Reward flights with QR disappear as soon as opened

[jackster]

Hi

I’ve noticed that when looking for flight availability, QR award business class flights will show up but as soon as I close it, the award flight disappears. Sometimes I have gone as far as to the quoting the cash and points stage, and I close it as I just wanted to know what it would cost in total. I then go back to it 5 seconds later and it’s gone and doesn’t come back. This has happened anytime I’ve seen a QR business award flight. It’s too coincidental to think someone has booked it within seconds each time I see a business class award flight. Does anyone know why this happens? Are the flights even really there?

 

[TMP]

I'm not sure when you are looking @jackster but there is perhaps a blackout on dates leading up to Christmas of this year, per this thread over in the QR forum: Qatar only releasing flexi awards seats at Christmas?

 

[jackster]

I'm not sure when you are looking @jackster but there is perhaps a blackout on dates leading up to Christmas of this year, per this thread over in the QR forum: Qatar only releasing flexi awards seats at Christmas?

Hi

I’m looking middle of the year from Singapore to Europe.

I called Velocity and the guy said it was a known issue they were trying to fix and if the (QR) J seats weren’t there when I went back in a few seconds later they never existed. Said to try and use Microsoft explorer which gives more accurate search results.

Just saw on the Mel to Europe in Business Class thread that someone else has experienced this - it’s a bug in Virgin’s system (there is a video too). Sorry I’m a newbie to posting and not able to include the link to that!

Good to know that this is a bug but been disappointed when they disappear like that. Obviously too good to be true!!

 

[oz_mark]

Does it ever come back? Next day, an hour later?

Sometimes booking engines will hold a.flight for a person going through the booking. If it doesn't complete it eventually gets released back.

 

[jackster]

Does it ever come back? Next day, an hour later?

Sometimes booking engines will hold a.flight for a person going through the booking. If it doesn't complete it eventually gets released back.

Yes it does but same thing happens. Disappears once you go back.

 

[Human]

I’ve seen this too — Interesting to hear that It’s a known issue which will hopefully be resolved soon.

 

[Spp]

I have tried to search rewards flights, couple of came up last week,didnot book and tried to look the for the same flights after 24 hours, nothing is coming up in that week at all. says no flights available for my criteria . could be same issue ?

 

[jpp42]

I have tried to search rewards flights, couple of came up last week,didnot book and tried to look the for the same flights after 24 hours, nothing is coming up in that week at all. says no flights available for my criteria . could be same issue ?

Twenty-four hours is a long time, plenty of time for someone else to snap up the very limited number of seats available. The issue being described above is people trying to book right away, not waiting.

 

[Nam Taf]

I experienced this repeatedly over the last 6 weeks. I kept checking (around 3pm ADST time) and saw them pop up but by the time I mashed my way through the booking process it was gone and said the fare was no longer available.

After about the 6th time, I almost wondered if the fare was never available and it was VA's system showing me something that doesn't exist. Incredibly frustrating, but glad to know it wasn't me hallucinating.

 

[SYD]

I experienced this repeatedly over the last 6 weeks. I kept checking (around 3pm ADST time) and saw them pop up but by the time I mashed my way through the booking process it was gone and said the fare was no longer available.

After about the 6th time, I almost wondered if the fare was never available and it was VA's system showing me something that doesn't exist. Incredibly frustrating, but glad to know it wasn't me hallucinating.

Phantom availability is common on several platforms.

Someone who’s bored might check VA v QR (or another OW redemption - forget QF) to see if that’s the problem with VA.

Does it ever come back? Next day, an hour later?

Sometimes booking engines will hold a.flight for a person going through the booking. If it doesn't complete it eventually gets released back.

This does could be the issue? QF will hold revenue bookings until midnight but not sure about reward flights?

 

[Bunnyman]

This is still happening as of last two days. Have tried different Aus locations to different European locations. QR J award flights appear, I enter details and payment method but then it says “the flights are not priced correctly or there’s no available flights”. It has happened thrice already. Virgin Call Centre says they haven’t heard of this behaviour.

Another example was 4 flights appear for MEL-BCN on same date, I move to next date and back to same date again within 3 seconds and those disappeared. I’m sure no one snapped all 4 rewards as these are ghost flights. Virgin or Qatar need to fix this glitch. I wish I took a video and I’m not hallucinating.

 

[Phoenix-1]

I think it's phantom availability. A few days ago I was checking ADL-DOH on VA and then switched to AA to search monthly seats. There were seats that showed up on VA but didn't appear on aa.com which I thought was odd. After going back to VA.com and switching a day forward and back, suddenly the seats disappeared.

I decided to test this out by finding some QR reward seats with aa.com, confirmed they existed on VA and then switch dates back and forth. This time seats didn't disappear.

 

[Phoenix-1]

I take that back. I've just found an ADL-DOH J seat on 2/7/2024 (and on 3/7/2024) that don't seem to disappear, yet they don't appear when searching on aa.com.

Does VA get access to more reward seats than AA?

 

[masco131]

I take that back. I've just found an ADL-DOH J seat on 2/7/2024 (and on 3/7/2024) that don't seem to disappear, yet they don't appear when searching on aa.com.

Does VA get access to more reward seats than AA?

VA does get more seat than AA as per multiple reports and VA is like third tier in reward seat availability.

This is a good read for the tiers of reward seat availability Qatar Business Class: 5+ levels of award availability

 

[bernardblack]

Also, in my experience as recently as a few months ago, an AAdvantage phone agent could see and book QR J space that showed on Velocity's website but not AAdvantage's. But that may have changed.

 

[masco131]

Also, in my experience as recently as a few months ago, an AAdvantage phone agent could see and book QR J space that showed on Velocity's website but not AAdvantage's. But that may have changed.

Ohh that’s interesting. AA is definitely an interesting reward system