Advice re booking PPT-SYD Classic Reward flight

[Ken1]

I have just booked SYD-PPT J Classic Reward flights for July 2022. We were booked on a French Polynesia cruise for August 2020 and we changed it to August 2021 and then to July 2022. We may still need to change it to 2023 when they are released as I don't think we'll be able to travel by July 2022 but am still hopeful it could be a possibility. Since we can cancel Award flights without penalty at the moment I decided to book the flights when they were released today.

QF do not allow you to search one way PPT-SYD so I can't book that flight online as a one way booking but you can search for return flights to see PPT-SYD availability. When I booked these flights in 2019 for the original 2020 trip I had to call QF the day the return flights were released and book the PPT-SYD flight over the phone and was charged 5000 points for each of us, even though it was not possible to book online.

When the PPT-SYD flight we need to book in a few weeks is released I'm considering booking a return trip, picking any available date still available for SYD-PPT with the required date for PPT-SYD, rather than trying to call QF to add that flight to our current booking and having the extra long call centre wait times I've read about frequently and risking losing the flights we need while on the phone. I could then later call to cancel the un-needed SYD-PPT leg on the return ticket without the time stress.

Does anyone see any problems with this strategy? Do you know if the QF system would pick up that we already have a SYD-PPT booking and give us problems with either booking? I would book the un-required SYD-PPT leg for a date a week or two after the one we actually want to travel on. Thanks for any advice you can offer.

 

[defurax]

This won't work, as cancelling the SYD-PPT segment of your return ticket will automatically cancel the return PPT-SYD segment. You should book over the phone and make it clear no booking fees in points should be charged as not bookable online.

 

[Ken1]

Thanks defurax. When I booked the same flights in 2019 for August 2020 I did try to argue that no booking change fees should be charged as it was not bookable online but I still had to pay it. This was with a foreign call centre so I don't know if I would have had any more luck if my call had been answered by an Australian call centre.

 

[Ken1]

I have tried a few times again lately to search for PPT-SYD and it has shown no availability unless as I mentioned in the earlier post I search for return bookings and the PPT-SYD flights then show. I then had to phone QF to have it added to the booking when I booked the same itinerary two years ago.

I have just tried to search again for PPT-SYD and it is now showing flights available as a one way booking, unlike when I last tried this a few days ago, so I'm pleased that QF are now allowing one way bookings which will make it easier when it's time to book that leg, rather than having to be on the phone for hours adding it to the booking.

 

[offshore171]

You're game, booking cruise ship!

 

[Ken1]

We have already re-booked twice after we had to cancel the original 2020 cruise. We realise that we will probably have to re-book for 2023 when the 2023 itineraries are released, usually in January each year. We will see how things look here in January with possible re-opening of borders by the middle of the year but if it doesn't look promising (and I doubt that it will, going by what is happening at the moment) we will change the booking to mid 2023. We just decided to book the flights now while award tickets are available in case things improve.

We are booked on the Paul Gauguin, a small ship that just sails between the islands in French Polynesia and holds 330 passengers, although at the moment they are sailing with reduced capacity.

 

[maverick1]

How did you go with this?
I'm in a similar situation. I've an award flight booked on QF from Syd to PPT on one booking ref. But due to change in plans - I want to cancel the Syd to PPT leg and just keep the PPT to Syd leg. Don't think there is a solution? There are no more award flights available. Spoke to Qantas, they said they will check and call back, which probably will never happen.

 

[Ken1]

How did you go with this?
I'm in a similar situation. I've an award flight booked on QF from Syd to PPT on one booking ref. But due to change in plans - I want to cancel the Syd to PPT leg and just keep the PPT to Syd leg. Don't think there is a solution? There are no more award flights available. Spoke to Qantas, they said they will check and call back, which probably will never happen.

We flew from SYD to AKL yesterday and stayed overnight and are in the QF lounge now ready to fly to PPT in less than 2 hours.

When I first posted about this QF weren’t showing rewards flights for PPT - SYD unless you searched for return but before I had to book our return flight they changed the website and I was able to book the PPT-SYD separately. There have been multiple changes to both SYD-PPT and PPT-SYD since I first booked but it was finally all sorted, although we are now flying two days earlier than originally booked, and two days later at the end of the trip because Air Tahiti Nui were cancelling flights and not flying as many days of the week as originally scheduled. They have now started flying on the days that we were originally booked on so passenger numbers must have improved over the last couple of months.

I wouldn't wait for Qantas to call back. I’ve done that but haven’t heard back. Try calling again and if not successful call again and hopefully you may get someone who can help you. For our PPT - SYD flight we were originally leaving on a Monday connecting to AKL-SYD on the Tuesday. The PPT- AKL flight was changed to the Wednesday but we were still flying AKL - SYD on the Tuesday. It took multiple calls with being told there are no classic rewards seats available for the Thursday several times but I eventually spoke to someone at QF who I think were in Auckland and they put us on AKL - BNE and then BNE - SYD still in J so it worked out well in the end.

I hope you get someone at QF who can help you. Good luck!