Rewards Flights Points Calculation Difference

[bullerdude]

I noted some inconsistencies in the way points required for reward flight are being calculated on the VA booking site.

Both flight below are on Singapore airlines.

For MEL to London - 175K Points.
- In this case points are being calculated on total distance of the flight.
- Approx. 10,500 miles, this falls 9,501-15,000 in the range which is 175K points.
- If calculated based on flight segments it would be 70K + 140K totalling 210K points.


Now for MEL to Tokyo - 140K Points.
- In this case points are being calculated based on flight segments.
- MEL to Singapore is 3750 miles which is 80K points and Singapore to Tokyo is 3330 miles which is also 70K points. Thus the total cost is 140K points.
- If calculated based on the direct distance (such as how the MEL-LHR flight is calculated), which is 5080 miles, it would cost 95K points.


Seem to me that the cost for rewards flights to ASIA for VA are pretty unfair....

Comments from Velocity Frequent Flyer would be appreciated.

 

[Eggsbenedict]

Interesting pickup, I was just looking at flights Sydney to Tokyo and thought the points seemed excessive.

I noted some inconsistencies in the way points required for reward flight are being calculated on the VA booking site.

Both flight below are on Singapore airlines.

For MEL to London - 175K Points.
- In this case points are being calculated on total distance of the flight.
- Approx. 10,500 miles, this falls 9,501-15,000 in the range which is 175K points.
- If calculated based on flight segments it would be 70K + 140K totalling 210K points.


Now for MEL to Tokyo - 140K Points.
- In this case points are being calculated based on flight segments.
- MEL to Singapore is 3750 miles which is 80K points and Singapore to Tokyo is 3330 miles which is also 70K points. Thus the total cost is 140K points.
- If calculated based on the direct distance (such as how the MEL-LHR flight is calculated), which is 5080 miles, it would cost 95K points.


Seem to me that the cost for rewards flights to ASIA for VA are pretty unfair....

Comments from Velocity Frequent Flyer would be appreciated.

 

[zainman]

Good pick up. Interesting how this is happening. Perhaps it's a case of HUACA? Maybe the agent gave incorrect information?

 

[rtyuiop]

I haven't checked this against Singapore-operated flights, but a while back, the difference with Etihad flights was the flight code. Booking awards on EY flight codes lead to separate PNRs for each flight, which means a higher point cost, issues checking bags through, and no protection in case of flight delays leading to a missed second flight... In many cases, completely unsatisfactory!

 

[anat0l]

Is it possible to travel from MEL to LHR on SQ using only one flight number?

I have absolutely no idea, but if yes that might explain the first one.

What would, for example, PER/LHR or BNE/LHR give for cost?

 

[bullerdude]

Is it possible to travel from MEL to LHR on SQ using only one flight number?

I have absolutely no idea, but if yes that might explain the first one.

What would, for example, PER/LHR or BNE/LHR give for cost?

Both the MEL-LHR and MEL-NRT come up as two flight numbers on a single connecting itinerary on the VA site.

The response from the Platinum centre was to call the call-centre and ask for the redemption team.... pathetic.

Needless to say my next email politely instructed them that I didn't want to waste my time and for them to forward my email to the necessary team.

Let's see what the next reply is.

 

[rtyuiop]

Are either or both of them all VA flight numbers?

 

[anat0l]

I think I know what is going on. The cost of the flight is calculated by adding up the distances of the individual segments, then looking up the relevant table for the points cost. The cost is never determined on the great circle distance directly between the origin and destination.

So take MEL/LHR via SIN for example. MEL-SIN is 3744 mi, SIN-LHR is 6765 mi. Add those two together you get 10,508 mi.

This falls in the highest cost zone. If both sectors are SQ flights, then the cost will be 75k one-way in Economy, 175k one-way in Business.

For MEL/NRT via SIN, then SIN-NRT is 3,324 mi, giving a total distance of 7,068 mi.

This falls in the third highest cost zone. Again, if both sectors are SQ flights, then the cost will be 65k one-way Economy, 140k one-way in Business.

If the flights were costed based on the individual sectors rather than adding up the distances, then MEL-SIN would cost 37.5k Y/80k J, SIN-NRT would cost 35k Y/70k J. Total cost would then be 72.5k Y and 150k J for MEL-SIN-NRT. (Note our OP has a slight addition error which I didn't pick up initially).

The online booking engine seems to corroborate my findings here. If you include flights which come from different cost tables, the journey is "split" and each subordinate journey is then costed separately based on the respective tables.