.

.

Aaah I see, I tried and yes get the message that no longer available etc. It will definitely be SQ then. I think increasingly I'll be putting my lot in with star alliance and emirates. Just too difficult from here with oneworld. If only 3K (Jetstar Asia) had points earning fares competitive with SQ - but they're not - are always more $$$.

 

[Dave Noble]

I did misread the routing initially; on the times I have done it only SIN-BKK non-stop has been the cheap SGD500ish round trip; via HKG I haven't seen that price; not that I would want to go vai HKG, but the fares on the web when I did it via HKG were much higher; can the agent get the cheap fare on the non-stop

 

[dajop]

I did misread the routing initially; on the times I have done it only SIN-BKK non-stop has been the cheap SGD500ish round trip; via HKG I haven't seen that price; not that I would want to go vai HKG, but the fares on the web when I did it via HKG were much higher; can the agent get the cheap fare on the non-stop

Yeh I did that last year. I think agent can get cheap fares on that (unlike last year is now around $650) but, although bizarrely enough that short 2 hr flight SIN-BKK doesn't work for me as I have an important conf call for part of the flight, which I could avoid travelling via HKG (and I always get more work done on a laptop on a plane than in the office so appreciate the extra air time)! These routings via HKG have been coming up for some time, with mixed success in people booking them, if you can snare one it is only $40 more than SIN-BKK-SIN, for an extra 160 status credits....

 

[markis10]

Where are people seeing the availablity go:




I got as far as the payment page and seat selection with no issues:

 

[v8Statesman]

I've got 2 of them for Mr and Mrs V8.

No dramas with an overnight in HKG on the return.

My rational is I wanted to show Mrs V8 the CX F lounges

 

[JohnK]

Where are people seeing the availablity go:

I have seen availability for a specific combination of flights disappear in the matter of hours only to reappear again a few days later. Is someone else browsing at the same time? Who knows?

 

[Foreigner]

How many Qf FF points and SCs accrue for trip SIN-HKG-BKK return in I class?

 

[dajop]

How many Qf FF points and SCs accrue for trip SIN-HKG-BKK return in I class?

280 status credits, approximately 6600 QFF pts + 62% of a loyalty bonus (ie 3100 pts)...

 

[Foreigner]

280 status credits, approximately 6600 QFF pts + 62% of a loyalty bonus (ie 3100 pts)...

Nice earner but works out expensive given that I would have to get to and return from SIN.

Cheapest I could work out SYD-SIN was via DRW on Jetstar...about $300 SYD-DRW and then another $300 DRW-SIN.

 

[medhead]

Nice earner but works out expensive given that I would have to get to and return from SIN.

Cheapest I could work out SYD-SIN was via DRW on Jetstar...about $300 SYD-DRW and then another $300 DRW-SIN.

Or award flight to SIN and then book a return from SIN to SYD, i think i priced SIN-ADL rtn at SGD600 iirc.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

The SIN-HKG-BKK and vv routings seem to have gone for that price. I could only get a SIN-BKK direct return for $655SGD, still not too bad for 120(?) SCs, but would have preferred the 280 for a few dollars more...

 

[v8Statesman]

The SIN-HKG-BKK and vv routings seem to have gone for that price. I could only get a SIN-BKK direct return for $655SGD, still not too bad for 120(?) SCs, but would have preferred the 280 for a few dollars more...

I just found one! So they are available still.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I just found one! So they are available still.

Looks like they are back - you are indeed correct - certainly weren't there when I booked a week ago... still, i'm not sure I want to give up 7:25 of my life for some status credits so will stick to the direct flight. Perhaps I'm not as committed as you guys

My plan now you can get SCs on any seat awards, perhaps I'll just start booking my monthly SYD-BNE sectors in J for 20k points each way . I should burn through a few hundred thousand points on my way to WP...

 

[dajop]

Looks like they are back - you are indeed correct - certainly weren't there when I booked a week ago... still, i'm not sure I want to give up 7:25 of my life for some status credits so will stick to the direct flight. Perhaps I'm not as committed as you guys

Being based in SIN I may have a different perspective, if I can get a 20-23 hr "stopover" in HKG in one direction (if not both), I consider it not as giving up 7:25 hrs of my life, just as combining a trip to BKK with a trip to HKG ... travel time isn't that much difference between the two.... (so instead of doing SIN-BKK retn and SIN-HKG retn at difft time, its a matter of of doing a SIN-HKG return and HKG-BKK return .. all at once) Given HKG-BKK-HKG is only 45 mins longer than SIN-BKK-SIN, its only wasting 45 minutes

Plus you get to watch a movie, have some decent food and drink, get to visit the Wing ... .so all is not completely wasted.