Amex free flight upgrade?

[shane2603]

If it is an Amex card they have changed over to Virgin last year, no more qantas flights

 

[Danger]

If it is an Amex card they have changed over to Virgin last year, no more qantas flights

Great. Thanks. Anyone know the fare bucket?

 

[oz_mark]

A colleague has the Amex beginning 376087 and thought the complimentary return flight was with Qantas. Is this correct? If so, what fare bucket does the flight book into?

The platinum credit card used to, until it changed a year or two ago.

The Qantas Ultimate card does book on Qantas.

Booked into 'O' class when I got the Qantas flights.

 

[Jama]

I'm not sure if I'm on the right thread.

A colleague has the Amex beginning 376087 and thought the complimentary return flight was with Qantas. Is this correct? If so, what fare bucket does the flight book into?

What's the rest of the number I think the flights used to be done through Qantas but not any more. Maybe you get a choice. I have only ever got Virgin flights but thats what I wanted too.

 

[Jama]

This is like a competition who can hit enter the quickest.

 

[Moopere]

It used to be several years ago. I'm fairly certain that none of the current Amex cards have a free QF flight attached to them.... but I don't have a Premium card so I don't know absolutely ...

 

[serfty]

Great. Thanks. Anyone know the fare bucket?

With DJ? ... "Romeo or Tango" ...

 

[Moopere]

Youve got it. It did take a few days for Amex to email me the details of the cancellation and the credit shell reference number. There was also a modest cancellation fee of $30 I think. After purchasing the flexi I am still acrrying a credit with Virgin for a few dollars.

Wanted to follow up on this - many thanks Shane2603 for helping me get past a mental blockage. I assumed the 'free' Amex flights would be immovable, unchangeable, blah blah, but no, in fact, they openly tell you that if you cancel the free flight then you will receive a credit shell.

For the sake of others interested in this, and as the process seems to be open and accepted at both Amex and VA - my experience relates to the Velocity Amex Plat and flight of interest was PER-SYD return:


1) Ring Amex, book against free flight included with Velocity Amex. This booked into X (outwards) and T (inwards) class and is a "saver" type fare. I obtained from the extremely helpful CSR both the Amex referrence number and the DJ PNR. Also ensured that my Velocity number was input which I think helped later on.

2) Within an hour or so I could see the discount economy ticket under my Velocity account

3) Probably could have rung Amex back right away, but busy day, so, next morning, rang Velocity to ensure that Flexi to Business buckets were available. Asked them about "Q" class and yes, was assured that Q was the upgrade class (bummer as you can't see Q class in Expert Flyer) and that fares were available.

4) Rang Amex, told them what I wanted to do. Cancel existing Saver fare, obtain credit shell and immediately use credit to book a Flexi fare on the same flight number. No problem at all. They rang DJ, got the current Flexi price, subtracted the credit and added the $87 (yes, $87!!) change fee. Total cost to me in dollars would be just over half the normal price of a Flexi return for this itinerary including the change fee (and, presumably, an embedded credit card fee). Asked if I'd like to proceed? I concur. Amex rings DJ back and makes the booking. The Amex PNR stayed the same, but I received a new DJ PNR

5) Ring Velocity with my DJ PNR, ask to upgrade the flexi ticket to business. No problem sir, and we've got a special on at the moment of half price upgrades (wheeee!). Moments later I get a confirmation email from the Velocity shop in relation to the upgrade and can already see the DJ PNR on the velocity site as upgraded to business.

H class availability on Expertflyer immediately dropped by 1 bucket. Still no direct demonstrable correlation between "Q" class and "H" class, but there is certainly some linkage.

Overall, took about and hour and a half on the phone. Given a fair bit of backwards and forwards as well as waiting time for back-end communications to happen. As I had not done this before I guess I was really crossing the t's and dotting the i's as well, so probably wasted some of the CSR's time in so doing.

Overall, great result. Amex and DJ both, at the booking end of their business, seem competent and efficient.

 

[Ricardo]

Wanted to follow up on this - many thanks Shane2603 for helping me get past a mental blockage. I assumed the 'free' Amex flights would be immovable, unchangeable, blah blah, but no, in fact, they openly tell you that if you cancel the free flight then you will receive a credit shell.

For the sake of others interested in this, and as the process seems to be open and accepted at both Amex and VA - my experience relates to the Velocity Amex Plat and flight of interest was PER-SYD return:


1) Ring Amex, book against free flight included with Velocity Amex. This booked into X (outwards) and T (inwards) class and is a "saver" type fare. I obtained from the extremely helpful CSR both the Amex referrence number and the DJ PNR. Also ensured that my Velocity number was input which I think helped later on.

2) Within an hour or so I could see the discount economy ticket under my Velocity account

3) Probably could have rung Amex back right away, but busy day, so, next morning, rang Velocity to ensure that Flexi to Business buckets were available. Asked them about "Q" class and yes, was assured that Q was the upgrade class (bummer as you can't see Q class in Expert Flyer) and that fares were available.

4) Rang Amex, told them what I wanted to do. Cancel existing Saver fare, obtain credit shell and immediately use credit to book a Flexi fare on the same flight number. No problem at all. They rang DJ, got the current Flexi price, subtracted the credit and added the $87 (yes, $87!!) change fee. Total cost to me in dollars would be just over half the normal price of a Flexi return for this itinerary including the change fee (and, presumably, an embedded credit card fee). Asked if I'd like to proceed? I concur. Amex rings DJ back and makes the booking. The Amex PNR stayed the same, but I received a new DJ PNR

5) Ring Velocity with my DJ PNR, ask to upgrade the flexi ticket to business. No problem sir, and we've got a special on at the moment of half price upgrades (wheeee!). Moments later I get a confirmation email from the Velocity shop in relation to the upgrade and can already see the DJ PNR on the velocity site as upgraded to business.

H class availability on Expertflyer immediately dropped by 1 bucket. Still no direct demonstrable correlation between "Q" class and "H" class, but there is certainly some linkage.

Overall, took about and hour and a half on the phone. Given a fair bit of backwards and forwards as well as waiting time for back-end communications to happen. As I had not done this before I guess I was really crossing the t's and dotting the i's as well, so probably wasted some of the CSR's time in so doing.

Overall, great result. Amex and DJ both, at the booking end of their business, seem competent and efficient.

A very cunning plan well done ......

 

[shane2603]

Glad I could be of service, I hate wasting oportunities to sit in the pointy end of the plane

 

[JohnPhelan]

I'm fairly certain that none of the current Amex cards have a free QF flight attached to them.... but I don't have a Premium card so I don't know absolutely ...

The Qantas Amex Ultimate card does have a free QF flight attached. Ticket is in one of the Y fare buckets, but is upgradable with points (after issue).

 

[Moopere]

The Qantas Amex Ultimate card does have a free QF flight attached. Ticket is in one of the Y fare buckets, but is upgradable with points (after issue).

Ah, yes, of course - my mistake. Thanks.

 

[Chicken]

OK, this doesn't make any sense.

SYD - PER usually worth a lot more than SYD - MEL, right?

What if:

I claim my free ticket as non flexible bottom lowest of the lowest SYD - PER worth $200.
Get my credit for SYD - PER worth $200.

Now, since I have $200 of credit, I can now book a slightly higher fare bucket SYD - MEL worth $200 rather than a $99 lowest of the lowest?

 

[Moopere]

OK, this doesn't make any sense.

SYD - PER usually worth a lot more than SYD - MEL, right?

What if:

I claim my free ticket as non flexible bottom lowest of the lowest SYD - PER worth $200.
Get my credit for SYD - PER worth $200.

Now, since I have $200 of credit, I can now book a slightly higher fare bucket SYD - MEL worth $200 rather than a $99 lowest of the lowest?

None of the free flights that I am aware of allow westwards flight from the eastern capitals to PER.

Having said that ... what if you were to book PER-SYD return in Saver, cancel, obtain your credit shell, then re-book SYD-MEL using the credit? I don't know, seems to me that once you have a credit shell with Amex (and I think its with Amex ... not Virgin, so be cautious), you'd be able to use that credit for essentially anything that Amex Travel can help you with..... You could well end up having a remaining credit after your flight. Don't forget to factor in the $87 change fee that you will be charged.

Ultimately though, aside from a pocket full of change (small leftover credit shell), I'm not sure what will be gained. Flying Flexi rather than Saver? It took me nearly 90 minutes and 3 phone calls to get a result - I'm happy with that as an upgrade to Business, but I wouldn't personally waste my time to simply go from Saver to Flexi.

 

[shane2603]

My credit shell is with Virgin

 

[Moopere]

Fair enough, and good actually.

Given that doubtless my shell was also with Virgin I probably should not have called Amex back to book the Flexi ticket. I should have called Virgin direct, booked flexi and upgraded using the credit shell held by VA. This would have been beneficial because I could then manage my booking on the Virgin website which is something I currently can't do. I had to ring Amex back again, days later, to select my seats as the website wouldn't let me do it.

 

[shane2603]

Hi Moopere,

Yes all through Virgin after the cancellation.

 

[Chicken]

Since the credit belongs to you / us, does that mean anything you book with it will get points & status???

 

[shane2603]

It did for me

 

[random111]

Hey Moopere

Great thinking! I will do the same! Before I do so though, I would like to find out how the amount credited back to me is calculated?
Assuming you book in Tango class, when Virgin give you back the credit for the flights, is the amount they give you the Tango price per expertflyer or is it the price of the cheapest saver booking class?

E.g. I book Mel-Per-Mel in T class using amex free flight, per expertflyer on the dates I want to travel these tickets are worth $800. The cheapest tickets on the same flight currently being sold are say $600. I call up Amex to get a refund from Virgin, will I be credited back the $800 or $600 less fees?

Thanks