Facilitating a QF J CR seat release on alternate oneworld carrier

[ozboy01]

I am WP and would like to secure a single J seat on UL606 (CMB - SYD direct) on 18.2.2025.

Have rung up about 3-4 times since the 353 day window but each time have been advised by the QF call centre operator that no CR seat available in J.

Is it out of line for me to request QF to formally approach Sri Lankan Airlines to release a J CR seat for this departure? If appropriate, which department is best to do that through, as even though I am WP I hardly ever get through to Hobart - usually Auckland or Fiji (Hobart is rarified air for only CL and P1 callers I am assuming). Have had no outright disasters (currently, fingers crossed!) but the quality of operator knowledge generally speaking has been underwhelming. :-(

Any tips are greatly appreciated

 

[jase05]

I am WP and would like to secure a single J seat on UL606 (CMB - SYD direct) on 18.2.2025.

Have rung up about 3-4 times since the 353 day window but each time have been advised by the QF call centre operator that no CR seat available in J.

Is it out of line for me to request QF to formally approach Sri Lankan Airlines to release a J CR seat for this departure? If appropriate, which department is best to do that through, as even though I am WP I hardly ever get through to Hobart - usually Auckland or Fiji (Hobart is rarified air for only CL and P1 callers I am assuming). Have had no outright disasters (currently, fingers crossed!) but the quality of operator knowledge generally speaking has been underwhelming. :-(

Any tips are greatly appreciated

Personally I think it’s pretty futile and a bit rich requesting seats on another airline. If there is no availability there is no availability and I doubt QF will be able to do much but you are more than welcome to ask. Who knows?

 

[levelnine]

Outside of very special exceptions (which yours is not), Qantas has no ability to request the release of award seats on other airlines.

 

[ozboy01]

As it is a request for an originating departure airport QF doesn't personally service I thought that moved it down a few rungs on the cheekiness ladder.

Totally understand it is Sri Lankan Airlines call to release the seat or not.

My thinking was "if you don't ask, you don't get".

 

[RichardMEL]

You can ask, but not something they can do. They have no control over partner inventory - only their own. For once it's not an issue with the agents on the phone. This is not something that I, as a P1, woukd expect any traction on tbh.

Note, there are internal OW liasons who can sometimes get things requested but only usually in the case of a issue - for example, reward ticketing fails causing partner cancels - but my understanding is the scope is very limited and usually in the instance of a reward that was already available that was lost due to their error, not opening new inventory.

Good luck.

 

[oz_mark]

I think the exercise is futile. While you could.ask, Iit would be extremely unlikely that Qantas could get this to happen.

 

[Princess Fiona]

As it is a request for an originating departure airport QF doesn't personally service I thought that moved it down a few rungs on the cheekiness ladder.

Totally understand it is Sri Lankan Airlines call to release the seat or not.

My thinking was "if you don't ask, you don't get".

Don’t waste your time or the call centre staff. It is not a benefit of being Platinum or higher or indeed any status on QF to ask for a seat release on a partner carrier.

 

[tinkybelle]

waste of time and effort

 

[SYD]

As it is a request for an originating departure airport QF doesn't personally service I thought that moved it down a few rungs on the cheekiness ladder.

Totally understand it is Sri Lankan Airlines call to release the seat or not.

My thinking was "if you don't ask, you don't get".

As others have said, very little QF can do to release seats.

However, there are J seats on UL CMB-CGK connecting to QF42 to SYD same day. Ignore the outbound, I had to do that to search for the return flights (can’t do a one way search ex CMB online).