QFF Platinum requesting release of extra Classic Reward seats?

[Princess Fiona]

Planning to get from PER to BCN and there's been a flight option (only cash left) for all the classes on QF9 (then BA codeshare onwards). Currently looking between 10 Aug - 15Aug (date not fixed yet). Question purely for this QF9 segment:

Is it better to purchase a cash ticket and then call to ask if classic reward upgrade is available? Or just best asking directly and booking with points? (Unsure which is 'cheaper)

If purchasing the cash ticket, can a economy ticket request a business class release or do I need to purchase PE to request business class?

You can’t call and ask for a reward upgrade. There is no mechanism for this.
If you want a business class seat you have two options
1.Pay for an economy seat or Premium Economy seat and submit an upgrade request making sure that the fare you have booked is eligible for upgrade, deep discount Economy eg Red e Deal isn’t eligible.
2. Call and request a Business Class Classic Award seat to be released.

Overall the best use of points is an outright Business Class Classic Award. It’s not much more points than getting an upgrade from economy.

 

[muppet]

September QF29 MEL-HKG J9C9D9I7 request for 2xU declined

 

[ShrinkWrapped]

as I've played this game a little more, I think releasing U on 333/332 flights are generally harder than 789/388 flights due to less business class seats

the issue is even if it is I7, there isn't much visibility around total loadings. I've taken the rare extra step now for 333/332 flights to look at loading and the seat map. generally if on the seat map 2/28 are occupied, odds seems much higher. While seat map isn't everything, what we don't know is how many J seats are left in total from loads alone

 

[sudoer]

as I've played this game a little more, I think releasing U on 333/332 flights are generally harder than 789/388 flights due to less business class seats

I don't think it's possible to make a generalisation based purely on aircraft type. It's far more dependent on route and season.

One has a much better chance of getting U seats opened to DPS or HND (A330 operated) compared with LHR (A380 operated)

 

[Flamegli]

2 x U class request from PER to SIN and SIN to PER - Late June and early July declined

 

[jbmemories]

1 x U Class PER - LHR in Mid August - Approved

Tried multiple combinations for and rejected U-class in first half of September:

FCO - PER
LHR - PER
LHR - SIN - PER

My regret is not using my travel credit I had from my 'flexi-DSC' ticket to pay for me fee.

 

[Horatio]

I just tried the following speculators - all denied. I was after 2 Business Class seats (or PE on those aircraft that have it). I wasn't too optimistic, but thought it was worth 30 minutes of my time just in case (which is exactly how long the call took.)

CBR - SIN, 4-6 Nov
HKG - CBR, 13-16 Nov

 

[sudoer]

CBR - SIN, 4-6 Nov
HKG - CBR, 13-16 Nov

Did you try requesting to/from MEL/SYD/BNE and then tacking on a connecting flight (highly likely to be approved this far out) or did you only request to/from CBR? How was the availability in I class?

In my experience requesting space on multiple segments is generally best done one at a time rather than relying on the agent to request all the possible routings - or potentially requesting as married segments (not sure if this is even possible)

 

[Horatio]

Thanks for the info, @sudoer, much appreciated. I was requesting from Canberra, but I did ask him to check specific flights from both MEL and SYD. We'd be very happy with either of those (or BNE) and just make our way there. Whether the QF person was checking on the multiple segments, I can't say for sure. But I heard him say on a couple of occasions that there were 'good' business class seats on a couple of the international flights. So maybe he did check on the multiple segments and that didn't help my cause.

Perhaps armed with the extra knowledge I might try again tomorrow and just ask them the check availability from MEL/SYD/BNE to SIN, and see if that yields a better result.

WRT to I class availability, I don't know as I don't have Expert Flyer. I've seen some discussion on this thread about fares versus inventory, so this might not be relevant. But a couple of the days I was looking at did have J and PE cash sale fares available.

Thanks again,
Horatio

 

[Cloud9]

Thanks for the info, @sudoer, much appreciated. I was requesting from Canberra, but I did ask him to check specific flights from both MEL and SYD. We'd be very happy with either of those (or BNE) and just make our way there. Whether the QF person was checking on the multiple segments, I can't say for sure. But I heard him say on a couple of occasions that there were 'good' business class seats on a couple of the international flights. So maybe he did check on the multiple segments and that didn't help my cause.

Perhaps armed with the extra knowledge I might try again tomorrow and just ask them the check availability from MEL/SYD/BNE to SIN, and see if that yields a better result.

WRT to I class availability, I don't know as I don't have Expert Flyer. I've seen some discussion on this thread about fares versus inventory, so this might not be relevant. But a couple of the days I was looking at did have J and PE cash sale fares available.

Thanks again,
Horatio

I know there are channels open to asking for checking ExpertFlyer, but if you're kicking around at the moment, Horatio, just ping me privately. All I've got to occupy me is a bottle of shiraz and a laptop...

 

[Horatio]

Thanks very much, @Cloud9. I have just sent you a PM.

Cheers,
Horatio

 

[jbmemories]

I know there are channels open to asking for checking ExpertFlyer, but if you're kicking around at the moment, Horatio, just ping me privately. All I've got to occupy me is a bottle of shiraz and a laptop...

The QFF Staff that was helping me find out all the configurations says there must be a business 'sales' (not savers) fare in order for their side to request for a release of the ticket, and then it's up to the computer's answer on whether it was possible or not.


Do the different QFF offices matter in the chance of getting these sales fares (Y/PE/J/F/etc) to convert to a Classic Reward ticket?

 

[sudoer]

The QFF Staff that was helping me find out all the configurations says there must be a business 'sales' (not savers) fare in order for their side to request for a release of the ticket, and then it's up to the computer's answer on whether it was possible or not.

This has been discussed over the last few pages - a Business Sale fare showing on the website is not always needed, but does indicate I class availability. ExpertFlyer is a more accurate (and much quicker) way to find this information.

Do the different QFF offices matter in the chance of getting these sales fares (Y/PE/J/F/etc) to convert to a Classic Reward ticket?

Yes and no.

It's the same bot assessing the request so there's no difference there, but the chance of the request being set up incorrectly (and therefore not being processed) by Cape Town or Fiji is much higher than if it were set up by Hobart or Auckland.

 

[Per_Travels]

PER-SIN-LHR business class released for 1st Oct

Return LHR-SIN-PER First/Business released for 28th Oct

The return flights were released by the bot, outbound by manual review

 

[dairyfloss]

PER-SIN-LHR business class released for 1st Oct

Return LHR-SIN-PER First/Business released for 28th Oct

The return flights were released by the bot, outbound by manual review

P1 or WP? I thought manual review was only for P1, but that said... I have seen a few comments on other chat groups about WPs getting these done as well.

 

[levelnine]

P1 or WP? I thought manual review was only for P1, but that said... I have seen a few comments on other chat groups about WPs getting these done as well.

Poster is P1.

 

[ozflier]

PER-SIN-LHR business class released for 1st Oct

Return LHR-SIN-PER First/Business released for 28th Oct

The return flights were released by the bot, outbound by manual review

Well done,when you say the outbounds were released by manual review , does this mean you initially did not get a decision by the bot and the requests were listed as "requested" on your Manage your Booking page and at a later date , the description was altered to "confirmed" or did you get an email or phone call telling you the good news ?

 

[RichardMEL]

Well done,when you say the outbounds were released by manual review , does this mean you initially did not get a decision by the bot and the requests were listed as "requested" on your Manage your Booking page and at a later date , the description was altered to "confirmed" or did you get an email or phone call telling you the good news ?

Usually for P1 ime, if the bot denies release, the agent will forward the request to the "Route Controller" for manual review. Yes they show as requested in the booking. I've had both a call/email when approved and released, or one time noticed on my own as it was approved a few hours later which was a surprise.

One time, a few years back, due to a cancel and downgrade situation, a review was seemingly conducted within the VIP Team and I got a call back in about 15min - but that was very unusual (basically there was only F inventory avail and it was decided to grant me P)

Anyway it is a little different - or can be.

 

[Horatio]

I just tried again following the very helpful tip from @sudoer and some excellent data that @Cloud9 sourced for me. Unfortunately no joy again. On the second search, the operator sounded really cheery, so I was anticipating a good outcome. But not to be.

And related to some of the earlier discussion in this thread, the operator also mentioned when I asked that a 'sale' fare would have to be available for me to get a CR release - despite acknowledging there was plenty of J class availability on one specific flight, and it showing as I9.

Thanks again for the help and advice - much appreciated.

Horatio

 

[ShrinkWrapped]

I just tried again following the very helpful tip from @sudoer and some excellent data that @Cloud9 sourced for me. Unfortunately no joy again. On the second search, the operator sounded really cheery, so I was anticipating a good outcome. But not to be.

And related to some of the earlier discussion in this thread, the operator also mentioned when I asked that a 'sale' fare would have to be available for me to get a CR release - despite acknowledging there was plenty of J class availability on one specific flight, and it showing as I9.

Thanks again for the help and advice - much appreciated.

Horatio

Remember that just because it is I9 it doesn’t mean it will be released.

In terms of yield management, it could be a thin leisure route where they potentially would mostly sell only D/I fares instead of J/C fares. So even if there are a fewer number of business seats, there may still be more I. Conversely, on other routes, I may be highly limited as it is a relatively greater yield route. Think how challenging it is sometimes to even find I on QF1/2 to/from singapore.

A number of people have got I2-5 released as U class.

Other than requesting, I don’t think there is any other way to predict what will be or won’t be released. Though the usual about off peak periods, less quiet days of the week etc. anecdotally seem to generate more positive outcomes