SYD-IST RTN J Class June/August 2014

[Liski]

The bookings for a year out open up for SQ about 250 days in advance. So for a JUL-SEP 2015 booking you will need to be waiting until September to do it all as a single return booking and get the free stopover.

What I have done previously is do the one way booking for July and then when the return dates become available convert it to a return. These days this can be done via the SQ website.

SQ don't always open up the award inventory from day 1. They seem to release/withdraw inventory during the year depending upon commercial demand.

It seems that your schedule and available dates are reasonably constrained. That limits your available travel choices and chances of saver awards. can you consider alternate destinations in europe and taking internal flights.

For you other discussion points it may help for you to check the rules about the 15% 'online' discount and the stopover allowances are covered in the program rules. The rules are your friend.

Have you also considered StarAlliance partner redemption? maybe there are seats available via an *A partner.

Alby

Hey Alby,

Thank you for the information. I was quite flexible when I made the booking back in December but now it seems I don't have much space to move around as the waitlists have or are being closed.

IST is the easiest as I have just over enough Miles (133K) for a J Saver return to IST and then can get a connecting flight from IST or SAW to SKP.

I did try a A* partner hen I made the booking in December but was advised there were no seat available with THY to IST and was assured to stay with SQ as they should free up.

I checked the T&Cs and yes J Savers are only allowed one stopover which I wasn't advised about and no where in the T&Cs does it state that the 15% is void should I happen to have two stopovers.

I'm expecting another call either today or tomorrow so I will see what SQ says - just worried as I have about 15K expiring for the 2nd time between May-July. I think moving forward I should stop using the Westpac SQ Platinum card and only use the Citibank Signature as that way I can collect points without working about expiry.

 

[Liski]

Hey Alby,

Thank you for the information. I was quite flexible when I made the booking back in December but now it seems I don't have much space to move around as the waitlists have or are being closed.

IST is the easiest as I have just over enough Miles (133K) for a J Saver return to IST and then can get a connecting flight from IST or SAW to SKP.

I did try a A* partner hen I made the booking in December but was advised there were no seat available with THY to IST and was assured to stay with SQ as they should free up.

I checked the T&Cs and yes J Savers are only allowed one stopover which I wasn't advised about and no where in the T&Cs does it state that the 15% is void should I happen to have two stopovers.

I'm expecting another call either today or tomorrow so I will see what SQ says - just worried as I have about 15K expiring for the 2nd time between May-July. I think moving forward I should stop using the Westpac SQ Platinum card and only use the Citibank Signature as that way I can collect points without working about expiry.

Alby,

Just got a call from SQ that they will honour the 15% discount which is good news for now.

Re stopovers, can the baggage be tagged straight to Istanbul or Sydney even thought there is a day or two stopover in SIN?

Re booking a oneway first and then changing it to a return when the return flights become available as you mentioned; is the first one way booking booked and paid for and then you change it?

Massive thank you in advance.

 

[Liski]

With a month to go until my SYD-SIN flight the ongoing SIN-IST (J Saver) a few days later is still wait listed with SQ sending another chaser this morning.

Since I don't have any status, what chance do I actually have?

 

[mitwg]

I reckon start considering backups in case it doesn't come through?

I don't particularly see why it wouldn't clear but nobody here can tell you for sure and it would be irresponsible for us to tell you to just wish for the best.

 

[Liski]

Fingers crossed it does mitwg as it's first ever J flight with SQ and collected these Miles for so long to make it happen

I'm not in the position at the moment to fly to Europe on a paying ticket. I will just have to cancel it and wait and rebook for next year and fingers crossed I don't loose too many miles as they start to expire the 2nd time come this July.