Article: Qantas Points “The Envy of the World”? Absolutely Not!

[kangarooflyer88]

I suppose one upside of these sudden releases (vs. the normal 353 day schedule) is that everybody has equal pickings of the new seats. No pesky Platinum or Gold status holders getting first dibs at the premium seats

The bloggers are already on the scene leaking out the award availability. Folks get booking TODAY not in a week's time. This stuff will sell out again and we'll be back to folks complaining that they can't find a classic business award to Santa Banana for next year's winter holiday!

Qantas Sydney-Perth To Rome Flights In 2023 | Flight Hacks

Following the success of Qantas’ new service between Sydney and Rome, the airline will operate a second season of Italian adventures…

flighthacks.com.au

-RooFlyer88

 

[levelnine]

I frankly don't see the issue folks are experiencing finding business class saver awards on the QF website.

The irony of having to use an apology release of award seats to point to the availability of award seats.

A level of spin that would make even AJ blush.

 

[RooFlyer]

I frankly don't see the issue folks are experiencing finding business class saver awards on the QF website.

A quick check just now shows plenty of availability on QF 1 to LHR:

The fact you need to point out that Award seats are available, after a one-off extra release, I think speaks volumes as to the usual situation.

Bring up the same search in a few days.

 

[Happy Dude]

I frankly don't see the issue folks are experiencing finding business class saver awards on the QF website.

-RooFlyer88

Couldn't be more disingenuous or facetious if you tried.

 

[encryptededdy]

Couldn't be more disingenuous or facetious if you tried.

If you're familiar with their posts I'm sure @kangarooflyer88 is being intentionally facetious

 

[kangarooflyer88]

If you're familiar with their posts I'm sure @kangarooflyer88 is being intentionally facetious

Yes I'm being facetious and look I don't want to be an apologist for Uncle Alan either. All I am saying is please folks get in there while the going is good. We have been in a heck of a drought in terms of classic award availability over the past couple of weeks, and I reckon some would even go so far as to say past couple of months. Don't hold off booking if you aren't 100% certain what your itinerary is. It's much better to book a speculative itinerary with points now and cancel later than to regret that you didn't pull the trigger when there were classic J awards to LHR.

-RooFlyer88

 

[BD1959]

... All I am saying is please folks get in there while the going is good. We have been in a heck of a drought in terms of classic award availability over the past couple of weeks, and I reckon some would even go so far as to say past couple of months. Don't hold off booking if you aren't 100% certain what your itinerary is ....

Not sure I follow ... speculate on the potential to need the flights, even though you may not know the dates or the itinerary? To what end, just to be able to cancel? It's not like you'll be able to find suitable alternative award when your schedule/itin does firm down the track ...

Regards,

BD

 

[RooFlyer]

Yes I'm being facetious and look I don't want to be an apologist for Uncle Alan either. All I am saying is please folks get in there while the going is good. We have been in a heck of a drought in terms of classic award availability over the past couple of weeks, and I reckon some would even go so far as to say past couple of months. Don't hold off booking if you aren't 100% certain what your itinerary is. It's much better to book a speculative itinerary with points now and cancel later than to regret that you didn't pull the trigger when there were classic J awards to LHR.

So you are not being facetious with the bit I've put in italics, then? Good God. Gratuitous advice to 'please folks, get in there while the going is good', even if you have no particular trip in mind? Really? And up to a few months ago, before the 'drought', you saw award seats in abundance?

So, you've blown your total QFF points balance then?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

So you are not being facetious with the bit I've put in italics, then? Good God. Gratuitous advice to 'please folks, get in there while the going is good', even if you have no particular trip in mind? Really? And up to a few months ago, before the 'drought', you saw award seats in abundance?

Not sure I follow ... speculate on the potential to need the flights, even though you may not know the dates or the itinerary? To what end, just to be able to cancel? It's not like you'll be able to find suitable alternative award when your schedule/itin does firm down the track ...

What I'm arguing is if you roughly know where you want to go and when you want to go, book it now when availability is better. A bird in hand is better than two in the bush (I understand there are some penalties for having to cancel but they are minor in terms of points in the grand scheme of things).

So, you've blown your total QFF points balance then?

For QFF points I generally use them on one of two things: expensive short haul destinations like LDH or LRE, or domestic short haul upgrades to J which in my book reaps the biggest benefits. The prospect of spending hundreds of thousands of points which I don't have and would take years for me to accumulate given my circumstances for the ability to someday to a RTW trip in J isn't appealing. I'd much rather ensure I'm seated at the front for most QF flights I take or deploy them to otherwise expensive with cash but cheap and easy to book with points destinations like LDH. Certainly in terms of getting the best value for premium long haul routes using points there are other programs out there that offer better value such as Aeroplan which enable me to buy said points for next to nothing.

-RooFlyer88

 

[BD1959]

What I'm arguing is if you roughly know where you want to go and when you want to go, book it now when availability is better. A bird in hand is better than two in the bush (I understand there are some penalties for having to cancel but they are minor in terms of points in the grand scheme of things).

If you change "book it now when availability is better" to "book it while there is availability" then this is just standard advice that would be made to anyone looking to book at anytime.

Regards,

BD

 

[coriander]

Cathy Wilcox "The Age" Wednesday
(To the tune of "I still call Australia home')

 

[RupertBrown]

I couldn't agree with this article more! We booked classic reward flights between Perth and Hobart (going direct), 10mths in advance, one way economy and back in business class. 6 weeks before our flight Qantas cancelled our flight from Perth to Hobart. We've been rebooked going via Melbourne. A week later Qantas "updated our travel plans" for our business class flight home so we are now flying from Hobart to Perth via Sydney but do not have any allocated seats. Multiple phone calls and the most recent operator admitted that we were bumped from our direct flight because of a platinum frequent flyer and they won't even allocate us seats on the Hobart-Sydney/Sydney-Perth flights because they're reserved for platinum FFs so we just have to hope no one books them in the next 5 weeks. The best they could do was say they would get us on the next available flight if we didn't get seats. It's utterly ridiculous and completely unfair when we booked so far in advance. And sadly our situation has changed and we absolutely have to get back to Perth on the day we're scheduled to fly as one of parents will be undergoing major surgery as they've just been diagnosed with cancer. If we weren't travelling for a wedding we would have postponed our trip, but who would have thought Qantas would have so little respect for people

 

[encryptededdy]

I couldn't agree with this article more! We booked classic reward flights between Perth and Hobart (going direct), 10mths in advance, one way economy and back in business class. 6 weeks before our flight Qantas cancelled our flight from Perth to Hobart. We've been rebooked going via Melbourne. A week later Qantas "updated our travel plans" for our business class flight home so we are now flying from Hobart to Perth via Sydney but do not have any allocated seats.

Welcome to AFF!

What dates/flights are these? 5 weeks from now there should be no reason for these flights to be full. It seems the call centre doesn't know what they're talking about and/or do not know how to resolve this for you.

What do you mean you don't have any allocated seats? Is it just you can't pick seats in Manage My Booking? If so, you most likely still have a confirmed booking, it's just the only seats remaining (in Business) are in row 1 and/or 2 which you cannot select as a Bronze Frequent Flyer. This doesn't mean you don't have a guaranteed seat. It's possible the call centre is confused about this (as they unfortunately quite often are these days)

Do you have an E-Ticket email for your new flights?

 

[BD1959]

Multiple phone calls and the most recent operator admitted that we were bumped from our direct flight because of a platinum frequent flyer and they won't even allocate us seats on the Hobart-Sydney/Sydney-Perth flights because they're reserved for platinum FFs so we just have to hope no one books them in the next 5 weeks.

As a WP for a number of years I'm not aware of any way I could even begin to bump someone from a flight. There are two ways in which I can influence a flight's loading: buy a ticket that's readily available to the general public (revenue or points) or request the opening of a reward seat that's not currently available. The second will only be allowed if there is inventory available in a specific revenue booking class. ergo as a WP I cannot bump a sold seat either way, others may be aware of some "secret handshake" ...

On the second point, once a ticket is purchased some seats are reserved for higher status passengers until T-80 - even WPs need to wait for (for some) coveted seats until this time.

It seems the call centre doesn't know what they're talking about and/or do not know how to resolve this for you.

It does indeed, nothing new there!

Regards,

BD

 

[encryptededdy]

There are two ways in which I can influence a flight's loading

Well, if you call up you can book a Y seat on a sold out flight, but I am confident that's not what happened here.

 

[jpp42]

It sounds like this is just a misunderstanding between having a confirmed & ticketed booking and being able to select an assigned seat.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Now AJ has the gall to say fares will rise 30% on dom flights, edit: have to increase by 20%, thought I saw 30%.
But, then also in the article, that QFF is the profitable part of the whole organisation.

 

[BD1959]

Well, if you call up you can book a Y seat on a sold out flight, but I am confident that's not what happened here.

I wasn't aware of this WP benefit - thanks!

But, then also in the article, that QFF is the profitable part of the whole organisation.

IIRC QFF has been the most profitable for a number of years - comes with being able to (literally) print your own money!

Regards,

BD

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

SO, AJ is going to bring in more staff, and train them, but will those now be Aust call centre based, or does he plan to add more staff to the overseas call cent(ers).
And will they be for the QFF or for general call centre, ie, reservations/lost baggage/catering complains.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

SO, AJ is going to bring in more staff, and train them, but will those now be Aust call centre based, or does he plan to add more staff to the overseas call cent(ers).
And will they be for the QFF or for general call centre, ie, reservations/lost baggage/catering complains.

It's not about onshore versus overseas it is frankly a training issue. If you hire 1000 call centre representatives but give them next to no training what is the point? And I think that many of us on this forum have had success with overseas QF call centres. For instance, I have yet to hear anyone complain about the quality of NZ based call centre staff. Then again, they were likely trained by QF and have worked for the company for a number of years.

-RooFlyer88