Priority economy seat purchase for WP/WP1

[Per_Travels]

Has anyone used this benefit or knows how it works? One leg of a trip that I’m looking at is sold out in economy - does this benefit give me the ability to buy a seat on this flight? If so do I need to call Qantas or can I do it via the website?

 

[defurax]

Never used it, but here are the details. You need to call Qantas reservations at least before midday the day before travel. Full Y fare can be expensive...any other airlines you could give your money to and fly business class?

• Priority Economy seat purchase for up to two passengers
  Priority Economy seat purchase is available on eligible flights1 when holding or purchasing a Full Economy ticket for up to two people, including the Platinum One member. It is available on any Qantas operated flight with a Qantas flight number (excluding non-jet QantasLink services) for bookings made before midday on the day before travel12.

 

[downgraded]

"including the Platinum One member".

Didn't this used to be a WP benefit?

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Haven't used the benefit but I've not been in the position where I've had to. I'm always wary of this 'benefit'. For reasons beyond my control I had to once invoke HHonors Diamond power to get a guaranteed room at the Hilton Queenstown at midday for that night. $500 later.....

 

[defurax]

"including the Platinum One member".

Didn't this used to be a WP benefit?

Yes, it used to be a vanilla platinum benefit before P1 came along...

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Yes, it used to be a vanilla platinum benefit before P1 came along...

Well at least there's *some* differentiation. I'm just waiting for this 'shadow' concept to kick in, what's that all about?

 

[La Mouette]

I've used this "benefit" successfully once on a sold out flight.

I used it less successfully on a sold out flight that I didn't check in online for. I arrived at the airport just in time to check in, only to be told that they had allocated my full fare seat to someone else! They put me on a flight with the competition departing at a similar time. I didn't have lounge access, the special meal I'd booked, etc. - and could have bought that seat directly with competition for half the price! I did get ORC, though ...

 

[sudoer]

"including the Platinum One member".

Didn't this used to be a WP benefit?

Yes, it used to be a vanilla platinum benefit before P1 came along...

Still is a WP benefit:

• Priority Economy seat purchase for two passengers
  Priority Economy seat purchase is available when holding or purchasing a Full Economy ticket for up to two people, including the Platinum member. Available on any Qantas operated flight with a Qantas flight number (excluding non-jet QantasLink services), for bookings made before midday on the day before travel10.

 

[jakeseven7]

I've used this "benefit" successfully once on a sold out flight.

I used it less successfully on a sold out flight that I didn't check in online for. I arrived at the airport just in time to check in, only to be told that they had allocated my full fare seat to someone else! They put me on a flight with the competition departing at a similar time. I didn't have lounge access, the special meal I'd booked, etc. - and could have bought that seat directly with competition for half the price! I did get ORC, though ...

My boss used it when QF was ex Dubai. The QF flight was full, so they said they would bump someone off but would he accept an EK seat instead? He said ok as long as a QF codeshare, no probs and it was done

 

[kitkatff]

Still is a WP benefit:

• Priority Economy seat purchase for two passengers
  Priority Economy seat purchase is available when holding or purchasing a Full Economy ticket for up to two people, including the Platinum member. Available on any Qantas operated flight with a Qantas flight number (excluding non-jet QantasLink services), for bookings made before midday on the day before travel10.

I am missing something no doubt, I've read that a few time and I can't figure out what that actually means in practice. Maybe I'm confused by the "when holding" - I already have a ticket, so I can buy another one for myself for the same flight? Uh? I'm not quite seeing the point there.

The "or purchasing" suggests you can buy a ticket for a sold out flight? Meaning they'll boot some poor sod to make room for me?

Basic examples would help

 

[Per_Travels]

I was speaking to reservations about another matter and asked about this. I was told that, essentially, Qantas would let you buy a seat on a full flight and some unfortunate person would get bumped off.

I still don’t quite see how the wording from the website matches that reality. In my case a couple of seats on the fully sold flight I was looking at popped up on expert flyer so I was able to grab one of those without having the moral quandary of Invoking this benefit and knowing that it would cause pain and delay to someone else.

 

[sudoer]

I am missing something no doubt, I've read that a few time and I can't figure out what that actually means in practice. Maybe I'm confused by the "when holding" - I already have a ticket, so I can buy another one for myself for the same flight? Uh? I'm not quite seeing the point there.

WP/P1 member already holds ticket and wants to book a ticket for +1 on a sold out flight.

The "or purchasing" suggests you can buy a ticket for a sold out flight? Meaning they'll boot some poor sod to make room for me?

Qantas will oversell flight by two people and potentially boot someone off if needed.

 

[sudoer]

I still don’t quite see how the wording from the website matches that reality.

How does the website wording not match reality?

 

[Per_Travels]

How does the website wording not match reality?

I think it’s the word ‘priority’ that I don’t quite get. It reads to me like they’re saying ‘you get priority to buy a seat that doesn’t exist’ rather than what they mean which is ‘we’ll let you buy a seat that will only exist when we throw someone else off the flight’.

 

[downgraded]

‘we’ll let you buy a seat that will only exist when we throw someone else off the flight’.

The point is it's all statistics - no guarantee everyone will turn up for the flight anyway, or some will miss connections etc. The worst case is someone gets denied boarding but it isn't a sure outcome of the perk.

 

[sudoer]

It reads to me like they’re saying ‘you get priority to buy a seat that doesn’t exist’

But that is what it means.

Qantas already oversells flights, although when booking it may not be apparent that your Flex Y ticket could cause a non-status pax on a Sale ticket to get the boot - if everyone happens to show up (what @downgraded mentioned)

This benefit (or 'priority' if you will) is Qantas being more willing to boot someone off the flight for you, should you be willing to pay enough money and give enough notice.

 

[equus]

Qantas already oversells flights,

Yes, to the limit of what they expect to accommodate without booting people. The benefit is that they will continue to oversell, even if they wouldn't normally, and run the risk.

When you see Y0 in the availability, QF is no longer willing to oversell (unless you invoke this sort of benefit) - seeing Y2, H0 etc., doesn't mean that they are not already oversold, it just means they think they can handle it (either based on likely no shows, or a D7 plan to upgrade etc.).

 

[kitkatff]

thanks for the explanations

 

[oz_mark]

I've used it once. I sat in Business for the flight

 

[CaptJCool]

Many years ago,....2008 or 9, a colleague and I were asked to scoot from Adelaide to Canberra (only two flights a day) at a days notice for some “secret squirrel” stuff (from vague memory back then there was no midday day before cut-off)
Easy enough to get there. The flights to Canberra - Adelaide thurs nights are notoriously sold out during Parliamentary sittings ....

so I did phone QF reservations and 10-15 minutes later was ticketed. Everyone in the office was remarkably impressed.

Don’t recall if they had to chuck someone overboard to accommodate a late two, but I imagine like others have mentioned “no shows” etc would be “well known”.

PS in more recent times, given this same situation but without the status, the work around was to fly home via Melbourne. Although our booking engine told me Best Fare of the Day was VA via Brisbane!!!