Why is it that...

[Febs]

...for some QFF international award flights where you're forced to route via an Australian domestic stop (eg: SYD-BNE-LAX, when you really just want SYD-LAX), you get charged the regular SYD-LAX rate (eg: 48,000), yet for other flights (eg: HNL-MEL-SYD, when you really just want HNL-SYD), you get charged the HNL-MEL and MEL-SYD rates, which ends up being more than HNL-SYD direct.

Three days ago there was a perfect HNL-SYD award flight on the date I wanted (on QF no less). Now there are only HNL-MEL-SYD, and they're all on JQ.

I think I'll give the QFF desk a call and see if there's any chance of getting back on that QF flight.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Febs]

I think I'll give the QFF desk a call and see if there's any chance of getting back on that QF flight.

No luck...only for plat (I'm gold).

Hmm..ok, tackling this a slightly different way, but I wonder if I could transfer the points to a Platinum friend, and ask them to book it for me. :?:

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[futaris]

Has to do with the stopover/transit rules... If a domestic leg is overnight, then it's a stopover. If an international leg is within 24 hours then it's a transit.

 

[Febs]

Hmm...but both "stops" are under 4 hours... :?:

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

It is the way the zones are set up. BNE isnt too much of a detour for SYD-LAX and adds only small distance thus still within the same QFF award zone. Whereas MEL is a significant detour for SYD-HNL and thus move into the next QFF award zone.

Any distance based FFP awards can have this effect. Pure zone-based awards (eg Kris Flyer) or MPM based awards (eg Mileage Plus) don't have this effect, but some routings may not be allowed.

 

[serfty]

Exactly as Kiwi Flyer posted.

HNL-SYD is 5066 miles which is within award zone 6 (4,801-5,800 - 36,000 pts) and HNL-MEL is 5504 miles, still in zone 6. MEL-SYD is 439 miles which, when added to the MEL-HNL distance gives a total of 5943 miles which is in zone 7 (5,801-7,000 - 42,000 pts).

FWIW, you could go HNL-MEL-ADL-SYD which is still the zone 7 42,000 pts as that's about 6629 miles. (Of course the +++'s will increase with the additional segment)

 

[Febs]

Thanks serfty and Kiwi Flyer - that makes perfect sense.

I ended up booking a direct HNL-SYD flight one day later (decided to spend an extra night there anyway).

Cheers,
- Febs.