Award bookings help

[bxs]

Hi all,

I am looking to book flights in J for Mrs. bxs and I september next year for our wedding. The cities that we are looking at are SIN and NGO. Looking throught the booking engine on qantas's website, it seems that it will be better for us to go SYD-SIN-NGO-SYD rather than SYD-NGO-SIN-SYD due to availabilities and points are also cheaper? To make things a little more complicated, we only have enough point for SYD-SIN-NGO part of the trip and will most probably need to buy a Y ticket back from NGO to SYD.

Also, as mrs. bxs does not have any status, I was thinking of separating the trip into 1 classic award and 1 ASA to earn some points and SC for myself. When I was doing a dummy booking, it seems that I cannot get 2 seats on separate bookings on different award types. Once I get to the confirmation page on one of them, the other booking becomes unavailable. Does this means we would have to fly on different flights (possible but not preferable)? Or will another seat open up once I have gone through and booked one of the seats?

Another thing is that the booking engine does not show any availability for the dates I want as I was trying to book a classic award from SIN-NGO but it shows availability when booking as part of a multi city booking? The reason is that I would have to separate the booking into 2 parts;

• SYD-SIN-NGO (classic award) for mrs. bxs
• SYD-SIN (ASA) and SIN-NGO (classic award) for myself.

Any thoughts or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Also, would this routing be best for the cities we are looking for?

Thanks.

 

[cove]

Don't be afraid of using the phone to set this even though there is a small fee. It isn't like when you have been together for umpteen years and travel within 24 hours of each other without a second thought if availability is tight.
Going thru SIN will be the most likely way with QF.
I hope you can get your plan set seeing it is a honeymoon trip.

 

[JohnK]

Also, as mrs. bxs does not have any status, I was thinking of separating the trip into 1 classic award and 1 ASA to earn some points and SC for myself. When I was doing a dummy booking, it seems that I cannot get 2 seats on separate bookings on different award types. Once I get to the confirmation page on one of them, the other booking becomes unavailable.

Have you confirmed there are 2 seats available in any award booking class? Perhaps there is only seat available which can either be an any seat award or classic award.

Does this means we would have to fly on different flights (possible but not preferable)? Or will another seat open up once I have gone through and booked one of the seats?

I wouldn't hold my breath for another seat to open up. Have you tried looking for a direct award booking SYD-NRT and then a paid domestic flight to NGO?

Another thing is that the booking engine does not show any availability for the dates I want as I was trying to book a classic award from SIN-NGO but it shows availability when booking as part of a multi city booking? The reason is that I would have to separate the booking into 2 parts

I know you are trying to stretch your points but that sounds like a really complex way of splitting the award booking and could end up being more expensive as well.

 

[bxs]

Have you confirmed there are 2 seats available in any award booking class? Perhaps there is only seat available which can either be an any seat award or classic award.


I wouldn't hold my breath for another seat to open up. Have you tried looking for a direct award booking SYD-NRT and then a paid domestic flight to NGO?


I know you are trying to stretch your points but that sounds like a really complex way of splitting the award booking and could end up being more expensive as well.

All booked. Managed to find availability but you may be right JohnK, I think it may turn more expensive that it should be but what I have done is as follows;

SYD-SIN JASA x 2 120K + $655 taxes which is quite high
SIN-NGO Classic J x 2 113K + $212

At least this way I am sure to be getting on the same flight with the mrs. If I were to split it up into three bookings then more CC fees, taxes etc so might end up with about the same charges. But it's my first award and I have to say the taxes are exhorbitant!