KF Redemption Promotion Ex-MNL

[albatross710]

It seems Christmas has come early for travellers looking to redeem flights from MNL to AU in January.

From what I can see find yourself an available MNL-BNE in either Y or J and redeem the miles plus ~AUD51 in taxes.

Booking just the included SIN-BNE leg does create the usual carrier surcharge.

I was a little skeptical initially but have now received my e-ticket.

I also found the same "no carrier surcharge" promotion available for departures out of Cebu.


Happy days - thank you SQ.

Oh and be quick, I fear this promotion expires as soon as SQ realise they are running it.

Alby

 

[dajop]

Oh and be quick, I fear this promotion expires as soon as SQ realise they are running it.

This is no promotion, this is because of regulations that have been enacted in Philippines that don't allow "carrier" surcharges on tickets. Likewise QF only charge 1482 PHP or ~ AUD 45 in TAXES for MNL-SYD (no surcharges). It reminds us what award seats used to cost before the insidious "carrier" surcharges.

Philippines joined Brazil and NZ in this category (although I have noticed with NZ, surcharges are still levied on connecting flights, just not the NZ-xx_ sector), and to a lesser extent HKG who have regulated carrier surcharges but not to zero levels of the other mentioned jurisdictions.

 

[albatross710]

This is no promotion, this is because of regulations that have been enacted in Philippines that don't allow "carrier" surcharges on tickets. Likewise QF only charge 1482 PHP or ~ AUD 45 in TAXES for MNL-SYD (no surcharges). It reminds us what award seats used to cost before the insidious "carrier" surcharges.

Philippines joined Brazil and NZ in this category (although I have noticed with NZ, surcharges are still levied on connecting flights, just not the NZ-xx_ sector), and to a lesser extent HKG who have regulated carrier surcharges but not to zero levels of the other mentioned jurisdictions.

That is really really good news.

Now I don't have to spend the rest of the day planning out next years itineraries.

Instead I can look at the cost effectiveness of starting longer redemptions out of MNL.

It seems it provides quite a price advantage then to book my travels next year with return redemptions out of MNL as they dont add carrier surcharges on the BNE-MNL leg provided the travel originated in MNL.

Happy days.

 

[JohnK]

I noticed this with Qantas awards. Planning to book a couple next year.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

My last SQ F rdpt MNL-SIN-MEL Jul 18, 2015 taxes USD31.52 - probably what they should be!

 

[albatross710]

My last SQ F rdpt MNL-SIN-MEL Jul 18, 2015 taxes USD31.52 - probably what they should be!

So, do we have a consumer pressure here to ask the airlines why this is so.

Surely if the Pi can enact it, hopefully the west could follow.

 

[casanovawa]

I am doing a redemption on QF points HKG-BKK-DXB-DEL in about a month or so on CX (J) and EK (F) and only had to pay like A$150 where out of just BKK the cash component was like A$500...

So planning to use HKG in future if doing a decent redemption...

 

[Cruiser Elite]

FWIW SQ F/R rdpt MEL-SIN-LAX Sep 20, 2016:



Same date QF F rdpt MEL-LAX 144K pts + AUD482.

 

[dajop]

I am doing a redemption on QF points HKG-BKK-DXB-DEL in about a month or so on CX (J) and EK (F) and only had to pay like A$150 where out of just BKK the cash component was like A$500...

So planning to use HKG in future if doing a decent redemption...

A good thing about HKG is that you don't have to originate there - regulated surcharges apply both to inbound and outbound sectors. Google HKG fuel surcharge and it's easy to find current rates which from memory are about 108 HKD long haul and 30 or so HKD short haul.

In contrast, for Philippines it is only for tickets issued or originating there that have no fuel fines. Inbound sectors still have the usual fuel fines .

 

[albatross710]

A good thing about HKG is that you don't have to originate there - regulated surcharges apply both to inbound and outbound sectors. Google HKG fuel surcharge and it's easy to find current rates which from memory are about 108 HKD long haul and 30 or so HKD short haul.
.

When I try an SQ redemption HKG-BNE I'm still seeing HKD862 of carrier surcharges ex-HKG.



I think we really need to understand how this can work because it will significantly improve redemption costs for the better.

Alby.

 

[dajop]

When I try an SQ redemption HKG-BNE I'm still seeing HKD862 of carrier surcharges ex-HKG.

I think we really need to understand how this can work because it will significantly improve redemption costs for the better.

Yes that is correct. The HKG regulation of fuel fines only applies to sectors operating to/from HKG, irrespective of where the ticket is issued. The Philippines regulation applies to tickets issued in Philippines (more or less tickets originating in Philippines), irrespective of the sectors on the ticket.

So in your example - you are paying minimal fuel surcharge HKG-SIN plus full surcharge SIN-BNE. So where you have long hauls into/out of HKG that is one way of reducing surcharge (SYD-HKG-LHR has the reduced surcharge on both sectors) , but it won't work if you originate there with a short haul via somewhere else like SIN, NRT or BKK. By contrast originating in Philippines gives you no fuel surcharge, but flying from SYD to MNL and back, or say SYD-MNL-NRT gives you full surcharge on both sectors!

So in summary Hong Kong authorities regulate the flights that touch their jurisdiction, Philippines the ticket that originates in their jurisdiction.

 

[albatross710]

Yes that is correct. The HKG regulation of fuel fines only applies to sectors operating to/from HKG, irrespective of where the ticket is issued. The Philippines regulation applies to tickets issued in Philippines (more or less tickets originating in Philippines), irrespective of the sectors on the ticket.

So in your example - you are paying minimal fuel surcharge HKG-SIN plus full surcharge SIN-BNE. So where you have long hauls into/out of HKG that is one way of reducing surcharge (SYD-HKG-LHR has the reduced surcharge on both sectors) , but it won't work if you originate there with a short haul via somewhere else like SIN, NRT or BKK. By contrast originating in Philippines gives you no fuel surcharge, but flying from SYD to MNL and back, or say SYD-MNL-NRT gives you full surcharge on both sectors!

So in summary Hong Kong authorities regulate the flights that touch their jurisdiction, Philippines the ticket that originates in their jurisdiction.

OK, that makes sense. I'm thinking the opportunity for me then is to co-ordinate my European travel ex-MNL, so MNL-SIN-LHR would work provided I'm already repositioned into MNL at work's expense.

I know I'm just one lonely voice but I have some spare time at the moment so will bring this to the attention of the ACCC and my federal member to ask them why Philippines can legislate to remove these charges. I know I am up against airline lobby groups and not much will get done...maybe I'll ask for retrospectivity.

 

[JohnK]

I am doing a redemption on QF points HKG-BKK-DXB-DEL in about a month or so on CX (J) and EK (F) and only had to pay like A$150 where out of just BKK the cash component was like A$500...

So planning to use HKG in future if doing a decent redemption...

Last night I booked 2 QF one-way redemptions for 30,000 QFF points each. One was MNL-SYD-BNE where taxes were ~AUD60 and the other HKG-SYD where taxes are ~AUD90.

Both of these redemptions will earn SCs and I could have simply gone BKK-SYD-BNE and BKK-SYD for both. The taxes ex-BKK were an astounding ~AUD240 for each redemption. That is a joke. Time is not the issue for me. I will use the difference I have saved and book some revenue flights for status purposes.