Qantas Emirates Alliance ....but fewer Benefits? Not Happy Qantas ..........

[robolb]

Am I missing something here? I hope so.........

I'm just booking some Qantas flights for next year.

Sydney -London
Then London - Sydney with stop over in Bangkok.

I'm booking economy and plan to upgrade using points.

Except..........the return flight is via Dubai and a code share with Emirates from Dubai to Bangkok.
So I can't use points to upgrade on that sector! Why? It's a Qantas booking with a Qantas flight number.

Great!

So what's the point of codeshares and alliances (to the flying public) if FF members lose out?

Very pissed off :evil:

Any thoughts on how to get around this? Do I have to join Emirates and buy their points or something?

Not happy Qantas.........not happy........

 

[opusman]

You can't use QF points to upgrade on any airline except QF; this applies to all of their partner airlines (including OW) and is not specific to EK.

 

[robolb]

Just annoyed that Qantas used to fly these sectors. And since they now do it using Emirates........I can't upgrade.

Maybe I need to join Emirates and book directly with them in future ?

 

[dajop]

So what's the point of codeshares and alliances (to the flying public) if FF members lose out?

The point is that without the partnership, you would probably have to buy a series of very expensive one way flights, or fly entirely on Emirates (without any accrual of QF points or status credits, or status benefits such as lounge access etc) to do this itinerary. And unless you were a devoted EK flyer accruing status and lots of points with them, you may still not be able to upgrade. Or if you wanted to stay entirely on QF, you would have to fly back to SYD and on to BKK from there ......

Also worth pointing out, that it was well before the EK alliance that QF stopped flying BKK-LHR. They used to fly to LHR via SIN, BKK & HKG. Sometime before the EK deal they stopped flying via HKG & BKK, with the flagship QF 1/2 service rerouted via SIN. Then when the EK alliance came along the remaining MEL/SYD-SIN-LHR services were rerouted via DXB.

Now you could of course look at doing your trip on TG and paying the extra to fly in business instead of economy, without paying full QF business fares!

 

[eminere]

Just annoyed that Qantas used to fly these sectors. And since they now do it using Emirates........I can't upgrade.

QF does fly their own metal between SYD and LHR. Was your stopover in BKK on the return mandatory? Otherwise you could've booked the QF operated (and coded) LHR-SYD service and then request a points upgrade.

 

[robolb]

The point is that without the partnership, you would probably have to buy a series of very expensive one way flights, or fly entirely on Emirates (without any accrual of QF points or status credits, or status benefits such as lounge access etc) to do this itinerary. And unless you were a devoted EK flyer accruing status and lots of points with them, you may still not be able to upgrade. Or if you wanted to stay entirely on QF, you would have to fly back to SYD and on to BKK from there ......

Yes I get all that....

Just annoying that Qantas have effectively cut back the service and outsourced it to Emirates

 

[robolb]

QF does fly their own metal between SYD and LHR. Was your stopover in BKK on the return mandatory? Otherwise you could've booked the QF operated (and coded) LHR-SYD service and then request a points upgrade.

I need to stop in BKK on the return. (I live there part of the year) Which when Qantas operated those sectors was great.

 

[AviationNZ]

I need to stop in BKK on the return. (I live there part of the year) Which when Qantas operated those sectors was great.

Qantas still does operate SYD-BKK-SYD, so not sure what sector you're referring too that they've cut back on. Don't think they've ever operated DXB-BKK!?!?

 

[eminere]

I need to stop in BKK on the return. (I live there part of the year) Which when Qantas operated those sectors was great.

I see. Could you have booked the QF operated BKK-SYD flight (QF24)? Or were you looking to upgrade the LHR-DXB-BKK sectors?

 

[robolb]

I see. Could you have booked the QF operated BKK-SYD flight (QF24)?

Yes I can. It's the LHR-BKK sector that is the issue as Qantas no longer fly that sector. It's now Emirates via Dubai... LHR-DBX is Qantas. DBX-BKK is Emirates.

 

[Pushka]

Be thankful you don't live in Adelaide then.

 

[robolb]

Be thankful you don't live in Adelaide then.

Now that makes me feel a lot better

 

[dajop]

Just annoying that Qantas have effectively cut back the service and outsourced it to Emirates

For reference timing was:

AUG 2011: QF announced exit from BKK-LHR and HKG-LHR
MAR 2012: Last BKK-LHR and HKG-LHR flights. Remaining three Australia-Europe flights (QF1,5, 9) all transit through SIN
SEP 2012: QF announces deal with EK
APR 2013: Last SIN-LHR service. QF5 remaining SIN-Europe service (soon to be axed.) QF1 & 9 rerouted via DXB.

The BKK-LHR service was axed, not outsourced:!:

 

[mannej]

Yes I can. It's the LHR-BKK sector that is the issue as Qantas no longer fly that sector. It's now Emirates via Dubai... LHR-DBX is Qantas. DBX-BKK is Emirates.

Call this post petty, but it is DXB, not DBX.

The other point is using points to upgrade is a lottery, so even if QF did fly the LHR-BKK route, there is a chance you'd still end up in Y.

 

[Pushka]

I have found Emirates to be really nice to high status Qantas fliers if that helps?

 

[robolb]

I have found Emirates to be really nice to high status Qantas fliers if that helps?

I didn't find that doing this trip earlier this year

 

[robolb]

OK 'rant' over...........

I will crawl back under my rock duly chastised........still muttering................

 

[RichardMEL]

I would also note this situation is hardly unique to either QF or EK. Many alliances and partners do not have upgrade awards on codeshare flights or even across metal. Some exceptions are Star Alliance upgrade awards, but these are, in general, only available on the higher booking classes of "target" flights (eg: Y or B for economy fares). United and Lufthansa have had a long standing upgrade agreement as part of their trans atlantic joint venture that I've used in the past and does work, but even then a bit clunky.

There was talk of QF allowing upgrades on LA (Lan Chile) on QF codeshare services between SYD-AKL-SCL (see Qantas launches frequent flyer upgrades on LAN’s Sydney-Santiago flights - Australian Business Traveller) but this doesn't seem to be currently happening (or there's no mention on the QF page for LAN).

You can't upgrade using, for example, AA miles on a CX flight, or EY etc. For many different reasons I think it's difficult to enact across partners and alliances - part of it being the need to give the partner access to your upgrade inventory /loadings and there may actually be competition reasons why this wouldn't be allowed-but i'm just guessing here rather than making an informed comment). Also many different carriers handle upgrade processing differently - eg: close into departure like QF, or ad hoc as inventory is released (I've seen this on United, amongst others) and many other ways - getting a partner to play in that space may also be difficult.

So anyway yes it's annoying, specially if one books a QF flight number and expect to be able to upgrade it - or rather have the opportunity to apply for an upgrade.

So yes, it's frustrating, but part of life in the current environment.

Maybe what QF could do to make it extra clear to pax is on the booking screens, for those logged into their FF accounts (so they know you're a QFF member) is put a tag on QF metal flights with something like "upgradeable flight" and maybe even the points cost. This could also be helpful in the case where someone is selecting a sale or other fare on a QF metal flight that is not valid for upgrades, so even that could be hilighted on the flight selection screen so passengers are informed of that as well).

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Be thankful you don't live in Adelaide then.

... or in Perth.

 

[clifford]

Now you could of course look at doing your trip on TG and paying the extra to fly in business instead of economy, without paying full QF business fares!

Another option would be to fly UL from BKK to Europe and vv. I just flew FCO-CMB-BKK on UL, and successfully bid to upgrade to J (FCO-CMB) for USD400. The whole FCO-BKK-FCO round trip Y-class ticket was Euros 520 (plus the upgrade fee of $400 US). And I earned 80 QF SC for the FCO-CMB flight, which was very pleasant indeed.