Emirates to axe chauffeur drive on award tickets

[Pushka]

Well I have an EK F award flight booked for 3 March. Just booked the chauffeur drive at both ends without issue.

It was good while it lasted.

I was able to book chauffeur for trip starting on Christmas Day. Hope it sticks.

 

[JohnM]

I have an award flight in late March PER-DXB-SCL with CD booked at each place. So far thy haven't been cancelled.

 

[rock86]

I was able to book chauffeur for trip starting on Christmas Day. Hope it sticks.

The T&C's state "new booking from 1 March" - so as long as the CD is booked confirmed by 1 March it'll be fine.

I've seen a few comments on FlyerTalk as well stating that EK have confirmed this on Twitter to people who have asked (I'm not on Twitter so can't confirm).

 

[JohnM]

I'm glad I booked early .

 

[Pushka]

I'm glad I booked early .

I had to. Wanted a J award flight on Christmas Day.

 

[jase05]

I had to. Wanted a J award flight on Christmas Day.

From ADL?

 

[Pushka]

From ADL?

Yes. 10.30pm. Was hoping for Qatar but that never happened. Seats are available through Melbourne to DXB but that means an earlier departure time from ADL.

 

[jase05]

Yes. 10.30pm. Was hoping for Qatar but that never happened. Seats are available through Melbourne to DXB but that means an earlier departure time from ADL.

I’m looking about the same period and can see availability but not keen to leave from here with the lounge setup being a PITA. I would prefer the A380 if possible but it looks like like we have the better 777 here over that period. I’m always worried they will revert back to the other 777’s which I vowed not to fly in again long haul

 

[Pushka]

I’m looking about the same period and can see availability but not keen to leave from here with the lounge setup being a PITA. I would prefer the A380 if possible but it looks like like we have the better 777 here over that period. I’m always worried they will revert back to the other 777’s which I vowed not to fly in again long haul

Oh I agree totally. As there is no first on the current seat map for booking seats I’m hopeful. But if the old version it will have F so maybe an upgrade?. Someone will have to sit there! The upgraded 777 looks good! But given it’s a year away they may have remodelled them all by then anyway. And Adelaide is usually super booked which is how we’ve scored upgrades twice on our route.

The lounge situation is quite pathetic. Not even champagne. However EK could create a small area just for J and status passengers with quality food and champagne if they wanted to then have someone take us through immigration when needed. Most of the Qantas and Qatar flights would have left by then.

 

[jase05]

Yep agree regarding the lounge. I think we might go via MEL again and hopefully get the 2 CD’s still. My wife is really keen to try QR though and there looks like plenty of availability ex CGK and KUL so a repositioning flight may be an option

 

[Pushka]

I’m looking about the same period and can see availability but not keen to leave from here with the lounge setup being a PITA. I would prefer the A380 if possible but it looks like like we have the better 777 here over that period. I’m always worried they will revert back to the other 777’s which I vowed not to fly in again long haul

I did toy with the route via Melbourne for the lounge and the 380 but just didn’t want to leave on Christmas Day at around 4pm. If it pans out we will have a very new family member (but who also may be in the UK for Christmas) and didn’t want to dash off too early. But it was very tempting for exactly the reasons you’ve described.

QR NEVER showed up and I have been tracking for weeks prior. Yet last year Awards were plentiful. I think our CE has royally peed them off.

I had a Maybach transfer one time - only problem was at the time I didn’t know how privileged I was. I told the Chauffeur that this was a nice car and he then went into some detail about his pride and joy. But it was Tom Vexville here and then later my son who told me the price of it!

 

[jase05]

I did toy with the route via Melbourne for the lounge and the 380 but just didn’t want to leave on Christmas Day at around 4pm. If it pans out we will have a very new family member (but who also may be in the UK for Christmas) and didn’t want to dash off too early. But it was very tempting for exactly the reasons you’ve described.

I have to work to lunch on Christmas Eve but was hoping to get out that night as I’d love to arrive in Europe on Christmas Day.
Still quite a few options to check out but I know we will have to book ASAP

 

[Pushka]

I have to work to lunch on Christmas Eve but was hoping to get out that night as I’d love to arrive in Europe on Christmas Day.
Still quite a few options to check out but I know we will have to book ASAP

I’d do it ASAP.

 

[jase05]

QR NEVER showed up and I have been tracking for weeks prior. Yet last year Awards were plentiful. I think our CE has royally peed them off.

Funnily enough I was just checking out my AA account and there looks plenty of QR availability on Christmas Day for ADL in J and MEL in J and F. I’ve only got 57,000 miles in my account though

 

[Pushka]

Funnily enough I was just checking out my AA account and there looks plenty of QR availability on Christmas Day for ADL in J and MEL in J and F. I’ve only got 57,000 miles in my account though

Well clearly Qatar are not releasing to Qantas then! Damn annoying that! You can buy points?

 

[jase05]

Well clearly Qatar are not releasing to Qantas then! Damn annoying that! You can buy points?

Yes I can buy them. F from MEL seems the best value as QR is approx $8k one way MEL-DOH-FRA but is only 115k AA miles plus $100 taxes. Can purchase AA miles currently at 200k for $6200 so with the existing 57k miles would allow me to fly a return trip in F all the way for about $6k rather than the $16k QR want

 

[JohnM]

This thread seems to have segued in the last few hours from the EK CD discussion to award flight bookings....

 

[jase05]

This thread seems to have segued in the last few hours from the EK CD discussion to award flight bookings....

Yeah sorry, got a little sidetracked. Back on topic now

 

[Pushka]

This thread seems to have segued in the last few hours from the EK CD discussion to award flight bookings....

Well in my case, they are very much related as I don't tend to pay $ for Business class.

OK, back to business..

I have a slight issue, in that the booking I made the other day will not be the same pick up address as I've entered as we are moving by then. My thoughts are not to do anything until I get the confirmation call (which I've always had in Adelaide) and then advised them then because I think to change address you actually need to cancel and rebook? Thoughts?

 

[JohnM]

The thread was always about CD related to EK award bookings.

I think that I would avoid poking the sleeping bear and advise change of address at time of the confirmation call. Assuming that the new distance doesn't reach outside the limits?