Help with short notice fare MEL-LAX

[alect]

mrs alect has to fly to LAX leaving Fri Oct 9 and coming back out of LAX on Oct 13 (evening). The cheapest fare I can see is VA US$1323.

Can anyone help find something comparable preferably on QF?

 

[serfty]

Tough gig at such sort notice. It does not help that it's still spring School Vacation season ...

The cheapest QF online I can see is on the OMG 6am QF25 via AKL, returning via BNE for $1878.

 

[alect]

Tough gig at such sort notice. It does not help that it's still spring School Vacation season ...

The cheapest QF online I can see is on the OMG 6am QF25 via AKL, returning via BNE for $1878.

Yep I found outbound via AKL and inbound via BNE for $1750.

So I guess there aren't any "secret" sources of fares I haven't consulted.....

 

[notzac]

The cheapest published fare that I can find (not including any sale/discounted fares that QF/whoever might have on their website) is AUD 1515 on VA.

Melbourne (MEL) to Los Angeles (LAX) - Fri, Oct 9

Melbourne (MEL) to Brisbane (BNE) - Fri, Oct 9
V Australia 309 	Dep: 7:00am 	Arr: 8:10am 	2h 10m 	Boeing 737 	
     Operated by Virgin Blue (DJ309)
     Layover in BNE 		2h 50m 	 
Brisbane (BNE) to Los Angeles (LAX) - Fri, Oct 9
V Australia 7 	Dep: 11:00am 	Arr: 7:00am 	13h 0m 	Boeing 777

Los Angeles (LAX) to Melbourne (MEL) - Tue, Oct 13

Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney (SYD) - Tue, Oct 13
V Australia 2 	Dep: 11:45pm 	Arr: 8:10am 	14h 25m 	Boeing 777 	
     Layover in SYD 	Thu, Oct 15 	2h 5m 	 
Sydney (SYD) to Melbourne (MEL) - Thu, Oct 15
V Australia 830 	Dep: 10:15am 	Arr: 11:45am 	1h 30m 	Boeing 737 	
     Operated by Virgin Blue (DJ830)

 

[MelUser]

What about an Economy (S) fare on Qantas with a points requested upgrade to business - 144 000 points if both upgrades come through.

 

[alect]

What about an Economy (S) fare on Qantas with a points requested upgrade to business - 144 000 points if both upgrades come through.

She's happy to travel in Y - someone else is paying for the airfare, and she's going alone and leaving me with the kids - just the peace and quiet itself will be "premium" enough

Anyway she doesn't have that many QF points - I do but saving for a full J award.

 

[winfred]

Yes travelling to LAX without the kids would be premium enough. Good luck to you though.

Have you tried booking a flight to LAX from AKL or Nadi and get a separate flight there? I tried it with J class and it was cheaper.

 

[chrizzz14]

...The cheapest QF online I can see is on the OMG 6am QF25 via AKL, returning via BNE for $1878.

OMG is so not the right phrase!
In the 42 sectors ive flown this year, my two trips on qf25 were the worst. i couldnt think or a worse way to fly to LAX

 

[serfty]

Dunno about that, the OMG was referring the the 6am ex MEL departure; it would require me to leave home 4am at the latest.

I had a great QF25 flight in June - flew QF133 to AKL the night before, had a good rest, before catching it that afternoon.

My Y exit row seat pre-allocation morphed into a row 23 skybed allocation on check-in

 

[Sprucegoose]

What about an Economy (S) fare on Qantas with a points requested upgrade to business - 144 000 points if both upgrades come through.

Mel, is S class the minimum grade fare that will allow upgrades from Discount Y to J/D? In other words the cheapest fare that will allow an upgrade to J/D?

Cheers

Spruce

 

[Sprucegoose]

OMG is so not the right phrase!
In the 42 sectors ive flown this year, my two trips on qf25 were the worst. i couldnt think or a worse way to fly to LAX

Was that because of the departure time or specific issues relating to the flight?
how did you travel?

cheers SPRUCE

 

[alect]

Since we couldn't find a comparable fare mrs alect ended flying with VA. Once she got to LAX we chatted and she loved the flight and the crew She thinks "we;ve found our new airline"....and she may be right if it's discount Y travel - especially once they have direct flights out of MEL.

So not a good way for QF to lose customer(s) - I know it's only disc Y customers but customers nonetheless.

 

[Sprucegoose]

mel, is s class the minimum grade fare that will allow upgrades from discount y to j/d? In other words the cheapest fare that will allow an upgrade to j/d?

Cheers:?:

Spruce

maybe sefty can help with that one - 's' class being the minimum upgradable y fare to j on qf

 

[serfty]

S and V are generally of the cheaper fare classes with QF.

In some cases S may be the cheapest fare class. This varies by route, fare etc.

Basically one needs to look for the cheapest fare that does not book into N, O, Q, E or an award class.