Saver Awards to/from Oz appear to have dried up!

[Mr H]

Much evidence to support my advice - if you see availability for an award you would like, never ever go away and think about it.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I would assume the availability has dried up because the many permutations of departures and arrivals is basically down to a couple of flights from Australia and a couple of flights from Singapore each day. If one seat is taken on one flight, it knocks out multiple permutations.

Historically SQ has had redemption "buckets" both for individual leg flights and for routes (married segment).

So as an example, I might not be able to see availability for MEL-LHR, but could for MEL-SIN and SIN LHR. Or vice versa.

 

[jkoh]

Much evidence to support my advice - if you see availability for an award you would like, never ever go away and think about it.

Lesson well learnt... all desired options were on waitlist so I thought it didn't matter and I could come back to it... although on the back of my mind I suspected that everyone would go on booking frenzy to get in before the increase. Obviously didn't play my cards well

Is it worth redeeming economy (plenty available) and upgrade class with miles?

 

[Mr H]

Is it worth redeeming economy (plenty available) and upgrade class with miles?

Would you be happy to have those miles deducted and fly in economy? If yes, go for it. If no, then look at alternative ways to travel and use your points for something else.

 

[lonewolf]

What just happened, I went to make a booking for next year, I could not find 1 saver seat from jan - may ???Syd - Bkk. I thought i saw 2 options pop up but i went back and its gone.

 

[mel-world]

Quite a bit of Saver J ex-SIN to LHR, but yes *nothing* to/from SYD/MEL. Although, there’s been a paucity of new saver awards ex-Oz for several months now?

I just had a look at SYD-LHR in F/R for a few random dates in February '23 and can still see the occasional Saver and lots of Saver Waitlist on most flights. Only WL Saver SYD-JFK or SYD-FRA as far as I can see for travel around the same time. I guess SQ are holding the existing Saver inventory for their premum clients for bookings made before July 5.

 

[coolkid101]

I would assume the availability has dried up because the many permutations of departures and arrivals is basically down to a couple of flights from Australia and a couple of flights from Singapore each day. If one seat is taken on one flight, it knocks out multiple permutations. And all it takes is one or two PPS members block booking a fortnight with reservations until they decide which flight to keep. It does mean that if/when they make up their minds, all the other flights will open up again. I am optimistic about waitlists coming through but probably only once the enhanced redemption rates kick in.

I think you're probably right there. We have block booked between 4-6 seats a flight, mix of F/J savers across a large swathe of dates. 1 week reserved as a block. Others in the family also having done the same.
FWIW on my end still also seeing more saver availability both in F and J so the awards haven't been pulled, probably just re-prioritised

 

[luxury-lizard]

I think you're probably right there. We have block booked between 4-6 seats a flight, mix of F/J savers across a large swathe of dates. 1 week reserved as a block. Others in the family also having done the same.
FWIW on my end still also seeing more saver availability both in F and J so the awards haven't been pulled, probably just re-prioritised

what am I missing here @coolkid101 - wouldn't you need about a trillion points to book so many seats - if I understand your post correctly. Don't you think it's kind of selfish to take so many award seats you clearly cannot possibly use - when cancelled they may not go back into award inventory. What about your AFF family?

 

[coolkid101]

what am I missing here @coolkid101 - wouldn't you need about a trillion points to book so many seats - if I understand your post correctly. Don't you think it's kind of selfish to take so many award seats you clearly cannot possibly use - when cancelled they may not go back into award inventory. What about your AFF family?

I don't know if you're being serious here or just having a dig but I don't think this "game" is ever designed to be fair, or equal. It would apply to all carriers and loyalty programs - they want their most loyal customers rewarded and looked after. Sq do that exceptionally well for us, in turn we almost exclusively fly with sq, mostly in paid F and J. Maybe not quite the same but by your logic even something as small as a priority check in for qantas status pax while everyone else is sitting hours in the economy check in line is "selfish".. Maybe that P1 should just wait in line too? Overly simplistic maybe.

Again, FWIW, we actually only booked 2/3 dates with confirmed bookings. I don't know if it's meant to be public knowledge but our pps agent can "reserve" tickets for us with extended ticketing deadlines. When we booked I just mentioned we weren't sure of our dates but it was them proactively reserving the rest of the days around it for us.
And no it's not quite a trillion points but we do have a 8 figure balance so quite happy to burn when we can.

Regarding the seats going back. Again status pax get looked after here. Advantage and saver waitlist for kf members, prioritised by status.. Yield management by backroom.. So many factors would eventually determine whether a seat goes back, no diff with sq, qantas etc.

 

[THR]

Still some Saver availability from Brisbane and Christchurch but nothing to or from Sydney

 

[Mr H]

what am I missing here @coolkid101 - wouldn't you need about a trillion points to book so many seats - if I understand your post correctly. Don't you think it's kind of selfish to take so many award seats you clearly cannot possibly use - when cancelled they may not go back into award inventory. What about your AFF family?

I agree. That is one of the most pointlessly selfish things I have seen on these pages.

 

[Matt_01]

what am I missing here @coolkid101 - wouldn't you need about a trillion points to book so many seats - if I understand your post correctly. Don't you think it's kind of selfish to take so many award seats you clearly cannot possibly use - when cancelled they may not go back into award inventory. What about your AFF family?

I don't know if you're being serious here or just having a dig but I don't think this "game" is ever designed to be fair, or equal. It would apply to all carriers and loyalty programs - they want their most loyal customers rewarded and looked after. Sq do that exceptionally well for us, in turn we almost exclusively fly with sq, mostly in paid F and J. Maybe not quite the same but by your logic even something as small as a priority check in for qantas status pax while everyone else is sitting hours in the economy check in line is "selfish".. Maybe that P1 should just wait in line too? Overly simplistic maybe.

I don't know if it's meant to be public knowledge but our pps agent can "reserve" tickets for us with extended ticketing deadlines. When we booked I just mentioned we weren't sure of our dates but it was them proactively reserving the rest of the days around it for us.

I tend to agree with @coolkid101 response status is everything when it comes to getting access to rewards seating and there was another thread about 4 months back which @coolkid101 posted about PPS Solitaire. I am QF P1 and have a number of friends/ colleagues who are PPS solitaire and have a fair understanding of the program (cash based) and in early 2020 was going to switch my alliance to SQ and would have moved from SQ*G to PPS Solitaire within a few months.

As to the final quote my experience with QF as a P1 my first hand experience is that QF can also be quite flexible to hold bookings for a period of time.

Whilst writing this response I see @Mr H chimed in, if you you are spending real money normally one can work out inner workings of the booking system, it is not that hard.

 

[Scr77]

….We have block booked between 4-6 seats a flight, mix of F/J savers across a large swathe of dates. 1 week reserved as a block…

what am I missing here @coolkid101 - wouldn't you need about a trillion points to book so many seats - if I understand your post correctly. Don't you think it's kind of selfish to take so many award seats you clearly cannot possibly use - when cancelled they may not go back into award inventory. What about your AFF family?

Seems about right

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[Matt_01]

Seems about right

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Not sure if your post is helpful PPS solitaire and to a further extent P1 or any other of the carrier programs be it BA, AA, EK it all comes down to dollar spend. For those that are spending the money be it personal, staff travel or a combination of both it seems quite obvious, nothing selfish about it.

 

[Mr H]

Not sure if your post is helpful PPS solitaire and to a further extent P1 or any other of the carrier programs be it BA, AA, EK it all comes down to dollar spend. For those that are spending the money be it personal, staff travel or a combination of both it seems quite obvious, nothing selfish about it.

I kinda understand the words but not the sentences (are they sentences?).

Nobody is disputing that PPS members are able to block book every premium cabin award ticket out of Australia for weeks in a row even though they have no intention of using them all.

The fact that they can do it does not mean it is a classy thing to do.

 

[luxury-lizard]

Hi again - let me clarify - firstly I had no intention of starting a bun fight and totally agree that premium customers of any business should get preferential service.

But - I was really wondering how anyone could have sufficient points in KF (or any airline program) to book what sounded like dozens of award seats - but clearly some do. In fact an 8 figure balance with KF would be sufficient for 43 return Oz-Europe trips in J.

But I still feel booking seats you have no intention or possibility to use does seem somewhat over the top. Why pre-book when with such status presumably SQ would release additional award seats if and when required?

 

[Matt_01]

I kinda understand the words but not the sentences (are they sentences?).

Nobody is disputing that PPS members are able to block book every premium cabin award ticket out of Australia for weeks in a row even though they have no intention of using them all.

The fact that they can do it does not mean it is a classy thing to do.

Agree my sentences are not always clear, english and grammar has never never has been my area of expertise. To your second to last sentence, a QF P1 can do the same, does it make it less right/ wrong, or less classy.

 

[JessicaTam]

Status brings benefits, and I think all of us seek to attain status with one or another organisation so we can take advantage of said benefits.

That being said, let us not lose sight of the thread topic, lest I have to change headwear!

 

[kpc]

I think we should be directing our anger and irritation at Sq (not the poster who I gather is SQ Solitaire PPS) for allowing this block booking / holding of Saver J /F awards....the only thing the poster did wrong imho is to boast about it on this forum....having been on this forum for nearly 20 years, it is amazing how posters like to come on these forums to boast.....just about everyone does it!

 

[coolkid101]

Hi again - let me clarify - firstly I had no intention of starting a bun fight and totally agree that premium customers of any business should get preferential service.

But - I was really wondering how anyone could have sufficient points in KF (or any airline program) to book what sounded like dozens of award seats - but clearly some do. In fact an 8 figure balance with KF would be sufficient for 43 return Oz-Europe trips in J.

But I still feel booking seats you have no intention or possibility to use does seem somewhat over the top. Why pre-book when with such status presumably SQ would release additional award seats if and when required?

Replying to this and a few other subsequent posts.
Sorry if mine came across as a boast - I didn't mean it that way. All it was meant to be was to proffer an explanation to OP post about where the awards had gone.

I'm definitely travelling during the time I booked 2 different dates, but the agent proactively wanted to reserve the others.. That's what pps has always done for us, for years.. To those more altruistic than me, you have my respect if you would have declined an offer like that.

Furthermore, I can only travel on very specific dates that sometimes change closer to the time. I plan my travel around my work schedule, not vice versa. So, having the option of moving things is useful to me. Again, my loyalty to sq has bought me that benefit. Many a times I've given up F/J savers to buy a cash fare for the entire family when work plans mandate a change in holiday plans.

Finally, about the question re why I don't just request the release of more seats - you can't release a seat if the cabin is full. We usually fly 3-4pax in F plus the others in J. With 6 seats in F and pent up travel demand there's more people forking out now than ever.