Frustration Booking Award seats for next year - PE points but Economy flights

[Pushka]

I have been haunting the Qantas award sites waiting for July 2012 to open up. They opened up, but basically nothing much on offer. Today I clicked on a seat for PE on a date - the points to be deducted are PE points (96,000 - LHR - Melbourne) and normal economy is 64,000 points.

From To Flight Duration Premium Economy

20:30 London (Heathrow) 16:10 (Sat) Singapore British Airways flightBABA11
23h 30m Seat 19:45 (Sat) Singapore 05:00 (Sun) Melbourne Qantas flightQFQF10

BA = Flight Operated by British Airways

Key: = Qantas flight BA = Flight Operated by British Airways

Total points for all flights and passengers*
96000
Qantas/Partner Award

BUT looking at the detail of the booking::shock:

NOTE:
Your flight from London to Singapore will be in Economy
Your flight from Singapore to Melbourne will be in Economy

How many poor suckers dont look at the detail and end up in Economy, having forked out the points for PE?

And how on earth can this be allowed? False promises much?

 

[oz_mark]

It's quite common to see economy in such bookings - although most usually see it when looking for business class flights, and there are several threads on that!

Having said that, they usually do give you some minor flight in business (like a business connection from Melbourne to Sydney or some such). Never seen both sectors in economy before though! That really is overcharging! In this case, that is a clear breach of the T&C's - they only have a valid claim to charge for the economy fare if there are no PE segments involved.

 

[clifford]

And how on earth can this be allowed? False promises much?

It's Qantas.

 

[markis10]

Given the changes announced last week I dont expect much award availability while they rebook those on the LHR services that have now been cancelled, once thats sorted things might get better.

 

[Pushka]

Award Seats - PE points but Economy flights for whole trip (LHR - Melb)

It's quite common to see economy in such bookings - although most usually see it when looking for business class flights, and there are several threads on that!
.

Yes, I have seen it where one of the legs is say Economy, and the other is PE. I found that situation when the route goes Singapore through Perth. But the points deducted are much less than when PE is provided the whole trip.

The Qantas site is still showing this site - check it for Friday 27th July, 2012 - LHR to Melb. Search only for PE flights and select 'flexible with dates' then 'select your flights' - again the header is stil Premium Economy; click on the actual flight, and it still says Premium Economy Award, but none of the flights are!

Given that we know many many people planning Europe next year, and with the Olympics on at this time, I wonder how many people are being caught.

 

[Danger]

Re: Award Seats - PE points but Economy flights for whole trip (LHR - Melb)

(There's a more recent thread addressing this particular issue but I can't find it.)

It seems Qantas has responded to concerns about their award booking engine slugging you, for example, the cost of a J award seat when only part of the journey is in fact in J. An award search I've just completed shows an information icon and a warning that part of the journey will not be in the requested class.

 

[Pushka]

Re: Award Seats - PE points but Economy flights for whole trip (LHR - Melb)

At least that's a start Danger. There were no warnings a few months ago.