Could someone shed some light?
I've just called the help desk for the first time to try and get 1 or 2 J flight SYD-YVR and SFO-SYD released for this Dec/Jan. Short notice I know.
There are plenty of I class available but the droid is saying no and the helpdesk lady, is saying she can't even apply for a manual override until mid-Jan. Something about too many FF already on those flights?
Does this make sense? Am I requesting this wrong?
I'm platinum and happy to pay for a revenue fare for the other ticket.
QF really should improve this system.
For example now they require 'I' class to be available, but it's still a yes/no type deal.
I would like to see:
- Guaranteed redemption for Plat1 on at least 1x yearly with no restrictions (ie: could be 1 day prior in F for entire family).
- If you have a confirmed revenue ticket in the same class and the award request is for SO, then a higher weight applied to releasing the seat (especially as there is risk of the revenue seat being cancelled and rebooking both in lower cabin, or another airline)
- More BI integration into the release system to determine risk factors around not releasing the seat. For example: You're Plat and have 0 QFF points in your account and request a biz seat. Not only does QFF generate new revenue from the points (which statistically FFPs know for every $1 the FFP makes the airline will make 10x that in sales), they also have a more engaged member (which again is another metric around the coalition side of the biz + partner earning), it also helps QFF big data systems learn more about the customer (which again, they directly make $$ off by applying the same data to other members, their patterns etc..) + many more.
For example airlines can easily that tap into banking data (scary - yes, does it happen? yes) and knows how many FF points you can potentially move to the FFP. If a customer has the potential to shift millions of points into the program from a bank; deeper analysis needs to be undertaken (by a computer - automatically) on the likelyhood of that customer shifting points into the FFP.
Of course the counter argument is data on who is buying the revenue seat (if it even sells), or who gets the points upgrade from that extra available seat and the business they could bring, and/or lose because of their experience.
Not saying releasing a seat is always the right thing to do - but the current yes/no computer system clearly only looks at a few factors, and no doubt there are cases where more revenue is LOST by not releasing than any incremental gain in selling the seat at full price - if indeed it's sold at all.
Coincidently I tried having a seat released today too - no go, despite loads of 'I' class, on a date that historically is cheap to fly (indicating that the flight doesn't 100% sell).
Probably have to buy EK J in the hope that EK treat their WPs in preference for upgrades. (Annoying that one can't use QF points to upgrade EK flights.)
