MEL - LAX Award Flight

[Expon]

Hi,

It's been a while since I have posted however I'd like to pick the brains of the wealth of knowledge available here. I'm planning a holiday to the US nexy year and was considering using my points for the flight. Originally I wanted to fly business class but the award seats are few and far between. I'm curious to note however, if I book an award seat, economy or business, what are the chances of not been offloaded? or at least flying the class I originally booked?
I've read that business class fills up with corporates and the like fast to LAX so I'm assuming Qantas will have no problem in downgrading me if they can find a 'paying' customer (not that there should be any difference between a frequent flyer and a paid fare). Does anyone have any experience with this practice?

I just don't want to book a flight a then find out on the day or just 3 days ahead that I cannot go anymore.


Thanks

 

[coyote25]

Once you have the award seat it is yours. I've never heard someone losing it, I suppose it is possible given QANTAS, like most airlines, try to overbook and I've seen paying customers put off the plane (with compensation). If you have any status that should be a less than 1% chance at worst.

However if it's an upgrade request that is granted I have heard of it being taken away at the last minute, but that's not what you seen to be asking about. If an award opens up on the date you want take it.

 

[NM]

Your chanced of being off-loaded or downgraded are extremely low. Qantas will ot do that just because they have another passenger waitlisted for a paying fare. It woulc require an exceptional circumstance to be bumped, such as a last minute aircraft change. And in such circumstances they would try to re-route in the originally booked class rather than bump someone off or to a lower cabin.

We do occasionally hear of horror stories, but it is extremely rare. QF treat all ticketed passengers the same, whether paying full-fare, discounted fare, or an award ticket.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

It is possible - due to oversold, a/c goes mech, pax misconnect, etc. But fairly unlikely. If you do get involuntary downgraded or bumped to another flight then you should get compensated regardless of being on paid or award ticket.

 

[Expon]

Thanks guys, its comforting to hear that its not general practice to shaft people. On a side note, flicking through the forums shows alot of people here fly to LAX reguarly. Would you recommend going business or perhaps saving the points and taking 2 economy holidays?

 

[simongr]

You will get two sets of divergent answers to that expon - I personally will only fly whY in exceptional circumstances - I would rather not fly. So I would certainly use the points if I had them - I dont holiday much in the tradtional sense either to one glorious luxurious trip for me is better value than 3-4 other trips.

 

[JohnK]

Would you recommend going business or perhaps saving the points and taking 2 economy holidays?

For me the flying is only a tiny part of the holiday. I would rather travel in economy and have 2 holidays.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

For me the flying is only a tiny part of the holiday. I would rather travel in economy and have 2 holidays.

Whereas I want to maximise my comfort and enjoyment. With limited time on the ground to do all that I want to do, that means being well rested on arrival, to the extent I can.

It is also handy to know I'll be in reasonable shape returning to work straight from airport instead of needing additional time off to recover.

 

[Shano]

Another consideration is how quickly you can accumulate points. If you accumulate points quite quickly, then consider J in the knowledge that in the not too distant future you should have sufficient points again for another J (or Y) award.

If it is a long hard slog to earn enough for a single J award, then I would consider the 2 x Y awards.

 

[JohnK]

Whereas I want to maximise my comfort and enjoyment. With limited time on the ground to do all that I want to do, that means being well rested on arrival, to the extent I can.

Some people do not accumulate points quickly enough to travel in "luxury". I am saving up points for my next RTW, which will again be 16 sectors and 5 "stopovers", and visit as many cities as possible in 2-4 weeks.

Now back to the original question. If I was redeeming points for award flights and did not accumulate points quickly enough I would rather travel in economy and have 2 holidays of 1 week duration rather than travelling in business and have 1 holiday of 2 weeks duration. My holiday is still maximised but I get 2 of them instead of the one. Now I would really be overjoyed if there was a way, without breaking the bank, I could increase my 3 trips a year, 2 weeks duration, to Thailand to 6 trips a year, 1 week duration.

I know when I was working full time and getting 4 weeks annual leave a year I would try to break up this annual leave as much as possible. Tack on a few days around public holidays, take a week off here and a week off there. For me one holiday of 4 weeks duration, and then waiting 12 months for the next one, is useless. I know it is different for others.

 

[NM]

I would base the class of travel result on what was available on or around the dates I want to travel. If I can get business class, then I would take it. But if I can not get business class award seats then I would take economy rather than not go.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Some people do not accumulate points quickly enough to travel in "luxury". I am saving up points for my next RTW, which will again be 16 sectors and 5 "stopovers", and visit as many cities as possible in 2-4 weeks.

Now back to the original question. If I was redeeming points for award flights and did not accumulate points quickly enough I would rather travel in economy and have 2 holidays of 1 week duration rather than travelling in business and have 1 holiday of 2 weeks duration. My holiday is still maximised but I get 2 of them instead of the one. Now I would really be overjoyed if there was a way, without breaking the bank, I could increase my 3 trips a year, 2 weeks duration, to Thailand to 6 trips a year, 1 week duration.

I know when I was working full time and getting 4 weeks annual leave a year I would try to break up this annual leave as much as possible. Tack on a few days around public holidays, take a week off here and a week off there. For me one holiday of 4 weeks duration, and then waiting 12 months for the next one, is useless. I know it is different for others.

I'm with you JohnK - much prefer a few short breaks to a long holiday only once a year. But shorter breaks means less time to fit stuff in, hence for me my approach.

 

[serfty]

... & as we all know, "Getting there is more than ½ the fun".

 

[NM]

... & as we all know, "Getting there is more than ½ the fun".

That might be true for business class, but for economy class I would say the getting there does not rate on the fun scale.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

That might be true for business class, but for economy class I would say the getting there does not rate on the fun scale.

Normally I'd agree, but I did enjoy my quick jaunt around the world.

 

[serfty]

That might be true for business class, but for economy class I would say the getting there does not rate on the fun scale.

I don't mind WHY that much. J or F is nice but I'd prefer to be flying than NOT.

At least a QF elite can help ease the WHY pain with otimised seat allocation and a few well placed HPs/Bubbles in the QPs 'ere departure.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I don't mind WHY that much. J or F is nice but I'd prefer to be flying than NOT.

At least a QF elite can help ease the WHY pain with otimised seat allocation and a few well placed HPs/Bubbles in the QPs 'ere departure.

Yup, and more chance of empty seat alongside for more space.

 

[simongr]

You will get two sets of divergent answers to that expon - I personally will only fly whY in exceptional circumstances - I would rather not fly. So I would certainly use the points if I had them - I dont holiday much in the tradtional sense either to one glorious luxurious trip for me is better value than 3-4 other trips.

Ok make that at least 5 differing views....

 

[NM]

I don't mind WHY that much. J or F is nice but I'd prefer to be flying than NOT.

I just tell Mrs NM that she is welcome to use my points/miles to go wherever she wants, but don't expect me to go also. Last time she took our two girls to AKL and I stayed home for a week with the two boys (eating pizza, drinking coke, playing the PS2 etc).

 

[JohnK]

At least a QF elite can help ease the WHY pain with otimised seat allocation and a few well placed HPs/Bubbles in the QPs 'ere departure.

I am lucky I can sleep on an aircraft without a problem.

After playing golf last Saturday morning and then having a few ales at the 19th and a few more in the QP I was able to have a nap on all 3 sectors of my SYD-CBR-MEL-SYD mini status run.