Is there a way to guarantee [Y] fare bucket on QF website booking?

[ts911993]

HI,

just wondering if there is a way to guarantee a whY fare bucket on a SYD-AKL QF flight when booking fully flexible economy fare on the QF website? Just looking for a way to maximize status credits, as every bucket other than Y is considered discount economy for SC earning according to the QF website.

thanks

terry

 

[Formal Hall]

Re: Is there a way to guarantee fare bucket on QF website booking?

No guarantee but you could run a search for identical flights on ITA Matrix which lists fare buckets.

 

[drewbles]

Re: Is there a way to guarantee fare bucket on QF website booking?

Have you looked at the price difference between Y and J? It may not necessarily be huge, and would double your SC's and give you a cabin bonus too

Of course, you could just fly LAN from SYD to AKL for around $600 or so, which is going to be easier (and probably cheaper).

Picking a random date in MAR (21st in this case) QF is showing as $558 for a fully flex. LAN has a fare $646AUD departing SYD as 0920.

For the extra, you'd be silly not to go for that IMHO

 

[drewbles]

Re: Is there a way to guarantee fare bucket on QF website booking?

No guarantee but you could run a search for identical flights on ITA Matrix which lists fare buckets.

ITA will show available fares. There is no guarantee that booking on qantas.com as a 'flexible' will book into Y, as Y/B/H are all 'full flex' fares, but only Y counts for full SC's.

 

[ts911993]

Re: Is there a way to guarantee fare bucket on QF website booking?

I'll definitely keep the LAN option up my sleeve for next time, unfortunately this time I have to fly to Canberra in the morning, and was planning on catching the afternoon flight out of Sydney or Melbourne.

I didn't even realise there was a nice cheap J LAN option, the cheapest fare showing on the QF website in J was $1000. Last month when I flew there was $600 fare on QF.

Will a travel agent be able to book me in Y?

 

[medhead]

Re: Is there a way to guarantee fare bucket on QF website booking?

Using a TA can guarantee a Y fare.

You can also see the fare types on the review flights page by using the view source option in your browser. I can't describe the full method as I'm on the phone and can't double check the details. But scroll down a page or 2 in the source and you'll see something like "faretypes" with the codes listed next to it separate by a , or - for each sector.

 

[MarcB]

Re: Is there a way to guarantee fare bucket on QF website booking?

I'll definitely keep the LAN option up my sleeve for next time, unfortunately this time I have to fly to Canberra in the morning, and was planning on catching the afternoon flight out of Sydney or Melbourne.

I didn't even realise there was a nice cheap J LAN option, the cheapest fare showing on the QF website in J was $1000. Last month when I flew there was $600 fare on QF.

Will a travel agent be able to book me in Y?

The cheap J class fares to AKL come up pretty regularly on QF. I think there's been 3 sales so far this year. So if you can book Y as fully flexible (including allowing refunds), you could always cancel and rebook into the J sale fare if one comes along.

 

[serfty]

There is a way to check the fare bucket for each segment when booking online - see this thread:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....rogram/qf-booking-class-22124.html#post307759

You can be pretty confident those will be the buckets booked into.

Of course this will only show the Y fare bucket is almost impossible to book on line.

 

[ts911993]

Thanks again for all the info. This site is really helping my status credit total!

is there any way to earn SC's on internal NZ flights? Is it JQ?

 

[drewbles]

Thanks again for all the info. This site is really helping my status credit total!

is there any way to earn SC's on internal NZ flights? Is it JQ?

Yes JQ only, and you'll need to buy the pack to earn SC's on it as well (not included in the fare).

 

[cmon0005]

As others have suggested on here LAN is a good way to go, Good widebody, with Flat beds in J.
Check out my trip report from last year if you need more convincing! http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-and-trip-photos/mel-syd-akl-lan-j-43693.html

 

[MarcB]

QF have another business class sale on to AKL.

Fare basis is IAUNZIA

VALID FOR TRAVEL COMMENCING ON EACH TRIP ON/AFTER 08APR 13 AND ON/BEFORE 30NOV 13.
TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON/BEFORE 12MAR 13.

Return from BNE is pricing around $1300 and SYD around the same. Random dates in May checked.