Transpacific award availability October 2012

[grussellt]

I'm trying to find Y award availability from LAX to SYD (or even via MEL/BNE) or even DFW/SYD on or about October 11 next year. It is only 4 days after the end of school holidays but there seems to be nothing much available until October 21 (except via HKG on CX). Is QF being slow to add inventory post school holidays or am I missing flights that are available to those with more status (now that I have none). In the past booking this far ahead has usually been fairly easy. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[serfty]

There may have been some availability when the flights became available on October 23rd; however that was 3 weeks ago.

Today Nov 1 seats became available.

 

[grussellt]

I have been watching for the seats like a hawk. There have been no seats between about September 23rd and October 20th except for an occasional route via QF26 (few seats/wrong dates) and FJ via NAN. My daughter is looking for seats on September 29th and it seems restricted to awards via HKG and NRT. Here's hoping!

 

[serfty]

Any seats that are available show up on line at midnight UTC (10am Brisbane time) 353 days out.

There are reports that award seating can be accessed before then (at the cost of the 'assisted award booking fee') by calling earlier in the morning.

 

[grussellt]

Thanks, Serfty. Sure enough Nov. 2 became available today at 11 am (Sydney time). Either there has been an extended blackout period from school holidays until October 20 or other people pulled the trigger faster than I did. I'll make some enquiries and see what I can discover.

 

[grussellt]

I had to book the transpacific flight as part of an itinerary to bring me back from Paris (and via Miami, which was my happy hunting ground when I was an 18yo) . Availability was still limited so I finished up with a rather interesting trip: CDG-JFK-MIA (23hr rest)-LAX (AA);LAX-NAN-BNE (FJ); BNE-SYD (QF). I hope to change the legs from LAX at a later stage but other wise I will get my first experience of FJ. At least this routing can be done for 64000 pts (Y on FJ?) and only 104 Euros in taxes, etc. I could have booked more easily on the conventional route via Asia but the cost these days is more variable (all starting CDG): LHR/SIN 74000pts +E296, HEL/HKG 80000pts + E295. If I had made my oen way to LHR I could still have travelled back on QF via SIN for 64000pts but the taxes are almost 300 pounds!
It will be an interesting trip home but I will enjoy the outward legs in J using JL/BA via NRT (booked via AA using purchased miles).
All in all it's still a good trip for a RTW (half business) for under $A2000 - and that includes subsidising BA to give me reasonable seats.