6 mnths booking window on Jetstar - surely not?

[ColinD]

I just tried to use some soon-expiring Skywards points to book a reward flight SYD-DPS, for June next year.

This isn't available via the booking engine - it only allows me to fly Sydney-Denpasar via Bangkok, for 0.5 million points (thanks for the offer ...!).

When I called to try and make an assisted booking, I was advised that Jetstar reward bookings are only possible within 6 months of the travel date. What??? Is this true?

If it is true, the Jetstar partnership might as well not exist, because any moderately attractive route will be booked out about 5 mnths before the Emirates access kicks in.

I've learned to lower my expectations in terms of reward travel with Emirates, but this would be a new low

 

[clifford]

When I called to try and make an assisted booking, I was advised that Jetstar reward bookings are only possible within 6 months of the travel date. What??? Is this true? (

I personally don't know about a 6 months limitation on Jetstar bookings, and I really don't care, as I would never use EK points to book Jetstar. However, I did recently use 100,000 EK points to book MEL-SYD-CGK return in business class on QF for next April, and then it's a short hop on a LCC to DPS. Quite a reasonable use of EK points, I thought.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

JQ flights to DPS are cheap, why waste valuable points on that?

 

[Pushka]

JQ flights to DPS are cheap, why waste valuable points on that?

Agree. Plus max bundle gives reasonable status credits.

 

[clifford]

JQ flights to DPS are cheap, why waste valuable points on that?

Yes I agree. I was just referring to a possible use of EK points to get to DPS in J, if that's what one wanted to do. I'm going to Europe via Asia on this trip, just saving 20,000 points on J to Asia and back. Others might do it differently.

 

[ColinD]

The key here is "soon expiring". I'm looking to use the points rather than let them expire. However, going on a needlessly long trip for the sake of it isn't appealing either. Likewise paying $ for connecting flights doesn't stack up, just for the sake of burning some points.

The next option is probably domestic QF to Darwin then to Dili. At least I can do one-way on JQ or QF without penalty, unlike EK.

Also no interest in points or status related to anything QF (nor EK, once this bundle is spent).

The JQ Max Pack equivalent fare in high season would not leave much change from $1k per person one-way (x2 passengers). "Cheap" is a relative quantity, but that's a fair bit in my currency!

 

[ColinD]

I know this is rather specific scenario, but I'll post the update in case it's helfpul to anybody else.

I called Skywards customer assistance today and asked them to give me a definitive answer. It was worthwhile - the info I received a few days ago was wrong. The booking window for reward seats on Jetstar using Emirates points is about 290 days (I called on 8 August and could make a reservations out to 31 May next year).