Odd QF Award availability DPS-MEL

[jaseb]

Hi all,
I'm looking to use points to travel DPS-MEL later next year.

If I search for DPS-MEL Reward availability on my dates, the only award flights I am offered is a very roundabout trip via KUL, or DPS-SYD-CFS(!!!)-MEL... however if I search award availability for DPS-SYD the routing I am offered, on the same dates, in the same award class is DPS-MEL-LST-SYD

What gives?
Is there any way I can book the DPS-MEL flight only?

Cheers

edit: I should add I am aware of the "married segment" phenomena however I've only been affected/privy to it when hopping through international destinations - is it a married segment issue afoot here?

 

[jpp42]

This likely has to do with "married segments" - in this case, DPS-SYD-CFS and DPS-MEL-LST are the married segments, and are being matched up by the booking engine to the CFS-MEL and LST-SYD segments, respectively. A a married segment refers to two (or more) connecting flights that are priced based on the origin and final destination. Inventory on married segments is different to the inventory on the constituent actual segments, which is a revenue management technique to offer sale fares to customers in certain markets (in this case, regional cities like CFS and LST), without offering the same fares in the capital city markets. Because of the way award availability works, it accesses the same inventory buckets as certain sale fares. Yu are seeing these award options if you travel to/from the regional city, and thus access its market's fares, but the same sale fares/award inventory is not available in the capital city market.

Here are some articles and threads on the subject if you want to get more details:

What are Married Segments?

If you've ever booked a flight, chances are you've come across the issue of "married segments". But what are they, and how do they affect the price of

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Qantas married segment logic

Any advice on what to do here would be appreciated..booked a flight with points LAX-MEL (but want LAX-SYD). LAX-SYD did not appear on the search engine for that day - only LAX-MEL. I even did a multi city, LAX-MEL-SYD and it priced correctly, but errored out (generic error) at the final step. I...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/policy-and-guidelines/book-and-service/married-flights.html

The latter page, which is Qantas' information for travel agents, I have included because it mentions "misuse" of married segments, that is if you try to engage in "skiplagging" or "hidden city ticketing." For example, suppose you booked DPS-MEL-LST but then got off the flight in MEL and failed to fly the next segment. If Qantas noticed this and determined it was deliberate, they could take any number of actions such as billing you for the difference in fares, revoking your frequent flyer status, etc.

Unfortunately it means you'll probably need to keep searching for your preferred nonstop award flight. That said, there's nothing wrong with actually flying DPS-SYD-CFS-MEL if you can handle it and the connection times are okay... why fly direct when you can connect! (Applies if you're Points Club and get points/SCs for these segements!)

 

[kpro]

If your intended destination is MEL, you could just book the above and leave the airport in Melbourne. You'll have to collect bags and clear immigration MEL regardless as it's the first city of entry.
Cancel the connecting flights on the app once you arrive. As a once off thing, nothing will likely happen. You won't get any form of refund though.

 

[jpp42]

edit: I should add I am aware of the "married segment" phenomena however I've only been affected/privy to it when hopping through international destinations - is it a married segment issue afoot here?

But DPS is an international destination (well, origin), despite it feeling like part of QLD in some senses ... ;-)

The point is that Qantas is trying to sell tickets to/from Bali, from those regional destinations, and wants to charge less / make reward seats available, but does not want to offer those same fares to you in the capital city market.

If your intended destination is MEL, you could just book the above and leave the airport in Melbourne. You'll have to collect bags and clear immigration MEL regardless as it's the first city of entry.
Cancel the connecting flights on the app once you arrive. As a once off thing, nothing will likely happen. You won't get any form of refund though.

This is the skiplagging/hidden city ticketing I was talking about. I am not sure how strict Qantas is about it, but there are plenty of examples on FT where people have lost their status by doing this. In the page linked to above, Qantas specifically mentions the potential for abuse and the consequences for travel agents who facilitate it.

Here's another article you should probably read before doing this:

Airlines Fight Back Against Ticketing Tricks

Clever airline passengers have used hidden-city ticketing for years to save money on their flights. But now airlines are starting to fight back against the practice.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au