SQ Tips, Trips and Tales

[ninja-tim]

Ive done a couple calculations.
F ow Mel-Lhr
Worked out the changes make me worse off in terms of total dollar spent (Inc surcharge paid for pts and also taxes/fuel surcharge)

J ow Mel-Sgn
Worked out changes work out better for me in terms of total dollar spent.

However, I feel like I need to make the most of these current rates as points are a lot harder to earn/accumulate than $.

So in saying that I'm most likely going to book suites to Europe for as late as I can in March 2018. Probably do Mel-Lhr and Cdg-Mel.

Since I'm looking to get dates as late as possible, should I just book both flights as close as possible to latest available date?
Eg.
Mel-Lhr 8/3/18
Cdg-Mel 10/3/18

Is this a good idea or bad?

 

[get me outta here]

.
Since I'm looking to get dates as late as possible, should I just book both flights as close as possible to latest available date?
Eg.
Mel-Lhr 8/3/18
Cdg-Mel 10/3/18

Is this a good idea or bad?

Seeing as you plan to change the dates anyway, it doesn't seem to matter which dates you are able to book now. Even if the flights are the wrong direction.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

i am intrigued by what people are willing to pay for R/F/J... I reckon I'd go up to $6-$7k for F?? Maybe I'm still scarred as my time down the back of the long haul bus is too recent, lol!

I'm not as tight as vitagen , but not as generous as you. I'd say I'd part with maybe up to AU$4-5k for F (AU-EU) and that'd be about it. Even then I'd be thinking hard as the flight to us is not the holiday. It's only a means of getting to a far off land and a back-of-the-bus fare does that also and status does help in that regard. This is purely hypothetical, but rather than spend AU$6-7k on a two leg airfare, I'd seriously consider spending that on the holiday and coming up with a milk run itinerary (hopping between destinations to get to where I originally intended ... eventually) which has a two fold effect, 1) breaking up the flight to sectors which have more palatable durations for Y seating; and 2) visiting destinations which I may be unlikely to visit otherwise!

I really want to do suites at least once in my life, but otherwise Y is OK if it means more holiday money! Regular F, I could probably take or leave and J would be fine. It's another reason why I've decided to wait. The idea of a *A RTW (is it ATW or RTW??) does appeal to me. I'm about to go and start looking at the conditions/points etc now!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

UPDATE:

I have 2 upcoming F Savers booked MEL-SIN-PEK on Mar 25 and PVG-SIN-MEL on Apr 1. Obviously both booked and ticketed pre the rdpt rate changes to take effect as of tomorrow Mar 23.

Last night I was playing with both bookings - I attempted online date and destination change for both bookings. Both bookings are readily changeable for dates and destinations online - I followed process right through to point where CC was required to effect change - MEL-SIN-PEK change to MEL-SIN-PVG reqd reissue fee USD20 only with no additional pts reqd - PVG-SIN-MEL change to PVG-SIN-SYD reqd reissue fee CNY137 only with no additional pts reqd.

Now obviously I cannot test what affect the revaluation will have on existing bookings post Mar 23 but I will do so Fri morn and post again. KF advise changes to existing bookings will be at new rate post mar 23 and I too will be interested to see exactly how they price.

I am continually stressing the online bit as I have not attempted anything over phone - indeed KF staff are not 100% sure what will happen with the manual systems post Mar 23 because as yet untested.

Now back to reissue issue for destination changes. Over the journey I have on quite a few occasions changed destination online for bookings made online at zero pts / $ cost. I have had KF try to check this - the youngsters there say could not happen - the old heads are saying YES this was the case for bookings made online and destination changed online in past but no one can seem to trace the time line. From what I can ascertain destination change is the only action that requires reissue that can be made online - origin / pax / cabin class etc all require reissue but cannot be done online - you need to call to action these.

I do not want to waste anymore KF staff time - they are still maintaining that basic revalidation and reissue rules are not changing post Mar 23. I hope this might alleviate some concerns that some have with their 'nested bookings' for future travel. Again if the goal posts move please don't come hunting me.

Edited: Apologies yes there was a mistake here - I actually drafted this at home last night and emailed to work to post this morn as I needed clarification on one point.

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Last night I was playing with both bookings - I attempted online date and destination change for both bookings.

Are you able to go out more than a year from the date the ticket was issued? I still can't.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Are you able to go out more than a year from the date the ticket was issued? I still can't.

No I didn't and have never tried that - I would have thought that was never possible without 2 x date changes would it not?

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Last night I was playing with both bookings - I attempted online date and destination change for both bookings. Both bookings are readily changeable for dates and destinations online - I followed process right through to point where CC was required to effect change - MEL-SIN-PEK change to MEL-SIN-PVG reqd reissue fee USD20 only with no additional pts reqd - PVG-SIN-MEL change to PVG-SIN-SYD reqd reissue fee CNY137 only with no additional pts reqd. I think this would be sufficient evidence that rdpt bookings made online with subsequent changes online will require reissue fee only and no additional pts going forward.

I'd be happy if the conclusion were correct, but not sure I agree with the logic, since there's no reason to be charging additional points at this stage anyway.

 

[BacchusMarsh]

No I didn't and have never tried that - I would have thought that was never possible without 2 x date changes would it not?

My example is:

- Booked March 6 for February 2018
- Can change to (say) March 5 online.
- Cannot change to March 7 online.

In theory, shouldn't be an issue if validity one year from the date of the first flight, i.e. through February 2019.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Now back to reissue issue for destination changes. Over the journey I have on quite a few occasions changed destination online for bookings made online at zero pts / $ cost. I have had KF try to check this - the youngsters there say could not happen - the old heads are saying YES this was the case for bookings made online and destination changed online in past but no one can seem to trace the time line. From what I can ascertain destination change is the only action that requires reissue that can be made online - origin / pax / cabin class etc all require reissue but cannot be done online - you need to call to action these.

Whether or not pax were charged for making online changes is a separate issue. As per madrooster's post, a change to origin or destination (and a few other things) requires a ticket to be reissued.

The passenger might not be aware of this, especially if SQ didn't charge for it, or there was a glitch in the system which didn't charge.

And the difference in those cases was zero. The passenger would be none the wiser

Where the mechanics come in to play is situations such as this where the cost of the ticket is changing. A reissue will trigger a reprice. This would include a change to the origin or destination. So changing a SYD-SIN-CDG to a MEL-SIN-CDG will trigger a reprice. Not just a change in destination.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I'd be happy if the conclusion were correct, but not sure I agree with the logic, since there's no reason to be charging additional points at this stage anyway.

Yes sorry edited.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Whether or not pax were charged for making online changes is a separate issue. As per madrooster's post, a change to origin or destination (and a few other things) requires a ticket to be reissued.

The passenger might not be aware of this, especially if SQ didn't charge for it, or there was a glitch in the system which didn't charge.

And the difference in those cases was zero. The passenger would be none the wiser

Where the mechanics come in to play is situations such as this where the cost of the ticket is changing. A reissue will trigger a reprice. This would include a change to the origin or destination. So changing a SYD-SIN-CDG to a MEL-SIN-CDG will trigger a reprice. Not just a change in destination.

Exactly right MEL - and this is why I have followed it up and reposted - ALL the changes I made online on Oz-Sino route indeed were reissues but with no extra pts or $s I never knew - Booking Ref stayed the same I never ever bothered to check E-Tix No. to see if it changed. A change in destination to a different Zone will obviously also trigger a reprice and reissue - you could also do this online but if you did you would forfeit the extra pts you had already paid as they were not refundable for online change - but if you called up KF staff you could arrange refund of extra pts - another little quirk specific to SQ / KF.

But back to your point changing origin such as SYD-SIN-CDG to MEL-SIN-CDG this was never achievable online and always required telephone assistance. Some KF agents would simply cancel and issue totally new booking reference - others would make change on same booking reference - how / why I have no idea and really I never cared.

When C****** was onboard she could achieve anything - but she was so proficient she was targeted to head up the KF MNL call ctr but refused it. Oh how I miss her. One call to her on a WL and one would magically fall from the tree! But she left as she felt all the changes on KF back end were too restrictive on staff and it has gotten even worse. Staff now have little wriggle room to help pax - if computer screen says no that is basically it now. Ah those were the days.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Just to let you know that SQ gave us each 20,000 points as a good will gesture after this equipment swap and our subsequent flight change. We are quite happy with this response as it mainly reflects the 'downgrade' from Suites to a normal F seat and since this is only one sector of our itinerary.

As I posted earlier I rcvd 35K pts ea for 2 pax for downgrade 380 to 350 due to sub. I also rcvd offer of a complimentary upgrade certificate J to F on MEL-SIN sector to be used anytime seat available - nice gesture also.

I am actually taking 3 of my sisters to China for 8 nts - I had secured 2 x F Savers and 2 x J Savers on 380 both sectors MEL-SIN-PVG - return 2 x F Savers and 2 x J Savers on 380 / 77W PEK-SIN-MEL. None of my sisters has ever flown inter J let alone inter F. So 3 sectors for 2 pax in R on 380 = 6 seats + 1 sector F on 77W = 2 seats = Total 8 R/F seats in total - I am intending to sit J all 4 sectors so that would have given them 2.66 sectors each on R/F. But along comes equip sub so now back to 2 sector R/F ea.

I replied to SQ email advising of the J->F upgrade certificate and politely asked could the upgrade certificate offered to my sister be transferred to me since she would never use it and that indeed I had 'gifted' her the flight? Nah they turned me down on that one - bummer.

I have not told any of them that they are flying above Y - will be a fabulous surprise for them.

 

[Dannyism]

Regarding changing a ticket to further than a year out from when the ticket was originally booked and after the redemption cost changes.

We have to resign ourselves to wait and see I'm afraid :/

I'll be having a go in August but I imagine I won't be the first. I'll continue to earn and save points in case I need the extra 150,000.

 

[Dannyism]

My example is:

- Booked March 6 for February 2018
- Can change to (say) March 5 online.
- Cannot change to March 7 online.

In theory, shouldn't be an issue if validity one year from the date of the first flight, i.e. through February 2019.

Call up and try tomorrow... I dare you :mrgreen:

 

[PDog]

Regarding changing a ticket to further than a year out from when the ticket was originally booked and after the redemption cost changes.

We have to resign ourselves to wait and see I'm afraid :/

I'll be having a go in August but I imagine I won't be the first. I'll continue to earn and save points in case I need the extra 150,000.

I moved my outbound leg to the latest date that I am ok with travelling yesterday as a safety net (but would prefer not to!).
I'll be making the call in about 10 days- will keep you posted!!

Side note- I couldn't make the change online for some reason (within the year by 3 days?) I had already moved it forward slightly last week, maybe there's a limitation on the number of changes to stop people mucking around? Or maybe there were system issues, cause I was on hold for 35mins...

 

[Dannyism]

Side note- I couldn't make the change online for some reason (within the year by 3 days?) I had already moved it forward slightly last week, maybe there's a limitation on the number of changes to stop people mucking around? Or maybe there were system issues, cause I was on hold for 35mins...

Last year I had to travel to Shanghai with work on Jan 2nd or something ridiculous, I was changing flights left right and centre. I think I was only allowed one change online then after that I had to call up each time.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Side note- I couldn't make the change online for some reason (within the year by 3 days?) I had already moved it forward slightly last week, maybe there's a limitation on the number of changes to stop people mucking around? Or maybe there were system issues, cause I was on hold for 35mins...

Was original booking made online or phone? You cannot make changes online to bookings made on phone TBMK.

 

[PDog]

Was original booking made online or phone? You cannot make changes online to bookings made on phone TBMK.

booking and first change was made online. Given that it's FOC, fair enough that they limit the times you can do it!

 

[kpc]

I think I was only allowed one change online then after that I had to call up each time.

that is my experience too...you can only make 1 change online, then you have to call....so when I come to change my flights, I will have to be very certain the new dates will be flown... don't want to ring the call centre and give them an opportunity / reason to recalculate the fare under the new scheme

 

[get me outta here]

Good to know for future ref.

Was original booking made online or phone? You cannot make changes online to bookings made on phone TBMK.

booking and first change was made online. Given that it's FOC, fair enough that they limit the times you can do it!

that is my experience too...you can only make 1 change online, then you have to call....so when I come to change my flights, I will have to be very certain the new dates will be flown... don't want to ring the call centre and give them an opportunity / reason to recalculate the fare under the new scheme