My challenge is to find a reasonable way to book a
one-way LHR-MEL in F, with a
short stopover in Dubai, on
specific QF flights in July.
Complicated reasons, including a bunch of pre-booked flights for travel over the next 12 months, including one-way FASAs, so no need for a return leg. Plus the fact that my partner's flights LHR-DXB-MEL are already booked, as part of a return MEL-LHR itinerary. Obvious issues around one-way pricing, of course. That's taken as read.
But the QF website does not even show a ridiculous price for the routing LHR-DXB-MEL. It simply brings up an Error message when I attempt the multi-city booking. Similar result for attempts at a FASA on the route.
Going on to the Emirates website, I can book the trip, on the required days, and on the specific flights.
QF flights, that is, but with EK flight numbers.
Rang QFF to ask about the Error message and was told that the site was probably not loading correctly and I should sort that out on my browser. Did so. Confirmed the five green ticks. Tried again to book, on two different browsers. Same result.
Rang back and after several long periods on hold, was told that it was an issue of fares in Premium cabins not yet being "aligned", although Economy fares had been, and that the fare for the routing that I wanted was "not at the cheapest rate". When pressed, he told me that the one way fare, which had "not yet been aligned", was something over $15,000.
Asked the obvious question, as to when they would be aligned, which led to another long period on hold. The staff member to whom I was speaking was trying to be helpful but it was quite clear that he could not translate into anything acceptable whatever he had been told. The gist of it was that fares would only be aligned in one direction. I let him off the hook eventually, as there was no possibility that an acceptable answer - or an answer acceptable to me - was going to emerge.
The price on the Emirates site is something around $5,500 for the one-way fare, on the required QF flights.
So, the question for the AFF experts is:
How do I book on the Emirates site, with a QF flight number? Any way in the world of doing that? Obviously, I want the SCs and the QF numbers for the trip.
I could call Emirates and ask the question but my telephone tolerance is just about zero at this stage.
And the answers will be here anyway!
Am I missing some really obvious way through this? Any help gratefully received.
