QANTAS takes A380s out of circulation [and reduces flights]

[MEL_Traveller]

I booked prior to the Qantas point increases - I wonder if this matters when they rebooked it?

I think the old award tables are still available on line? You'd need to calculate the previous sector fares vs the previous through fare. I suspect that it will still be cheaper for the trough fare.

 

[Matt_01]

You are actually charged the lowest possible fare... either the 'through fare' or sector by sector. I suspect the through fare is what's cheapest here. If not, the OP can call to have it re-priced.

Are you talking about the cash component? I seem to recall looking at rewards bookings LHR-ADL in J and when you hovered over/ clicked on the ? mark a pop up would appear stating ‘your flight from LHR to SIN will be in economy’, ‘your flight from SIN to SYD will be in economy’ and ADL-JFK in J ‘your flight from SYD to LAX will be in economy’. In these cases the points required was showing as 128K and I did not proceed further.

I am pretty sure I have seen similar questions on this site and reported on ET. I may be wrong as I have not booked flights under the new regime that involve mixed travel classes.

 

[albatross710]

Where they say

Melbourne-San Francisco

Route suspended (4 return flights per week)

Do we know which are the 4 days being operated? I'm currently booked in late April, no change on my booking details via manage my bookings.

 

[ajw373]

Is this an error?

MEL-SIN: B787 replaced by larger A330 on 7 return flights per week (QF 35/36) - 4 May

Currently QF35/36 is an A380.

It is but they had already announced it was changing to a 787. Though with the 787’s now needed elsewhere the 330 would seem to be what is left.

 

[pauly7]

It is but they had already announced it was changing to a 787. Though with the 787’s now needed elsewhere the 330 would seem to be what is left.

I’m a little confused by the MEL-SIN changes as well. So are QF37/8 definitely going? The announcement indicates yes, but it’s still showing up and the Qantas Premium team still see it in their bookings and therefore can’t move me.

 

[AIRwin]

Do we know which are the 4 days being operated?

Suspension of QF49 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays effective 18 April...

 

[_flyer]

Are you talking about the cash component? I seem to recall looking at rewards bookings LHR-ADL in J and when you hovered over/ clicked on the ? mark a pop up would appear stating ‘your flight from LHR to SIN will be in economy’, ‘your flight from SIN to SYD will be in economy’ and ADL-JFK in J ‘your flight from SYD to LAX will be in economy’. In these cases the points required was showing as 128K and I did not proceed further.

I am pretty sure I have seen similar questions on this site and reported on ET. I may be wrong as I have not booked flights under the new regime that involve mixed travel classes.

No. All legs were in business originally and Qantas postponed the route (ORD/BNE). It had to be rebooked. The only available routing was for me to accept one leg in economy.

 

[ajw373]

All computerised, I would expect, once the new flight schedules have been loaded. New e-tickets issued over the next few days/week?

Whilst I would expect the contact to be via an email and a new e-ticket I would say without a doubt that a human will be driving the computer to make the changes. No way would there be a “program” to make so many changes automatically.

 

[TheInsider]

I’m a little confused by the MEL-SIN changes as well. So are QF37/8 definitely going? The announcement indicates yes, but it’s still showing up and the Qantas Premium team still see it in their bookings and therefore can’t move me.

Yer they are going, they just don't want to cancel everything at once. Call center overload even more so - 2hr waits will be 5hr waits!

 

[Matt_01]

I’m a little confused by the MEL-SIN changes as well. So are QF37/8 definitely going? The announcement indicates yes, but it’s still showing up and the Qantas Premium team still see it in their bookings and therefore can’t move me.

Maybe check over the next couple of days. As most airline booking systems work in UTC maybe the QF announcements made today will filter through overnight. Some times may change again once day light saving time ends but that is just speculation.

 

[DC3]

I booked prior to the Qantas point increases - I wonder if this matters when they rebooked it?

So, 280,000 points for QF OWA, Business, whether or not some flights are in economy, due to availability. That's my understanding (i.e., existing PRN).

I've needed to book into AA economy, just to get from point A to point B, but as soon as availability opened up (for AA domestic First), I changed it (for 5,000 points/passenger). The points price has always remained at 280,000, even with the odd (temporary) economy seat.

That may not help your situation, however. Keep monitoring for AA domestic First on that ORD-DFW route.

Also, regarding code-share flights, carriers such as AS and WS, not being oneworld members, won't get a look-in.

 

[DC3]

I've noticed that the QF site has now zeroed-out all award availability on QF metal that I'm looking at (just now) for USA-Oz. In August, anyway.

The Call Centre has just confirmed the same thing.

Edited

 

[DC3]

All computerised, I would expect, once the new flight schedules have been loaded. New e-tickets issued over the next few days/week?

Whilst I would expect the contact to be via an email and a new e-ticket I would say without a doubt that a human will be driving the computer to make the changes. No way would there be a “program” to make so many changes automatically.

OMG. Please, No. Don't let humans screw this up even more. .

How many (tens of) thousands (?) of e-tickets are to be re-issued?

Edited

 

[Matt_01]

No. All legs were in business originally and Qantas postponed the route (ORD/BNE). It had to be rebooked. The only available routing was for me to accept one leg in economy.

My question was mainly directed at @MEL_Traveller and the cash component. Your down grade to Y on what I assume is the AA flight could be expected if no AA (el cheapo) rewards flights are available however you will still be charged J points for the entire route. I have redeemed north of 5M QFF points for MrsM and MissM travels so what I may consider normal may not seem the same to others. Sorry if I was not clear.

 

[Matt_01]

Whilst I would expect the contact to be via an email and a new e-ticket I would say without a doubt that a human will be driving the computer to make the changes. No way would there be a “program” to make so many changes automatically.

I think you under estimate the “program” most changes will arrive via email and message on you booking saying something like ”your booking has changed” within an option to “accept” or “cancel”. If you do nothing the ticket will normally re-ticket in around 7-10 days as an accepted change. Quite simple programming.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

My question was mainly directed at @MEL_Traveller and the cash component. Your down grade to Y on what I assume is the AA flight could be expected if no AA (el cheapo) rewards flights are available however you will still be charged J points for the entire route. I have redeemed north of 5M QFF points for MrsM and MissM travels so what I may consider normal may not seem the same to others. Sorry if I was not clear.

I'm not sure I understand your issue. The points component of an award booking will always be the lowest possible price - either the through fare if using airlines all on the one table, or the sector-by-sector fare is using airlines across different tables OR where mixed class is involved.

In many cases, where mixed classes are involved, it will usually be cheaper for the through fare to be applied.

If we take _flyer's example of ORD-SYD in J = 9232 miles = 126500 points (at today's table). The new itinerary is ORD-DFW-SYD = 9379 miles = 126500 points. If breaking it up would be ORD-DFW in economy for 801 miles = 12000 points + DFW-SYD at 8578 miles = 126500 = 138500 miles, so cheaper to do the through fare. Under the old points table I'd suspect the differences would be similar, so the through fare, even with one lg in coach, is cheaper than sector fares.

but that's not always the case. SYD-DFW in F = 189800 points. If QF re-routes you via LAX, so you're SYD-LAX in F connecting to LAX-DFW in economy, the sector fares would be 162800+18000 = 180800, so you'd be entitled to a refund of 9000 points.

 

[ajw373]

I think you under estimate the “program” most changes will arrive via email and message on you booking saying something like ”your booking has changed” within an option to “accept” or “cancel”. If you do nothing the ticket will normally re-ticket in around 7-10 days as an accepted change. Quite simple programming.

No I don’t under estimate the programming. What you have just described is what will happen once a change is made and yeah that is simple as you have pointed out.

But who or what do you think is making those changes? That’s where a person will most certainly be involved. They will be going though each flagged trip looking at availability etc and making those changes which in turn will be sent out as you described.

 

[DC3]

No I don’t under estimate the programming. What you have just described is what will happen once a change is made and yeah that is simple as you have pointed out.

But who or what do you think is making those changes? That’s where a person will most certainly be involved. They will be going though each flagged trip looking at availability etc and making those changes which in turn will be sent out as you described.

Maybe tens of thousands of e-ticket re-issues? (and, in the next week?). That poor kid will be super busy.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But who or what do you think is making those changes? That’s where a person will most certainly be involved. They will be going though each flagged trip looking at availability etc and making those changes which in turn will be sent out as you described.

I dunno how involved a person actually is in these situations, and how much is automated. Given the huge number of reported miss-connects in these types of situations... connecting flights leaving before the rescheduled flight has arrived, or 26 hour layovers where a two hour layover is all that is needed... I wonder if there is some sort of automatic process. Schedule changes in the US are common with timetable changes a couple of times each year, and i doubt there's any way for human intervention given the speed at which new itineraries are presented.

 

[ajw373]

I dunno how involved a person actually is in these situations, and how much is automated. Given the huge number of reported miss-connects in these types of situations... connecting flights leaving before the rescheduled flight has arrived, or 26 hour layovers where a two hour layover is all that is needed... I wonder if there is some sort of automatic process. Schedule changes in the US are common with timetable changes a couple of times each year, and i doubt there's any way for human intervention given the speed at which new itineraries are presented.

I disagree. And the things you mention are the kind of mistakes a person would make but not an automated process. Of course there would be some element of automation but without doubt a person will be involved and each change at some point.