" o noes! " - Singapore enhances redemption rates

[blingy90]

Hi everyone,

Was wanting to see if anyone had any updates on moving old-award bookings?

The booking I made for my folks was done on 16th March....and like BacchusMarsh, when I try to move to a date 12 months beyond (i.e. 17/3/18) I get an error. Where as searching on 15/3/18 I can move the flights free of charge.

The dates I'm wanting to select are post easter (so due shortly). Im assuming the change will have to be done over the phone???

Well, as I and others have said before, attempting to move beyond 12 months after the original date of issuance results in an error.

 

[PDog]

Hi everyone,

Was wanting to see if anyone had any updates on moving old-award bookings?

The booking I made for my folks was done on 16th March....and like BacchusMarsh, when I try to move to a date 12 months beyond (i.e. 17/3/18) I get an error. Where as searching on 15/3/18 I can move the flights free of charge.

The dates I'm wanting to select are post easter (so due shortly). Im assuming the change will have to be done over the phone???

Definitely will need to call, but to my knowledge no one has had any success with this yet. I really don't believe it's possible (without reissuing and moving to the new points scale)

 

[blingy90]

Fair enough.

You think it will require the further points (and I guess fuel surcharge refund)??? Even though you can currently change online (< 12 months from booking) without any rate change.

Definitely will need to call, but to my knowledge no one has had any success with this yet. I really don't believe it's possible (without reissuing and moving to the new points scale)

 

[PDog]

Fair enough.

You think it will require the further points (and I guess fuel surcharge refund)??? Even though you can currently change online (< 12 months from booking) without any rate change.

That's the advice SQ have provided so far. Plus a US$20 reticketing fee. You can change it <12 months as that's within the terms of the ticket conditions.

 

[blingy90]

That's the advice SQ have provided so far. Plus a US$20 reticketing fee. You can change it <12 months as that's within the terms of the ticket conditions.

Thats a bugger!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Fair enough.

You think it will require the further points (and I guess fuel surcharge refund)??? Even though you can currently change online (< 12 months from booking) without any rate change.

To go beyond 12 months of ticketing your choices are:

1/ Cancel for $30US and rebook later at new rates All your points and fees are refunded.

2/ Rebook at $20 US. Will cost the extra amount of points. The difference in fees will be refunded.



You can change online as much as you like but cannot go beyond 12 months of the ticket issue date. I moved my ticket to the max just in case it also changed the ticket issue date. But no luck as the original date stays as the datum that the 12 months validity applies to.

 

[blingy90]

The exisiting flight I have booked, the furthest date I can move it to online without any rate change difference is March 15th 2018.

Hypothetically, if I was to change it to those flights today, does the new ticket issue date become today, i.e. 11th April 2017, thus meaning I have 12 months from today to move the flights again free of charge (i.e. up to 10/11th April 2018)????

That's the advice SQ have provided so far. Plus a US$20 reticketing fee. You can change it <12 months as that's within the terms of the ticket conditions.

To go beyond 12 months of ticketing your choices are:

1/ Cancel for $30US and rebook later at new rates All your points and fees are refunded.

2/ Rebook at $20 US. Will cost the extra amount of points. The difference in fees will be refunded.



You can change online as much as you like but cannot go beyond 12 months of the ticket issue date. I moved my ticket to the max just in case it also changed the ticket issue date. But no luck as the original date stays as the datum that the 12 months validity applies to.

 

[blingy90]

Ooops - looks like you have already answered my hypothetical lovetravellingoz

To go beyond 12 months of ticketing your choices are:

1/ Cancel for $30US and rebook later at new rates All your points and fees are refunded.

2/ Rebook at $20 US. Will cost the extra amount of points. The difference in fees will be refunded.



You can change online as much as you like but cannot go beyond 12 months of the ticket issue date. I moved my ticket to the max just in case it also changed the ticket issue date. But no luck as the original date stays as the datum that the 12 months validity applies to.

 

[BacchusMarsh]

In all, I made three bookings in the hope of getting them booked at the older (cheaper in terms of miles) rates.

Cancelled two (basically a return trip) after a few attempts when it started to seem clear that it wouldn't fly.

A couple of days ago I tried the last, same initial outcome. But then, "Are you sure you don't want to move it forward?"

I said that would be great, but that there was no availability at all on the only remaining day that would have worked for me.

"Let me just look at that for you..."

And presto. The perfect pre-Xmas flight I was after.

I don't want to generalize too much or risk incurring further wrath from bruiser effete, but I'm now slightly wishing I hadn't cancelled the other two and had kept them for a USD20 rebook.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

.

A couple of days ago I tried the last, same initial outcome. But then, "Are you sure you don't want to move it forward?"

I said that would be great, but that there was no availability at all on the only remaining day that would have worked for me.

"Let me just look at that for you..."

And presto. The perfect pre-Xmas flight I was after.

.

So just so we are clear as the pre-Xmas booking window was well before when the new points regime commenced :

That was for a date beyond 12 months of original ticketing and they kept the same original fees and points cost?



Mind you I am tracking the flight combo I want and I may be more certain to gain it if I can just book when it is there despite the higher point cost (ie cancel and get my points back). Otherwise I might get the answer of computer says no and miss out.

My dates do not open for a while and so I have some think time yet.

 

[PDog]

So just so we are clear as the pre-Xmas booking window was well before when the new points regime commenced :

That was for a date beyond 12 months of original ticketing and they kept the same original fees and points cost?



Mind you I am tracking the flight combo I want and I may be more certain to gain it if I can just book when it is there despite the higher point cost (ie cancel and get my points back). Otherwise I might get the answer of computer says no and miss out.

My dates do not open for a while and so I have some think time yet.

BacchusMarsh: I am keen to know this too! Have you done what no one else can??

 

[BacchusMarsh]

So just so we are clear as the pre-Xmas booking window was well before when the new points regime commenced :

That was for a date beyond 12 months of original ticketing and they kept the same original fees and points cost?

No, sorry I was unclear about that.

My interpretation was that they did me a favour by opening up an award ticket. I had certainly seen no Saver availability there before. This is MEL-SIN-LHR just before this coming Christmas.

So given that experience, I thought that perhaps if I'd stuck with my original bookings for the other two and tried for USD20 changes rather than cashing out with the USD30 option, I might have had some luck there as well.

Ultimately I don't know. If I were in your position, I'd either cancel to get the flexibility to rebook online, or be ready to book by phone as soon as availability opens up. Shouldn't make that much difference unless it's a particularly tricky time.

 

[BacchusMarsh]

BacchusMarsh: I am keen to know this too! Have you done what no one else can??

No, absolutely not. If it can be done from here, it will be luck rather than anything else.

"Are you sure you don't want to move it forward?" was unclear, sorry. Perhaps they said "bring" it forward?

Basic message was:

SQ: Sorry, cannot (no way to get out as far as you need)
BM: Understood, could I please just cancel then
(Brief interlude about whether I'm prepared to eat FX losses... if not, it will take a while to get the points and taxes etc. back. In this case, I made a small FX gain)
SQ: There isn't another date (within the next year) you could use it?
BM: Only December 23, but nothing available lah
SQ: Let me just see lah
BM: (drinking tequila)
SQ: Sorry, just a little longer
SQ: Would the afternoon departure out of Melbourne be acceptable, arriving in London on the morning of... (etc.)

Again, this is an unusual case in that I'm flying every two months anyway and had an alternative within the 12-month window that worked for me. It doesn't help with what we'd all hoped for (pushing out beyond the devaluation), unfortunately.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Thanks for clearing that up.

. Shouldn't make that much difference unless it's a particularly tricky time.

Yes as I am not wanting to fly over in peak season I should be right. Though it is always random about who else wants to fly when....

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Yes as I am not wanting to fly over in peak season I should be right. Though it is always random about who else wants to fly when....

Best of luck. I might think about going for the USD20 change option in your case, just in the hope of them helping you over the phone when things initially show up for waitlisting only. They might have room to exercise some discretion. But all just idle theorising on my part.

 

[PDog]

No, absolutely not. If it can be done from here, it will be luck rather than anything else.

"Are you sure you don't want to move it forward?" was unclear, sorry. Perhaps they said "bring" it forward?

Basic message was:

SQ: Sorry, cannot (no way to get out as far as you need)
BM: Understood, could I please just cancel then
(Brief interlude about whether I'm prepared to eat FX losses... if not, it will take a while to get the points and taxes etc. back. In this case, I made a small FX gain)
SQ: There isn't another date (within the next year) you could use it?
BM: Only December 23, but nothing available lah
SQ: Let me just see lah
BM: (drinking tequila)
SQ: Sorry, just a little longer
SQ: Would the afternoon departure out of Melbourne be acceptable, arriving in London on the morning of... (etc.)

Again, this is an unusual case in that I'm flying every two months anyway and had an alternative within the 12-month window that worked for me. It doesn't help with what we'd all hoped for (pushing out beyond the devaluation), unfortunately.

thanks for the update, sounds like you struck gold! Well, silver at least.

Tequila? Really?? That's unfortunate for you ;-)

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Tequila? Really?? That's unfortunate for you ;-)

It wasn't too unpleasant. Don Julio 1942. But I say that with a zero track record of converting people to tequila.

 

[Dannyism]

In all, I made three bookings in the hope of getting them booked at the older (cheaper in terms of miles) rates.

Cancelled two (basically a return trip) after a few attempts when it started to seem clear that it wouldn't fly.

A couple of days ago I tried the last, same initial outcome. But then, "Are you sure you don't want to move it forward?"

I said that would be great, but that there was no availability at all on the only remaining day that would have worked for me.

"Let me just look at that for you..."

And presto. The perfect pre-Xmas flight I was after.

I don't want to generalize too much or risk incurring further wrath from bruiser effete, but I'm now slightly wishing I hadn't cancelled the other two and had kept them for a USD20 rebook.

Wow, really? I called up and asked, was told no, then cancelled.

Congrats, I'm jealous.

EDIT: read this change was within 12 months and within the 'old' pricing window. Less jealous now

 

[blingy90]

UPDATE

Just off the phone from SQ, successfully changed DATES ONLY beyond 12 months of original booking date WITHOUT point change or surcharge refund.

Happy camper

 

[BacchusMarsh]

UPDATE

Just off the phone from SQ, successfully changed DATES ONLY beyond 12 months of original booking date WITHOUT point change or surcharge refund.

Happy camper

Well there we go A little less happy I cancelled now