Qantas upgrades SYD-JNB to A380 service

[NSun]

Where is the frame availability coming from?

Presumably a new frame re-entering service. Under the current schedule, the inbound QF2 (arriving 5am right now, 6am during daylight saving) could easily do QF63 and the inbound QF64 (getting in at 12.30pm now, 1.30pm during daylight saving) could do the outbound QF1. Keep in mind this isn't until June next year so surely there'll be at least one more re-entering service.

JNB may not be the most 'business travel' route but it is a premium leisure route - the typical Safari trip would be the trip of a lifetime.

 

[pauly7]

Presumably a new frame re-entering service. Under the current schedule, the inbound QF2 (arriving 5am right now, 6am during daylight saving) could easily do QF63 and the inbound QF64 (getting in at 12.30pm now, 1.30pm during daylight saving) could do the outbound QF1. Keep in mind this isn't until June next year so surely there'll be at least one more re-entering service.

JNB may not be the most 'business travel' route but it is a premium leisure route - the typical Safari trip would be the trip of a lifetime.

It’s heavy premium yes.

A lot of well heeled expats traverse back and forth. Heavy family traffic.

Auckland transit traffic is also a huge source of business for Qantas on this route for obvious reasons.

 

[NSun]

It’s heavy premium yes.

A lot of well heeled expats traverse back and forth. Heavy family traffic.

Auckland transit traffic is also a huge source of business for Qantas on this route for obvious reasons.

I think many observers underestimate QF's New Zealand transit traffic full stop.

Last time I flew CHC-SYD at 6am (mid-2022), every second passenger seated in J was connecting through to an international flight from SYD. And that was Christchurch, there are now two AKL-SYD flights in the morning now and 3 days a week a third by the inbound aircraft from JFK.

 

[bPeteb]

Interesting that they haven't updated the aircraft on return flights yet. As at my check yesterday still showing as 787.

 

[Mattg]

There are currently up to 9 First Class reward seats available on many SYD-JNB flights between 8 July and 22 August 2024. You would need to have Qantas status to have access to these seats, since those dates are more than 297 days in the future.

Happy booking!

QF63:



And QF64:

 

[freqflyer77]

These First Class reward seats were released last week - people didn't really need to 'act quickly' as mentioned - until you decide to publish an article telling everyone about them....

 

[SYD]

These First Class reward seats were released last week - people didn't really need to 'act quickly' as mentioned - until you decide to publish an article telling everyone about them....

Reward bookings were soooo much simpler and actually fairer PI (pre internet)…..

 

[freqflyer77]

Reward bookings were soooo much simpler and actually fairer PI (pre internet)…..

Might just be me but I feel like telling someone the exact route and date that reward seats are available on is akin to letting them copy off your answers in a test - make them do some work/study!

 

[kpc]

I do get @freqflyer77 sentiment above. I guess it was highly likely that there will be F seats on the A380...I think it is a glitch that most of the F cabin is available for award points. I can't look a gift horse in the mouth and booked 2x return F seats (Botswana / Namibia / Cape Town here we come!!) What are the best seats on the A380 F for a couple? We have 1A/2A outbound and 2A/3A inbound for a change

​

 

[elanshin]

Might just be me but I feel like telling someone the exact route and date that reward seats are available on is akin to letting them copy off your answers in a test - make them do some work/study!

In some regards yes, but in others plenty of frequent flyers and rewards flyers have alerts set up and they would've all gone off already.

It wouldve been posted sooner or later into various groups. This effectively has the routes and dates posted on AFF earlier than other groups or forums.

 

[born2fish]

I booked return F seats to JNB a short while ago. The return JNB-SYD schedules still show a full B787 in August on Expert Flyer seat maps, but my e-ticket and QF online schedules clearly show A380 First class. Surely after recent very public events, they would not still be silly enough to market flights they are not planning to operate, and we just need to wait for schedules to be updated?
Also, it seems that QF have started calculating separate rewards points for connecting domestic sector MEL-SYD v.v. I recall that apart from a small amount of extra taxes coming via a connecting city, that the points amount from any east coast connection was the same as SYD for most long haul flights given it was all within the same overall FF mileage tier.
Are QF are being greedy again by charging full points on connecting MEL-SYD domestic legs in Business Class, as I paid 321,400 points MEL-SYD-JNB all on the same ticket???
I had the same issue on a paid ticket recently where the connecting MEL-SYD domestic flight was charged full fare Business, when that used to cost <$100 extra to add on a connection to a long haul paid flight in First. Anybody noticed that, and is it QF being "less than transparent"..... again?

 

[jakeseven7]

There are currently up to 9 First Class reward seats available on many SYD-JNB flights between 8 July and 22 August 2024. You would need to have Qantas status to have access to these seats, since those dates are more than 297 days in the future.

Happy booking!

QF63:

View attachment 342105

And QF64:

View attachment 342106

Helllooooo South Africa

 

[MelbFlyer]

There are currently up to 9 First Class reward seats available on many SYD-JNB flights between 8 July and 22 August 2024. You would need to have Qantas status to have access to these seats, since those dates are more than 297 days in the future.

Happy booking!

QF63:

View attachment 342105

And QF64:

View attachment 342106

I just looked out of curiousity, and I got the below message as a lowly Bronze member, pretty unfair tbh to not even have visibility (yes, I have tried in multiple browsers too) :

 

[bPeteb]

I'm just hoping for release of one J seat in a few days. F holds no appeal to me/us. Even if I could snag one I'm sure not paying for the other

I just looked out of curiousity, and I got the below message as a lowly Bronze member, pretty unfair tbh to not even have visibility (yes, I have tried in multiple browsers too) :

View attachment 342152

In plat and I couldn't see them either

 

[pauly7]

Well we’ve just booked 10x seats in J for a business trip and very much looking forward to flying the big bird to SA!

 

[N860CR]

Looks like first may have been pulled? Can’t find a single seat (revenue or award).

 

[kpc]

I do get @freqflyer77 sentiment above. I guess it was highly likely that there will be F seats on the A380...I think it is a glitch that most of the F cabin is available for award points. I can't look a gift horse in the mouth and booked 2x return F seats (Botswana / Namibia / Cape Town here we come!!) What are the best seats on the A380 F for a couple? We have 1A/2A outbound and 2A/3A inbound for a change

​

Out of interest I went to check the QF website tonight ...I can't see any F or J awards now.... I think the F awards were a glitch!

 

[N860CR]

Out of interest I went to check the QF website tonight ...I can't see any F or J awards now.... I think the F awards were a glitch!

I suspect they won’t be selling F on this route. It’s not even available to purchase as a revenue fare.

 

[kpc]

I suspect they won’t be selling F on this route. It’s not even available to purchase as a revenue fare.

However,

I checked with Qantas and they confirmed they will sell First Class on this route

I can now buy revenue J flights on the A380 but not F...also as mentioned above, there are now no J or F awards available on this route in August...all the previous availability I think was not intended and have been pulled....

 

[bussyboy]

I'm not seeing any rewards seats from SYD-JNB any more on the multi city tool, receiving error #9200