Classic Awards in J class - Jun/July 2018

[Androoboy]

I am hoping to get 2 x J class classic awards from Melbourne to Athens in Jun 2018. I need to travel around school hols, but have some flexibility. Ideally I'd like to depart 15 Jun, and return about a month later. I know Qantas is releasing tickets for the outbound date around now, but get no classic award availability when I attempt to book online. I am WP, and have requested seats to be allocated for the outbound leg, and am waiting to hear. I'm concerned that, even if I get the outbound seats allocated, I may struggle to get them to release the return seats in a months time.

I don't necessarily need to fly on a QF plane, or even a QF flight number. Just hoping for J class to spoil my wife a little for our 20 year wedding anniversary.

If this topic has already been done to death elsewhere, I apologise. Please point me to the thread.

Any tips on how to most effectively accomplish this itinerary gratefully received. Thank you.

 

[scwappy]

Give QF a call to check all options if you haven't already as good options such as CX or MH don't appear online, but may be availiable.

 

[craven morehead]

I am hoping to get 2 x J class classic awards from Melbourne to Athens in Jun 2018. I need to travel around school hols, but have some flexibility. Ideally I'd like to depart 15 Jun, and return about a month later. I know Qantas is releasing tickets for the outbound date around now, but get no classic award availability when I attempt to book online. I am WP, and have requested seats to be allocated for the outbound leg, and am waiting to hear. I'm concerned that, even if I get the outbound seats allocated, I may struggle to get them to release the return seats in a months

I don't necessarily need to fly on a QF plane, or even a QF flight number. Just hoping for J class to spoil my wife a little for our 20 year wedding anniversary.

If this topic has already been done to death elsewhere, I apologise. Please point me to the threaAny tips on how to most effectively accomplish this itinerary gratefully received. Thank you.

I am only PS and can get 2 x J seats on EK early June MEL-DXB-ATH at least on the way over even 2 x F. Can always work on the return trip over the next few weeks. I would have thought as a WP would be no problems whatsoever. Have you got sufficient points ?

 

[Oxy]

I don't necessarily need to fly on a QF plane, or even a QF flight number. Just hoping for J class to spoil my wife a little for our 20 year wedding anniversary.

I would straight away suggest that a QF flight would be far from your best option from MEL to ATH. For starters you will need to go via SYD or PER, and QF9 from PER is to LHR so then you will have to backtrack to ATH. Your most convenient route from MEL would be flying on Qatar, Via DOH. Just bear in mind the political situation there. Of course Emirates fly direct to DXB from MEL still if you don't mind using them.
If there is limited availability on QR you could try going via HKG or CMB with Sri Lankan's new MEL service.

Good luck!

 

[cjd600]

I am only PS and can get 2 x J seats on EK early June MEL-DXB-ATH at least on the way over even 2 x F. Can always work on the return trip over the next few weeks. I would have thought as a WP would be no problems whatsoever. Have you got sufficient points ?

Same as NB.
Try searching multi-city MEL-DXB DXB-ATH.
You're probably a week away from EK releasing their AU-DXB flights for 15 June, but they are pretty reliable in release pattern and availability.

 

[PaulST]

Give QF a call to check all options if you haven't already as good options such as CX or MH don't appear online, but may be availiable.

CX should appear online, but you're right about MH. JAL also do NOT appear online (although I believe that both MH and JAL will be appearing online later this year and/or early 2018).

EK often have reasonably availability. And unlike QF, you won't need to go via LHR and catch a coughpy Euro J A320 back to ATH.

 

[clazman]

CX always appears online for myself... more often than QFi

 

[Batesy]

No doubt about it if you want to go to ATH in J use Qatar via Doha on QF points. I recently did this as part of a 280K Oneworld J award and it was great. Best J class I have been in by far. 3 daily flights from DOH to ATH as well.

 

[RooFlyer]

I too can get 2 J seats MEL-DXB-ATH (ie EK) for several dates in early June 2018. By preference I also would use QR though and you may need to be flexible as to your Australian departure port (QR ex ADL on A350 is excellent; I think its still running some days ...)

Sounds like you need to call QFF to ask about other airline and departure port options if your request doesn't come through.

ps if you do end up going QR, beware that their schedule beyond 1 month from now does not take into account extra flying time to Athens etc due to the current fight with the other gulf states. They seem to be rolling a new timetable, with longer flying times forward month by month. Don't get a connection in DOH anything less than 2 hours, 3 or more may be better.

 

[shorttd]

Similarly, I am looking for 2 business seats from Sydney to London in June or July. When I search there is only one day with award seats (on BA) for the whole of June. When doing something similar previously, there was always quite a bit of availability on BA, Cathay and occasionally even Qantas. Is it just me or can others see availability?

 

[mviy]

When requesting the release of seats it can help if you're flexible to go J or F (obviously F requires more points). Flexibility to have a domestic flight at the start of the trip can help too, though historically it's generally been easier to get a seat out of MEL than out of SYD. Ringing up to get seats released is an unofficial benefit of WP and it's only for QF operated flights.

Before requesting releases of seats it can be helpful to get the flight loads from e.g. ExpertFlyer. There's a thread for asking about flight loads. There's no point asking for dates if you know the loads are already way too high to have any chance. You want plenty of availability of the discounted business and first seats.

From late March next year the A380 from MEL is being replaced by a 787 via PER that has no F seats. The reduction in capacity will likely make getting seats on points on QF metal in J/F even more difficult than it has been in the past. Seats on points especially to Europe and U.S. in the summer months (our winter) are highly sought after.

On the other hand Emirates is putting another A380 on MEL-DXB (replacing using a smaller aircraft) so getting J/F award seats on Emirates using QANTAS points may become easier.

 

[amaroo]

As a WP I'm thinking the odds aren't that bad, but if it comes down to releasing seats on a WP request - it will be QF for you.

Even if you have to travel QF via LHR it isn't that bad .... the worse thing is BA J Another option is to request F seats .... that's what we did on this routing May / June 2015.