Best way to upgrade a non-upgradable ticket

[Kdog119]

Hi,

I booked a ticket to Seoul late last year and chose the sale fare without thinking! I have some unused vouchers and was thinking about upgrading to business on the way home but cannot because of the fare type. What's the best way to do this without losing too much money? If I call up the call centre do you think they can cancel the return leg and then help me purchase a business one-way or am I going to have to scrap the lot and start from scratch and then pay associated fees etc?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Hvr]

First thing we need to know: What airline?

 

[Kdog119]

Sorry my bad - Qantas

 

[SeatBackForward]

They'll need to treat it as two separate one way fares to book you in business only on the return leg. First needing to cancel the existing booking - apply whatever is left after all the cancellation fees as credit, then charge you an arm and a leg for 2x One-way fares.

 

[RichardMEL]

To re-fare to J (you mention upgradeable which implies using points, but without status to a fairly high level this is going to be a huge gamble) you'd have to pay a change fee and of course a fair whack of fare difference. Even if you cancel the fare anduse that as credit towards a new mixed class fare you still have the associated fees (cancel, etc) with that,

QF probably could refare the return sector but it will still be hit with both the change fee of say $400 or $600 or whatever it is for that sale fare, and the fare difference.

Whichever way you look at it, you're up for some fair coin.

I'm not too sure about treating the booking as two one way fares because then you'd be looking at a much more expensive scenario imo, as in the one way J sector from ICN-SYD (or whatever the end point is) priced at Korean POS associated with the one way from AU->ICN. Both of which would be more expensive (most likely) than a return.

You'd really need a ticketing and fares expert to try and figure it out.


Cheapest option, imo, is a refare into a upgradeable Y fare class (ie: non sale), and probably cheapest to do it for both legs (ie a return fare, though I suppose the one way would work if that's your main interest - an overnight flight I assume where it makes more sense to be aiming for J).

Of course call and ask, but be wary of the agents you get (if you have < Plat status) who may struggle with the issue and need to refer to ticketing anyway.

Have you tried to refare (ie change flights) online to see what it gives you as an indication?