The ULTIMATE Qantas Guide

[Cruiser Elite]

Isn't simply 5K FF pts / pax and refund of all taxes paid? That's what it cost me when I cancelled an F rdpt early Sept.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Isn't simply 5K FF pts / pax and refund of all taxes paid? That's what it cost me when I cancelled an F rdpt early Sept.

Correct. I just wasn't sure whether you had to have 5000 points in the account to cancel, or whether they deduct that from the ticket you already have.

 

[serfty]

Isn't simply 5K FF pts / pax and refund of all taxes paid? That's what it cost me when I cancelled an F rdpt early Sept.

Correct. I just wasn't sure whether you had to have 5000 points in the account to cancel, or whether they deduct that from the ticket you already have.

It's 5k and $$$ back as CE posted - and generally will come off the points already paid ... it will show as two transactions. (I don't know of any applicable redemption that's 5k point or less).

I was able to avoid the 5k earlier this year after cancelling a booking that had it's departure moved four hours earlier.

 

[serfty]

As I said - I just know that my 'china plate' serfty will respond with exact timing of award seat release.

Hmmm ...

It midnight UTC, 353 days in advance.

I always state it as 10am Brisbane time as local time varies in those states with daylight saving.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Hmmm ...

It midnight UTC, 353 days in advance.

I always state it as 10am Brisbane time as local time varies in those states with daylight saving.

I knew you wouldn't let me down - just a week late - I sweated on QF site last Sat til 10am and up popped 1 x F avail on 93 MEL-LAX - was all over it - I actually wanted 2 but alas didn't eventuate - but thanks for thinking of me 'Cyril lover'!

 

[serfty]

- just a week late -

Been a busy week - just put in 3 x 11 hour "professional" work days in a row.

As for the F seat - If I was stalking another, I'd set up an Expert Flyer Alert for P class on that flight (and J [-]and, perhaps Z[/-]). Also, any other LAX flight that day (2 seats).

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Thanks serfty but I also booked 2 x J on same flt so if Cruiserette does decide to come with me next year I will just cancel out the F and fly J. QF J should be ok shouldn't it? Like we flew back VA J and except for the bed the experience was excellent so QF should be able to deliver something equally as good shouldn't they?

Personally I would be going SQ F again but Cruiserette has put her foot down on the 75.5hrs / 3days and 3.5hrs home to Las Vegas hotel - PERFECT in my opinion - 1 SQ F and 2 SQ R cabins / 4 F Lounge exps / 2 o/n in 5 star hotels / 1 exec lounge exp with free pour Champers - what more could you ask for? But I digress.

Back on matters QF - anybody here tried to get their name updated in QF profile? Like add a middle name which is reqd to ticket USA flts? What a nightmare:

• Cannot be done online - must be done through QFF Service Centre - 30mins on hold
• Email [email protected] quoting QFF No. in subject line and including details of update required in body of email and including supporting documentation such as Passport or Drivers Licence
• QFF Service Centre will reply with a S.R. - a reference number
• If you want to expedite matters you then call back QFF Service Centre - another 30mins on hold probably - then quote your S.R No. and it will be expedited - degree of expediteality unknown
• Or just wait patiently and QFF Service Centre will get around to it in good time

OMG - how archaic - why can't this be done online - this is 2015 - I think I can update my profile effectively without this ridiculous process.

NO I am not a SQ lover bagging QF - just seems so many things seem so difficult with QF when they should be just so straight forward and simple.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Back on matters QF - anybody here tried to get their name updated in QF profile? Like add a middle name which is reqd to ticket USA flts? What a nightmare:

QF J class is ok, but mind that the MK2 skybeds can suffer from 'droop'. Serfty will explain how you can rectify that if you encounter it!

Middle name is not required to ticket travel to the USA, despite what it might say.

Your passport is scanned at check-in and the details taken directly from the passport and sent to Homeland Security. The ticket/boarding pass doesn't need to match, what's on the passport is important. I travel to the USA with a combination of no middle name, full middle name, and sometimes just a middle initial. This is not a problem with TSA check-points.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Serfty will explain how you can rectify that if you encounter it!

serfty will explain how to overcome droop? I'll look forward to that

Middle name is not required for travel to the USA, despite what it might say.

I cannot show you a snip from the QF web site right now MEL as it is on iPad at home but I will do so ASAP - original booking 'disappeared' because it could not be ticketed without my middle name in profile - QF agent was able to manually input middle name and re-instate original booking.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

serfty will explain how to overcome droop? I'll look forward to that
I cannot show you a snip from the QF web site right now MEL as it is on iPad at home but I will do so ASAP - original booking 'disappeared' because it could not be ticketed without my middle name in profile - QF agent was able to manually input middle name and re-instate original booking.

Interesting - but how would the system know you have a middle name? Or did you enter the middle name on the ticket booking page but it's not on your QFFF profile?

Will be interesting to hear your impressions of QF J. The main issue is the inconsistency of crews. A good crew and you'll have a great flight. But that's not guaranteed in the same way as SQ. A friend of mine managed to get put on the wrong side within the first 5 minutes of being on a plane a few weeks ago, and they're a huge Qantas fan.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Interesting - but how would the system know you have a middle name? Or did you enter the middle name on the ticket booking page but it's not on your QFFF profile?

I have NFI - all I did was wait until 10am - up pops 1 x F - so I grab it - input pmt details etc and thought that is it. I received email from QF saying they require this:

Step 2: Provide your Advance Passenger Information and Secure Flight Passenger Data before we can issue your tickets. This information is mandatory for travel to the US.

Step 3: Your tickets will be issued once this information has been received.

I tried to achieve this a number of times but it just would not accept the info - so after booking eventually disappeared I called QF and that's when she informed me no middle name in my profile was the problem - it has me stumped!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

@MEL - this is what appeared on QF site in Your Bookings 5 days after I booked F rdpt on 93 MEL-LAX:



After I made rdpt I followed steps in QF email - but when I tried to input APIS details would not accept it - next I knew booking changed to above - call to QF and my middle name updated manually and booking reinstated - too complicated for a simpleton like me!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

@MEL - this is what appeared on QF site in Your Bookings 5 days after I booked F rdpt on 93 MEL-LAX:

After I made rdpt I followed steps in QF email - but when I tried to input APIS details would not accept it - next I knew booking changed to above - call to QF and my middle name updated manually and booking reinstated - too complicated for a simpleton like me!

bizarre! Maybe it's a snag in the QF system somewhere?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

If there are any QF regulars who have intimate knowledge of MEL-LAZ route can you please clarify if Charles Heidsieck is indeed served in J? And indications of quality of reds in J also if poss? Whilst my booking is T-347 these matters still require substantial planning.

 

[BillytheFIsh]

Folks, Mrs Fish and I have booked 2x J awards BNE-ADL for a Barossa weekend coming up (on a 737). As a NB, rows 1 and 2 are blocked to me in seat selection.

Now row 3 is fine for me when we're not travelling with Toddler Fish, but some other poor plebs (NB too, I assume) have already chosen 3C and 3D, so we're left with 3A and 3F.

While a stranger is much less likely to interrupt my ipad movie which I am more than OK with, my lovely bride would prefer we sit together.

The call centre's solution was to not chose a seat and link the bookings (which are separate) in the expectation (hope) that the airport will seat us together. Is that all I can do, or is there a particular day I should call up and try and sort it out?

I know I am probably one of QF's least lucrative customers, but is it really necessary to block out 2/3 of the cabin to me?

 

[eminere]

I know I am probably one of QF's least lucrative customers, but is it really necessary to block out 2/3 of the cabin to me?

Try not to take it personally, rows 1 and 2 are blocked to non-status passengers. At T-80 jump online as that's when all seats open up.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Folks, Mrs Fish and I have booked 2x J awards BNE-ADL for a Barossa weekend coming up (on a 737). As a NB, rows 1 and 2 are blocked to me in seat selection.

Now row 3 is fine for me when we're not travelling with Toddler Fish, but some other poor plebs (NB too, I assume) have already chosen 3C and 3D, so we're left with 3A and 3F.

While a stranger is much less likely to interrupt my ipad movie which I am more than OK with, my lovely bride would prefer we sit together.

The call centre's solution was to not chose a seat and link the bookings (which are separate) in the expectation (hope) that the airport will seat us together. Is that all I can do, or is there a particular day I should call up and try and sort it out?

I know I am probably one of QF's least lucrative customers, but is it really necessary to block out 2/3 of the cabin to me?

Seat selection opens up closer to departure, and certainly by the time of on-line check-in most unallocated seats are up for grabs - so you might be able to snag two together.

I forget how far in advance seating goes from restricted to open... 80 hours or something? Those more familiar will be able to give the exact time.

(edited: 80 hours confirmed by eminere above)

 

[BillytheFIsh]

Try not to take it personally, rows 1 and 2 are blocked to non-status passengers. At T-80 jump online as that's when all seats open up.

Cheers

I had read T-80 for Y, wasn't sure if it applied for J.

 

[JohnK]

Sorry for the dumber question - if you make a QF rdpt online are the pts instantaneously deducted from your account as per SQ?

Not always. The points will be deducted when the redemption is ticketed. That can take ~2 weeks as happened to me August/September.

 

[bigal98]

Apologise if this is in the wrong thread ( happy for it to be moved ) Could someone help me with some information? I have been trying for the last couple of weeks to book and award flight in J class SYD - HNL in August 2016. I have been using expert flyer to set an alert an checking myself regularly but there seems to be no seats available. What I'm wanting to know is this a particular hard booking to make or am I trying too far out from my travel dates.

Thanks in advance