QF early-2017 award availability - restricted to elite status holders?

[Quickstatus]

Yeah - the upgrade lottery for a bronze is pretty slim pickings. Plus you have to pay a higher fare to be in the running. With the current bargain basement fares you might be better off considering a 'comfort seat' - you'd buy one extra seat which would give you a spare in the middle of you in a block of three. You don't pay the taxes on the comfort seat, so it can be reasonably economical.

And you get the SC, luggage allowance as well. But this is off topic a bit except that this is a better spend of points if you got 3Y with one or two on points.

have you tried other ports? SYD,BNE,DFW, NAN, HNL?

 

[TahoeSkier]

BNE definitely has better avails in terms of trans-pac U seats. I've seen multiple days across Feb with even 2x seats available. Unfortunately, January seems to have dried right up, for anything.

I know I am greatly reducing my options, but I really want to fly out of MEL or SYD on 93 or 11. My travel partner has never traveled long haul J or F, so it would be good to treat her to the full lounge/380 experience.

Failing the options discussed above, we may just go down the Y (paid) route for Feb, and save the points for another midyear trip when good seats are in better supply. Being a relatively young bloke, flying Y doesn't terrify me. Last year we had bulkhead on QF93 and it was fine.

 

[Quickstatus]

Welcome to the reality of frequent flyer programs.

Even for higher status passengers flexibility and cooling the expectations are key.



Also there are 2Z (premium economy award) seats scattered in January out of OZ and LAX (using NB account)

As an example there are 2Z on QF7/8 17Jan/31Jan (using NB account)

BNE has a few 2Z return to LAX as well

Of course a Z fare will not get you into the Lounge.


2Z SYD/DFW = 336K points + taxes

From DFW you can easily be ColoradoSkier instead of Tahoeskier as AA has a hub there. DFW to DEN is easy.
Colorado skiing is much better as the best ski resorts are there which is off topic obviously.


P= First award
U= Business award
Z= Premium economy award
X= economy award

 

[TahoeSkier]

Welcome to the reality of frequent flyer programs.

Even for higher status passengers flexibility and cooling the expectations are key.

True enough. And the more I learn, the more I realise I don't know!

The Z award seats didn't go unnoticed, but given the points gap between Z and U is not great, I think I would rather just fly Y and save for future U/P flights. Unless you're suggesting we book Z and then angle for upgrades? Seems unlikely, and then we face the risk of one of us being upgraded, which doesn't sit well.

Good note on the skiing. We are wanting to lock in our MEL-LAX flights soon ish, and will then make a call on actual ski destination once the season starts to unfold.

 

[Quickstatus]

Z fares = premium economy award so not eligible for upgrade.

 

[mviy]

Are you sure about this Quickstatus? QANTAS announced that from 1 March 2016 award flights can be upgraded using points. More points are needed than to book the higher class direct and the upgrade is not guaranteed. I have no idea how they rank compared to upgrading paid fares using points

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes of course mviy!!!. I had forgotten about that.

However the upgrade for the transpacific (to LAX) Z to U would cost 67500 points instead of 45000 if upgrading from a paid W.

And the reality of NB with a 2xZ fare will almost certainly put the passenger at the bottom of the pile as Qf specifically states in their T&C that P1 gets first dibs and NB last. The airline is silent about the ranking of a Z vs W.

If there are more than one pax on the one ticket, the airline will upgrade both or not at all.

If successful the total points burn for a Z to U per passenger will be 139500 (72000 to get Z + 67500 to upgrade to U) for each leg instead of 96000 for straight U

 

[mviy]

Exactly. What I'm not sure about is whether an upgrade for an award fare would be lower/higher in the pile for getting an upgrade for the equivalent paid fare for the same status passengers. Like you say QANTAS is silent about how the ranking of the two compares.

I'm trying for an upgrade from paid W to J from SYD to SFO and also on the return leg. I will be NB at the time (will be PS after I arrive home and have forward bookings to take me to SG). I don't expect to get the upgrade as a NB but would like it if I do.

Having only flown Y internationally, I think Premium Economy or Business can only be an improvement.

TahoeSkier, if you have the points to burn, can't get straight U and would be happy with sitting in Z then I would go for it.

 

[Quickstatus]

There may be other factors that afftect upgrade success:

Status
Fare paid
Date upgrade requested
Availability
number requested

And the grey area of PCV = perceived customer value.

 

[Sprucegoose]

I nearly cried when I saw the AFF email this morning talking about this.
I'm a bronze Qantas FF'er but have nearly a million points as everything I do revolves around earning points. And was hoping to redeem these points soon for SYD - LAX for 2 people in business class.
I understand it's hard in general to redeem award seats and you have to get them as soon as they come out, but now hearing this.... what's the point?

And there's no point buying the normal economy seats to then use points to upgrade in the lottery as I have the Bronze status...

Sad times ahead.

Do you think you can call Qantas to book the seats, would that be any different?

You would have thought since so many people have points it's a massive liability to Qantas so wouldn't they want user's to get rid of them??

Understand the dilemma. How hard would it be to acquire Gold status?

 

[mviy]

Is it worth spending a few k on a status run under the double SC offer to get from SG to WP to increase my chances of being able to get an award booking of 2 business class seats from MEL - LHR for mid-2017?

 

[Quickstatus]

How many SC to get?

Assuming you need 350SC (total 700 after DCS.

You will be spending after all ancillary expenses in the order of about $3000-$4000 just to get to WP.

 

[Doctore1003]

Is it worth spending a few k on a status run under the double SC offer to get from SG to WP to increase my chances of being able to get an award booking of 2 business class seats from MEL - LHR for mid-2017?

I think we've established that SG already gets you greater visibility of QF award seats, and that might be enough. Plus there are CX, JL, QR and EK options. If you're booking 12 months ahead you should be able to snag something without too much difficulty.

 

[mviy]

Only 520. Was thinking with double SC I could get MEL-BNE-SYD in J and a discount Y to SYD, MEL or HBA.

I have a relative with 400k points (but she has NB status) who can never use them to book reward seats in J. Every time she looks she can't. So was thinking I could get seats for her and me seeing we both want to travel at the same time next year. I figure with WP I would have a better chance of getting it.

Could do a status run in the US but don't fancy doing one on my first visit there especially as I will have checked in luggage when I go there.

For the award seats I would prefer to book QF operated flights.

 

[cjd600]

Is it worth spending a few k on a status run under the double SC offer to get from SG to WP to increase my chances of being able to get an award booking of 2 business class seats from MEL - LHR for mid-2017?

Premium availability on QF metal seems to be popping up around T-310 days now for NB....

 

[BD1959]

Is it worth spending a few k on a status run under the double SC offer to get from SG to WP to increase my chances of being able to get an award booking of 2 business class seats from MEL - LHR for mid-2017?

Hi mviy,

Depending on when your membership years falls, gaining WP in order to better possibility of snagging those seats in the first place you could also still hold it mid-2017 which would afford you Flounge access in MEL for the trip. :idea:

Regards,

BD

 

[Quickstatus]

Only 520.

As this is not a status run thread, I wont answer with a routing.

However as you need 260SC (DSC = 520) you will need to spend about $2000-$2500 at best.

A MEL-LHR return revenue J seat will cost $9-10K

1 U MEL-LHR return will cost 256K points.

 

[Doctore1003]

For the award seats I would prefer to book QF operated flights.

Out of interest, what does availability look like right now, 12-months out, as SG?

 

[BD1959]

then an elcheapo short haul return (JQ) to get 20SC (DSC = 40)

From the T&Cs: Double Status Credits may not be earned on some fare types and booking classes including Classic Flight Rewards and any flight with a QF flight number on the ticket which is not operated by Qantas including Jetstar, Jetstar Asia, Valuair, Jetstar Japan, Jetstar Pacific and other partner airlines. (my bolding)

Regards,

BD

 

[mviy]

Out of interest, what does availability look like right now, 12-months out, as SG?

I don't know. I have forward bookings already to take me to SG in mid-July. Looking to book for flights for June next year.

Would SG still be likely to have good availability for June 2017 if looking mid-July 2016?

2-3k + taxes for award seats is a lot less than booking 2 revenue seats. So, I guess it could be worth it.