SQ Tips, Trips and Tales

[BacchusMarsh]

Which takes seats away from people who can fly, and want to fly, and who may want those specific seats

So you think I'm ethically bound to abandon the plans I had for my existing Krisflyer miles for the sake of some hypothetical fellow traveller?

I think I'll stick with my plan of trying to get the best deal for myself within the terms of the program. A potential cancellation fee of USD30 buys me that right.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So you think I'm ethically bound to abandon the plans I had for my existing Krisflyer miles for the sake of some hypothetical fellow traveller?

I think I'll stick with my plan of trying to get the best deal for myself within the terms of the program. A potential cancellation fee of USD30 buys me that right.

Anyone who states they *can't possibly* take flights they have booked is taking those seats away from people who can and will use those flights. This is exactly what happened with the Gaurda 90% off sale... lots of people made bookings, many with no way of ticketing them, and then failed to cancel them and open the up to others.

The alternative would be to wait until the 23rd and book what's left as a placeholder.

Selecting specific seats, for absolutely no reason, also denies another passenger those seats until check-in closes.

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Anyone who states they *can't possibly* take flights they have booked is taking those seats away from people who can and will use those flights. This is exactly what happened with the Gaurda 90% off sale... lots of people made bookings, many with no way of ticketing them, and then failed to cancel them and open the up to others.

Selecting specific seats, for absolutely no reason, also denies another passenger those seats until check-in closes.

The seats will be released one way or another two months from now. There are plenty on offer around the same time, and if someone desperately needed those exact seats, they had an opportunity to get in ahead of me.

So spare me. If you pay the necessary fee, you purchase the right to do what you like.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

they had an opportunity to get in ahead of me.

I'm on an extremely slow and difficult satellite connection and I do know this has been asked before, but could I please be excused and ask again ... what times are best to search? How far in advance and what time of day are they usually released?

 

[BacchusMarsh]

I'm on an extremely slow and difficult satellite connection and I do know this has been asked before, but could I please be excused and ask again ... what times are best to search? How far in advance and what time of day are they usually released?

No clear pattern for time of the day, it's route-dependent. As of now the calendar shows up to February 22 of next year for SYD-SIN (with four separate flights available as Saver awards in J), and the following day is available for waitlisting.

 

[Plutonus]

I have found sometimes whilst the calendar automatically adds each day 355 days in advance, this doesn't mean availability has been released. So don't automatically think no availability if you're very close to the 355 day cut-off and there's standard/waitlist only.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

what are you going to do?

What am I going to do??

I wasn't really asking 'What are you going to do?' - think Tony Soprano when he was in a quandry - he would shrug his shoulders and ask those around him 'What are you going to do?'

 

[tizey]

There is something special about paying $40 of taxes on a redemption. MNL-SIN-MEL booked in J before points increase, and already no YQ on that route currently. Makes me look forward to changes once points t balances are rebuilt.

Now, decision on which Tokyo airport to try and book F on to change date later on for April 2018 date... Which would expect to have better availability - SIN to NRT or HND?

 

[Pele]

There is something special about paying $40 of taxes on a redemption. MNL-SIN-MEL booked in J before points increase, and already no YQ on that route currently. Makes me look forward to changes once points t balances are rebuilt.

Now, decision on which Tokyo airport to try and book F on to change date later on for April 2018 date... Which would expect to have better availability - SIN to NRT or HND?

Tizey,

If you are booking that far out, in my experience both HND and NRT will have good availability. It comes down to your flight time and aircraft preference. I believe the A380 only fly into NRT but that is ceasing soon. I booked a SIN- HND in F on the 777-300ER as it was a red eye and i was short on time and needed to hit the ground running. At the moment the A350 only goes to HND.

Pele.

 

[kamchatsky]

Tizey,

If you are booking that far out, in my experience both HND and NRT will have good availability. It comes down to your flight time and aircraft preference. I believe the A380 only fly into NRT but that is ceasing soon. I booked a SIN- HND in F on the 777-300ER as it was a red eye and i was short on time and needed to hit the ground running. At the moment the A350 only goes to HND.

Pele.

+1 on this. I would say though HND is much closer than NRT so if all else being equal I would pick HND. I booked MEL-SIN-HND for the end of this year, we got 4 * J Savers, and SIN-HND is on A350 (No F).

 

[Kangol]

I believe the A380 only fly into NRT but that is ceasing soon.

SIN-NRT-LAX (and vice versa) stopped A380 service from 23 October 2016 and is now a 77W.

 

[tizey]

Thanks guys for the advice. That said, I re-jigged a few things in the points balances held to direct more Amex points to KF instead of SPG for a hotel redemption.

I can now afford the new award chart in points for this redemption (105,000 instead of 80,750), and the savings in fuel surcharges will pay revenue for the planned hotel booking that I was going to use the SPG points for, so not out of pocket, and maintain flexibility!

 

[unfunkable]

Hmm I read all the changes, so correct me if I am wrong
Does the new system mean people with no status can not book 1st class suites with points?

 

[Dannyism]

I think you two are on to something here. I think I'll look to book regardless. We had no concrete plans so are completely open with dates and destinations.

I too will be doing this for a holiday I want to take in roughly July/August/September 2018.

I'll update this thread with what happens when I got to change the flights in late 2017.

 

[PDog]

Hmm I read all the changes, so correct me if I am wrong
Does the new system mean people with no status can not book 1st class suites with points?

i didn't see that- can you quote it please?

 

[unfunkable]

i didn't see that- can you quote it please?

Whoops read it wrong, it was a worse case scenario.

 

[PDog]

Whoops read it wrong, it was a worse case scenario.

Phew!! SQ have disappointed me enough this last week!!

 

[JohnK]

Which takes seats away from people who can fly, and want to fly, and who may want those specific seats

It's just a game right? No real harm done.

 

[andy2015]

What do I say to phone staff to ask for a waitlist chaser?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

What do I say to phone staff to ask for a waitlist chaser?

I find this usually works:

You: Hello Mr/Ms Agent - if I give you a Booking Reference number could you please pull that up for me?
Agent: Certainly just hold the line while I pull that up for you - OK I see your booking - what can I do for you?
You: Could you please send off a chaser to see if we can get this WL cleared please?
Agent: No problem - that would be my pleasure - OK chaser sent off - is there anything else I can do for you?
You: No that is all for now thanks.

Nice and straight forward?