Qantas reward seats Syd to Sin in 2023

[RichardMEL]

Personally, I'm in favour of them releasing dribs and drabs over time. So those of us who can't plan 12 months in advance (or can and have those plans blown apart) can have access to seats ...

I agree.. although then the game becomes even harder - when will it show up? can I get lucky? Seemingly some reward release haave been opening up closer to departure as the YM systems figure out they won't sell all the seats - which is great for last minute (very flexible!) people. I guess it would definitely give the hope that on emptier flights chances are you might get something opened up a month or a few weeks out from departure.

In this respect I quite like the SQ feature of having a waitlist for redemption release - though IIRC it's only a few weeks out from departure but seems like a nice feature. Certainly would be customer friendly if QF might have something like that too.

I have a friend who DOES plan a year ahead and sits on reward release dates like a hawk because 95% of his (considerable) flying is on points. The current system definitely (ahem) rewards those who can plan (and also who are not tied to things like school holidays and peak seasons). That of course is not everyone.

 

[Quickstatus]

I would like to see some pressure on Qantas to release x reward seats guaranteed on each QF international flight.

There is a way. Send your business elsewhere

I got SQ KrisFlyer FF seats x2 in May 2023 . I only started looking 2 weeks ago. I'm not e even a customer with status.

 

[SYD]

There is some weird cough happening however on many of non premier routes. There actually has been reasonable availability on the A330 operated QF81 (and equivalents from other ports) last year through to the end of July but then virtually nothing beyond 31 July (even after the alleged “blackout period”). Similarly, QF41/42 (a route I’ve not done but I was looking at doing in conjunction with a QR fare) has also dried up beyond 31 July.

The exception seems to be QF35/36 after a B787 comes online (if that actually goes to plan).

Post automatically merged: Jan 17, 2023

There is a way. Send your business elsewhere

I got SQ KrisFlyer FF seats x2 in May 2023 . I only started looking 2 weeks ago. I'm not e even a customer with status.

There are many QF seats in May (and June/July) but weirdly not much after July (as per my previous). It’s more than just “blackout periods”.

Edit: I also meant say there are no or very few whY reward seats on the these example flights post July. QF71/72 seems to go completely MIA….

 

[Quickstatus]

It’s more than just “blackout periods”.

Yes and the revenue seats around the time of my KF redemptions are on sale (current SQ sale).

In the end it's all to do with expected demand. High demand can also occur outside of blackout periods.

 

[mt4789]

So, you're basically relating an anecdote. while earlier you implied you had some sort of concrete knowledge.

You do not give any indication of your own status, but that could also be a factor in what you're seeing as available or not. QF dos give bias to higher status members - and you may think that is not fair - it's also their business model.

I'm not denying QF do have some blackout periods - or at times seem to on some routes (but OTOH higher status folks can sometimes get seats released). I'm not defending QF either. It's their business model to do with as they please, and it's for us as customers to vote with our $$$ also.

That's fair, I have observed it on every new release this year (except Manila and Delhi) but it is anecdotal.

The point i'm making is it's very opaque. For a scheme that collects 0.5% of spend off a sizeable chunk of 12 million members (via cc), I feel they could be more transparent about availability, for me that starts with some guaranteed seats.

 

[Quickstatus]

I have a friend who DOES plan a year ahead and sits on reward release dates like a hawk because 95% of his (considerable) flying is on points.

I did this several times several years ago when I was certain of trips 355 days ahead.

Once. the seat release coincided with me being at cruising altitude on a flight intra USA. Luckily there was inflight wifi and I was able to snag the x2 J seats AU-US seats I wanted about 5 minutes prior to seats belt on for the landing. I had thought of changing to flight but it was not an attractive proposition for several other reasons. The main one was we were supposed to be at a certain place as it was Christmas Day

 

[Quickstatus]

some guaranteed seats.

I'm not sure how any airline can guarantee seats. It can't even guarantee seats in the revenue section of the business. Often flights are oversold and even paid J passengers downgraded to Y (yes QF...)

Edit..
Not quite correct - I suppose it can when you are part of the Royal family of an absolute Monarchy or an important politician no one wants to p off

 

[mt4789]

I'm not sure how any airline can guarantee seats. It can't even guarantee seats in the revenue section of the business. Often flights are oversold and even paid J passengers downgraded to Y (yes QF...)

Edit..
Not quite correct - I suppose it can when you are part of the Royal family of an absolute Monarchy or an important politician no one wants to p off

Guaranteed to be released at 355 days is what BA do. I don't mean guaranteed to be available at T-24 hours.

 

[Quickstatus]

Guaranteed to be released at 355 days

If you don't see it at 355, how do you know it was not released?

 

[mt4789]

If you don't see it at 355, how do you know it was not released?

As above, i've observed the blackout periods when new routes have been announced. Anecdotally they have no seats from exactly July 1st to Sep 30th.
But tbh, how do you know that they WERE released? That's my point, a simple guarantee would be nice.

 

[TheInsider]

Just because you don't see availability, doesn't equal there isn't availability.
I can guarantee you there are plenty of U class fares travelling on international flights daily.

 

[Quickstatus]

a simple guarantee would be nice.

Sure, but the problem with that is then people will complain that the airline is not releasing enough seats - the "what's the point of a guarantee if I can't book a reward seat".

The non WP passengers will also complain that the guarantee does not apply to them and it's not fair.

How do I know the award seats were or were not released. I don't.
Does it change my redemption probability, if seats were guaranteed - likely not because when seats are released whether guaranteed or not, especially on the highly sought after flights and cabins, they are usually gone in minutes. It a moot point really.

 

[mt4789]

Sure, but the problem with that is then people will complain that the airline is not releasing enough seats - the "what's the point of a guarantee if I can't book a reward seat".

The non WP passengers will also complain that the guarantee does not apply to them and it's not fair.

I think there's easy ways around this. For example, release 2 business at 355 and another 2 at 293(?).

 

[mt4789]

Just because you don't see availability, doesn't equal there isn't availability.
I can guarantee you there are plenty of U class fares travelling on international flights daily.

Yeh it's the whole smoke and mirrors that I dislike. It would be great to know the rules of the game before you decide whether to play.

 

[Quickstatus]

rules of the game

The rules are already there...

For example, release 2 business at 355 and another 2 at 293(?)

And if still unable to book?. Where do we draw the line?. Why not 1 and 1?
Basically you are saying is that QF should release more seats - as that may well be the practical effect of your proposal. I too would like the airline to release many more seats...

 

[mt4789]

The rules are already there...

And if still unable to book?. Where do we draw the line?. Why not 1 and 1?
Basically you are saying is that QF should release more seats - as that may well be the practical effect of your proposal. I too would like the airline to release many more seats...

I'm keen for transparency as opposed to more seats...

At the moment there are new customers collecting FF points thinking they can fly J to the US in August to see their family when it is anecdotally physically impossible for the majority of customers due to blackouts. But this isn't written anywhere. It feels very scammy, if there are guaranteed seats on each plane then customers know the rules of the game and they can decide whether to participate.

 

[jpp42]

I think some people aren't understanding the fundamental economics. Supply of award seats is low, price is low (the value of the classic rewards seats is what, around 5-10% of the cash price?); as a result it's a hugely in-demand product. There are always going to be lots of people left out even with reasonable availability, as these seats will almost always be snapped up right away. This whole thread seems to be one person's sour grapes that they were left out this time, when in reality most people are left out at most times, like a lottery. If you don't win the lottery you don't normally ask the lottery agency to improve the odds, you just recognise that you didn't win this time and consider whether it's worth it to play again, right?

The reason the perk exists at all is to try to increase the perceived value of miles to entice people to earn them through various means, it's not something that makes money for Qantas on its own. As long as there is huge demand to redeem these flights, they are clearly doing that, so why would they release more seats and reduce their profitability? If you want to pay what they're actually "worth" there's always points+pay. The vast difference to those two prices should be a clear indicator that demand would be high for the classic rewards, and thus availability limited.

 

[jpp42]

I'm keen for transparency as opposed to more seats...

At the moment there are new customers collecting FF points thinking they can fly J to the US in August to see their family when it is anecdotally physically impossible for the majority of customers due to blackouts. But this isn't written anywhere. It feels very scammy, if there are guaranteed seats on each plane then customers know the rules of the game and they can decide whether to participate.

Here are the exact words from Qantas on the subject;

What are Classic Flight Rewards?​

They’re the best value way to use points on eligible flights. Availability can be limited though, so we recommend planning your trip in advance - simply look for the Classic Rewards ribbon when searching for your flight.^

^ Classic Flight Rewards are available on Qantas, Jetstar and partner airlines. Seats are subject to capacity controls, availability is limited, and some flights may not have any Classic Flight Rewards available.

This seems pretty fair to me. It clearly indicates that rewards are highly limited and advance planning is required. Anyone who is heeding that advice will begin their advance planning and quickly realise the limitations. They may then seek out more information like FF advice sites (like this one), but until then I think it's hard to say they're not duly warned. Purchasing airline fares is not like many other products - availability of seats and fares varies widely and it's common sense that it would be difficult during busy periods. I think you'd have to be incredibly naïve about airline travel to think that you would always be able to book these limited-availability rewards in peak periods - maybe this is what we get when people are earning so many points by non-flying means, they simply know very little about how airlines work?

Also, are you aware of any other airlines that publish specific blackout dates? I don't think Qantas is behaving different than the competition, at a global scale. Not saying there aren't ways they couldn't improve, but they are in fact doing things like the occasional "points plane" or increasing award seats when demand is soft, that shows they do want people to engage with these reward options. They just realistically aren't going to ever be enough to satisfy everyone, and they are always a perk that will be incredibly difficult at peak periods, regardless of whether blackouts exist or not.

 

[SYD]

There are always going to be lots of people left out even with reasonable availability, as these seats will almost always be snapped up right away. This whole thread seems to be one person's sour grapes that they were left out this time, when in reality most people are left out at most times, like a lottery.

Actually, apart from some recent comments, the issue of this thread is that there doesn’t even appear to be “a lottery” for seats at the back end of the year (even whY seats)!

It‘s been widely reported in many threads that the previous practice of releasing reward seats 355 days is not happening like it did pre Covid (at least certainly not for premium longhaul seats). There does appear to be some batch releases and even seats popping up closer to departure (that was quite rare previously).

There does appear to be a lot more domestic whY reward seats but that’s not what most peeps here are after.

 

[jpp42]

It‘s been widely reported in many threads that the previous practice of releasing reward seats 355 days is not happening like it did pre Covid (at least certainly not for premium longhaul seats). There does appear to be some batch releases and even seats popping up closer to departure (that was quite rare previously).

Well, it's still sort of a lottery in that you have to be lucky enough to notice when they do pop up. Whether this is more or less fair than people who logon at 0000Z (or whatever) at 355 days prior, I'm not sure. But I concur it's not a real lottery in terms of regulated odds from a central gaming authority.