Qantas to release thousands of Classic Reward seats in Y, PE, J, F on 24 Feb 2023 around 11am

[Cruiser Elite]

OMG - had such a hard time deciding which thread to post this in - here China Airlines reward seats using Qantas points | Page 3 | Australian Frequent Flyer or here Would you still fly Qantas if it had no frequent flyer program? | Page 2 | Australian Frequent Flyer but finally settled on here:

I will try to be succinct - whilst I have been a QF FF Member like forever and have actively accumulated and at times cultivated pts wherever and whenever I could - I have actually only ever redeemed QF pts for 2 x 2 ret F tix MEL-LAX-MEL and a handful of F Euro-MEL EK rdpts - a couple of pairs and a few single rdpts for myself - yet I still actively p[pursue pts accumulation - even when there is a chorus of AFFers here bemoaning inability to ever secure redemption bookings and that toasters seem to be the go.

IME opportunities always arise if you have patience and perseverance which was the case this last weekends. We have a family bday planned for December in Houston - I have already secured 5 x SQ J ret rdpts for 4 nieces and a nephew but don't have further SQ nominee capacity to secure another 2 x ret J rdpts for 2 of my sisters so was really interested when I saw the QF/CI tie up pop up. (Proud of the little bit of rhyming)

So onto QF web site Sat morn and lo and behold straight up can secure 2 x J MEL-TPE-LAX Nov 21 / 2 x J QF on 94 Dec 12 - crikey how easy is this? Booked it straight away and then realized 12 layover in TPE - sisters looking at me with daggers. So back onto QF web site and check Nov 20 and voila 2 x J on 93 staring me right in the face - cannot change online to call QF.

Got through in like 20 secs (bronze baby here) and agent checks and does all the right things right till time to finalise and call drops out. No c all back within 30 mins so I try again.

Get through ion like 20 seconds and complete reproduction of first call - call drops out right at the death. Call back and get a third agent - this time I make dure she has my phone number and she promises to call back if call drops out - after about 15 mins on call she comes back with all secured Sir - you will be ticketed shortly.

Sunday morn comes and still not ticketed - no pts deducted even though Taxes appear on AMEX - back on the phone again and new agent guarantees will call back if call drops out - after about 20mins he comes back with all good now this booking will be ticketed within 24hrs. Lo and behold this morn at 05:03 emails come through with itinerary and e-tickets - all wrapped up.

IME - forget toasters - contrary to opinion so openly expressed here QF pts are not totally useless rather they are secure liquid currency if you have patience and flexibility.

 

[levelnine]

if you have patience and flexibility.

It was more extremely good luck in your case.

You happened to be searching exactly when QF had released seats on the SYD/MEL legs to LAX. If you had looked for that route at pretty much any time in the last three years, you would have seen 0 availability.

A person who wins the lottery is likely to sing the lottery's praises.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

A person who wins the lottery is likely to sing the lottery's praises.

Of FFS - me sing QF praises - yeah not in this lifetime - personally I would not step foot on one of their planes - and yet benefits can and do flow - timing of search - who has control over that? Was it luck? Almost certainly but never have been nor never will be a glass half empty person - patience will be rewarded - or I could go sook in the corner

As for no availability in last 3 years wasn't AU in lockdown and nobody could go anywhere for 2 of those 3 years? Maybe I am missing something?

 

[cjd600]

It was more extremely good luck in your case.

You happened to be searching exactly when QF had released seats on the SYD/MEL legs to LAX. If you had looked for that route at pretty much any time in the last three years, you would have seen 0 availability.

A person who wins the lottery is likely to sing the lottery's praises.

Been plenty of SYD-LAX-SYD J QF11/12 available for the last couple of weeks, for Oct/Nov, after that first release.
Good job, QF.

 

[SYD]

There’s actually is still a shed load of CI availability since it loaded. The connection time from SYD to/from Europe is actually very good. Unfortunately, I can’t make use of it due to prior plans but I’ll be keeping a closer eye as next years window opens.

 

[Lynda2475]

If you had looked for that route at pretty much any time in the last three years, you would have seen 0 availability.

Dont agree with this at all.

QF released at least 2 * J seats on every flight in July in August for SYD/MEL-LAX (start Feb) and SYD/MEL-DFW (mid-Feb). Then during the promo did the same for Oct & Nov.

And in August last year I flew DFW-SYD in J with QF booked in Oct-21.

Right now the issue with USA availability is finding AA J award flights via QF to get you to/from city of choice from DFW or LAX.

 

[kamchatsky]

Isn’t the QF premium award availability really dependent on status? This is not an issue with SQ for example, you can book premium awards for multi pax if you can book very early for pretty much every flight,

 

[Lynda2475]

Isn’t the QF premium award availability really dependent on status?

Only when booking really early.

In Feb/Mar QF have dropped a bunch of F & J seats for Jul-Nov so 4-6months out which means visible to all.

 

[justinbrett]

It was more extremely good luck in your case.

You happened to be searching exactly when QF had released seats on the SYD/MEL legs to LAX. If you had looked for that route at pretty much any time in the last three years, you would have seen 0 availability.

A person who wins the lottery is likely to sing the lottery's praises.

I must ask QF for a refund for all those imaginary flights I've taken.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Of FFS - me sing QF praises - yeah not in this lifetime - personally I would not step foot on one of their planes - and yet benefits can and do flow - timing of search - who has control over that? Was it luck? Almost certainly but never have been nor never will be a glass half empty person - patience will be rewarded - or I could go sook in the corner

As for no availability in last 3 years wasn't AU in lockdown and nobody could go anywhere for 2 of those 3 years? Maybe I am missing something?

Oh yeah… when it works it works! And it’s pretty good value.

Like when they released all those awards recently I was able to use the ‘calendar view’ to piece together a oneworld award including travel to London, TATL and then home from LAX. Called the next day to add all the filler (domestic USA) sectors.

Had i wanted to do the same a week earlier I wouldn’t have had a hope, unless snagging seats right on the release date.

 

[MelbFlyer]

Oh yeah… when it works it works! And it’s pretty good value.

Like when they released all those awards recently I was able to use the ‘calendar view’ to piece together a oneworld award including travel to London, TATL and then home from LAX. Called the next day to add all the filler (domestic USA) sectors.

Had i wanted to do the same a week earlier I wouldn’t have had a hope, unless snagging seats right on the release date.

You're one of the small amount of people that have had luck.

Most of us have to go through hoops just to add flights which we can see online, but agents can't on their end - leading a lot of us to HUACA.

Not just that, but when Qantas released those said seats, their website melted down for that entire day as extensively discussed within this thread.

 

[levelnine]

Was it luck? Almost certainly

So you agree with me lol.

Dont agree with this at all.

All the releases you mention were for 1-2 month travel windows with no advanced notice, no public notice and largely disappeared within 24-48 hours (apart from the HY results release, where the luck was in accessing the Qantas website lol).

That is the very definition of luck — to be in the right place at the right time with the right routes and the right travel dates lol.

A classic case of sampling bias — yes, a single person with nothing but time on their hands to spend checking qantas.com twice a day for award availability and the ability to travel anywhere at anytime will be able to snag an award seat.

Qantas has moved from a predictable release schedule that rewards advance planning (ie regular releases of award seats on the same routes at the end of the calendar at the same time each day) to a luck-based released schedule (ie random releases of seats at random times to random destinations on random dates with generally no notice).

I must ask QF for a refund for all those imaginary flights I've taken.

I've also taken plenty of QF flights — WP seat release is amazing .

 

[justinbrett]

I've also taken plenty of QF flights — WP seat release is amazing .

My last J release seat was in 2019 (even that wasn’t a true release, just a getting rid of a married sector)

All others since have been bog standard web bookings. - and none within the WP priority period as I’m never that organised.

Even booked LAX-SYD in F last September, no WP release - just normally booked on the website.

 

[downgraded]

a predictable release schedule that rewards advance planning

Not everyone has the luxury of being thus "rewarded". The ability to find an award flight randomly made available between 2-12 weeks in advance is a far better option than having to rely on committing to a plan nearly a year over the horizon. Keep up the random seat drops I say - fairer for the majority.

 

[levelnine]

Even booked LAX-SYD in F last September,

Sounds like you consider that a lucky find .

Keep up the random seat drops I say - fairer for the majority.

How do you know it is fairer for the majority?

Is it fairer for the employee who has to lock in leave months in advance?

Is it fairer for the parent, the student or the teacher who has to arrange travel around fixed dates such as school holidays?

Is it fairer for the business owner that has to structure their leave around fixed commitments (shutdown periods, contract end dates, etc)?

The only people it is fairer for are retirees, which admittedly make up a large percentage of the AFF user base so I understand its popularity here, digital nomads and people with completely flexible work schedules. I wouldn't say they are a majority of the Australian population, the flying public or even Qantas points holders. Feel free to provide statistics to the contrary.

 

[justinbrett]

Sounds like you consider that a lucky find .

No, just pointing out that your statement there is zero availability on the route is blatantly false.

Perhaps instead of everyone else being lucky - you are just unlucky.

 

[downgraded]

Feel free to provide statistics to the contrary.

Likewise.
As a non retiree who spends his working life using points around contracts and projects I'm happy with my assertion.
If you've got to work around a fixed date it doesn't really matter whether that commitment is made 12 months out or 2months out. If it is a school holiday or similar then the few higher status pax that get to jump in front of all those who aren't so endowed might agree with your assumption but the majority of QFF members I'm sure would appreciate a fairer go at using the points for such travel rather than being beaten to the chase by a process that is intentionally stacked against them.

 

[Lynda2475]

ll the releases you mention were for 1-2 month travel windows with no advanced notice, no public notice and largely disappeared within 24-48 hours

Again not my experience. The usual award release 350ish days out for status holders has been happening on the USA routes plus additional capacity for this promo (and ahead of this promo).

There was actually some availability up for grabs for late July and August for over 2 weeks (not every day but enough if you were flexible by a few days of ideal dates) and I was directed to the extra availability by several posts here.

Qantas have always dropped availability without a public announcements, most frequent flyers know to periodically check (which is far from spending all day everyday checking) or to set notifications using other tools to be aware when award seats are released.

Just because you didn't find exactly what you were looking for doesn't mean there was zero availability. If you don't have time to periodically check, then perhaps you need to use one of the paid services?

I never bother to look for dates in Aussie school holidays as they are typically black-out periods, always have been.

I like making my travel plans 10 months in advance, because it means I can give any employer/client ample notice, i find late release of seats only 12 weeks out to usually be way too late to take advanatge of (unless its a weekend domestically). Even 6 months as occurred this year made it tough to get reasonably priced hotel bookings and a tour spot.

But I will take regular release (10-11 months out) plus random bonus availability, over last minute/short notice release every time.

 

[levelnine]

No, just pointing out that your statement there is zero availability on the route is blatantly false.

Perhaps instead of everyone else being lucky - you are just unlucky.

The hundreds of articles, complaints, posts, whinges about award availability suggests otherwise.

I've gotten 100% of the seats I've wanted the past year due to WP release. I consider myself very lucky.

As a non retiree who spends his working life using points around contracts and projects I'm happy with my assertion.

Exactly! It works for you, so you assume it is fair. More sampling bias in this thread.

The usual award release 350ish days out for status holders has been happening on the USA routes plus additional capacity for this promo (and ahead of this promo).

Can you provide proof?

A quick search as a WP reveals 0 availability on QF flights at T350 on SYD-LAX, MEL-LAX, SYD-JFK, SYD-SFO, SYD-DFW, MEL-DFW ...

Are you perhaps being misled by the calendar?

Eg SYD-LAX shows this for Feb/Mar 2024:



But if you click on any of those dates, there's no QF availability, just CI mainly:



If you are incorrect on this point, the rest of your post is moot because it is just random releases that typically sell out within a day or two. Maybe the July/August lasted a bit longer.

Just because you didn't find exactly what you were looking for doesn't mean there was zero availability. If you don't have time to periodically check, then perhaps you need to use one of the paid services?

I never said I haven't been able to find seats. I've gotten every seat I've wanted for the past year. 100% success rate with WP release. As mentioned above, I'm very fortunate.

 

[justinbrett]

The hundreds of articles, complaints, posts, whinges about award availability suggests otherwise.

Literally just plucked a week randomly and the first one I picked has J availability on two routes

01 Nov, QF11 SYD-LAX
03 Nov, QF15 BNE-LAX.

I think you choose to believe what you want to believe. The rest of us are busy booking J seats.

Edit - well not me actually, I've depleted my stash of QF points (peaked at 800K) due to so many bookings in the last 2-3 years. Not a boast, literally down to my last 50K.