Now possible to upgrade award seats.

[medhead]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

I got this email and don't understand what the difference is... couldn't you do that before anyway? Is it just the points amount that has changed? Thanks guys!

It was not possible to upgrade a classic award previously.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

The Sydney Morning Herald thinks its just peachy. " The Qantas upgrade passengers have been waiting for"

This is actually a pretty decent article IMO. I don't think we are really the target market for these Awards.
FWIW I raised the issue of upgrades from Classic Awards at one of the AFF QF Lunches. IIRC it was the one held after Simpler and Fairer was introduced. QF said they hadn't considered it but if done the points cost would be more than from a revenue fare.
I hadn't quite considered it would be this much over the points cost on a revenue upgrade though :shock: :!:

Perhaps it would be ok for the point whales. It's not really going to work for me.

 

[melbkate]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

It was not possible to upgrade a classic award previously.

oh okay yes. thanks!

 

[drron]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

Seeing on international sectors we would already be flying J this will be of no interest.
Still means you are ripped off if you get a multi leg J award and 1 or 2 legs have only Y availability at the time of booking but J becomes available later.Have upgraded J Aawards to F for much less cost with AA.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

It makes more sense if you look at it from QF's point of view (not ours), as another opportunity to "sell" the upgrades before they give them away.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

It makes more sense if you look at it from QF's point of view (not ours), as another opportunity to "sell" the upgrades before they give them away.

It's not as if they give them away very often anyway!

 

[Flying mermaid]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

Generally no, it's not possible to upgrade only one PAX if more than one are on the same PNR.
It may be possible to separate the bookings but they would probably charge a change fee for that.

I think you can do it online with no charge. Miss FM had booked a cbr-syd-nan flight for herself and a friend (Qantas code share). The friend wasn't able to go. I was able to go into Miss FM's booking and click on a thing that said "separate". It allowed me to choose who to separate. Then I was able to cancel the friend (I am now going instead - just keep saying to myself that 4 hours in economy is fine ).

I think it would be possible to separate the booking and the select an upgrade for one. Downside is then on other legs pax are no longer connected.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

It's not as if they give them away very often anyway!

Not as charity but as opups.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

Not as charity but as opups.

That was my point. Not that many opups given out.

 

[donovan301]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

It makes more sense if you look at it from QF's point of view (not ours), as another opportunity to "sell" the upgrades before they give them away.

Here's a thought...
Not sure how many others notice this,

On QF domestic metal....How often have you not got a requested (or expected) upgrade.....only to walk thru J back to Y....

Whilst passing several (3 to 5) Jetstar Uniformed staff who are seated in J?
I presume for JQ Duty Travel (as still wearing full JQ regalia) where they are about to crew a flight exiting the port your heading to..?

I've seen this on at least half a dozen occasions personally. Mostly Bne-Syd & Bne-Mel

Curious as to others experience (& thoughts as to this).

Cheers, Donavan

 

[footy99]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

I may be just cynical but I suspect this gives Qantas the chance to only offer Economy awards down the track and anyone who wants anything else can upgrade automatically (at usually more than double the points cost of the business award they once offered). Long term I assume the plan is to bring classic award redemption rates in line with cash prices via that method.

 

[Limewood]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

Going on the ridiculous current long haul award charges they wont be doing us any favours I feel.

 

[trixydoza]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

Here's a thought...
Not sure how many others notice this,

On QF domestic metal....How often have you not got a requested (or expected) upgrade.....only to walk thru J back to Y....

Whilst passing several (3 to 5) Jetstar Uniformed staff who are seated in J?
I presume for JQ Duty Travel (as still wearing full JQ regalia) where they are about to crew a flight exiting the port your heading to..?

I've seen this on at least half a dozen occasions personally. Mostly Bne-Syd & Bne-Mel

Curious as to others experience (& thoughts as to this).

Cheers, Donavan

I've seen it approximately zero times, but it wouldn't bother me in the least.

 

[exceladdict]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

I may be just cynical but I suspect this gives Qantas the chance to only offer Economy awards down the track and anyone who wants anything else can upgrade automatically (at usually more than double the points cost of the business award they once offered). Long term I assume the plan is to bring classic award redemption rates in line with cash prices via that method.

It would be a brave head of loyalty to try that enhancement.

 

[trixydoza]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

It would be a brave head of loyalty to try that enhancement.

It can be phased in with stealth, just as they've done before.

In essence this is aimed at making Y awards more palatable. They tried making them cheaper, and presumably that didn't boost demand enough.

Just as I won't buy a more expensive ticket in order to participate in the upgrade lottery, I won't buy a poorly priced Y award and risk being stuck in Y. But that's just me.

 

[drron]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

The enhancement you should fear is if QFF decide to put such award upgrades ahead of points upgrades on paid fares.
Then toasters will probably look good value.

 

[trixydoza]

Re: Requesting Upgrade on Classic Flight Reward Bookings

if QFF decide to put such award upgrades ahead of points upgrades on paid fares

Well, given which option would get them more points back...

Ratio of points received by Qantas for upgrading a Classic Award to points received for upgrading a Flexible Economy fare:

Zone 1: 2.4 (7,000 points difference)
Zone 2: 2.4 (10,500)
Zone 3: 2.6 (16,000)
Zone 4: 2.33 (20,000)
Zone 5: 2.16 (29,000)
Zone 6: 2.13 (34,000)
Zone 7: 2.29 (45,000)
Zone 8: 2.22 (55,000)
Zone 9: 2.2 (60,000)
Zone 10: 2.07 (64,000)

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

So if U class is available and you have an X class booking, why wouldn't you just call up or log on and change it to a U class for a change fee?

It seems this is approaching the QF definition of "enhancement", which we know is only for the enhancement of their bottom line...

 

[opusman]

So if U class is available and you have an X class booking, why wouldn't you just call up or log on and change it to a U class for a change fee?

It seems this is approaching the QF definition of "enhancement", which we know is only for the enhancement of their bottom line...

If U class was available you would have presumably booked it in that originally.

 

[trixydoza]

So if U class is available and you have an X class booking, why wouldn't you just call up or log on and change it to a U class for a change fee?

Yep, that defeats the "good for people who don't have enough points just at the moment" argument. (SMH article: Or sometimes flyers don't have enough points for an award seat in a premium cabin upon booking but accumulate them by the time they actually fly through credit card spending or from other flights.)

I suspect any additional release will be after T-24:

14.7.9 The following changes are not permitted to any Classic Flight Reward within 24 hours before departure from the point of origin of the first Flight Segment on the Itinerary:
(a) change to class of travel;