J Classic awards / partner awards scant

[offshore171]

If that outbound suits you, book it.

Then deal with the return separately.

As your return journey is in July, this may be harder as it’s AU school holidays in all states. If you’re returning around mid month, that’s the end of holidays when there’s a lot of demand for the return flights to AU.

 

[Lynda2475]

just tried to, cant book using work laptop as ad blocker prevents pop-ups needed fror payment, and just got an error on my tablet asking me to call grrr

 

[Martin J Cowling]

Yep, my home port is BNE but I normally have the best luck with ADL (QR/CX)

I have never got anything out of ADL on dates I want./

 

[flyingchicken]

In the last two days I've seen QR J flights to/from JFK completely fall off the radar. Not even any Y flights - as if the plane isnt there at all anymore. Despite seeing plenty of Y on AA website. Now want to send me via RJ or QR to London and then BA to JFK.

 

[Mrsfefe]

If that outbound suits you, book it.

Then deal with the return separately.

As your return journey is in July, this may be harder as it’s AU school holidays in all states. If you’re returning around mid month, that’s the end of holidays when there’s a lot of demand for the return flights to AU.

I've always hesitated to book one way international on points, hoping to eventually get the return on points also. Any time I've tried, if I can't get the return flight on points, the cash cost of the one way international flight is about the same as having just paid for the return fare outright. Is that other people's experience.? Is there a way to avoid the expensive one way fare paid for in cash. Am I missing something ( I hope so!)

 

[offshore171]

I've always hesitated to book one way international on points, hoping to eventually get the return on points also. Any time I've tried, if I can't get the return flight on points, the cash cost of the one way international flight is about the same as having just paid for the return fare outright. Is that other people's experience.? Is there a way to avoid the expensive one way fare paid for in cash.

That’s not been my experience at all.

I’m more than happy to jump on outbound award tickets when they are available, as waiting for the perfect set of “goldilocks” award seats usually leaves you empty handed.

Another good strategy is the staging flight to Asia and then getting a return sector to Europe out of HK etc.

One way flights home I haven’t found to be noticeably more expensive these days, as most airfares are now priced on a component basis.

 

[goldenhorn]

That’s not been my experience at all.

I’m more than happy to jump on outbound award tickets when they are available, as waiting for the perfect set of “goldilocks” award seats usually leaves you empty handed.

Another good strategy is the staging flight to Asia and then getting a return sector to Europe out of HK etc.

One way flights home I haven’t found to be noticeably more expensive these days, as most airfares are now priced on a component basis.

I've always hesitated to book one way international on points, hoping to eventually get the return on points also. Any time I've tried, if I can't get the return flight on points, the cash cost of the one way international flight is about the same as having just paid for the return fare outright. Is that other people's experience.? Is there a way to avoid the expensive one way fare paid for in cash. Am I missing something ( I hope so!)

I totally agree with @offshore171 . That's not been my experience either.

I've just booked outbound to Canada for next June and waiting for return awards to open for July return in next month or so.

There's always a way to get back, even if you have to get creative and add extra routings. When I'm in J or F, I truly don't care how I come home.

 

[downgraded]

I've always hesitated to book one way international on points, hoping to eventually get the return on points also. Any time I've tried, if I can't get the return flight on points, the cash cost of the one way international flight is about the same as having just paid for the return fare outright. Is that other people's experience.? Is there a way to avoid the expensive one way fare paid for in cash. Am I missing something ( I hope so!)

You are correct. You can't get a cash fare one way for a reasonable price. You just have to persevere looking for the award return or otherwise cancel the whole lot I assume. I've always got my returns booked in one go so haven't had that problem.

 

[banana boy]

Yep that's my experience too. One way international fares are much more expensive than 1/2 of the return price. I usually fly J SQ rewards to Australia (due to availability) and Y QF rewards return. The price of a one way revenue ticket either way is crazy.

 

[Zanzara]

No sign of the million additional extra reward seats then promised a couple of months ago...

 

[melbkate]

I found it harder to book my OWR to Europe this year even though I booked it earlier than previous times - as in on the day they release the seats.

I worked out AY were releasing 2 J seats every day from HEL-NRT by following along every day so I called Qantas at 8:30 am on the big day my seats were to be released (on hold) , hit live chat around 9am (on hold) , and then SMS about 9:30 (on hold) - SMS first to respond right on 10:01 am yay but they could not see seats I saw pop up after refresh, kept wanting me to call back etc it was too early, I kept hassling saying they are there I can send screen shot, anyway upshot was the sms person hung in and found them after about 15 mins. Very stressful.

Then of course my live chat became active and then phone answered but by then my sms person had done it all. Definitely harder to book this year. I am sure various airlines release more later as have booked several times only a couple of months out but with all the changes at Qantas did not want to risk missing out on my dates/airlines and routes.

 

[exceladdict]

No sign of the million additional extra reward seats then promised a couple of months ago...

View attachment 180133

"Over the next 12 months"

 

[Dr Ralph]

I've always hesitated to book one way international on points, hoping to eventually get the return on points also.

Then you're very likely never going to travel on points at all.

Book the first flight the second it is available. If a return flight does not become available (and it will if you are flexible enough) then cancel the first flight.The penalty will be very small.

I've used this strategy more than 20 times over the past 5 years to get return flights to the US at J level, including at peak periods.

 

[RichardMEL]

No sign of the million additional extra reward seats then promised a couple of months ago...

And because you don't see what YOU want that means they don't exist?

 

[Zanzara]

And because you don't see what YOU want that means they don't exist?

Other posters were referring to their experiences of finding scant J classic award seats. The thread title speaks for itself really. Just reflecting on the media hype that QF put out that an extra million seats were going to be made available... others seem not to finding what they are looking for. Frankly, you haven't been able to prove them wrong I suppose? I don't think I would disagree with their comments.

 

[Kaiser]

That’s not been my experience at all.

I’m more than happy to jump on outbound award tickets when they are available, as waiting for the perfect set of “goldilocks” award seats usually leaves you empty handed.

Another good strategy is the staging flight to Asia and then getting a return sector to Europe out of HK etc.

One way flights home I haven’t found to be noticeably more expensive these days, as most airfares are now priced on a component basis.

If I was doing a cash fare I'd often lock in a great sale fare Australia <> SIN/HKG/BKK in return Y for around $500 and then look for a SIN/HKG/BKK/KUL/CGK - Europe J return on sale.

These used to be available for around $2000 on the likes of AY, QR but they seem a lot more rare these days...much like the abovementioned QR J award seats.

Another option that had great deals a while ago was Oman Air, but it included long stop overs in Muscat.

 

[Kaiser]

QF J award availability



vs AAdvantage..



I know this is a well known thing...just venting

 

[levelnine]

Can you book those QR flights using QF points by calling though?

Is it simply a problem with the website rather than a problem with availability?

 

[RichardMEL]

Other posters were referring to their experiences of finding scant J classic award seats. The thread title speaks for itself really. Just reflecting on the media hype that QF put out that an extra million seats were going to be made available... others seem not to finding what they are looking for. Frankly, you haven't been able to prove them wrong I suppose? I don't think I would disagree with their comments.

and yet other posters, on the day of the announcement, saw a bunch of J and F reward seats opened up ex LAX/LHR/DFW (and to..)

it's all anecdotal - on either side.

And remember if most people are looking for premium reward seats which are always going to be difficult. You can be sure that the "million seats" (which is over a period of time mind you) 99% of them would be in Y.

I may not want, for example, ADL-BNE rewards in Y, but if they open up say 200 over a 6 month period, does that then negate that they are there.

Calling it a "scam" is a bit extreme in my book when there's absolutely zero proof either way except for anecdotal comments - and as I say many found after the announcement a bunch of seats (which were, obviously, snapped up) and just the other day a thread on AFF regarding Oct and Nov premium rewards showing up on some routes.

So let's be fair when discussing anecdoal "evidence" of extra seats either being, or not being, made available because none of us have solid proof one way or the other - and QF will not make the numbers and breakdown known as it's ommercial in confidence.

my two cents.

 

[RichardMEL]

well at least QF is offering Y seat(s) every day for a rather interesting city pair like CPH-BNE ....

and I agree, the QR flights may well not be showing online (because we all know how horrible the QF engine is) and probably calling may yield expected results (I'd hope so, anyway).