QANTAS's domestic sale(s)

[samh004]

And is it AEST or another time zone?

Well there's no daylight savings right now, so it's the same on the East Coast no matter which city you're in.

 

[bambbbam2]

That's why I asked AEST, not AEDT.

I meant AEST as opposed to CST or WST.

 

[anat0l]

Here's a repost of my SC run tips post that was in the Qantas Sales thread (this thread has been lost with the recent forum crash and resulting disappearance of a week's worth of posts). Once again, these tips have been devised with BNE as the origin, since I live in BNE. The options are spread over three days - I used Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but there is no reason why they could not be taken over any other three days, bar availability. (In fact, middle of the week isn't bad because there are more flights on weekdays than weekends, plus they tend not to be conspicuously short on lowest-bucket fares).

To book these itineraries, use the domestic multi-city booking engine with the underlined cities as the origin/destination, then select "Flexible with dates" so that you can squeeze in more than two flights per day.

SC rates below are based on the prices adding the $7.70 credit card charge. YMMV may vary with final prices - all are based on getting sale fares for all routings (i.e. lowest buckets). And finally, none of these are for the feint at heart, or the sane. :mrgreen:

• Option 1 - 165 SC, $876.99 inc. c/c charge, $5.315/SC
  • Pros/Cons
    • Pros: Interesting itinerary, large coverage, earns the most points of all the options, only one o/night required
    • Cons: Not a great SC rate (although better than standalone domestic fares and even relatively traditionally good business SC run fares), relatively difficult to get the lowest buckets on the PER-MEL-SYD-ADL triple routing, hope you're able to sleep on a plane!
  • Schedule
    • Fri: BNE-MEL-ADL, o/night ADL
    • Sat: ADL-SYD-CBR-SYD-ADL-PER-MEL(+1), sleep on PER-MEL red-eye
    • Sun: MEL-SYD-ADL-MEL-BNE
• Option 2 - 140 SC, $668.40 inc. c/c charge, $4.774/SC
  • Pros/Cons
    • Pros: Interesting itinerary similar to option 1
    • Cons: Could be better SC rate, less SCs than option 1 or 3, 2 o/nights required
  • Schedule
    • Fri: BNE-MEL-ADL, o/night ADL
    • Sat: ADL-SYD-CBR-SYD-ADL, o/night ADL
    • Sun: ADL-PER-ADL-MEL-BNE
• Option 3 - 150 SC, $668.40 inc. c/c charge, $4.456/SC
  • Pros/Cons
    • Pros: Different itinerary to options 1 & 2, basically substituting ASP for PER but a resulting better SC rate, best points-for-$ rate (although this is based on my calculation as a WP)
    • Cons: Needs 2 o/nights and very early flights: the first flight BNE-MEL is required; ADL-MEL-ASP-MEL-ADL can only be achieved on a separate day by taking the first ADL-MEL flight of the morning
  • Schedule
    • Fri: BNE-MEL-ADL-SYD-CBR-SYD-ADL, o/night ADL
    • Sat: ADL-MEL-ASP-MEL-ADL, o/night ADL
    • Sun: ADL-MEL-BNE
• Option 4 - 100 SC, $435.00 inc. c/c charge, $4.350/SC
  • Pros/Cons
    • Pros: Best SC rate of all options, can be achieved in two days if prepared to o/night in CBR (IMHO CBR is expensive to o/night in, because given the required timing of flights, there will be no cheap way to get to/from airport and city/hotel)
    • Cons: Most pedestrian option of all given, least SCs earned (albeit best rate)
  • Schedule
    • Option 4a:
      • Fri: BNE-MEL-ADL, o/night ADL
      • Sat: ADL-SYD-CBR-SYD-ADL, o/night ADL
      • Sun: ADL-MEL-BNE
    • Option 4b:
      • Sat: BNE-MEL-ADL-SYD-CBR, o/night CBR
      • Sun: CBR-SYD-ADL-MEL-BNE

The best routings all revolve around ADL, funny enough:

• ADL/CBR via SYD
• ADL/ASP via MEL
• ADL/BNE via MEL

OK routings include:

• PER/ADL direct
• PER/ADL via MEL and SYD
• PER/SYD via ADL

Comments about running from various cities around Australia besides BNE...

• SYD: Best bet is to reposition in CBR or BNE. Alternatively, SYD-ADL-PER isn't too bad if you can collect it as one sold routing (IIRC this is a valid marketable routing)
• MEL: Best bet is to reposition in ADL or CBR. Fairly cheap MEL-ADL fares can make this possible.
• ADL: No brainer here - no repositioning required and great selection of routings to run on.
• CBR: Fairly good position - route to ADL via SYD and then run on from there.
• PER: Not the best place to run from, but otherwise reposition/run to ADL (either direct or through the triple routing via MEL (on red-eye) and SYD). Itineraries with PER are interesting and you can avoid an overnighter by taking the red-eye out of PER (albeit this is quite tiring and only for the fairly brave), but the SC rate will always be higher.
• Anywhere else - you're on your own! Pretty much trying to run from most other places in Australia will bump up the SC rate (except for select destinations serviced by QantasLink, viz. the cocurrent sale for those locations).

 

[docjames]

Thanks for reposting (post forum crash):mrgreen:

 

[JohnK]

Thanks, so I am assuming that is 23:59 tommorow night?

I certainly hope so as I am about to book some flights tonight. Anyway the sale will more than likely be extended....

 

[bambbbam2]

Seeing DJ has just extended their sale, one would think QF will too..

 

[samh004]

Wasn't the DJ sale to compete with Jetstar though?

 

[Saab34]

Some current specials

ADL-CBR $79 June travel
ADL-ASP $99 Junetravel
ADL-KGI $169 June travel
ASP-BNE $199 29th July-17th December (excl hols)
BNE-TSV $99 29th July-17th December (excl hols)
BNE-CNS $139 29th July-17th December (excl hols)
SYD-CNS $149 29th July-17th December (excl hols)
Ends Midnight Monday

 

[JohnK]

I need some SYD-BNE specials. Any chance QF will have another sale this week?

During the last sale silly me was too busy playing games and by the time I remembered I needed to book some flights it was too late.

 

[v8Statesman]

I need some SYD-BNE specials.

Out of interest, When you book them do you book them as a multi city SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-SYD to save CC charges? Can you do this?

 

[v8Statesman]

Out of interest, When you book them do you book them as a multi city SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-SYD to save CC charges? Can you do this?

Descided to try. Nope you can't

You cannot define two identical segments (Origin/Destination). Please modify your last selection and resubmit your request. (7123 - 9071)

 

[JohnK]

Out of interest, When you book them do you book them as a multi city SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-SYD to save CC charges? Can you do this?

I would love to be able to do that but as you have found out it is not possible.

Some of the flights are booked as returns and some are booked as one-ways depending on the how many DJ flights I have booked in that time frame....

 

[aus_flyer]

I would love to be able to do that but as you have found out it is not possible.

Some of the flights are booked as returns and some are booked as one-ways depending on the how many DJ flights I have booked in that time frame....

I ditched paying by credit card ages ago... bpay... all the way.

$7.70 for 80-odd credit card points just isn't worth it.

 

[N860CR]

Is it just me or have the domestic sales dropped off a bit of late? My ROK-BNE-SYD and return was setting me back between $240 and $280 late last year when I booked a few, however even during the last sale I could only manage $340. I was previously able to combine a say $69 ROK-BNE with a $75 BNE-SYD however the last few sales have either not included the QantasLink routes, or (as with the last one) the dates for the QLink sale finished the day before the mainline one started.

Anyone foresee a network wide sale coming? Or are my weekends home going to set me back another ~$100 now?

 

[Mal]

Is it just me or have the domestic sales dropped off a bit of late?

I believe Qantas has plenty of forward booking domestically, so just doesn't need to put fares on sale at the moment.

 

[JohnK]

I believe Qantas has plenty of forward booking domestically, so just doesn't need to put fares on sale at the moment.

I had a feeling that may well be the reason the sales are not happening as often as in the past. The last sale is the first one I can remember for a long time that finished on time and did not get extended.

 

[Cyclogenesis]

There are a couple of $65 MEL-CBR and $69 MEL-SYD fares in August

 

[medhead]

Seems to be pretty targetted specials at the moment. Maybe the days of wholesale (all route) specials are over?

 

[JohnK]

Seems to be pretty targetted specials at the moment. Maybe the days of wholesale (all route) specials are over?

Don't give up yet. It is only 2 weeks since the last sale. Qantas appears to have fairly good forward sales at the moment but I would expect another sale in the next few weeks.

 

[Kendall Roy]

There are a couple of $65 MEL-CBR and $69 MEL-SYD fares in August

It appears these specials were only up for a few hours and not widely publicised.

Notwithstanding this, I bagged me $69 each way SYD/MEL in August