Qantas Award Charges Outrageous

[Limewood]

Can always try BA if you like fees.

 

[knasty]

Can always try BA if you like fees.

I call your BA fees and raise you VFF's new fee on EY redemptions.

 

[dajop]

Can always try BA if you like fees.

Now that depends .... Using BA Avios to book BA flights >2000 miles is shocking, much better for short haul. However Using BA Avios to book QF flights it is excellent .... no fuel surcharge on using Avios for QF awards at the moment. Taxes SYD-LHR on QF ~ $80, no fuel surcharges when using Avios.

(FWIW On same route QF points on QF = 60K + $250, BA Avios on BA = 32.5K + $425 ... surcharges high, but Avios a lot less...)

 

[Limewood]

Now that depends .... Using BA Avios to book BA flights >2000 miles is shocking, much better for short haul. However Using BA Avios to book QF flights it is excellent .... no fuel surcharge on using Avios for QF awards at the moment. Taxes SYD-LHR on QF ~ $80, no fuel surcharges when using Avios.

(FWIW On same route QF points on QF = 60K + $250, BA Avios on BA = 32.5K + $425 ... surcharges high, but Avios a lot less...)

Looks good but the majority of us don't have BA Avios points.

My favourite use of QFF points is depart on OW carrier for USA or Europe out of HKG end of story.

 

[JohnK]

I found an interesting scenario that I thought had been fixed recently with reduction in fuel surcharges.

Trying to book award BKK-(3K)-SIN-(EK)-BNE//SYD-(QF)-BNE-(EK)-SIN-(EK)-BKK and the taxes price out to ~AUD617. :shock:

The reverse itinerary is ~AUD350.

One-way from BKK is ~AUD250.

One-way from SYD is ~AUD160.

The reduction in fuel surcharges was ex Australia only? I am stunned with fuel surcharge of ~AUD617.

 

[JohnK]

And just to amuse myself I have tried out my routing above (without SYD-BNE sector) and it prices to ~AUD670 and earns ~11,500 QFF points.

Oh dear. Something seriously wrong with fuel surcharges on award tickets.

 

[Limewood]

Well Qantas must not be making enough, going on this report

and... please don't take excess baggage cause you'll pay only 75% more domestic!

 

[dajop]

I found an interesting scenario that I thought had been fixed recently with reduction in fuel surcharges.

Trying to book award BKK-(3K)-SIN-(EK)-BNE//SYD-(QF)-BNE-(EK)-SIN-(EK)-BKK and the taxes price out to ~AUD617. :shock:

The reverse itinerary is ~AUD350.

One-way from BKK is ~AUD250.

One-way from SYD is ~AUD160.

The reduction in fuel surcharges was ex Australia only? I am stunned with fuel surcharge of ~AUD617.

Yes I never book QF awards ex SIN. They still charge the "old" fuel surcharge which are more than double the surcharges when issuing a ticket from Australia. Years ago they were able to issue award tickets from AU for travel originating in other points which came with AUD level surcharges (if paying the phone service fee) not sure if that is still the case.

Basically this sort of cough just makes me want to avoid booking tickets - commercial or award - with the company. It's different to the usual different market = different fare stuff, it's different market = different surcharge. I resent the fact that SIN-MEL-SIN fuel surcharge is more than double MEL-SIN-MEL.

Oh I have booked BA awards on QF though for SIN-MEL ... they charge no fuel surcharge for economy awards on QF metal..

 

[JohnK]

Basically this sort of cough just makes me want to avoid booking tickets - commercial or award - with the company. It's different to the usual different market = different fare stuff, it's different market = different surcharge. I resent the fact that SIN-MEL-SIN fuel surcharge is more than double MEL-SIN-MEL.

Drives me nuts. I was going to use 60,000 QFF points but the ~AUD617 fuel surcharge killed that idea. Now I can purchase the airfare for ~AUD670 and earn ~12500 QFF points.

What happens to my points? Oneworld award or when they have 30% discount. Otherwise points are useless.

 

[dajop]

What happens to my points? Oneworld award or when they have 30% discount. Otherwise points are useless.

I pick and choose. Since they dropped the fuel surcharge ex-AU/reduced points from 30K to 28K and since EK upgraded their MEL-SIN flights to A380, I've been using them just for MEL-SIN one way awards . The schedules for this route on JQ, Scoot don't work for so can't use LCC and QF schedule and A330 doesn't work for me either. Otherwise difficult, especially as I have a few BA points that offer better value on most point-point awards (QF better for connecting flights).

 

[Limewood]

Just more for the mantle quote:

"Qantas Domestic, Jetstar Domestic and Qantas Loyalty all continue to perform well with high operating margins in a stable market."

HERE

 

[JohnK]

Another interesting anomaly in one-way fuel surcharges.

BKK-SIN-BNE ~THB6,800 or ~AUD260
SIN-BNE ~SGD290 or ~AUD275
KUL-SIN-BNE ~SGD150 or ~AUD140

Guess which one I chose? Picked up a cheap business class return BKK-KUL.

 

[zdongdongz]

Yes I never book QF awards ex SIN. They still charge the "old" fuel surcharge which are more than double the surcharges when issuing a ticket from Australia. Years ago they were able to issue award tickets from AU for travel originating in other points which came with AUD level surcharges (if paying the phone service fee) not sure if that is still the case.

Basically this sort of cough just makes me want to avoid booking tickets - commercial or award - with the company. It's different to the usual different market = different fare stuff, it's different market = different surcharge. I resent the fact that SIN-MEL-SIN fuel surcharge is more than double MEL-SIN-MEL.

Oh I have booked BA awards on QF though for SIN-MEL ... they charge no fuel surcharge for economy awards on QF metal..

I had just made a booking on QF SIN-SYD using Enrich 48000 points plus tax/fess of ~AUD70. OW partner redemption different fuel surcharge?

 

[Dr Ralph]

OW partner redemption different fuel surcharge?

This is correct.

 

[amaroo]

Just made a couple of bookings using QFFP for a few flights next year...

2 x BNE (J) - HKG (F) - LHR
2 x BNE (W) - HKG (J) - LHR ... couldn't get 4 x J seats on the BNE-HKG sector

Total fee for the four of us = A$739.80 ... if I went (J) MEL-LHR the fee would have been A$2,482

Happy Days!

edit: just got an email from amex for $150cr - even better!

 

[amaroo]

Just made a couple of bookings using QFFP for a few flights next year...

2 x BNE (J) - HKG (F) - LHR
2 x BNE (W) - HKG (J) - LHR ... couldn't get 4 x J seats on the BNE-HKG sector

Total fee for the four of us = A$739.80 ... if I went (J) MEL-LHR the fee would have been A$2,482

Happy Days!

edit: just got an email from amex for $150cr - even better!

After sleeping on it, I decided I'd have a go at getting some seats released on a different route - Boom!

Just booked BNE-SYD-DFW 2 x J and 2 x J/F ... the fees totalled $1,998.68

Even with the 24,000 QFFP (recently increased) cancellation fee - I'm still smiling :mrgreen:

 

[Limewood]

the fees totalled $1,998.68

Cost still outrageous...

 

[amaroo]

Cost still outrageous...

Depends on your POV ... I'm still smiling

 

[JohnK]

Depends on your POV ... I'm still smiling

You would be smiling if you were earning points faster than you could spend the points.

Those of us that save long and hard are the ones suffering. There shouldn't be any fees on award travel.

 

[BacchusMarsh]

There shouldn't be any fees on award travel.

I don't really see why someone should necessarily be able to fly to London in first class for basically the cost of opening two credit cards.