Last year on May 1st I rang Qantas to book a business class flight to Santiago using FF points. I was told that all seats had been taken - this was exactly 12 months before I was due to fly. To cut a long story short I wrote directly to the CEO complaining that Qantas showed how many points were required for a return business class seat to Santiago but that it was impossible on any day at any time to obtain such seats. Therefore the way their set up was on the internet was false advertising.
I was then referred to a lady in Brisbane who was most helpful. The interesting outcome of all these emails, phone calls etc., was that in the end I obtained what I wanted - a Business Class seat from Brisbane to Santiago. But wait theres more:
My flights were as follows -
Brisbane to Sydney - Qantas 90 mins.
Sydney to Hong Kong - Cathay Pacific 9 hours
Hong Kong to Los Angeles-Cathay Pacific 13 hours
Los Angeles to Miami American Airlines 4 hours 30 mins
Miami to Santiago American Airlines 7 hours
My return journey was almost the same, but I did not have to go through Hong Kong. I was able to overnight in Hong Kong on the way over and my connection in L.A. was the next morning. Coming back I had 12 hours in L.A.
This whole trip was a marathon - a flight that should have taken about 15 hours took nearly 36 hours. Amazingly enough my bag did not go missing, all flights were on time and American Airlines on the outward journey was a dream. Coming back it was like a different airline, an aircraft out of the dark ages where because I was sitting in row 1, it was the back rows turn to be served breakfast first, (they alternate flights) so I did not recieve any hot breakfast. To make matters worse the water heater wasnt working so no coffee. I could write a book on this whole experience. The trip cost me approximately 260,000 FF points which under Qantas's new system would have cost more than a million. I am a 70 year old senior whose passion is travelling, but now that Qantas have started this user unfriendly system of points I guess my days of travelling using them are fast coming to a close. There are many other airlines with much better systems not weighted towards the business traveller.
I was glad, however to have such an experience and managed to survive without even a cold - all the air travel.
I still have a Qantas flight from Brisbane to Singapore Business Class, using points to look forward to, but as usual nothing is easy and I have to fly via Sydney - then with BA to Singapore. I must be grateful for small mercies.
Emirates on the other hand makes life much easier if using points - upgrades are a breeze, especially from Business to First (if the flight has a First that is). When using points with Singapore Airlines you can pick any flight you want - not be put on a flight travelling overnight or have to fly half way round the world. Guess I have to quit while I am ahead with Qantas but the return First Class flight from Brisbane to London is now completely out of my reach even though we have the required number of points (the old system). This will be one thing I am unable to do "before I die" - have done plenty of others, however.
I was then referred to a lady in Brisbane who was most helpful. The interesting outcome of all these emails, phone calls etc., was that in the end I obtained what I wanted - a Business Class seat from Brisbane to Santiago. But wait theres more:
My flights were as follows -
Brisbane to Sydney - Qantas 90 mins.
Sydney to Hong Kong - Cathay Pacific 9 hours
Hong Kong to Los Angeles-Cathay Pacific 13 hours
Los Angeles to Miami American Airlines 4 hours 30 mins
Miami to Santiago American Airlines 7 hours
My return journey was almost the same, but I did not have to go through Hong Kong. I was able to overnight in Hong Kong on the way over and my connection in L.A. was the next morning. Coming back I had 12 hours in L.A.
This whole trip was a marathon - a flight that should have taken about 15 hours took nearly 36 hours. Amazingly enough my bag did not go missing, all flights were on time and American Airlines on the outward journey was a dream. Coming back it was like a different airline, an aircraft out of the dark ages where because I was sitting in row 1, it was the back rows turn to be served breakfast first, (they alternate flights) so I did not recieve any hot breakfast. To make matters worse the water heater wasnt working so no coffee. I could write a book on this whole experience. The trip cost me approximately 260,000 FF points which under Qantas's new system would have cost more than a million. I am a 70 year old senior whose passion is travelling, but now that Qantas have started this user unfriendly system of points I guess my days of travelling using them are fast coming to a close. There are many other airlines with much better systems not weighted towards the business traveller.
I was glad, however to have such an experience and managed to survive without even a cold - all the air travel.
I still have a Qantas flight from Brisbane to Singapore Business Class, using points to look forward to, but as usual nothing is easy and I have to fly via Sydney - then with BA to Singapore. I must be grateful for small mercies.
Emirates on the other hand makes life much easier if using points - upgrades are a breeze, especially from Business to First (if the flight has a First that is). When using points with Singapore Airlines you can pick any flight you want - not be put on a flight travelling overnight or have to fly half way round the world. Guess I have to quit while I am ahead with Qantas but the return First Class flight from Brisbane to London is now completely out of my reach even though we have the required number of points (the old system). This will be one thing I am unable to do "before I die" - have done plenty of others, however.
