Upgrading with Points - Qantas Frequent Flyer Program

[david h]

can some one please tell us how we can talk to someone in australia in qantas about upgrading from ecomony class to business class,we have paid for two ecomony seats and want to use our points to upgrade to business class but have been told 30,600 each then to be told because people are buying business class seats your points are now 54,500 plus our 1818,thats a one way flight in november on flight qf53,can someone please explain whats going on.

 

[david h]

with due respect,we have been told that their is limited seats if any on any qantas flights using pay and points,and our latest was 30,600 but when he asked for a upgrade it went from 30,600 each to 54,500 each plus our 1818 dollars spent

 

[ChrisMars]

can some one please tell us how we can talk to someone in australia in qantas about upgrading from ecomony class to business class,we have paid for two ecomony seats and want to use our points to upgrade to business class but have been told 30,600 each then to be told because people are buying business class seats your points are now 54,500 plus our 1818,thats a one way flight in november on flight qf53,can someone please explain whats going on.

So you bought economi, and want to try and upgrade with points?
Have you tried to request an upgrade via the mobile or web app? QF53 being international, you will only find out if your request is succesfull a few days, or a few hours of departure. FF status plaus a role in the success chances.

 

[david h]

it seems to us and what we have been told by qantas staff off shore that qantas doesnt have many seats on any flights using points plus pay,and nearly half of most flights are booked out for gold and platimun members only,we are bronze,its a joke.

Post automatically merged: Jun 17, 2024

So you bought economi, and want to try and upgrade with points?
Have you tried to request an upgrade via the mobile or web app? QF53 being international, you will only find out if your request is succesfull a few days, or a few hours of departure. FF status plaus a role in the success chances.

we got told that,but when he proceeded to book a upgrade from ecomony to business we were told the points went from 30,600,each to 54,500 each

 

[david h]

it seems to us and what we have been told by qantas staff off shore that qantas doesnt have many seats on any flights using points plus pay,and nearly half of most flights are booked out for gold and platimun members only,we are bronze,its a joke.

Post automatically merged: Jun 17, 2024

we got told that,but when he proceeded to book a upgrade from ecomony to business we were told the points went from 30,600,each to 54,500 each

may i add we got told by 2 different qantas staff that the upgrade for qf53 was 30,600 its a joke

 

[david h]

we have had nothing but a run around with qantas,told different stories,had arrogant staff,virtually got told to get stuffed,and take it or leave it,all done offshore,cant talk to anyone in australia,no management staff,its like qantas management and executive staff don't exist,nothing to see here attitude,just don't give a stuff.

 

[elanshin]

it seems to us and what we have been told by qantas staff off shore that qantas doesnt have many seats on any flights using points plus pay,and nearly half of most flights are booked out for gold and platimun members only,we are bronze,its a joke.

I would stop trying to figure out from the call centre about these things, they're average at best and woefully inaccurate with wrong statements at times.

The easiest way to figure it out is log onto your booking and navigate to manage my booking. If you're given the option to upgrade, it will tell you exactly how much it costs. Classic reward upgrades are a flat amount.

Bid and pay are the tier behind that and as the name suggests you put in a bid. Note this is processed after classic rewards.

If you do not see an upgrade option, youe ticket is not eligible for upgrade. I wouldn't waste time with the call centre.

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF @david h.

I agree with elanshin - forget about what the call centre has said - they are often wrong. You’ll get much better and well informed advice here.

 

[muppet]

we have had nothing but a run around with qantas,told different stories,had arrogant staff,virtually got told to get stuffed,and take it or leave it,all done offshore,cant talk to anyone in australia,no management staff,its like qantas management and executive staff don't exist,nothing to see here attitude,just don't give a stuff.

To be honest, if your phone manner is anyway similar to your recent posts, it’s entirely possible the call centre staff didn’t know what you wanted to do.

Business class upgrades are processed in order of status so it is correct Platinum and Gold members are ahead of you. The points required will be based on whether you purchased a “Saver” or “Flex” fare - it’s possible the agents thought you had a flex fare in the first instance but when they processed your upgrade request they realised you had a saver fare. The points will only be deducted on the day your upgrade is awarded, if at all.

After all this, you purchased an economy seat and that’s likely where a Bronze Frequent Flyer will end up.

 

[elanshin]

we are just over qantas and their attitude,and i will be contacting the media,maybe if i shake the tree a little someone will reply.

Also welcome to AFF

You're wasting your time. Whilst I don't think what you described should be how their call centres operate, it is unfortunately nothing new.

It's been one of the pain points of Qantas as of late. Wasting more time isn't going to change anything right now.

I would just suggest you get the answer to what you want (which is to see if you can get an upgrade). You can vote with your wallet and not fly Qantas in the future.

I do have to note however, I don't generally have a good time on any airlines service centres. They're all a bit cough.

 

[muppet]

The easiest way to figure it out is log onto your booking and navigate to manage my booking. If you're given the option to upgrade, it will tell you exactly how much it costs. Classic reward upgrades are a flat amount.

Slight correction, classic reward upgrades vary in price depending on the fare you purchase. Upgrading from a Classic Economy Reward costs more than a Saver fare which costs more than a Flex fare.

 

[andye]

I (I think like most readers) am a bit confused. I'm guessing you are not massively familiar with the Qantas programme.

Unlike some other airlines, Qantas International upgrades are all done close to departure. There are only a few (maybe none) upgrade seats available per plane and priority for the upgrades are by status. Everyone has to put in a request but there is never a guarantee (far from it). Although not impossible, it would be incredibly rare for a Bronze to get an upgrade on a SIN-BNE flight.

The numbers you describe seem odd (and there may well be incorrect information being given by the call centre)
According to the Qantas site, the upgrade points from a Basic Economy ticket are 34,100 to Premium Economy and 54,500 to business. For a Flexible Economy it's 10,900 to Premium and 29,900 to Business. For an Economy Reward seat its 41,400 to Premium and 58,800 to Business.

You stand a slightly higher chance of getting a Business Class seat using points by booking an Reward Business Seat directly. Classic Rewards almost always require fewer points than Classic Plus Rewards. However Classic Rewards are uncommon and get snapped up quickly as soon as they are released.

You mention Points+Pay. This is nothing to do with upgrades or Reward seats. It is a way of off-setting the cost of a revenue flight with Qantas Points. Most people on AFF think that this is a poor value use of points

 

[SYD]

Upgrade options outlined here.

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/manage-booking/upgrade.html

As per earlier comments go to your QFF account online (or app). Select the booking and request an upgrade.

 

[DejaBrew]

Welcome aboard AFF @david h and sorry you're not getting the info you need from the Qantas call centre(s). As others have mentioned, this is sadly a common occurrence, but not one that is unique to Qantas.

@andye has summed it up quite eloquently. Even with status, upgrade requests are a lottery - especially on popular routes.

 

[RichardMEL]

I will add to the welcomes to the forum, @david h

As others have already pointed out I think you're the victim of confusion and possibly misleading information - but that may also be the result of the agent(s) understanding of the nature of your request.

First and foremost, when you say you've booked economy tickets on the QF53 (BNE-SIN), were these Sale fares? Flexible Economy? The type of fare is very important (and I know this can be extra confusing). The cheapest sale fares, for example, are not upgradeable with points at all, so hopefully you have not been caught out by this (when booking, the QF website does show which ones are upgradeable, but you have to look in the details for this information).

Assuming you have an upgradeable fare, then the cost to upgrade to Business Class will be either 54,500 (per passenger) from discounted fares, or 29,900 pp from Flexible Economy fares. This flight is usually flowin with an Airbus A330, so there is no Premium Economy available.

However, for two passengers, the chances are likely slim to get both upgrades without Qantas status.

I feel this is what some of the agents were trying to express to you - that the better chances for upgrade go to the higher status levels such as Gokd, but more likely Platinum level flyers. Reading between the lines, it sounds like perhaps the agents were telling you that the particular flight you're booked on is filling up with people who have booked Business Class already, which reduces the number of seats available for those seeking upgrades.

I understand you may feel this is a "joke" but this is how just about all the loyalty programs work.

Further, the only way to ensure you are upgraded right NOW to Business Class, is to pay the cash difference on top of the fares you have (which I suspect is going to be quite expensive), otherwise you will koin the "lottery" as we call it as upgrade requests are processed in the final days before the flight.

I hope the comments in this thread, and resources provided, have helped you to understand more about the process.

 

[tdimdad]

To add to this, because there are a few ways to move from economy to business cabin, it can be a little bit confusing unless you are familiar with it all.

The only way I've survived the Qantas call centres is being very precise myself in my terminology and/or request. But sometimes it means discovering the realm of options first and knowing what exactly I should ask for. It also helps in understanding whether the agent's response is even within the ballpark.

It's unfortunate that in Australia the customer usually needs to know more than the seller to get the right product / service / deal. Qantas is just one of many companies who push the customers to self-serve and master the trade themselves. It's frustrating but a reality.

 

[RichardMEL]

It's unfortunate that in Australia the customer usually needs to know more than the seller to get the right product / service / deal. Qantas is just one of many companies who push the customers to self-serve and master the trade themselves. It's frustrating but a reality.

Totally OT, but reminded of a senior manager I once worked for who declared to all staff that we needed to be "smarter than our suppliers" which seemed quite a fanciful notion when it came to dealing with serious technology companies. I suppose that mindset reduces reliance on possibly inaccurate or false information...

but bringing it back to QF, the information IS available but it's not, as usual, terribly transparent.

I wonder, for example, if the dropdown fare information provided where the points/SC earn is displayed and the tick or cross regarding if the fare is upgradeable is shown, if there might be a note "Upgrade to Business Class my be available from x points p.p." or "Upgrade to Premium Economy may be available from x points, and to Business from y points" as appropriate? I know the number of points is displayed once booked and the upgrade option is selected, but this way one could have a better idea before booking as to how much might be needed. Or at least have it as a a link to click for more information or something.

Then when comparing fare types it's easier to see.

 

[opusman]

The way the international upgrade system works is certainly not made readily apparent to the average punter. I remember a friend of mine telling me about calling Qantas when she decided to upgrade a SYD-KUL flight for the first time ever. She was expecting the process to be as simple as for domestic upgrades and was visibly shocked when she got told "well sorry it ain't that easy".

 

[david h]

hi and thankyou for replying,the problem that i have is that everytime that we have rang qantas,then been transfered mutiple times,all operators gave us the same answer,that was yesterday,its incompentence at the highest level,the sooner that we can get rid of our points we are finished with qantas,becides the service isn't anything special,and the seats are never clean,trays dirty,and food left in seat bockets,again thankyou .

 

[andye]

The way the international upgrade system works is certainly not made readily apparent to the average punter. I remember a friend of mine telling me about calling Qantas when she decided to upgrade a SYD-KUL flight for the first time ever. She was expecting the process to be as simple as for domestic upgrades and was visibly shocked when she got told "well sorry it ain't that easy".

I agree. I think many (maybe even the majority of) people look at the upgrade charts and fondly imagine that you can automatically upgrade. As many people collect for years before getting a decent stash of points, they are bitterly disappointed when it doesn't work like that