Self Accommodation on QF Points Booking

[justinbrett]

I have a J classic award from DFW-SYD-OOL in June, booked ages ago.

The departure time changed by about 30 minutes. MMB had a button for me to accept the changes.

When I clicked it, a self accommodation page came up, offering to accept QF8, get a refund, or a list of other options, involving various AA F connecting to QF12.

I stuck with QF8 (obviously), but thought it was interesting this made seats available on all of these other flights, with a classic award booking. For all the talk of people losing their seats when partner airlines make changes, I thought this was interesting.

 

[serfty]

I stuck with QF8 (obviously), but thought it was interesting this made seats available on all of these other flights, with a classic award booking. For all the talk of people losing their seats when partner airlines make changes, I thought this was interesting.

I had a similar situation late last year with an O class booking SIN-BNE-MEL changed to SIN-MEL with the BNE flight cancelled six weeks out.

The self accommodation page came up with a variety of options including via SYD & PER.

 

[TheInsider]

Also comes up with +/- 5 days too. Also on partner airlines in some cases.

Also happens with domestic flights on the day of departure and offers JQ as an option too.

 

[SYD]

Alas, during the rolling SYD-SFO cancellations, no such options were offered for our J reward flights from memory. Just rebooked to LAX and QF paid for a tag flight on AS (so at least an extra 40 SCs for the inconvenience)….

Speaking of AS, yesterday I used their similar feature. We had SEA-JFK-SAN bookings. Both had significant schedule changes but once that was triggered (>1 hr) the system presented a whole raft of alternative flight options including AS/AA combos and nearby airports. So now have AS JFK-SFO-SAN (140 SCs v 80)…. Unfortunately, couldn’t get a decent AA flight out of JFK T8 to check out the new lounges.

 

[goldenhorn]

Alas, during the rolling SYD-SFO cancellations, no such options were offered for our J reward flights from memory. Just rebooked to LAX and QF paid for a tag flight on AS (so at least an extra 40 SCs for the inconvenience)….

Speaking of AS, yesterday I used their similar feature. We had SEA-JFK-SAN bookings. Both had significant schedule changes but once that was triggered (>1 hr) the system presented a whole raft of alternative flight options including AS/AA combos and nearby airports. So now have AS JFK-SFO-SAN (140 SCs v 80)…. Unfortunately, couldn’t get a decent AA flight out of JFK T8 to check out the new lounges.

I was one of those too. SFO-SYD in J, April 3. You're lucky you got rebooked SFO-LAX to get the new departure city. 5 phone calls to QF and endless hours on the phone asking them to put me on an SFO-LAX so I get the new flight, but computer said no every time. I ended up buying my own AS SFO-LAX flight to save my sanity.

 

[SYD]

I was one of those too. SFO-SYD in J, April 3. You're lucky you got rebooked SFO-LAX to get the new departure city. 5 phone calls to QF and endless hours on the phone asking them to put me on an SFO-LAX so I get the new flight, but computer said no every time. I ended up buying my own AS SFO-LAX flight to save my sanity.

We're flying end of March, but I was lucky I got through to the HBA first go and all done pretty much straight away. Still annoyed that we miss a leisurely lunch / arvo in the QF F lounge and replaced by a morning visit... Not to mention the transit at LAX...

 

[justinbrett]

We're flying end of March, but I was lucky I got through to the HBA first go and all done pretty much straight away. Stilled annoyed that we miss a leisurely lunch / arvo in the QF F lounge and replaced by a morning visit... Not to mention the transit at LAX...

Nothing wrong with a champagne breakfast in the Flounge

 

[SYD]

Nothing wrong with a champagne breakfast in the Flounge

True. Hopefully they’ve remembered how to make my morning coffee martini again by then….

 

[RichardMEL]

Sounds like a potentially useful software enh.... change.... which is hopefully a good thing.

 

[dandandan]

We're flying end of March, but I was lucky I got through to the HBA first go and all done pretty much straight away. Still annoyed that we miss a leisurely lunch / arvo in the QF F lounge and replaced by a morning visit... Not to mention the transit at LAX...

I was lucky, (I know some prefer the a380 however it was the morning flight), to get a night flight for our rebooked SFO flight on the 787, so we got the F lounge in Sydney and F lounge again in LAX. The service at the F lounge in LAX was excellent I thought. I have DFW-SYD back, a bit weird a QF Platinum can't get the Flagship first dining when an AA passenger essentially does with Oneworld Emerald in a QF F lounge.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Also comes up with +/- 5 days too. Also on partner airlines in some cases.

Also happens with domestic flights on the day of departure and offers JQ as an option too.

So no need to worry about inflexible fares?

 

[TheInsider]

So no need to worry about inflexible fares?

Well if your flight has been cancelled or scheduled changed, then no.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Well if your flight has been cancelled or scheduled changed, then no.

And this is more so these days. maybe disruptive strategies could be the way to go.

 

[justinbrett]

I guess to clarify I'm not really surprised by the software, I've seen it used for revenue bookings, it was the automatic availability of alternative seats whilst on a classic award booking - given the relatively minor flight change.

This could really be taken advantage of, book a terrible routing far in advance, wait for a flight to change and then rebook on a premium route with no reward seats (eg QF1)

 

[SYD]

This could really be taken advantage of, book a terrible routing far in advance, wait for a flight to change and then rebook on a premium route with no reward seats (eg QF1)

That was/is a strategy booking cheap premium fares in the US months in advance (not that there’s a lot around at the moment…). Although, not in the same league as securing a unicorn long haul route.

 

[RichardMEL]

I guess to clarify I'm not really surprised by the software, I've seen it used for revenue bookings, it was the automatic availability of alternative seats whilst on a classic award booking - given the relatively minor flight change.

This could really be taken advantage of, book a terrible routing far in advance, wait for a flight to change and then rebook on a premium route with no reward seats (eg QF1)

couple of assumptions here of course.

1. of course the flights are not changed and there's an unwanted/undesireable routing to take
2. many reports here of QF being VERY reluctant to open reward seats (or convert revenue) to cover for such changes - specially if partners are involved.

say one books to LHR by say SIN, CMB and say MCT , there's no guarantee QF would so oh you got screwed on SIN-CMB we'll put you on SYD-LHR. The software may not even work in this regard.

Even if you looked at just QF metal there's a limited number of options here (using the LHR example)

I see the idea of course, but in practice it may not be quite so easy to take advantage of

I'd also noite that, unless I misread the #1 post, but we don't know if any of those other options like AA F->QF12 would actually be confirmed as desired even if offered as an option... The software may offer but then fall over (I mean it's QF right? ) .. would kind of be curious to see that aspect actually work tbh.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Also comes up with +/- 5 days too. Also on partner airlines in some cases.

Also happens with domestic flights on the day of departure and offers JQ as an option too.

This is why I love flight cancellations especially on award tickets and when done in advanced. I get to change the date, routing and other items that I wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do without spending extra $$$ or points!

 

[jpp42]

This could really be taken advantage of, book a terrible routing far in advance, wait for a flight to change and then rebook on a premium route with no reward seats (eg QF1)

I wonder if this is part of the reason so few award seats have been opened up in advance on premium flights like QF1 recently - maybe someone has done the sums and realised they've been flying so many people as "exceptions" because other reward routings are cancelled (i.e. QR), that they are easily meeting their targets for reward seats per segment solely from exceptions, without needing to release any the normal way.

 

[Rich]

We had Y award seats MEL-SYD-SFO in March.
When the SYD-SFO was cancelled QF put us on a flight to LAX instead (departing before we arrived in SYD). I don't recall any offer to select an alternative. However upon calling, the South African agent gave us our preferred route of MEL-DFW. Pretty happy with that.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I wonder if this is part of the reason so few award seats have been opened up in advance on premium flights like QF1 recently - maybe someone has done the sums and realised they've been flying so many people as "exceptions" because other reward routings are cancelled (i.e. QR), that they are easily meeting their targets for reward seats per segment solely from exceptions, without needing to release any the normal way.

I would be lying to all of you if I haven't done that a handful of times. An award booking in hand is infinitely more valuable than worthless points. CX cancels your flight back to LHR? No problem! QF will rebook you on QF1! Better yet, you can get free date changes due to the sched change.

-RooFlyer88