Reward Flight - indirect availablity but none direct

[colwhe]

This question may have been done to death but had anyone else noticed this...

When attempting to book a flight the default seems to be multiple stops, which is semi understandable with the costing regime (taxes).
A recent MEL-CNS went via SYD.
Having family in Sydney, I did have the option to drive up, leave car with parents and do the SYD-CNS instead.
But guess what? The seat available on the SYD-CNS leg if booking from MEL is now unavailable.
They now want to hop me through BNE.
Surely if the FF seat SYD-CNS is available if I am traveling from MEL it should also be available SYD-CNS too.

 

[ashleyn]

Re: QF Reward Flight

You'll notice the same on Expedia and other engines, direct routes are very hard to come by.

 

[ric_melb]

Re: QF Reward Flight

Given there is only one direct Qantas flight MEL/CNS a day (and 3 Jetstar flights), I would expect indirect options to be offered.
As to reward seats SYD/CNS available on one route and not another, a quirk of the system.
Good reward bookings repay some searching for the best flights.

 

[colwhe]

Re: QF Reward Flight

Thanks for the responces however my main point remains that they seem to be deliverately making me hop and therefore incur more charges.
If the seat was availible if booking from MEL that means the seat is a Award seat. But I am not allowed to have the AWARD seat when I want to fly direct.

A secondary question.... Is it true that the more hops, the more you pay in fees and charges,
This has been my understanding, and if true then this AWARD seat not being availible on a direct flight is semi immoral in my view.

 

[markis10]

Thanks for the responces however my main point remains that they seem to be deliverately making me hop and therefore incur more charges.
If the seat was availible if booking from MEL that means the seat is a Award seat. But I am not allowed to have the AWARD seat when I want to fly direct.

A secondary question.... Is it true that the more hops, the more you pay in fees and charges,
This has been my understanding, and if true then this AWARD seat not being availible on a direct flight is semi immoral in my view.

A portion of a flight will have seats set aside for connections, nothing immoral about it, and if you are booking a ASA then you can use this to your favor, play the game, don't let the game play you!