Domestic UK Club Europe

[Oubline]

Hi, I notice that the Qantas website never seems to show Club Europe (business) availability for domestic UK (e.g. LHR-EDI). The space shows up on BA and AA websites. Does anyone know whether this can be booked by phoning into Qantas?

Many thanks

 

[SYD]

Hi, I notice that the Qantas website never seems to show Club Europe (business) availability for domestic UK (e.g. LHR-EDI). The space shows up on BA and AA websites. Does anyone know whether this can be booked by phoning into Qantas?

Many thanks

If they’re showing on AA then you could try calling QF. But I would expect BA to show more seats than otherwise made available to QF - so that probably isn’t a good indicator by itself.

 

[SYD]

Actually, random date search and LCY-EDI shows available….



Funny, LCY didn’t appear in the multi-city search but the option was in the LHR search results.

 

[justinbrett]

Actually, random date search and LCY-EDI shows available….
View attachment 354881


Funny, LCY didn’t appear in the multi-city search but the option was in the LHR search results.

By design. QF converts codes to metro codes automatically, so LHR searches LON (LHR,LGW, LCY etc), same for Tokyo, NY etc.

 

[Oubline]

Actually, random date search and LCY-EDI shows available….
View attachment 354881


Funny, LCY didn’t appear in the multi-city search but the option was in the LHR search results.

Interesting, thank you! Maybe I shouldn’t have been so bold to say that domestic business doesn’t show up. And more that the LHR-X connections I’ve been looking at don’t. I wouldn’t mind LCY at all but this is as part of a LIS-LHR-EDI connection.

 

[SYD]

Interesting, thank you! Maybe I shouldn’t have been so bold to say that domestic business doesn’t show up. And more that the LHR-X connections I’ve been looking at don’t. I wouldn’t mind LCY at all but this is as part of a LIS-LHR-EDI connection.

Last year I was booked (revenue) BER-LHR-EDI but the BER-LHR was cancelled and rebooked via LCY…

Are you using the multi-city search?

 

[SYD]

By design. QF converts codes to metro codes automatically, so LHR searches LON (LHR,LGW, LCY etc), same for Tokyo, NY etc.

Yes, I was aware of that but you can select either LHR or LGW but not LCY.

 

[Lynda2475]

It is a known issue that often UK domestic J flights do not always show up but are available, so yes it is worth a call, especially if you can see the flight you want on a through fare (i.e. if you search SYD-EDI or JFK-EDI and the LHR-EDI legs shows availability).

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Actually, random date search and LCY-EDI shows available….
View attachment 354881


Funny, LCY didn’t appear in the multi-city search but the option was in the LHR search results.

Interesting find! And I should point out that if you can wing it, LCY comes recommended. Sure it doesn't have the flash and glamour as LHR in terms of lounges, but it's a lot easier to get to than Heathrow and a lot less busy. Plus of course wonderful plane cough.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Lynda2475]

but it's a lot easier to get to than Heathrow

That entirely depends on where you are staying. I personally find LHR super easy to get to/from central london (certainly less expensive than from LGW) and i like the lounges.

 

[SYD]

Interesting find! And I should point out that if you can wing it, LCY comes recommended. Sure it doesn't have the flash and glamour as LHR in terms of lounges, but it's a lot easier to get to than Heathrow and a lot less busy. Plus of course wonderful plane cough.

-RooFlyer88

Certainly better arriving than departing. The lack of lounges is a negative for status PAX.

The EL has made LHR much more accessible.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

One other thought on LuCY, you cannot beat the landings or takeoffs there. It's a unique experience to say the least coming into Central London like that.

That entirely depends on where you are staying.

True.

I personally find LHR super easy to get to/from central london (certainly less expensive than from LGW) and i like the lounges.

I suppose perhaps me being a cheapskate student taking the Piccadilly line to/from Kings X for £1.50 on a concession and sitting on the train for the better part of an hour is why I preferred good ol' LuCY to LHR. What I will point out is that from my experience, generally there is better availability out of LuCY than LHR (indeed I once booked a trip to ZRH for East one week out using Avios out of LuCY when there was no availability anywhere else).

 

[Lynda2475]

Although if you stay on the Piccadilly line, its always been an inexpensive GBP 6 LHR-Zone 1.

This year when flying London to DUB i had a choice of flying out of LHR or LCY and chose LHR because the departure time was better, it was 1 direct train and allowed some nice BA F lounge time. YMMV.

 

[torks]

Other beauty of LCY is that its so small you can easily arrive 30 mins before departure and still comfortably make your flight (Checkin/bag drop closes 20 mins prior). This is partially why there are no lounges as its expected people just turn up and go.

 

[lovestotravel]

Hi, I notice that the Qantas website never seems to show Club Europe (business) availability for domestic UK (e.g. LHR-EDI). The space shows up on BA and AA websites. Does anyone know whether this can be booked by phoning into Qantas?

Many thanks

I used to be able to get LHR-EDI and LHR-INV on nearly every flight in "J"

Since COVID can never seem to find any, even during the middle of Feb/March when no-one is travelling.

That being said the flights are so cheap in "J" it's not a big concern, but I do like burning up some QF points from time-to-time

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I used to be able to get LHR-EDI and LHR-INV on nearly every flight in "J"

Since COVID can never seem to find any, even during the middle of Feb/March when no-one is travelling.

That being said the flights are so cheap in "J" it's not a big concern, but I do like burning up some QF points from time-to-time

I'm gonna let you in on a dirty little secret I suspect many of us on the forum have realized since COVID, the award availability airlines make for their own members versus those award seats made available for their partners is wildly different. Pre-COVID you could be certain that if you found an award seat on BAEC for a BA flight you'd find the same availability on QF, JL, AA or some other partner for that matter. Well now, airlines are hoarding the award seats for their members, making more award seats available for their preferred airlines (i.e. United and Eva Air come to mind), and leave the scraps to everyone else (i.e. QR's relationship with QF). Whether it's right or wrong depends on which side of the fence you are on. No doubt I suspect many BAEC members love the fact that their beloved BA flights are being protected for them (even if it means it'll be harder for them to find a QF or AA seat).

To give you a concrete example of this in action. Let's consider for instance your search of LHR-EDI for this Wednesday November 29. So in other words a close-in booking where using your points to book a business class award is a real no brainer. If we look at BAEC we see some availability in J:


Now let's take that same search and head over to QF:


And in case you are wondering, yes there were other results, the rest of which were LuCY to EDI:


-RooFlyer88

 

[lovestotravel]

I'm gonna let you in on a dirty little secret I suspect many of us on the forum have realized since COVID, the award availability airlines make for their own members versus those award seats made available for their partners is wildly different. Pre-COVID you could be certain that if you found an award seat on BAEC for a BA flight you'd find the same availability on QF, JL, AA or some other partner for that matter. Well now, airlines are hoarding the award seats for their members, making more award seats available for their preferred airlines (i.e. United and Eva Air come to mind), and leave the scraps to everyone else (i.e. QR's relationship with QF). Whether it's right or wrong depends on which side of the fence you are on. No doubt I suspect many BAEC members love the fact that their beloved BA flights are being protected for them (even if it means it'll be harder for them to find a QF or AA seat).

To give you a concrete example of this in action. Let's consider for instance your search of LHR-EDI for this Wednesday November 29. So in other words a close-in booking where using your points to book a business class award is a real no brainer. If we look at BAEC we see some availability in J:
View attachment 354902

Now let's take that same search and head over to QF:
View attachment 354903

And in case you are wondering, yes there were other results, the rest of which were LuCY to EDI:
View attachment 354904

-RooFlyer88

I don't have a BAEC account so haven't checked, but yes makes sense

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I don't have a BAEC account so haven't checked, but yes makes sense

And the real kicker is the price:


15,000 Avios + $1 AUD in taxes and fees (with the flexible reward saver) or 8,500 Avios + 56 AUD in taxes and fees for the normal classic Avios award price.

What I will point out as a QFF Platinum is that I hold a BAEC account for this very purpose. Plenty of cheap redemptions not just on BA but also QF, AA and other partners thanks to its favourable distance based award chart. To give you some concrete examples here, I've flown Sydney to Hobart for 6,000 Avios in economy on Qantas, Sydney to Adelaide in Qantas business for 16,500 Avios and Sydney to Auckland for 11,000 Avios (again in economy), And if that wasn't enough for you, you can transfer your BA Avios to Qatar, Iberia, Aer Lingus and next year FinnAir Avios at a 1:1 rate for free at any time. Meaning you can exploit the award chart of not just one FFP but several and can cash in on those airlines who are hoarding flights for their members. Where this comes in for the Australians here who can't see how to earn these BA Avios points is the fine point that you can transfer AmEx Membership rewards to Qatar Avios which in turn can be transferred to BA Avios at a 1 to 1 rate.

-RooFlyer88

 

[lovestotravel]

I'll have to look at that more, now that Amex allows transfers to Avios

 

[Lynda2475]

Post Covid in both 2022 and 2023 I have redeemed QF points for J seats on BA in August peak LHR-EDI, GLA-LHR and LHR-DUB so definitely possible.