QR withholding award seats from Qantas?

[gazza48]

Why would it be an ACCC issue?

Was being a bit Tongue in cheek...just disappointing that the product being offered is not living up to the reality...so many people have all these points and want to use them in the pointy end but cannot. As I said before last week there were plenty of premium seats on other airlines and then they all disappeared.....

 

[jase05]

Was being a bit Tongue in cheek...just disappointing that the product being offered is not living up to the reality...so many people have all these points and want to use them in the pointy end but cannot. As I said before last week there were plenty of premium seats on other airlines and then they all disappeared.....

You are also forgetting that many people have built up huge stacks of points and are now in competition with millions of others to snatch up the few available seats on each flight. I’ve got to the point now where anytime I see any premium seats from anywhere I jump on them immediately and have had to change my whole holiday process. I once would book leave first and then search for flights now I just jump on what I can and then book leave which isn’t always possible so I’ll probably have to cancel a heap

 

[DC3]

The whole business model of Qantas Frequent Flyer relies on the points being an attractive currency that people believe they can use for something that they value.

Yes. Toasters.

 

[GCflyer]

The public will learn to accept it and adjust.

As someone who has experience in a reward booking service I don't think people will be too willing to accept the fact that the 2 major partner airlines offering routes to Europe are no longer an option.

Many will leave QFF behind and focus on other programs.

 

[DC3]

Many will leave QFF behind and focus on other programs.

That may be of benefit to the rest of us.

 

[papeto]

I would suggest raising a complaint with the ACCC that it appears Qantas is cancelling low revenue tickets in order to sell the seats at a higher price. If they cancel, they are supposed to book you on the next available at no cost to you. Its in their conditions of carriage - section 9.1(c).

ACCC may investigate their trade practices and fine them, which is a better longterm outcome for consumers.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

As someone who has experience in a reward booking service I don't think people will be too willing to accept the fact that the 2 major partner airlines offering routes to Europe are no longer an option.

Many will leave QFF behind and focus on other programs.

Agreed, the ties to europe are very strong in AU, if the main reward program does not provide anything of real value to that market it will be a massive impact.

 

[aikman]

Many will leave QFF behind and focus on other programs.

Qantas has the most domestic market share and got pipped by SQ for most international market share by just 0.1%. I would therefore say that the vast majority of QF and QFF customers have stuck by them despite the long call centre wait times, long refund wait times, dodgy flight credits which forces you to pay more, lost baggage, no J catering, Joyce publicly insulting customers, clueless call centre staff, staff cancelling award tickets, and so on.

But sure, the loss of QR premium award seats will be the final straw and will be what will actually drive QFF customers to other FF programs.

I accept that a few people will but nowhere near enough for Qantas to even worry about.

 

[DC3]

Many will leave QFF behind and focus on other programs.

Don’t forget that most have short memories.

Anyway, there’s so much conjecture on this thread. No-one here has the answers as to where QF, or any other airline, is headed.

 

[jase05]

Still availability on QR ex Asia so personally not too fussed if nothing ex Australia

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

Still availability on QR ex Asia so personally not too fussed if nothing ex Australia

you sure? tried out of jakarta / singapore / bali and getting alot of error 500

 

[jase05]

you sure? tried out of jakarta / singapore / bali and getting alot of error 500

Was excellent availability from BKK a couple of nights ago in F when I was looking and good availability in J ex Europe to CGK.
I couldn’t see anything after November though

 

[gazza48]

You are also forgetting that many people have built up huge stacks of points and are now in competition with millions of others to snatch up the few available seats on each flight. I’ve got to the point now where anytime I see any premium seats from anywhere I jump on them immediately and have had to change my whole holiday process. I once would book leave first and then search for flights now I just jump on what I can and then book leave which isn’t always possible so I’ll probably have to cancel a heap

I understand what you are saying but I don't want to just hold any premium cabin seat for the sake of it as that is unfair to others that may be looking as well and last weekend their were plenty of premium seats available on many routes with various partner airlines and I dont think there have been that many more in one week to book all those seats. I worked with QF as a senior TSC for 19yrs and know my way around when looking for seat options and they are just not there even during non peak

you sure? tried out of jakarta / singapore / bali and getting alot of error 500

Agree there is very little around ex Europe to Asia and vv. I have never had an issue getting to Asia with QR EK CX etc but just keep getting the error message. There are some seats with LY JL BA. There must be some arguing between QF and the 2 popular go to airlines for europe travel. Hoping it all gets sorted soon...

 

[Mattg]

Was excellent availability from BKK a couple of nights ago in F when I was looking and good availability in J ex Europe to CGK.
I couldn’t see anything after November though

I still can't see any QR J or F availability on the Qantas website for travel more than 3 months away. And there are still no seats at all after mid-April.

 

[FlyingFiona]

I still can't see any QR J or F availability on the Qantas website for travel more than 3 months away. And there are still no seats at all after mid-April.

Getting a bit concerning, especially because it's not showing zero availability most of the time but an all out error code.

If they are fighting with QF I wonder if they will honour bookings already secured with them for later in 2023 (I have a confirmed booking MEL-DOH-CDG with them in June using QFF).

 

[jase05]

I still can't see any QR J or F availability on the Qantas website for travel more than 3 months away. And there are still no seats at all after mid-April.

Something weird is going on. Last night I was playing around on the VA site looking for some award availability and they had added DOH to the list of destinations. I did a few dummy bookings such as SIN-DOH, KUL-DOH and a few others and there was obviously zero availability in any class but I hadn’t seen DOH on the list before. This morning it has been removed so I’m wondering if the VA/QR partnership is just going through the IT linking process?
Or perhaps I’m reading too much into it

 

[SYD]

Something weird is going on. Last night I was playing around on the VA site looking for some award availability and they had added DOH to the list of destinations. I did a few dummy bookings such as SIN-DOH, KUL-DOH and a few others and there was obviously zero availability in any class but I hadn’t seen DOH on the list before. This morning it has been removed so I’m wondering if the VA/QR partnership is just going through the IT linking process?
Or perhaps I’m reading too much into it

I also looked at VA when this thread started up again. DOH was definitely not there the other day. But I was pondering the same thing that there could be interruptions on the QR end while they add VA. But that would not explain why AA and BA etc still function correctly.
And we do know there was a deliberate cap from QR on premium awards ex Oz. So they obviously can do things on their end that affect QF award availability.

 

[gazza48]

Getting a bit concerning, especially because it's not showing zero availability most of the time but an all out error code.

If they are fighting with QF I wonder if they will honour bookings already secured with them for later in 2023 (I have a confirmed booking MEL-DOH-CDG with them in June using QFF).

I am sure all bkgs made will be honoured and if not, think there may be a lot of requests on QF flts! It is also EK that keeps giving the error code. So many times I have gone in and found availability in J&Y on the QF website, but as soon as you grab one it just takes you back to availability again so whether these are phantom seats who knows. Could explain why TSCs cannot see them when called. It is all very frustrating as not to many options anywhere ex or thru Asia to Europe in higher classes. Even AY have disappeared as they were showing availability when I was looking in May...can only keep trying!

 

[usmantk]

It’s not just Qatar, I believe same has happened with JAL, I could see tons of availability , now nothing ex AU

 

[Captain Halliday]

I wonder what inventory QF is making available to partners?

As a WP I’m seeing very little premium cabin availability even on the day of release.

Like most airlines, I’m assuming QF make less inventory available to partners than they do their own members.

If so, might it be possible that QR and others have withdrawn award seats from QF because their members aren’t getting any seats?