Time limits on award bookings. Why so strict?

[dajop]

Perplexed, why do QF now have 3 day time limits on classic award bookings for travel from some ports (ie SIN), yet not others??? I can today (26 May) book classic award flights out of Australia, LAX & LHR for travel tomorrow. But for travel ex-SIN the classic award booking engine won't bring up dates earlier than Sat 29 May. Can of course book travel for tomorrow morning using points plus pay, through the normal booking engine of the website, so what is the issue with classic awards?

SQ and EK will let me book flights for travel as soon as 4 hours away.

Just frustrated that's all, the seat is there, but you can't book.

 

[v8Statesman]

Perplexed, why do QF now have 3 day time limits on classic award bookings for travel from some ports (ie SIN), yet not others??? I can today (26 May) book classic award flights out of Australia, LAX & LHR for travel tomorrow. But for travel ex-SIN the classic award booking engine won't bring up dates earlier than Sat 29 May. Can of course book travel for tomorrow morning using points plus pay, through the normal booking engine of the website, so what is the issue with classic awards?

SQ and EK will let me book flights for travel as soon as 4 hours away.

Just frustrated that's all, the seat is there, but you can't book.

My guess it is a legacy that is left over from the requirements of paper tickets. (Same ex-NRT) QF IT has not "fixed" it yet.

As I said....just a guess.

 

[dajop]

My guess it is a legacy that is left over from the requirements of paper tickets. (Same ex-NRT) QF IT has not "fixed" it yet.

As I said....just a guess.

Your theory sounds plausible, but I am 90% sure that not too long ago, you could get award tickets closer to travel than this.

 

[markis10]

Your theory sounds plausible, but I am 90% sure that not too long ago, you could get award tickets closer to travel than this.

Is there availability in the classic award bucket or is your example not tkaing into account extra demand owing to the BA strike?

 

[dajop]

Is there availability in the classic award bucket or is your example not tkaing into account extra demand owing to the BA strike?

Yes can book as a return ex-Australia, just not a oneway ex-SIN. Probably can book via phone I am guessing, but is OK can book SQ award, or cheap EK commercial fare if I want to anyway up to four hrs pre departure (availability on these looking good), so those two airlines give me the flexibility I need.

 

[markis10]

Sounds like a QF IT problem, just like J fares are not bookable ex NAN!

 

[Mal]

Tickets ex-SIN/HKG etc are queued to the local ticketing offices to be ticketed.

They aren't as fast as Qantas Australia, and only work local hours. Perhaps that's part of the reasoning.

There are also similar restrictions on some revenue tickets from certain ports.

 

[dajop]

Tickets ex-SIN/HKG etc are queued to the local ticketing offices to be ticketed.

They aren't as fast as Qantas Australia, and only work local hours. Perhaps that's part of the reasoning.

There are also similar restrictions on some revenue tickets from certain ports.

Must be some IT reason, racked my brains with all those reasons, as no such restrictions on revenue tickets (they seem to restricted to purchasing on day before) . I can do anyseat awards via points plus pay in much tighter timeframes (so if I do 30,000 pts + $300 on anyseat can be ticketed, if I do 30,000 pts + $150 as classic it can't).

 

[Mal]

Must be some IT reason, racked my brains with all those reasons, as no such restrictions on revenue tickets (they seem to restricted to purchasing on day before) . I can do anyseat awards via points plus pay in much tighter timeframes (so if I do 30,000 pts + $300 on anyseat can be ticketed, if I do 30,000 pts + $150 as classic it can't).

Yeah, think you're right. I did think ex-SIN had a 2 day window for rev tickets, but it is only 1 day.

I think ex-HKG and ex-BKK have slightly longer times.

As indicated earlier, it could be a remnant of the paper ticket era.

 

[serfty]

...
As indicated earlier, it could be a remnant of the paper ticket era.

... or the "show your CC" era ...

 

[dajop]

As it turned out I booked a revenue EK fare about 6 hours before taking the flight (SGD 750 retn SIN-MEL can't complain about that at short notice particularly as I did not see an empty seat on the plane), booked online. As is standard practice for same day travel, I got a call from Citibank within minutes of paying for the transaction on my Citibank Visa to verify that I had actually booked the tickets myself.

Now .... could have done upgrade on EK at same time as well, could have redeemed on SQ, could have bought revenue fares on SQ, BA & JQ as well (was half tempted by BA to lock in 80 status credits, but an extra $230 and more importantly the via SYD in both directions dissuaded me), but could not purchase revenue ticket on QF. Isn't it time QF moved into 2010?

 

[ronza]

... or the "show your CC" era ...

Had to scan and fax off my credit card w/ passport to the Qantas Mumbai ticketing office recently for an award ticket booked for BOM-LHR on BA :!:

 

[Mal]

... or the "show your CC" era ...

Thought of another - could be caused by (legacy?) Government rules ex-certain destinations.