How to find flights? it's all unavailable!

[andydev]

Hi,

I have plenty of points, and I was searching for a flight for next year.
No matter which dates I choose, it's all unavailable! It's hard to try every date, but I searched on March, April, September, and nothing!

Any tips? should I contact Qantas?

Thanks!

 

[oz_mark]

Hi,

I have plenty of points, and I was searching for a flight for next year.
No matter which dates I choose, it's all unavailable! It's hard to try every date, but I searched on March, April, September, and nothing!

Any tips? should I contact Qantas?

Thanks!

Which route(s) are you looking to fly on?

 

[markis10]

Welcome to AFF, where do you want to go and when, that way we may be able to give you some tips on ways to find seats that are not obvious.

 

[andydev]

Wow, this forum is quicker than IRC

Sydney -> Tel Aviv

When I try it, it searches for a route through London, which is normal.

I tried a few dates on March, April, May, September, and nothing!

 

[markis10]

Award seats on flights not operated by Qantas are much harder to get than those on Qantas aircraft, have you tried ringing Qantas and seeing what they have from partner airlines, the online facility has limited availability.

 

[serfty]

Have you tried a multi segment booking?

SYD-LHR and LHR/LGW-TLV

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

It's the London-Tel Aviv leg with BA. It is a very high demand route and is rarely discounted, and my UK colleagues with very high BA status struggle to use points. Use points to get to London and then go cheap to Tel Aviv.

 

[gregcuthbert]

Often worth picking up the phone

 

[straitman]

Often worth picking up the phone

Absolutely.

It has been documented many times that a phone call often gets results when nothing is showing online.

 

[andydev]

It's the London-Tel Aviv leg with BA. It is a very high demand route and is rarely discounted, and my UK colleagues with very high BA status struggle to use points. Use points to get to London and then go cheap to Tel Aviv.

Great! There is plenty of flights to London... it must be the London -> Tel aviv, like you said.

Thanks!

 

[Limewood]

Had probs many times using FF points never J seat that I want, recently tried SYD/LAX return on 380 no luck till Sept 2011, various days of April next Syd or Bris to Hong Kong return no luck, circle pacific out of question, called up said partner airline (Cathay) no seats HKG to LAX for middle of next year.

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

Great! There is plenty of flights to London... it must be the London -> Tel aviv, like you said.

My suggestion (which is really all the above together):
sort out Aus/London
ring QF about the Tel Aviv leg
then if QF can't help, book the London bit and worry about TLV closer to the time - there are a number of lower cost airlines doing that route so have a look on expedia.co.uk to see what (and when) they fly, its also possible BA may come up with some availability closer to the time

I have just had a major struggle trying to get to Seville or Madrid - BA wanted several hundred pounds so we have gone LCC for fifty quid with an Iberia codeshare