QF Redemption - advice please

[Cruiser Elite]

Guys what is best way to seek a QF F or J redemption MEL-LAX - pref F??

I have never attempted to redeem QF flts - is it best to check online or best to call QFF directly? I am looking and looking but see virtually no vailability in F - require flt for Sept 2013 and have been checking July 2013 for availability to familiarise myself so i can attack ASAP - I understand we need to book that far out - so which is best way to go about this pls?

 

[EmilyHoward]

I have no idea of the answer to this and would also be interested.

EH

 

[williamsf1]

If you have status, best to call and request a wait list of the seats if no showing online. I noticed you are looking for 2013. Seats open up for sale aprox 252 days in advance, so best to look online that day .. and if no seats .. give QF a call

 

[serfty]

Seats become available online at Midnight UTC 353 days before the flight! (10am BNE time)

There are reports of people wearing the assisted award booking fee and ringing up on the day before 10am and snaffling them. There are even Travel Assistance agencies who will do such on a passengers behalf.

Other than that, look away from the more popular travel days. e.g. Tu/We/Th often have availability when adjacent Mo/Fr/Sa/Su may not.

[edit]

e.g. I see P2 on QF93 Tu/We/Th July 23/24/25 2013 on QF 94.

A First seat can be had on July 24th with a classic award for 144K QFF + $450

The "Same" seat can be had with an any seat award for 144K QFF + $650. (The Any seat will earn for a WP 270 SC's and $24K QFF)​

[/edit]

 

[simongr]

As a QF bronze you are unlikely to get award seats released by calling the call centre. Sorry to be blunt.

How many seats do you need? Do you have very specific dates to travel?

One thing to consider if you have the points and are happy to wear the assistance fee is to book your outbound at 10AM on the day 353 days before departure and then book your return separately by adding it to the award as soon as your return dates become available. That involves calling the call centre - not something I have done.

EDIT

I have just checked the end of July 2013 as a plat and see a smattering of F and J seats. Lots more availability through the Great City of Sydney

That is availability for WP though. As a reference point I can see availability 11 Jul MEL-LAX and 23 Jul LAX-MEL - if you can't see those then it is a NB issue.

 

[tuapekastar]

Have you considered Any Seat Awards (ASAs)? The lowest point 'cost' is usually a little higher (maybe +25%, but variable) than the 'classic' award cost, but the offset is that you earn points and status credits for the flight, and there are no taxes/surcharges payable (i.e. included in the cost). There is also a 'slider' whereby you can wind the number of points required back down as far as the classic level, and the $$$ go up accordingly. Useful if you don't quite have the points. An example:
l
Last year I booked 2 separate FASAs, MEL-SIN and SIN-MEL (both online). The 'classic' award cost is 90K points each plus taxes/surchrges. One cost me 111K points and no dollars. The other cost me 90K points and ~$300 (I wound it back to 90K from wherever it had been). Each of them I booked the very day they became available, which I think is 353 days (not 252 as stated above) out. And I needed to. Tracking things showed that a day or two was generally as long as the 'good' prices would last. No guarantee they'll exist for you, but worth checking!

PS: I note your comment re 'flying o points only' so this may not interest you, but MEL-LAX-MEL on a FASA will earn you 540 status credits and ~32K points. You need 700 SCs in the first instance to attain QF Gold.

 

[serfty]

For an NB, I see P2 on QF93 Tu/We/Th July 23/24/25 2013 on QF 94.

A First seat can be had on July 24th with a classic award for 144K QFF + $450

The "Same" seat can be had with an any seat award for 144K QFF + $650. (The Any seat will earn for a WP 270 SC's and ~16K QFF)

Corresponding costs in business are:

96K + $450

96K + $600 (180 SC and ~12K)

 

[EmilyHoward]

Seats become available online at Midnight UTC 353 days before the flight! (10am BNE time)

There are reports of people wearing the assisted award booking fee and ringing up on the day before 10am and snaffling them. There are even Travel Assistance agencies who will do such on a passengers behalf.

Other than that, look away from the more popular travel days. e.g. Tu/We/Th often have availability when adjacent Mo/Fr/Sa/Su may not.

[edit]

e.g. I see P2 on QF93 Tu/We/Th July 23/24/25 2013 on QF 94.

A First seat can be had on July 24th with a classic award for 144K QFF + $450

The "Same" seat can be had with an any seat award for 144K QFF + $650. (The Any seat will earn for a WP 270 SC's and $24K QFF)​

[/edit]

Serfty that is brilliant information. I had been wondering what exact time for ages.

EH

 

[simongr]

The "Same" seat can be had with an any seat award for 144K QFF + $650. (The Any seat will earn for a WP 270 SC's and ~16K QFF)

Serfty out of interest if calling to book the award can you easily get the agent to switch from classic to ASA easily or do you only do it online?

 

[serfty]

Serfty out of interest if calling to book the award can you easily get the agent to switch from classic to ASA easily or do you only do it online?

Never done that - there are posts about people booking any seat awards over the 'phone and the agents trying to convince the caller that classics would be better since they cost less.

See this thread for more on booking xASA's: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....uent-flyer-program/how-do-i-book-j-29610.html

Aside from that, switching may be problematic or at least fraught with peril unless you get a really really good agent. Perhaps the operate would cancel the Classic , hold the P/U/Z/X inventory and then rebook as an xASA using the held 'seats'.

IMHO, too much could go wrong, even with simple one-ways or return bookings.

I'd be looking to K.I.S.S. - firstly book a new xASA, then once confirmation that it's ticketed is at hand, cancel the original Classic (wearing the 5K cancel fee).

 

[simongr]

I would agree - for my trip next year I might initially try to book an ASA - esp. given the taxes on a classic are pretty huge already.

 

[MarcB]

Serfty out of interest if calling to book the award can you easily get the agent to switch from classic to ASA easily or do you only do it online?

simongr...when I needed a seat that I wanted to book as an ASA that I couldn't get online, I just rang and booked it as an ASA. I think they call it "points plus pay" because they consider it a commercial booking.

 

[serfty]

simongr...when I needed a seat that I wanted to book as an ASA that I couldn't get online, I just rang and booked it as an ASA. I think they call it "points plus pay" because they consider it a commercial booking.

Be wary of that, "Points Plus Pay" is a third way Qantas have of using points when booking flights.

My few forays into checking P+P is has shown it was more costly then booking the same seats with xASA.

I really think some oparators can't grasp xASA's and why any would want one.

 

[cove]

Do the booking as two one ways 353 days out looking at each exit point from Australia. Sure MEL is best for you but look at SYD and BNE as well.
Do you have Kris points to get home thru SIN?
Can you do a status run before the 353 days comes up as Bronze sees a bit less availability?

 

[Duffa]

I have just checked the end of July 2013 as a plat and see a smattering of F and J seats. Lots more availability through the Great City of Sydney

That is availability for WP though. As a reference point I can see availability 11 Jul MEL-LAX and 23 Jul LAX-MEL - if you can't see those then it is a NB issue.

Shouldn't a WP be seeing heaps of seats, 12 months out, to/from all destinations? I would have thought that was a given. I know there is no increase in availability from Bronze to Silver having done a direct comparison with Mrs Duffa (bronze).

 

[Duffa]

Don't forget a saver ASA is non-refundable! I booked two seats to LHR for Ashes next year and chose the classic award even though the JASA was slightly cheaper by about 2000 points. I now have flexibility to cancel for a 5k penalty each rather than lose the whole lot!

 

[xquisite]

Don't forget a saver ASA is non-refundable! I booked two seats to LHR for Ashes next year and chose the classic award even though the JASA was slightly cheaper by about 2000 points. I now have flexibility to cancel for a 5k penalty each rather than lose the whole lot!

Holy cough! How could i not have known that? Given that ASA usually costs more I'd have thought it would have at LEAST the flexibility of Classic. Good to know, Duffa, thanks.

 

[serfty]

Holy cough! How could i not have known that? Given that ASA usually costs more I'd have thought it would have at LEAST the flexibility of Classic. Good to know, Duffa, thanks.

Fare rules vary with the type of xASA being booked.

The onus is on you to ensure you are aware of each individual fare's rules as displayed before completing your booking. (FWIW, most Domestic Business class ASA's are completely refundable.) I even go a step further and log screen prints of them during the booking process just in case they change.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Guys is their best / better seating option in F on QF93 MEL-LAX?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Thanks to all contributors who offered such fantastic advice.

Have indeed secures 2 x one way F redemptions MEL-LAX and LAX-MEL for Sept 2013.

Have never flown F on QF so am really looking forward to the experience - jeez I hope the Champagne is cold!