Availability of Award Flights

[mtchairs]

Apologies in advance for the total newbie question. I am a lowly bronze FF member with 177,000 points which I would like to use for a return flight to London in Sept/Oct. There are currently no award seats on my preferred dates. Do more seats ever become available closer to the date of flying? Is it worth coming back and checking regularly for availability?

Thanks

mtchairs

 

[medhead]

Welcome to AFF.

I dare say looking that close you might be flat out finding seats. Have you looked at alternatives such as flying to Frankfurt. You could also check with Cathy Pacific, but you'd most like have to ring up to check availability, as Cathy flights don't always show up on the website.

You could also look at Any Seat Awards and if you can pay (afford to pay) to reduce the points cost.

 

[GoldCoastGuy]

Since the ability to accrue QFF points, some Any Time seats are quite attractive (and some still aren't!)

Here's a tip to booking Any Time seats:

Assuming you are flying SYD-LHR, a Classic Award ticket will cost 128000 points and $427.30 in tax.

On an Any Time ticket, you will accrue 21172 (and 120 SC) in Discount Economy.

Any Time Seat quotes include taxes. Since you would be paying tax on the Classic Award (unless you wanted to spend your points on the tax), you could reduce the Any Time points cost to around the same amount of tax you would have paid on a Classic Award.

My quick calculation (by trying a dummy booking) on a couple of flights showed paying $427.30 on an Any Seat ticket will save 37073 points. You'll also have to pay the $25 CC Fee.

Therefore a 128000 Classic Award would be comparable to a 186245 Award Seat ticket (128000 Classic Award cost + 21172 points you will get back upon flying + 37073 points you can reduce by paying more cash). Any cost above that you would have to consider it to be the cost of the SCs and convenience and therefore make a choice as to whether the extra points cost is worth it to you.

I've recently booked a flight from BNE-SYD-SIN-BNE. Cost me about 69000 points + the approx $250 in taxes I would have paid via a Classic Award. I'll get about 6000 points back, so around 3000 point cost for the convenience (couldn't get Classic Award flights on the days I wanted).


Evan :->

 

[grussellt]

When looking for availability try a multi-city itinerary via Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore (or even Tokyo, Johannesburg) and same for return. You may get a longer than normal layover but it could get you a flight. I tried October 11 and there is availability on QF/BA for 64,000 pts.

 

[A380FIRST]

Since the ability to accrue QFF points, some Any Time seats are quite attractive (and some still aren't!)

Here's a tip to booking Any Time seats:

Assuming you are flying SYD-LHR, a Classic Award ticket will cost 128000 points and $427.30 in tax.

On an Any Time ticket, you will accrue 21172 (and 120 SC) in Discount Economy.

Any Time Seat quotes include taxes. Since you would be paying tax on the Classic Award (unless you wanted to spend your points on the tax), you could reduce the Any Time points cost to around the same amount of tax you would have paid on a Classic Award.

My quick calculation (by trying a dummy booking) on a couple of flights showed paying $427.30 on an Any Seat ticket will save 37073 points. You'll also have to pay the $25 CC Fee.

Therefore a 128000 Classic Award would be comparable to a 186245 Award Seat ticket (128000 Classic Award cost + 21172 points you will get back upon flying + 37073 points you can reduce by paying more cash). Any cost above that you would have to consider it to be the cost of the SCs and convenience and therefore make a choice as to whether the extra points cost is worth it to you.

I've recently booked a flight from BNE-SYD-SIN-BNE. Cost me about 69000 points + the approx $250 in taxes I would have paid via a Classic Award. I'll get about 6000 points back, so around 3000 point cost for the convenience (couldn't get Classic Award flights on the days I wanted).


Evan :->

Hi GoldCoastGuy

Interesting formula

How much was the any seat award when checked

By the way This my First Time Reply

 

[grussellt]

If you want an interesting trip via Ireland there is still availability on QF/AA from Sydney to Dublin via LAX/ORD in September (limited) and October. It's only a short hop to London from there. I'm doing this run in August so I'll let you know how (un)comfortable it is. It was the only way I could find to Ireland for 64,000 pts.

 

[markis10]

Using ASAs will also give you SC's which will help you with getting SG or better, once you get to SG you have better award availability for classics as well, that may be a consideration in terms of working our their value.

 

[GoldCoastGuy]

Hi GoldCoastGuy

Interesting formula

How much was the any seat award when checked

By the way This my First Time Reply

Hi A380First.... welcome to AFF

From memory my BNE-SYD-SIN-BNE flights were ~91000 points, reduced to 69218 when I paid $245 in taxes (as quoted on the Classic Award booking... could have reduced it to anything of course).

According to the Earning Points Calculator, I'll earn 8722 points (including the 1000 point minimum for BNE-SYD) and 70 SCs. A net cost of 60496. 496 points for 70SCs is a pretty good deal

Could have saved a few points (and a few hours) by going direct BNE-SIN, but 7 hours on the A380 appealed to me Couldn't manage it on the way back (the points cost went up considerably).


Evan :->

 

[GoldCoastGuy]

And be careful when selecting flights.

Jetstar flights = 0 points accrued (in discount economy)

I could have gone via Darwin, but SIN-DRW is Jetstar.

 

[medhead]

From memory my BNE-SYD-SIN-BNE flights were ~91000 points, reduced to 69218 when I paid $245 in taxes (as quoted on the Classic Award booking... could have reduced it to anything of course).

Evan :->

ASAs can only be reduced to a minimum of the same number of points as required for the same classic award, or higher depending on the numbers of points required for the ASA. The amount of reduction available is probably a fixed percentage of the total, I haven't exactly checked that.

From the handful of searches I've done on ASA the points reduction seems to price at about 1.4 to 1.6 cents per point.

 

[GoldCoastGuy]

ASAs can only be reduced to a minimum of the same number of points as required for the same classic award, or higher depending on the numbers of points required for the ASA. The amount of reduction available is probably a fixed percentage of the total, I haven't exactly checked that.

From the handful of searches I've done on ASA the points reduction seems to price at about 1.4 to 1.6 cents per point.

That's true.... should have mentioned that.... could have reduced it to anything as long as the 60k points minimum was met

 

[browski]

Which city are you from in Oz?
There is plenty of award opportunities in Y on CX in Sep/Oct.

A random date of Sep 21 ex SYD, shows there are numerous flights. maybe have a 8 hour connection in HKG though

 

[A380FIRST]

Hi A380First.... welcome to AFF

From memory my BNE-SYD-SIN-BNE flights were ~91000 points, reduced to 69218 when I paid $245 in taxes (as quoted on the Classic Award booking... could have reduced it to anything of course).

According to the Earning Points Calculator, I'll earn 8722 points (including the 1000 point minimum for BNE-SYD) and 70 SCs. A net cost of 60496. 496 points for 70SCs is a pretty good deal

Could have saved a few points (and a few hours) by going direct BNE-SIN, but 7 hours on the A380 appealed to me Couldn't manage it on the way back (the points cost went up considerably).


Evan :->

Thanks GoldCoastGuy

I used to think any seat were too many points to burn, but the way you explain it they are not bad value on some flights (as you suggest) if you do your sums. I will need research this some more, THANKS for the headsup.

A380FIRST

 

[mtchairs]

Which city are you from in Oz?
There is plenty of award opportunities in Y on CX in Sep/Oct.

A random date of Sep 21 ex SYD, shows there are numerous flights. maybe have a 8 hour connection in HKG though

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I guess I have a lot to consider over the long weekend!!

I'm in Sydney. I haven't seen any Cathay flights available on the Qantas award booking page. Should I be looking somewhere else?

mtchairs

 

[markis10]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I guess I have a lot to consider over the long weekend!!

I'm in Sydney. I haven't seen any Cathay flights available on the Qantas award booking page. Should I be looking somewhere else?

mtchairs

Cathay availability on the Qantas site is not existent or false, you need to ring QF who should waive the phone fee.

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...program/how-do-book-cathay-flights-17935.html

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...ogram/qantas-ff-award-website-show-23104.html

 

[notzac]

I used to think any seat were too many points to burn, but the way you explain it they are not bad value on some flights (as you suggest) if you do your sums. I will need research this some more, THANKS for the headsup.

They *were* generally terrible value - up until you were able to earn points and SCs on them. If you research them carefully, you'll find quite reasonable value on some routes now

 

[crowman28]

I checked the Cathay flights availability through Asia Miles, and tried to book a return leg from Hong Kong to Melbourne in Jan 2011, but there are no seats available for economy and business class (whatsoever).

Same question is asked. Does Cathay release more seats as the time gets nearer to Jan 2011? I know Singapore Airlines does release more seats as the time gets closer.

Hope Cathay is not as bad as Qantas in terms of flight redemption?

No excuses for Cathay, as I know they have 3 daily flights from Hong Kong to Melbourne. I know Qantas only got 1 a day, so it would be harder to get a reward seat for this leg on a particular day for Qantas.

 

[Hvr]

Cathay availability on the Qantas site is not existent or false, you need to ring QF who should waive the phone fee.

I'll disagree with this statement. Am currently in PVG on a QFF points redemption flying on CX. No problems getting the redemption via the QFF site.

 

[markis10]

I'll disagree with this statement. Am currently in PVG on a QFF points redemption flying on CX. No problems getting the redemption via the QFF site.

You are welcome to disagree but as per the link posted, there have been recent reports of the old issue coming back or showing flights that were not bookable, this thread:

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...ogram/qantas-ff-award-website-show-23104.html

 

[NM]

I'll disagree with this statement. Am currently in PVG on a QFF points redemption flying on CX. No problems getting the redemption via the QFF site.

CX award availability via the Qantas FF web site is an on-again/off-again situation. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. A free Asia Miles account can be handy for checking and if you see availability that way and not via QF web site, then call. If you find it on-line at QFF and can book it, then great.