do freedom flight prices ever go on sale for long haul??

[traceyy]

was wondering if they ever came on special, i see the other economy fares come on sale but freedom almost seems a set price. i need to buy flights to la for feb next year thinking if i do it now i can easily get the flight upgrades to business as being so far out they are currently available, or wondered if i should wait and try and get a better base price and try my luck.

 

[ozfflyer]

Feb is low season. Fiji Air right now, or at least until tonight are doing $762 RETURN from BNE, SYD, MEL to LAX or SFO for Feb departures. Fiji air have a fantastic system called bula bids, where you can bid on any sector upgrade to business class. Suggest if Fiji air doing it for $762 others airlines(Qantas, United, American, Delta, Air NZ) will certainly be doing it for well under $1000 return almost every few weeks between now & Jan, as they have to fill aircraft some how.

 

[traceyy]

i know but i have to buy a freedom fare to then upgrade business using the 45,000 points upgrade. i hate waiting last minute in the hope i may chance a seat upgrade or not. besides being so far out like the option of being able to change dates just in case

 

[ozfflyer]

was wondering if they ever came on special, i see the other economy fares come on sale but freedom almost seems a set price. i need to buy flights to la for feb next year thinking if i do it now i can easily get the flight upgrades to business as being so far out they are currently available, or wondered if i should wait and try and get a better base price and try my luck.

with most airlines, flight upgrades can be cancelled right up to boarding time, if someone comes along & wants literally a last minute full fare business class seat.

 

[traceyy]

thats concerning, i though once you booked it with points it was guaranteed? seems a bit crazy to put out reward seats then take them back again as such...

 

[ozfflyer]

thats concerning, i though once you booked it with points it was guaranteed? seems a bit crazy to put out reward seats then take them back again as such...

not crazy at all. WIth ff pts, the airline already has been paid for the points(if got from credit card/ petrol etc). Cash talks. Heard many stories of people think they are upgraded, only to be sent back to economy when last minute customer turns up wanting business class seats at any cost.

 

[serfty]

I have not specifically seen a freedom sale.

Using a discount code there can be good savings - I haven't booked such but I have seen them.

 

[Jobeki111]

with most airlines, flight upgrades can be cancelled right up to boarding time, if someone comes along & wants literally a last minute full fare business class seat.

While I don't doubt this has happened it would most likely be that that person is someone very important ie. a The Club or Chairman's lounge member and would most definitely be the exception rather than the rule...I would eexpect that Joe Platinum trying to do this on a fully booked flight and most especially Joe Bloggs would be told to re-book another day or fly economy or PE if available......so I would not get too concerned about this Traceyy.

If there are business rewards available for your dates it may just be best to book them outright with the points as long as 1. you have enough and 2. you don't need the SC from the freedom fare. Alternately, book Freedom or PE now and just live with any drops that may occur. The transpacific awards tend to go very quickly! Remember you need to be gold or above to upgrade but don't need to have any status to do a full points redemption

 

[traceyy]

i found a working 10% code so im super duper happy lol, i will be plat by the time i do this flight, am already gold and taking the fam around the us in dec so hopefully ill be good for any up grades, i only have enough for one way upgrade atm cause i just used 180k points to upgrade hubby and i for dec trip, will have enough for the return trip in about 2 - 3 weeks.....so will book and lock in one way now and keep my fingers crossed being so far away some return flight upgrades will still be around, if not at least i have plat status so my chances of getting something close to the date are as good as its gonna get.

 

[Bolthead]

thats concerning, i though once you booked it with points it was guaranteed? seems a bit crazy to put out reward seats then take them back again as such...

Our freinds recently experienced this with QF business reward however they were flying on CX metal. Last week they looked up their reward flight on line only to find that the HKG to LGW leg had disappeared. There was no notice or email from either QF or CX. It then took most of the day and plenty of either lies or ineptness from numerous QF staff before they finally sorted out flights via Singapore but then only to LHR in economy. As they had plans from LGW (hire car and meeting their son who was flying in on another flight) they ended up catching a taxi from LHR to LGW. Interestingly QF gave them back 40000 points on the same day, which doesn't seem enough according to my quick calcs but I might be wrong. They too were under the assumption that once you book a reward flight it is as good as using cash. They have their fingers crossed for the retun flight as this is still showing as being available via BA.

 

[ozfflyer]

While I don't doubt this has happened it would most likely be that that person is someone very important ie. a The Club or Chairman's lounge member and would most definitely be the exception rather than the rule...I would eexpect that Joe Platinum trying to do this on a fully booked flight and most especially Joe Bloggs would be told to re-book another day or fly economy or PE if available......so I would not get too concerned about this Traceyy.

If there are business rewards available for your dates it may just be best to book them outright with the points as long as 1. you have enough and 2. you don't need the SC from the freedom fare. Alternately, book Freedom or PE now and just live with any drops that may occur. The transpacific awards tend to go very quickly! Remember you need to be gold or above to upgrade but don't need to have any status to do a full points redemption

no it happens all the time. People pay a much higher fare than cheapest economy, just so they can upgrade & then they get sent back to economy & not happy, but all upgrades are requests NEVER EVER guaranteed.

 

[ozfflyer]

I have not specifically seen a freedom sale.

Using a discount code there can be good savings - I haven't booked such but I have seen them.

wonder if student/under 31/teacher discount that works on some economy fares, will work on freedom fare ?

 

[serfty]

Those still with Virgin Mobile continue to get a 10% base fare discount on Freedom Fares subject to a 20 day advance purchase. Currently this until at least the end of the year.

 

[hossein_au]

no it happens all the time. People pay a much higher fare than cheapest economy, just so they can upgrade & then they get sent back to economy & not happy, but all upgrades are requests NEVER EVER guaranteed.

Is this based on anecdote or actual wording of T&Cs? You cannot 'sell' a product or service if you have no intention of providing it (not in Australia anyway). I am sure there would be law-suits-galore if this "happen[ed] all the time".

 

[Mattg]

no it happens all the time. People pay a much higher fare than cheapest economy, just so they can upgrade & then they get sent back to economy & not happy, but all upgrades are requests NEVER EVER guaranteed.

On Virgin Australia, upgrades from Freedom to Business can be confirmed instantly if there is Business Reward availability. However, there is almost never Business Reward availability until ~6 days before departure. So yes, it is a risk. But it's not correct to say that upgrades on VA are never guaranteed. (With Qantas, yes.)