QFF Platinum requesting release of extra Classic Reward seats?

[PrezRegan]

With CBR they probably have to factor in the 50% chance of cancellation

Don't jinx it this is my life now

 

[dairyfloss]

Yeah I'm reasonably certain it was hba, dude sounded Aussie enough.
I was surprised I couldn't even get a Y award ticket.
Ah well, thems the breaks I guess.

Yeah, odd - nearing holiday season or not, I wouldn’t have thought they’d have been too concerned with the pointy ends filling up, with the pollies now gone until February

 

[PrezRegan]

Yeah, odd - nearing holiday season or not, I wouldn’t have thought they’d have been too concerned with the pointy ends filling up, with the pollies now gone until February

In particularly surprised I couldn't even get a Y seat either... I doubt the loads would be that high and there are quite a few flights daily, even on the weekend

 

[serfty]

In particularly surprised I couldn't even get a Y seat either... I doubt the loads would be that high and there are quite a few flights daily, even on the weekend

Were you looking for specific flights or was it general across the days?

 

[CorporateFlyerMEL]

Flights to/from MEL to CBR are suffering from reduced capacity with the issues with the A220 crewing, flights are being consolidated onto 737 or 717 - this may be why reluctant to release seats. Fares are often now $1200 in Y return same day (unless you book first out, last home). VA also has increased fares, but not to same extent.

 

[PrezRegan]

Were you looking for specific flights or was it general across the days?

At first specific flights but then I said I'd take anything including combo 737 and D400 and the consultant mentioned nil availability whatsoever. To be fair only one of the flights has D/I availability, the rest had Y9 and everything else 0d out so hard to tell whether I could've gotten anything

 

[Princess Fiona]

At first specific flights but then I said I'd take anything including combo 737 and D400 and the consultant mentioned nil availability whatsoever. To be fair only one of the flights has D/I availability, the rest had Y9 and everything else 0d out so hard to tell whether I could've gotten anything

You need N for Y award release. Absolutely no chance with Y only and as mentioned correctly by @Brettmcg there is no mechanism for seat release on Domestic other than the bot even for P1.

 

[landl]

I had seats released Syd-Hnd but have been trying to get them released on an earlier flight. Whenever I ring, the CSRs tell me to keep trying because there's availability. Today, I got a CSR who told me once the bot has released seats on that route, it won't do it again ie even if there's availability on an earlier flight, it won't release - you only get one request. Seems odd because all the others say keep trying. She said she could request them on a different ticket and then get ticketing to merge the bookings. Has anyone else heard of this?

 

[markis10]

I would imagine things are in a state of flux with the changes coming up to HND, may be complicating things

 

[levelnine]

I had seats released Syd-Hnd but have been trying to get them released on an earlier flight. Whenever I ring, the CSRs tell me to keep trying because there's availability. Today, I got a CSR who told me once the bot has released seats on that route, it won't do it again ie even if there's availability on an earlier flight, it won't release - you only get one request. Seems odd because all the others say keep trying. She said she could request them on a different ticket and then get ticketing to merge the bookings. Has anyone else heard of this?

You've definitely been given some misinformation. They can't merge two separate tickets, for example. As for the rest, hard to say — seat releases are an opaque process and thus there's no definitive guide as to what is/is not possible.

 

[WilsonM]

I had seats released Syd-Hnd but have been trying to get them released on an earlier flight. Whenever I ring, the CSRs tell me to keep trying because there's availability. Today, I got a CSR who told me once the bot has released seats on that route, it won't do it again ie even if there's availability on an earlier flight, it won't release - you only get one request. Seems odd because all the others say keep trying. She said she could request them on a different ticket and then get ticketing to merge the bookings. Has anyone else heard of this?

There are multiple examples of people in this thread who have been able to get seats released on multiple days, and then choosing one, and as levelnine said - you can't merge tickets. This is a great time to practice your HUACA skills

 

[Brettmcg]

I had seats released Syd-Hnd but have been trying to get them released on an earlier flight. Whenever I ring, the CSRs tell me to keep trying because there's availability. Today, I got a CSR who told me once the bot has released seats on that route, it won't do it again ie even if there's availability on an earlier flight, it won't release - you only get one request. Seems odd because all the others say keep trying. She said she could request them on a different ticket and then get ticketing to merge the bookings. Has anyone else heard of this?

Unless the agent has totally misunderstood what you are trying to do, I think, as other posters have already indicated, they have fed you a line.

What exactly are you trying to do? Move from a CR booking that has already confirmed from a seat release to a different flight on the same route via a new request? If so, that is entirely possible.

I regularly have a range of dates, routes etc. ready for the agent to plug in to the droid in that hope that at least one comes back confirmed. Sometimes, multiple options on the same day are available, other times you get nothing across all of the options. Flexibility is the key - maybe look at MEL-NRT or BNE-NRT (both are soon to be HND anyway)?

I've been told previously by an agent that there is a limit on the number of segments/options they can request initially, but I can't remember how many it is/was.

 

[landl]

There are multiple examples of people in this thread who have been able to get seats released on multiple days, and then choosing one, and as levelnine said - you can't merge tickets. This is a great time to practice your HUACA skills

Believe you me, I have been though was told by someone in a Facebook QFF Platinum group that Qantas would be tracking my HUACA calls and putting black marks on my profile!

 

[Brettmcg]

Unless the agent has totally misunderstood what you are trying to do, I think, as other posters have already indicated, they have fed you a line.

I regularly have a range of dates, routes etc. ready for the agent to plug in to the droid in that hope that at least one comes back confirmed. Sometimes, multiple options on the same day are available, other times you get nothing across all of the options. Flexibility is the key - maybe look at MEL-NRT or BNE-NRT (both are soon to be HND anyway)?

I've been told previously by an agent that there is a limit on the number of segments/options they can request initially, but I can't remember how many it is/was.

Believe you me, I have been though was told by someone in a Facebook QFF Platinum group that Qantas would be tracking my HUACA calls and putting black marks on my profile!

I think your biggest problem is believing what some random in a Facebook group tells you...

 

[RealtimeY]

Are you getting offshore CSRs? I've found that usually they're not really across how these seat releases work, and need to painstakingly refer to their process notes.

 

[Mal P]

Apologies if this has been explained in this (very) long post but is December generally a blackout period for the release of awards eg if I want to request for Dec 2025?

 

[Brettmcg]

Apologies if this has been explained in this (very) long post but is December generally a blackout period for the release of awards eg if I want to request for Dec 2025?

Apart from the fact that most of December 2025 will currently be outside of system range, you'd have to be a bit more specific about route, dates etc. before anyone could provide accurate advice on that.

There are certainly blackout periods throughout the year, but they are mostly route and date specific.

 

[BenP]

Believe you me, I have been though was told by someone in a Facebook QFF Platinum group that Qantas would be tracking my HUACA calls and putting black marks on my profile!

I saw that comment as well and I know that were I work we can track who has called based off the phone system. But as to getting your account flagged for multiple calls I wouldn't put too much faith in that.
I'm assuming it would need at least the following
1. The issue to be big enough for it to be done eg how many people call multiple per day
2. They would need there phone system to feed the data to your account where the PCV is kept (I'm assuming this would be a legacy system which may not be straight forward)
3) Is the cost worth doing

 

[exceladdict]

Getting OT but wasn't there a thing where if you huaca or call multiple times it increases your chances of getting through to a senior / Hobart agent? (Perhaps I'm misremembering)

 

[Princess Fiona]

Believe you me, I have been though was told by someone in a Facebook QFF Platinum group that Qantas would be tracking my HUACA calls and putting black marks on my profile!

There are multiple people on those groups who have neither the actual status nor the knowledge to be commenting on anything.