Qantas Award Charges Outrageous

[mannej]

I know the points plus pay option is available., but to. Me it's like, having a myer gift card and being told oh you can't use it here or there or for this product or during sales. Or worse still, you can use it but you have to pay $15 surcharge to use your $50 gift card

That isn’t a good example to use, as many gift cards have an “activation” fee of ~$5.95 or so once you purchase them.

 

[Limewood]

Compare AA & CX fees with Qantas award flights.

 

[mannej]

CX may not be such a good example to highlight depending what they do with the change of regulation in HKG.

 

[JohnK]

Compare AA & CX fees with Qantas award flights.

Sometimes I don't quite understand why there are anomalies of carrier surcharges by airlines.

I know you have mentioned many times that surcharges on CX awards are negligible for travel to the USA. Why is USA cheap but Asia is extortion on carrier surcharges?

I have a small amount of Asia miles that don't expire until 2020 but have been checking awards as I can transfer Amex membership rewards. One way BNE-HKG-BKK for 3 people is 90,000 Asia miles + HKD4056 in surcharges. At today's exchange that is ~AUD720 or ~AUD240 per person.

Qantas on the other hand have a number of options. BNE-SIN-BKK on EK/3K is 84,000 QFF points + ~AUD485 in surcharges, BNE-SYD-BKK on QFF/QF is 105,000 QFF points + ~AUD555, BNE-HKG-BKK on QF/EK is 105,000 QFF points ~AUD505 and the identical CX flights as above BNE-HKG-BKK is 126,000 QFF points + ~AUD720.

As you can see the QF option via SYD on 50% award discount can look very attractive. I could even look to book QF to SIN/HKG on 50% award discount and 3K/EK for ~70,000-78,000 QFF points. I can even book revenue airfare for myself to earn ~10,000 QFF points + SCs and book awards for wife and daughter.

I'm not cherry picking routes but these are real life examples that are the complete opposite of what you have posted. Why such a huge inconsistency? Because they can? Makes no sense.

And we sometimes wonder why some people don't want to play this game? I know what I am doing and it's a nightmare. Can you imagine someone not so experienced trying to do the same? It should not be this difficult.

 

[Limewood]

My yardstick is QF J award SYD/LAX and then CX HKG/JFK return has been huge discrepancy in fees, although the latter will be more now the imposed laws have been lifted, however I doubt CX for instance will be anywhere near Qantas.

 

[rock86]

My yardstick is QF J award SYD/LAX and then CX HKG/JFK return has been huge discrepancy in fees, although the latter will be more now the imposed laws have been lifted, however I doubt CX for instance will be anywhere near Qantas.

Well looks as though CX is taking a reasonable approach (for now) to CAD lifting the ban on fuel surcharges ex-HKG.

From their update, fuel surcharges will still be updated/published monthly and 'fuel surcharges will be adjusted in accordance with fuel prices on a monthly basis' - let's hope this remains true. Also for now it will cost you the same in fuel surcharges from 2 Novemeber ex-HKG as it has been travelling to HKG for the past couple of months (per below).

In saying that, it's now going to cost ~AUD235 in fuels surcharges if you were to travel through HKG to the USA/Europe, for a comparison if you get a direct flight from AUS-USA fuel sucrahes are ~AUD350. So also taking into account the actual HKG taxes, a direct redemption to/from the USA will now cost a similar amount as travelling through HKG.



Fuel surcharge updates

 

[ozbeachbabe]

The topic of airline imposed carrier fees in addition for legitimate taxes highlights the importance of not having all your eggs in one basket when it comes to frequent flyer programs. Having your points in a single ff program has the potential to end in tears the minute there's an 'enchancement' in that program or a change in a foreign government policy that will impact co payments paid by members on award tickets eg the HKG YQ fuel surcharge.

Frequent flyer earning cards such as the Amex Plat charge card which has around 10 airline partners you can transfer to give you more alternatives when your preferred carrier has a change in t&c's. As opposed to an automatic direct sweep into the one program points are warehouse so it gives you more control over award tickets so when airline A has changes to your detriment it's then a case of "hmmm airline B is looking good."

 

[Dr Ralph]

Frequent flyer earning cards such as the Amex Plat charge card which has around 10 airline partners you can transfer to give you more alternatives when your preferred carrier has a change in t&c's. As it's not an automatic direct sweep into the one program it gives you more control over award tickets so when airline A has changes to your detriment it's then a case of "hmmm airline B is looking good."

Fair comment. Problem with this strategy for many is that unless you're prepared to allocate to one of those 'around 10 airline partners' you have to keep that AMEX card open. Not a good strategy for those of us that make huge sums from churning.

As I've discussed extensively before, I've never met a card worth holding.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Fair comment. Problem with this strategy for many is that unless you're prepared to allocate to one of those 'around 10 airline partners' you have to keep that AMEX card open. Not a good strategy for those of us that make huge sums from churning.

You can always hang on to the Amex card and churn the others. Sure it's reasonable pricey however you do get value out of it if you do a bit of travel. I'm sure there's people out there who would pay more (than the annual fee) individually for incidentals that are included in the card such as travel insurance, VA Lounge or Priority Pass Lounge memberships. Once you deduct the two travel credits (if you got the bonus Amex Plat Reserve or Edge card) it's even more attractive.

Transferring from Amex Plat Charge to SQ Kris Flyer is even more attractive since SQ abolished fuel surcharges for awards on their own flights plus the ability to waitlist award flights as well.

 

[ramboflyer]

answer to this is always to use other airlines (BA, AA or AS) to book QF awards and QF to book awards on other airlines.

I get that you can book other airlines with QF points but I wish someone could explain how to do the reverse? I have been told by the experts on here that if you want to use QFF points you can only do that on the QFF site (or phone of course).

 

[serfty]

@ramboflyer Do you mean "book QF with other airlines points"?

If so then you need points(/miles) in the other airline's frequent flyer program.

 

[ramboflyer]

The QFF program has become an absolute joke.

Couldn't agree more. I have been a loyal QFF Member since 1998. Since 2015 I have seen the program change for the worse. Less award seats and huge taxes, fees and surcharges. In August I booked 2 J seats from HBA to BCL on EK (QF domestic) which cost $1391.24.

The return J flights from LHR to HBA (BA, EK, QF (domestic)) cost a whopping $1966.29! I knew that BA fees etc and out of LHR was high but had no choice to book BA LHR to DXB.

Yes I know that if I paid for those fares it would cost about $60,000 (I costed it) but that's not the point. The point is the FF program is there for us to use, not to be ripped off. Why charge anything except what is unavoidable?

My loyalty to Qantas has gone. It's just about impossible for those with Bronze status to get international award seats in J. Time to research other airline programs. Keep the remaining QF points for domestic. Velocity / KrisFlyer is looking good.

 

[ramboflyer]

If so then you need points(/miles) in the other airline's frequent flyer program.

That was what I thought but the OP said "book QF awards". Maybe he meant "book QF flights"

 

[JohnK]

Looks worse with every route I choose.

Surcharges on SIN-ATH return in economy is ~SGD562 and BKK-ATH return in economy is ~AUD600.

Qantas really need to look at their surcharges.

 

[travelislife]

Couldn't agree more. I have been a loyal QFF Member since 1998. Since 2015 I have seen the program change for the worse. Less award seats and huge taxes, fees and surcharges. In August I booked 2 J seats from HBA to BCL on EK (QF domestic) which cost $1391.24.

The return J flights from LHR to HBA (BA, EK, QF (domestic)) cost a whopping $1966.29! I knew that BA fees etc and out of LHR was high but had no choice to book BA LHR to DXB.

Yes I know that if I paid for those fares it would cost about $60,000 (I costed it) but that's not the point. The point is the FF program is there for us to use, not to be ripped off. Why charge anything except what is unavoidable?

My loyalty to Qantas has gone. It's just about impossible for those with Bronze status to get international award seats in J. Time to research other airline programs. Keep the remaining QF points for domestic. Velocity / KrisFlyer is looking good.

That route for 2 people would not be $60,000 in J. Should be no more than $20k total for 2 people on top tier airlines.

 

[ramboflyer]

That route for 2 people would not be $60,000 in J. Should be no more than $20k total for 2 people on top tier airlines.

You are both right and wrong. The first time I costed the flights I must have done it sector by sector. This time I did it from HBA - BCL ($13544) LHR - HBA ($34680). Total $48224. Because we are on BA from LHR to DXB with a 13 hour layover and EK / QF from DXB to HBA there are separate tickets hence the high cost of the tickets from LHR to DXB ($10526).

 

[davidj]

I'm looking at an economy ticket on UAE SIN-BNE. Qantas taxes come to $310.

I think I'll just buy a ticket for $390 on the same flight and save the 28k of points

Another option is to TGW down to Gold Coast for about $200.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You are both right and wrong. The first time I costed the flights I must have done it sector by sector. This time I did it from HBA - BCL ($13544) LHR - HBA ($34680). Total $48224. Because we are on BA from LHR to DXB with a 13 hour layover and EK / QF from DXB to HBA there are separate tickets hence the high cost of the tickets from LHR to DXB ($10526).

I get what you’re saying but two things... no one would actually pay that sort of money... you’d buy a MEL-BCN//LHR-MEL on say qatar first class for $9990 and add the HBA-MEL in economy for a couple hundred dollars. The other thing is that the award seats have no value... they are seats the airline cannot sell and would go empty. So the $60000 is actually $0, out of which they are now making a profit through the carrier charges

 

[JohnK]

I'm looking at an economy ticket on UAE SIN-BNE. Qantas taxes come to $310.

I think I'll just buy a ticket for $390 on the same flight and save the 28k of points

Another option is to TGW down to Gold Coast for about $200.

I'd take the paid ticket anyway. As a Platinum I'd earn 5,200 QFF points so a net gain of 33,200 QFF points for a few dollars extra.

Ludicrous.

 

[ramboflyer]

Why do Qantas impose higher carrier charges for premium award seats than economy?