Qantas 7 Day Dom Sale-but Bpay Only

[Maca44]

Just received the usual email from Qantas advertising their 7 day domestic flight sale as hereunder, however, if you note that you must pay by BPAY to get the sale price meaning if you don't do internet banking you can't take advantage of the sale. Further wording states, "Prices are internet only"

Domestic Sale on Now

Seats on sale until midnight (AEDT) Thursday 8 March 2007 or until sold out.

These one-way specials are valid for travel from Tuesday 24 April 2007 until Thursday 21 June 2007.

Hurry - seats are limited.

Prices are valid for online e-ticket bookings made at least 7 days before departure by BPAY.

 

[Dave Noble]

I havent seen the offer, but from what you posted it doesn't seem to imply that it is BPAY only, just that the prices given are based on paying by BPAY and that the credit card surcharge would apply if paid by credit card

from the QANTAS site under specials, it states for specials listed there

Price includes charges/taxes for the most direct route. Valid for online e-ticket bookings made at least 7 days before departure by BPAY. The price for non-direct travel may vary as charges/taxes depend on itinerary selected. Credit card payments attract a fee of A$4.40 per passenger per booking

Dave

 

[ColinP]

There's another discrepancy in the text quoted by Maca. The sale ends on the 8th March for travel 24 Apr-21 June yet the conditions say the price is valid for bookings made at least 7 days before departure. In fact it's impossible to book these fares less than 46 days before departure so the 7 days becomes irelevant.
Like the Bpay condition, I think these are standard conditions thrown in without any thought as to how they apply to the current sale.

Here are the full sale conditions which include the credit card fee mentioned by Dave.

Important Information
Travel dates are from 24 April 2007 to 21 June 2007. Prices are correct as at 28 February 2007 but may fluctuate due to changes in surcharges, fees and taxes. Prices are internet only. Travel is one way in Economy. Sale ends midnight(AEDT) Thursday 8 March 2007. Credit card payments attract a fee of A$4.40 per passenger per booking. A$27.50 more per passenger per booking via Qantas Telephone Sales, Qantas Travel outlets and Qantas Airport locations. Airfares are non-refundable. Some changes permitted at a charge. Limited availability. Some flights operated by Qantas regional airlines.
Other conditions apply see qantas.com for details.
* You must be a member of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program to earn Frequent Flyer points. A joining fee applies. Join online now.
# Inflight entertainment is not available on QantasLink services.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

There's another discrepancy in the text quoted by Maca. The sale ends on the 8th March for travel 24 Apr-21 June yet the conditions say the price is valid for bookings made at least 7 days before departure. In fact it's impossible to book these fares less than 46 days before departure so the 7 days becomes irelevant.
Like the Bpay condition, I think these are standard conditions thrown in without any thought as to how they apply to the current sale.

I disagree. The terms may become applicable if the sale is extended, for example, or more allowable travel dates get added. By having that in the T&Cs they can modify the sale without needing to rewrite the T&Cs that apply.

 

[d15.in.oz]

That’s nowhere near a sale (Specials - Domestic Flights - Sydney) – this is (almost) a SALE (Jetstar Airways - Cheap Flights, Low Sale Fares all day everyday from Australia's newest Cheap Fare airline) =>

SYD – OOL $109/QF OR $49/JQ - (DJ @ $79)
SYD – ADL $129/QF OR $99/JQ - (DJ @ $115)
SYD – CNS $189/QF OR $129/JQ - (DJ @ $159)
SYD – HBA $149/QF OR $69/JQ - (DJ @ $99)
All price at time of posting, as advertised on respective websites.

Makes you wonder why Qantas bothers with a “sale”? When it’s SYD-HBA sale price is soooo much higher than DJ’s non-sale lead in price! Still, at $49 (SYD-OOL top10route), JQ’s clawed back the "$55 DJ success" from the last load of sales!

What price - a meal, IFE & FF bonuses?

 

[oz_mark]

I havent seen the offer, but from what you posted it doesn't seem to imply that it is BPAY only, just that the prices given are based on paying by BPAY and that the credit card surcharge would apply if paid by credit card

from the QANTAS site under specials, it states for specials listed there

The $4.40 fee for credit card is also mentioned in the email under Important Information.

Further wording states, "Prices are internet only"

As for the Internet Only bit mentioned by Maca44, this is covered by the $27.50 extra if you do it any other way.

I am not sure that these conditions are any different to recent sales that QF have had.

 

[d15.in.oz]

SYD – OOL $109/QF OR $49/JQ - (DJ @ $79)
SYD – ADL $129/QF OR $99/JQ - (DJ @ $115)
SYD – CNS $189/QF OR $129/JQ - (DJ @ $159)
SYD – HBA $149/QF OR $69/JQ - (DJ @ $99)

An interesting development, DJ has launched its reprisal (Cheap Flights and Holidays with Great Service from the World's Best Low Cost Airline, but has NOT matched JetStar’s prices?

SYD – OOL $55
SYD – ADL $105
SYD – CNS $139
SYD – HBA $75

So, what price extra for Virgin Flair?

 

[Dave Noble]

I wonder how much benefit QF gets from these sales. I make bookings based on where and when I want to go somewhere ; if there happens to be a sale on, I get the fare cheaper but Im not going to take a flight because of the sale. I wonder how many people out there go "oooh... a sale, I must book a flight"

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Sales change my behaviour at the margins. Where I have a choice of airlines and one is cheaper (thanks to sale) than another I am more likely to choose that airline. For status runs a decent sale is the difference between buying or not buying the ticket. Given loads on NZ domestic it isn't a given that QF would sell the seat at a higher price.

 

[d15.in.oz]

I wonder how much benefit QF gets from these sales. I make bookings based on where and when I want to go somewhere ...

Interesting point! Best visualisation I can give you – those who shop before Xmas, and those who shop after…
Both situations, bustling with activity! (Those who shop before - buy when they need, and those after - buy when they can. Both customer types generate extremely profitable Decembers for many retail outlets!)

Perhaps I may rephrase your question by removing the QF, and replacing it with QAN?

 

[oz_mark]

I wonder how much benefit QF gets from these sales. I make bookings based on where and when I want to go somewhere ; if there happens to be a sale on, I get the fare cheaper but Im not going to take a flight because of the sale. I wonder how many people out there go "oooh... a sale, I must book a flight"

When having family scattered around the country I oftne decide to visit based on when sales are available - or like ozFest if I know the date in advance I can wait for a sale. Similarly my parents will often use sale fares to get places to visit granchildren. So, I guess, while there is a plan to travel it is the sales that ultimately dictate when the travel happens.

 

[Dave Noble]

When having family scattered around the country I oftne decide to visit based on when sales are available - or like ozFest if I know the date in advance I can wait for a sale. Similarly my parents will often use sale fares to get places to visit granchildren. So, I guess, while there is a plan to travel it is the sales that ultimately dictate when the travel happens.

So... if QF didnt have sales, you would still end up making the trips but paying more?

Dave

 

[crow]

I wonder how much benefit QF gets from these sales. I make bookings based on where and when I want to go somewhere ; if there happens to be a sale on, I get the fare cheaper but Im not going to take a flight because of the sale. I wonder how many people out there go "oooh... a sale, I must book a flight"

Dave

I can give you one example off the top of my head which can be applied to all football codes. I look at the fixtures each year and identify 5 or 6 games my team is playing interstate as I usually go to at least 1 maybe 2 interstate games. When the sales come out and the dates fit then Bang! book it. If there is no sale then no booking and if there is nothing for the year then I don't go. I know a lot of people who do the same thing.

 

[oz_mark]

So... if QF didnt have sales, you would still end up making the trips but paying more?

Lesser trips at more expensive fares.

 

[JohnK]

....or like ozFest if I know the date in advance I can wait for a sale.

I did the same and waited for a sale to book flights for ozFest. If no sale then I will be forced to spend the extra $40 on a non-sale fare.

Also there are many places in Australia that I would like to visit, eg Broome, Townsville, Rockhampton, Mackay etc, and my dates are totally flexible. As soon as I see a sale fare then I will decide the dates of travel. If no sale fare then I can wait to visit these places another time. No need to travel on JQ or DJ with their inferior service.

 

[serfty]

I need to travel to BNE at least once per month and I await the sale fares.

e.g. My Travel to BNE last weekend was purchased back in September for $242.40 return. (Normal O class red e-deal at the time was $334.40)

 

[garyjohn951]

I also now wait for the sales, I go to interstate football plus some other activities that I know the dates months out. So I wait for Qantas sale.
With this sale I will now book Mel-Syd for June, saved $28 each way.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I need to travel to BNE at least once per month and I await the sale fares.

e.g. My Travel to BNE last weekend was purchased back in September for $242.40 return. (Normal O class red e-deal at the time was $334.40)

This wait for sale is easier for QF domestic in NZ, or at least it was. For a while the weekly QF sale simply rolled travel dates forward. So could keep buying each time you wanted/needed to fly QF as long as plans known in advance. Not quite so easy lately as the weekly sales no longer cover as many routes at once, cover shorter travel periods and tend to have different travel dates for the different routes (so cannot combine them on single ticket).

 

[oz_mark]

This wait for sale is easier for QF domestic in NZ, or at least it was. For a while the weekly QF sale simply rolled travel dates forward. So could keep buying each time you wanted/needed to fly QF as long as plans known in advance. Not quite so easy lately as the weekly sales no longer cover as many routes at once, cover shorter travel periods and tend to have different travel dates for the different routes (so cannot combine them on single ticket).

SOunds like they are on to you

 

[dajop]

A few years ago (pre JQ, but post AN collapse) when Qantas used to have significant sales I used to take advantage of the sales and took a number of unplanned trips. I can remember scoring flights MEL-SYD-CFS for $180 return, MEL-BNE-ROK for $240 return, MEL-PER return for $260 and MEL-CHC return for $260. Today, the discounts QF offer are not significant enough for me to drive such extra travel, and I often find sale fares are not available around weekends.