QFF and Flights to US

[willymaykett]

HI,

Am trying to plan a trip to the US/Disneyworld, but because of the difference in advance bookings for AA, not able to book anything yet. When I looked at SYD to SFO a week or so back, there were flights available for end Aug/Sept 2008, but now there is nothing appearing.

Is this to be expected that flights would all suddenly disappear already? Or is there a problem, since no QF flights seem to be appearing for any days I select, even in October 2008?

Will

 

[Maca44]

There appears to be seats available now for SYD-SFO on both the AA and QF site, but then again I only checked Wed Aug 20th. I can't explain why they didn't appear when you searchedd, but others where with more experience will no doubt explain it. Don't forget that school holidays start in NSW about that time.

 

[willymaykett]

This is the second time it has happenned to me now. When I checked a few weeks back, practically every day had multiple options, now only the occasional flight "Operated by American Airline" appears to show.

I hope "fingers crossed" that it is only a short term glitch, if all those seats are now gone, there goes my holiday next year....

I wonder if anyone else has had this experience..

 

[JohnK]

May well not be related to your issue but in March I was researching a RTW via USA and Europe for travel in August. I was able to get flights but these were by no means popular routes and I only needed to be in 2 places at certain times and every other destination was just an after thought.

I changed my itinerary so many times I lost track of the numbers of versions I had on my computer. Flights that were available today would disappear in 30 minutes time when I went to check again. From day to day availability changes drastically, especially as I was travelling at a peak time.

You need to realise that August and September are peak travel periods and award flights may well be booked almost as soon as they are released. So if you need a flight now but cannot book because you are waiting for a return flight that will not be available for another 2 weeks then these flights will get snapped up quickly.

I am also a firm believer that QF do not release all award seats for a single flight/route at once. They stagger the availability of seats through the calendar to give more people a chance. Good luck and be patient.

 

[willymaykett]

Thanks for the reply.

I think you are right.... they do disappear very quickly... looks like I may need to be a bit more imaginative with routing... otherwise look at either a different time, or a completely different option......

 

[Maca44]

I don't know if you were looking at award tix, but just had a look at the QF site and there are award seats available on the following dates to San Fransicso:
Wednesday 20 AUG Y only
Thursday Nil
Friday 22 AUG Y only
Saturday 23 AUG y only
Sunday 24 AUG via LAX Y only
Monday 25 Nil avail
Tuesday 26 AUG via LAX Y only
Wednesday 27 AUG NIL
Thursday 28 AUG via LAX Y only
Friday 29 AUG Nil
Saturday 30 AUG y only
Sunday 31 AUG NIL
Monday 1/9 NIL
Tuesday 2/9 NIL
Wednesday 3/9 via LAX Y only
Thursday 4/9 via LAX y only

So there are award seats still available on QF, and I didn't search past 4th September 2008.

 

[bmgeneral]

Hi,

We have booked a trip via an award booking on Qantas from Adelaide to San Francisco (via Sydney), then returning home from LA to Adelaide (Via Melbourne).

anyway i have just checked on my login on the Qantas home page, and the flights from Syd to SFO has a note next to them saying the my seats are in 'Premium Economy" this is also showing next to the LAX to Melbourne sector!!!

i didnt know that Premium economy seats were installed on these legs yet, i read from 2008 starting on legs to London

I am travelling mid November 2007

anyone confirm that premium economy will be on these flight to USA (in 3 weeks!)

cheers

 

[JohnK]

anyone confirm that premium economy will be on these flight to USA (in 3 weeks!)

You will definitely be seated in economy not premium economy.

As far as I know premium economy will start to be sold in November 2007 for flights after March/April 2008. Some lucky passengers, more than likely QF status FFers, will get to sit in premium economy, for paid economy seats, on some flights in February/March 2008.

 

[bmgeneral]

bit confusing, my wife was a Platinum FF for a few years, but has since dropped back to Qantas Gold FF (has since had a baby, so not flying as much)...

please see below screen shot of what it says on our booking page (i have highlighted in red). Why would that have this if it is definitly not available?? :

Your Flights

Flight 1: FromToFlightDeparture
TerminalSat 17 Nov 07 10:50 Adelaide 13:15 Sydney QF750 1 More flight info Weather Airport Info Inflight Entertainment Baggage

Status: Confirmed Class: Economy (T)
Flight Duration 1h 55m
Check-in: Latest check-in is 30 minutes before departure

Sat 17 Nov 07 15:35 Sydney 10:05 San Francisco QF073 1 More flight info Note: Your flight from Sydney to San Francisco will be in Premium Economy

 

[Maca44]

Here is the photo from the QF website for premium economy, but it also states;
Coming Soon - Premium Economy

Introducing a new class of travel with Qantas. Premium Economy will be rolled out on our B747-400 services to London via Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong, plus on services to Johannesburg from next February.

It doesn't say anything about flights to USA.

​

 

[bmgeneral]

i know thats the confusing thing, why would they add it to my booking and that, dont get it

just wondering if anyone would know if they have added this service on USA legs or trialling it...

just a bit confusing thats all

 

[Shano]

The problem appears to be related to the changes to fare classes per this thread.

T class used to be SG/WP Y award booking class code, but will become discount Premium Economy. The booking engine is therefore picking up the new fare code, not the code that appied as the time of booking.

 

[bmgeneral]

ahhh, damn it!! thought i was travelling premium economy there for a minute!! arrrghh

 

[JohnK]

Your award flight SYD-SFO is actually booked in T class. Normal award flights are booked in X class, I think, and Qantas Platinum and Gold status have access to another award bucket which is T class. Also British Airways uses T class and W class for premium economy and QF will use these codes as well once they start selling premium economy. More explained in this thread.

So what has happened is that the flight display is getting confused with T class and interprets it as premium economy. It was the same for my RTW in August. I was booked in T class and it was showing as premium economy and I can assure you that I was sitting in economy.

 

[NM]

As a Gold or Platinum FF member, your award booking has come from the T fare class category. So you have been booked into T class.

Some airlines use T class for premium economy cabin bookings, as QF is going to when they start selling premium economy.

Tools like Checkmytrip.com just see that the booking is in T class and try to guess what that means. Most of the time they get it right, but when it comes to a fare class that can have different means between carriers, they don't always get it right.

As your booking is in T on QF, it is an economy award and you will be seated as such. Ignore the fact that Checkmytrip.com has interpreted T as being premium economy. This is not new and is not even related to QF's upcoming PE product. It has shown this way for many years now. I saw it on one of my award bookings over 4 years ago, well before QF had made any mention of a PE product. My award was booked in T and so Checkmytrip.com showed it as premium economy.

 

[Shano]

ahhh, damn it!! thought i was travelling premium economy there for a minute!! arrrghh

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...