Are taxes for QF redemptions ex DXB on EK usually brutal?

[JohnM]

I have recently booked two EK flights using QF FF points, PER-DXB in F and DXB-ADD in J.

Taxes were $396 for PER-DXB, which I didn't think was too bad.

However, they were $506 DXB-ADD (1365 UAE Dirhams) :shock:.

I opted to book each sector separately as a straight-through itinerary would have meant leaving PER on the night flight. I wanted the daylight flight to maximise the EK F experience and I'll overnight in DXB before going on to ADD. Maybe I have shot myself in the foot with excessive taxes as a consequence.

Anyway, question is: are taxes on redemptions out of DXB broadly unusually high or is it more likely down to the sector chosen?

 

[greenfish]

I have recently booked two EK flights using QF FF points, PER-DXB in F and DXB-ADD in J.

Taxes were $396 for PER-DXB, which I didn't think was too bad.

However, they were $506 DXB-ADD (1365 UAE Dirhams) :shock:.

I opted to book each sector separately as a straight-through itinerary would have meant leaving PER on the night flight. I wanted the daylight flight to maximise the EK F experience and I'll overnight in DXB before going on to ADD. Maybe I have shot myself in the foot with excessive taxes as a consequence.

Anyway, question is: are taxes on redemptions out of DXB broadly unusually high or is it more likely down to the sector chosen?

Does sound very severe.

Did you consider booking it as a multi-city redemption? That should have allowed you to choose any flights up to 24 hours apart, all as a single journey.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm currently booking flights exactly round that time too - no guesses why, JohnM .

 

[JohnM]

Does sound very severe.

Did you consider booking it as a multi-city redemption? That should have allowed you to choose any flights up to 24 hours apart, all as a single journey.

Dang, no. Looks like I've muffed it .

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It does sound expensive as I would've thought the taxes/fees/surcharges may be one of those amounts for both flights not each. QF awards aren't always brutal as a recent award we did HKG/YVR on CX in J was only AUD58.00 pp (HKD340.00) which is the same for F, J, PE or Y. The other award we did using QF points was for LAS/xPHX/HNL on AA in Y with taxes being USD5.50 pp.

It may be worth recalculating the award on the one ticket then refunding the separate DXB/ADD then getting QF to re-issue the PER/DXB to PER/xDXB/ADD. Are you staying in DXB under 24 hours so it could be classified as a transit stop? Even if you had to pay a cancellation fee and/or change fee you may be still in front if you can get both flights for the same amount of points as PER/DXB or a fraction more for the PER/xDXB/ADD ticket.

Even if you were stopping over in DXB for more than 24 hours it's possible the taxes may be less (even though you'd being charged the two lots of points for both sectors) than the two totally separate tickets.

 

[JohnM]

I just did a dummy as you suggested OBB. Same number of points but taxes total $634 instead of $902, so still fairly steep. It would be <24h stopover.

When I did the exchange rate calculation on UAEDh1365 at the time I booked, I must have keyed it incorrectly as it was not c. $500, so the alarm bell didn't go off until I saw my Amex debit.

Might have to put it down to experience. I had a quick look at QF regarding change fees. Without trying to calculate the difference in detail, I think maybe it's not worth the saving and the hassle.

A swift way to learn.

 

[JohnK]

There are a number of threads in the QFF discussing fuel surcharges on redemptions.

Basically awards ex-Australia have less fuel surcharges (Qantas announced this earlier this year or last year). Awards originating outside of Australia have lower fuel surcharges. And also note that fuel surcharges on return awards can be more expensive than fuel surcharges on 2 one-way award bookings.

Something like BKK-SYD-BKK is close to $600 in fuel surcharges yet BKK-SYD is ~$250 and SYD-BKK is $170. Makes no sense.