Any chance for Qantas LA flight?

[gracekelly]

Appropos of the stories about Qantas's full loads to LA, is there any point in trying to get award tickets just before Xmas?

Or any tips on routing to get there?

Does anyone know when they release seats (for all flights) - ie, on Mondays, on the day, any partiuclar time?

THANKS.

 

[QF WP]

You must be talking about this article or maybe this one

From second article:

Qantas's favoured measure of passenger numbers, international "revenue passenger kilometres", fell 11.7 per cent to 4.21 billion kilometres. The airline's seating capacity, measured in "available seat kilometres", decreased by 11.5 per cent to 5.13 billion.

So, using my simple mathematical approach, means that loads overall were 82% on Intl routes. QF would be with that - appears that they have been getting the right mix of available flights and pax numbers.

You can always ring up and try for an Award ticket, but with leaving it so soon before travel, I'd think it unlikely that you'll get any availability (at least on your preferred flights anyway). Normally these seats for such popular sectors are gone up to 355 days in advance. If you are looking for Award upgrades, then it'll depend on your status and who's ahead of you in the waitlist.

Award seats are released 355 days out, then once the original allocation is filled, only unsold seats are released to Award inventory a couple of days out. They would generally be "awarded" to those on waitlist (and to highest status). The "load managers" release those seats after they check the pax manifest, so no particular time.

Having said all this, I'm off BNE/MEL/LAX etc on 27 Dec with Mrs LW, so I'll be waiting to see if my waitlist comes through.

Tips for routing - to get Award flights, try the Qantas website and start

 

[Rossmurdoch]

I've always found MEL-LAX and easier route to get seats that SYD-LAX

 

[gracekelly]

waitlist for tix or only upgrades?

my office travels often to LA on work, and thought you only could waitlist for upgrades not tix? . . .
and, no one has ever received one - business is always full!

 

[QF WP]

That's right gracekelly, you can only waitlist for upgrades, you can't for Award tickets. The seats have to be available in the U fare class and, of course, you have to have the points. Having flown QF25/QF26 regularly over the years, I've rarely seen too many seats available in J. As nobody's got the upgrades from your work, I presume they have flown SYD/LAX which is one of QF's busiest routes in J (other than the Kangaroo Route).

Rossmurdoch, haven't seen you posting for a while. Spot on, that's why we're flying BNE/MEL

 

[ejh]

Upgrade from Aukland to LA are normally available . It is longer but sometimes worth it.