Dubai - Syd/Mel awards avails disappeared

[Beasley]

We are looking for award J Class seats from Barcelona/Madrid to Syd/Mel via Dubai in late September 2019.
I have been monitoring the avails over the past couple of months on these flights and there appeared to be plenty of seat options, primarily on EK.

However in the past few weeks I have noticed the Dubai to Syd/Mel virtually dry up completely in all classes. The Spain to Dubai avails are still good but nothing for the Australian leg.

Does anyone know if there has been a change between EK award avails to Aust? I know they have changed planes, but feel someth8ng else has changed dramatically.

Would appreciate advice/knowledge.

 

[Mattg]

A few things at play here...

1. Yes, EK award availability to/from Australia is definitely drying up. Availability isn't what it used to be.
2. It's too early now to book for late September 2019 anyway. If Emirates does release seats, it will only be around 330 (>11 months) days out.

Late September is school holidays as well, so it's unlikely you're going to get anything on Emirates. I would start looking at other options.

 

[Beasley]

Thanks

A few things at play here...

1. Yes, EK award availability to/from Australia is definitely drying up. Availability isn't what it used to be.
2. It's too early now to book for late September 2019 anyway. If Emirates does release seats, it will only be around 330 (>11 months) days out.

Late September is school holidays as well, so it's unlikely you're going to get anything on Emirates. I would start looking at other options.

Matt, thanks for your insight. What other options do you suggest because the Qantas site doesn’t seem to offer other options. Would ExpertFlyer be a better alternative to seek flights back home?

 

[kpc]

Sq usually has good availability in premium classes from Bcn/ Mad to Australia

 

[Beasley]

Sq usually has good availability in premium classes from Bcn/ Mad to Australia

We can’t use QFF points to book on Singapore Airlines though?

 

[blackcat20]

EK awards dried up months ago, we’d planned to book two seats to the Us but when it came time there was nothing for weeks.

 

[Kiwifruit]

Try searching MEL ( or SYD)-SIN-DXB-BCN/MAD on EK/QF. If you keep layover in SIN under 24 hours it should price as one award.

Alternatively try look at QR which often has availability out of ADL if MEL/SYD-DOH is unavailable.

Another option is CX via HKG; CX fly to MAD five times a week.

As discussed by others it is a little too early to search for late September.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Is F avail FRA/ZRH-DXB-MEL couple days out from dep as was case previously or has that disappeared as well?

 

[am0985]

Yep late Sept wouldnt be visible for another 20 days or so. So far though we should be able to see availability DXB - SYD/MEL to September 10th and there is nothing. I would have hoped early September would provide some joy since Euro holidays are over but obviously not.

There is however some availability to Perth. Maybe ride the Qantas A330 across Australia?

 

[Kiwifruit]

Yep late Sept wouldnt be visible for another 20 days or so. So far though we should be able to see availability DXB - SYD/MEL to September 10th and there is nothing. I would have hoped early September would provide some joy since Euro holidays are over but obviously not.

There is however some availability to Perth. Maybe ride the Qantas A330 across Australia?

Or if originating in MEL possibly the 787 to PER on QF 9

 

[Pierre_a]

A few things at play here...

1. Yes, EK award availability to/from Australia is definitely drying up. Availability isn't what it used to be.
2. It's too early now to book for late September 2019 anyway. If Emirates does release seats, it will only be around 330 (>11 months) days out.

Late September is school holidays as well, so it's unlikely you're going to get anything on Emirates. I would start looking at other options.

Hi Matt,

Any idea why EK availability has dried up?

 

[ramboflyer]

I recently booked 2 J seats EK DXB - SYD for August 19 and thought I was very lucky to get them. I was looking one morning and nothing and an hour later there was. After booking I saw that no more J seats on that flight. Looked again a few days later and nothing for the month.

I was aware of the 330 day availability but these were definitely before 330 days so I strongly suggest you keep on checking every day.

Also suggest you try Award Nexus which is a paid site or Award Flight Assist here. I found flights from DXB to HKG to SYD (or MEL) which didn't appear on QFF site. I got on QFF live chat and sure enough I could have booked them but held off and got the EK flights. I checked again a week or 2 later and they were still there. I think it was QR to HKG and CF to SYD or MEL. J seats from LON to several ports were no problem, it was the next leg back to Australia that was the hard part.

You might to look at a few posts on another thread:

First / Business award availability - London flights

 

[Mattg]

Hi Matt,

Any idea why EK availability has dried up?

No idea...

It will be a deliberate decision by EK not to release the seats. Could be any number of reasons for this, but generally high demand (from paying customers) or reduced capacity will result in less award availability.

 

[Pierre_a]

Update for those interested.

I think there may be something up with the Qantas search tool. A quick check for EK availability on Award nexus last night revealed plenty of space out of MEL to pretty much anywhere in Europe for the dates I was looking at next September.

The Qantas tool shows only economy availability on those dates, however if you click through the business/first space appears and is bookable.

So for about an hour I found myself in the happy place of having two sets of 3 x J award Melbourne - Paris for next year (one on QR one EK).

Edit: However nothing much available into Australia - which was the original subject of this thread.

 

[Quickstatus]

BTW @Beasley whats your FF status?

 

[Beasley]

BTW @Beasley whats your FF status?

Bronze unfortunately. I will need to scan Award Nexus each day I guess.
It is the leg to Australia .... from either Dubai or Doha that is the difficult part.

 

[Pierre_a]

Bronze unfortunately. I will need to scan Award Nexus each day I guess.
It is the leg to Australia .... from either Dubai or Doha that is the difficult part.

Don't forget EK have fifth freedom flights from DXB through SIN and BKK to MEL & SYD respectively. There does seem to be limited availability on those two routes - I can see availability in first on EK404 SIN - MEL on 14th Sep if that works for you.

EDIT: as always I find more availability search for the sectors individually

 

[Quickstatus]

@Beasley do you have any Velocity points? Or points warehoused in, say, an Amex card that you can slide into a Velocity account to convert into SQ points?