Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

[JessicaTam]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Perhaps we should have a MASA mini-do?

Admission by mASA only?

How about a poll on AFF keep MASA's or bring ASA's back online

No point, they are not coming back online.

 

[Newk]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

I can confirm no JASA available SDY - AKL. Have tried several times. Had to book BNE -AKL

and I've had success with Adelaide to Auckland ASA in U class. 36,000 points plus some dollars. Admittedly booked before the changes

 

[Newk]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Admission by mASA only?

No point, they are not coming back online.

yes, i think we have to accept that now.

and keep the interest going on both sides by booking as many as we can and keep on telling the (AFF*) world.


*admittedly a quite small world in the overall scheme of things

 

[Newk]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Today's effort

called: the MASA number

got: the premium desk

response: (said with smile on face) "I think I can help with that, but it will be my first one"

Trip: Adelaide Sydney return in business, U class

Comparative fare: cash $700 plus, classic award 48,000 and $81.10 or what I did for Mrs N: red-e-deal $150 with 12,000 point upgrade...although the latter is for one way so far and was done to use up one of last year's Christmas vouchers

Achieved fare: 48,000 points and $295.10

so, when compared with classic award, I have paid (295.10-81.10) $214 for 120 status credits and 3626 points. One day I'll know if this is worth it

Time on call: 13 minutes

Other comments: extremely helpful CSO. Able to admit shat she didn't know but was able to work through it slowly, possibly with some help in the hold music phases. Good conversation about how the (??some) CSOs took a while to realise why people did such crazy stuff when the classic awards were cheaper. We agreed it was all about how much you value status and points.

Overall a very good experience and after recent "notification" that they ain't coming back on the net any time now I won't even whinge about how it used to be easier on the net

IF, and that's a big IF, they stay available on the phone I can still see this being a valuable use of my points. But of course YMMV
And because this is a needed trip I haven't worked out any mASA numbers sorry

edit to correct typo

Another edit to add: we discussed the slider (see up thread) when CSO didn't know how to change the points/cash ratio. This might help future callers: there is indeed no slider and the CSO has to manually type in the required points and the system gives a cash payment. What we DIDN'T discuss is how they know what the minimum numbers of points is. Certainly in this case it was as I expected at the classic amount. Although i think there are reports further back of fewer than classic amount

 

[Deleted User]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Newk, I can concur with your numbers... Last month I paid ($295.10+$7.00=$302.10) & 48k QFF for the same ADL - SYD - ADL ticket in J

Good to see similar numbers...

 

[Newk]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Newk, I can concur with your numbers... Last month I paid ($295.10+$7.00=$302.10) & 48k QFF for the same ADL - SYD - ADL ticket in J

Good to see similar numbers...

ah yes, forgot the CC fee

And I forgot to add that on my call we both agreed that there would be no booking fee. I am pretty sure that she knew anyway but I made sure that it came up in conversation

 

[asg29e]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Newk, I can concur with your numbers... Last month I paid ($295.10+$7.00=$302.10) & 48k QFF for the same ADL - SYD - ADL ticket in J

Good to see similar numbers...

And EXACTLY what I paid for the same flight booked early August. It seemed slightly expensive at the time but now I don't feel quite so ripped off.

 

[DaveB]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Two SYD - ADL return JASA's booked April were each 80,189 points.
I love how so many of the QF staff can't understand why their customers don't take the cheaper option and seek status.
When you are seeking to protect a business that will always have a higher cost basis than it's competitors, surely QF management must soon start to realise they have a product which handled properly delivers customer loyalty at a premium price.

 

[crum]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

OK. Just got off the phone. Have to say it was a real pleasant experience and Steve the CSO knew exactly what I wanted from the moment I said I wanted to book a classic award fare as ASA. Straight away he said "You are wanting to book into Uniform class aren't you?". As soon as I heard that I was relieved. In the background it sounded like someone else wasn't having a good time of it as I heard another CSO say in a rather agitated voice "You don't need to swear at me. Good night".

Anyway, I got SYD-TSV-SYD all U class for 48,000 points and $349.16. I then also got TSV-ADL-TSV with 2 U class sectors and 2 X class sectors for 48,000 points and $191.48. Both over 2 days in November.

I had a quick chat with Steve at the end and told him that he had made the experience rather painless. He said that some of the other CSO's still struggled a bit with it, but he had had a few of these bookings and was quite confident in doing it. He also said at the end "you don't need to tell me why you're booking this...I already know". There was no trying to push me to full classic awards at all. Red Roo (I'm sure you're still lurking here) Steve is a real credit to the CSO team.

 

[samh004]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Red Roo (I'm sure you're still lurking here) Steve is a real credit to the CSO team.

I wonder if Steve works out of the HBA call centre.

Anyway, good to see things are working, gives me confidence that when I'm ready to book I'll face less hassles that I might've been lead to believe early on.

 

[crum]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

I wonder if Steve works out of the HBA call centre.

Anyway, good to see things are working, gives me confidence that when I'm ready to book I'll face less hassles that I might've been lead to believe early on.

I had to call back as one of the bookings didn't show up on the My Bookings page in my account despite having received the ticket in my e-mail. Blown me down I got Steve again! Anyway, he had it fixed in a minute. All good.

 

[AstroDamo]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Hmmm, Just rang MASA line.

Told him I wanted a quote for a Marginal Any Seat Award, he asked what that is, I told him Any Seat Award booked at Classic, still didn't seem to understand but then asked where from and to said TSV - ADL. The route I'd found online was TSV - BNE - MEL - ADL and that's what I wanted, he put me onhold after just asking the TSV - ADL part, about 1 minute later came back "sorry about that, so how many points would you like to use". I said minimum, he asked for a date I gave him the date. He then placed me on hold again this time for about four minutes before coming back and "I have 48,000 $316" he didn't offer me any times or routings, I asked if that was an Any Seat Reward, he said it was so I'd earn points, he then told me the routing TSV - BNE - SYD - ADL." I was at this points slightly confused as because I previously had looked at this route also and come with a Classic of 36,000 points and $102.5 and assumed the lowest he'd be able to place the bar would be 36,000 to match the Classic, at this point I just left it there, mainly cause the guy frustrated me a bit, I thought he would at least ask which flights I would want, how could he know what time of day I wanted to travel?

Is this right that the minimum points would be 48,000 and $316 or has he blundered somewhere? I might have to start looking for a different route, I was going to try SYD-BNE-TSV; TSV-BNE-MEL-ADL; ADL-SYD as a multicity booking trying to achieve 305 status credits without much points spendage I was thinking this would come to about 74,000 total.

 

[AstroDamo]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Okkkkkk, I take it back, Just received a phone call back from Qantas.


He rang back after he had taken his next call this time a lot more confident also I think he'd done a bit of research for me, so definately have to swallow some of my words about the customer service, just to clarify I had stated that it was a bit higher then expected, he told me that the reason it was higher was because the routing was included the extra leg to SYD required 48,000 points and that 36,000 is only available on routes for TSV - BNE - ADL of which none were available for that day which I was already aware of but don't think he knew I was trying to increase my amount of stops. Anyway he told me to look for days where TSV - BNE - ADL is available if I want to use just 36,000. I'm quite impressed that he went to the effort of calling me back and clarifying.

Still slightly confused as to why classic award level is 36,000 but Any Seat Award level is 48,000 but I'm sure someone else here knows the answer to that.

 

[Limewood]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

No matter how its looked at, its a MASA / ASA mess with many operators untrained, why should those calling have to put up with this lottery?

 

[Pushka]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

My issue is that I'm still a little confused about the points/$/availability ratio so if an operator didn't know about the new system then I'd have no chance nor the confidence, to ask the right questions nor pursue the issue. So if I was with an operator who insisted there was no such beast then I'd have to give up.

I think the new system seems fine for those familiar with how it all works together based on fare buckets etc; but for people less familiar with it all, it isn't going to happen. Which is why the online system worked for me.

 

[Blakegregory]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

I had another win, was able to book PER-KTA JASA for 24000 and $165 co-pay. I was lucky I queried the $35 booking fee as the lady on the phone was going to book a classic. Im happy now as I have DSC so I will hit gold by the end of my membership year

 

[Sale]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Thanks AFFers!

I had no confidence at all but found the phone call very straight forward. Todd the CSR knew exactly what I was wanted when I said an ASA and that the flights were available online as classic awards. So - I booked my first ASA - a JASA HBA-LHR. 128,000 points plus $736 in taxes oneway compared to $548 in taxes for the classic award online. No booking fee or credit card fee.

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

yes, people are getting them BUT you still can't play around for hours "surfing" the different routes and legs as we could before doing it ourselves on-line !!!!!

 

[Newk]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

yes, people are getting them BUT you still can't play around for hours "surfing" the different routes and legs as we could before doing it ourselves on-line !!!!!

yes it was a wonderful time waster: "you mean I get get to LAX in F for xx_,xx_ points. WOW! I wonder how I'll get back". It was the source for many dreams. So I totally get what you mean.

 

[swilk]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

I just booked Perth-Cairns JASA. The CSA knew about the process but had to check after I said that no booking fee was chargeable. All in all she was extremely helpful and was able to tell me which flights had sky beds.

I cant help but wonder though what this costs Qantas in terms of staff time as I was on the phone for 40 min. I would be much happier doing this on-line by myself.