Pathetic [Where are the advertised extra award seats? ]

[TheInsider]

I wonder what status I'll get when they bring in the new "Points club"?

Not really going to be status i'd imagine, it's more of a thing where the user has to be 'engaged' with the program. So using qantas shopping mall, earning points on credit cards, earning points on hotels/in surance/phones etc etc.

 

[gapmatt]

I was looking at booking JL flights for 2 PAX the other day however the dates were not far enough forward so I was going to book and then change. I called QF and asked if I booked prior to the 18/9 and then changed post 18/9 would I have to pay the new rates plus change fees. The answer was "we have not been told and I am not sure".

I didn't book and now have to pay the higher points rate, however the booking I looked at yesterday the QF tax is about $125 per pax cheaper and if I factor in the points to change 5000 per pax I think I am only slightly worse off.

I was looking at booking JL flights for 2 PAX the other day however the dates were not far enough forward so I was going to book and then change. I called QF and asked if I booked prior to the 18/9 and then changed post 18/9 would I have to pay the new rates plus change fees. The answer was "we have not been told and I am not sure".

I didn't book and now have to pay the higher points rate, however the booking I looked at yesterday the QF tax is about $125 per pax cheaper and if I factor in the points to change 5000 per pax I think I am only slightly worse off.

I ended up booking using Asia Miles, called them up and put 2 seats on hold. Transferred some points across from AMEX. cost 100,000 asia miles points which is the same redemption rate for Qantas which were gonna charge me 172,000 points. Different of 72,000 points for the same flight!

 

[DAC1]

I was looking at booking JL flights for 2 PAX the other day however the dates were not far enough forward so I was going to book and then change. I called QF and asked if I booked prior to the 18/9 and then changed post 18/9 would I have to pay the new rates plus change fees. The answer was "we have not been told and I am not sure".

I didn't book and now have to pay the higher points rate, however the booking I looked at yesterday the QF tax is about $125 per pax cheaper and if I factor in the points to change 5000 per pax I think I am only slightly worse off.

Just curiously, what booking was that?

I made a SYD-MEL-LAX QF J redemption 2 days ago. I had a look at the exact same redemption today and the QF tax is also around $125 cheaper.

Seems like there’s a fair bit of consistency in the way the QF tax has decreased.

 

[Matt_01]

Just curiously, what booking was that?

x2 J with JL MEL-NRT-ORD

 

[offshore171]

Bronze.
I'm sure that's the reason for the discrepancy

From memory, gold and up get a 56 day head start for new premium seat releases. Is that still the case?

 

[Limewood]

Why am I not surprised, think promise of more J award seats long haul is BS.

 

[sjk]

Why am I not surprised, think promise of more J award seats long haul is BS.

For the record, are you happy now that the charges have been reduced?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Charges reduced? EK was still $814 one way SYD-ORD this morning. More expensive than this time last year (and by more than the devaluation of the Aussie)

 

[Limewood]

For the record, are you happy now that the charges have been reduced?

not enough for me, last trip HKG/JFK/HKG on CX were in J a mere $100 each

 

[JohnK]

Oh goody. Let's play the 10:00am lottery 360 days in advance.

Pathetic. Last minute availability would be good.

 

[dajop]

Charges reduced? EK was still $814 one way SYD-ORD this morning. More expensive than this time last year (and by more than the devaluation of the Aussie)

Co-payment surcharges have only reduced on QF operated flights, IIRC. For example for an economy award, SIN-MEL, using EK, the co-payment surcharge is still ~ $320.

 

[ChrisMars]

I am curious to hear if the increase of awards seat is going to impact the undocumented benefit of the WP and above: calling Qantas to try to get some seats released.

 

[drron]

Yes the payment on a JAL F award LAX-NRT has not changed and signicantly more than the single digit dollars AA charge.On top of that 116,000 miles v 80,000 on AA.
It is a pathetic program still IMHO.

 

[TheInsider]

Oh goody. Let's play the 10:00am lottery 360 days in advance.

Pathetic. Last minute availability would be good.

Everything seems to be pathetic with everything QF/VA do, everyone always has a say about something about something. If the airlines listened to the armchair experts, there would be no airlines or 'loyalty' programs.

But there is last minute availability too sometimes, look for lightly loaded flights in J, there are usually U class available.
There has also been quite a few last minute F class EK awards available on the day of departure too lately.

OT: Do you honestly like anything with any airline?

 

[Duffa]

Everything seems to be pathetic with everything QF/VA do, everyone always has a say about something about something. If the airlines listened to the armchair experts, there would be no airlines or 'loyalty' programs.

But there is last minute availability too sometimes, look for lightly loaded flights in J, there are usually U class available.
There has also been quite a few last minute F class EK awards available on the day of departure too lately.

OT: Do you honestly like anything with any airline?

Having seen the fantastic availability that comes with your WP status on your earlier posts, I'm not surprised that you are upbeat about QF - they have a wonderful hard and soft product up the front of the airplane.
My beef is that Qantas clearly stated, that in return for hoiking up all their redemption rates, they would increase availability in J/F. That clearly has not been the case for the majority of their 10 million members, myself included.

Duffa

p.s. EK F on the day of departure isn't much good to most people who work full-time

 

[TheInsider]

But as i quoted 'last minute availability'

Having seen the fantastic availability that comes with your WP status on your earlier posts, I'm not surprised that you are upbeat about QF - they have a wonderful hard and soft product up the front of the airplane.
My beef is that Qantas clearly stated, that in return for hoiking up all their redemption rates, they would increase availability in J/F. That clearly has not been the case for the majority of their 10 million members, myself included.

Duffa

p.s. EK F on the day of departure isn't much good to most people who work full-time

Actually my partners Silver account and also JohnK was whining about no last minute tickets.

 

[animusmh12]

Can we book KLM yet? I had a quick look and have not seen it as an option.

 

[Duffa]

But as i quoted 'last minute availability'

Actually my partners Silver account and also JohnK was whining about no last minute tickets.

better get myself up to Silver then!!!

 

[fiscal]

QF are also quiet on their facebook page, and have not yet answered my question about details of our "extra" premium seats and when they are available.

 

[henrus]

I've already posted this here: Day One of the new QF FF program and where are the seats?


These changes bring an additional 1 million seats spread over Qantas and Partner airlines (Air France, KLM, Air New Zealand, Bangkok Airways and China Airlines). My guess is most of those 1 million seats will be on partner airlines especially the Air New Zealand domestic network.

Exactly how many seats of that 1 million total will be on Qantas was never announced however what was announced was up to 30% more seats in premium cabins will be released over the next 12 months. Given on some routes like Perth to London they may release very few seats (let's just say 50 seats in Business per year) then you should only expect at most an additional 15 but it's also important to remember that it's "up to 30%".