award redemptions on partner airlines not allowing direct flights

[N0mad]

I don't have status but have heaps of points, trying to booking flights from asia to East coast Oz preferably Sydney late Jan 21. It kills me how pretty much all the partner airlines will offer biz seats from a 3rd country (transiting through home country) but when i change the search to the transiting/home country there is no availability.

might be hard to understand so i'll demonstrate:
looking at flights from Singapore to Adelaide i can see numerous business availability in late Jan on CX transiting through Hong Kong.
if i change my search to Hong Kong to Adelaide there is no availability.
finding this a lot a not just with CX.

what's the point, just to make it harder to use points?

 

[Ktan89]

I suggest you call QF, sometimes they can see the direct flight and can book over the phone.
It could be system issue or it could also be a married segment which means, the Singapore to Adelaide via HKG is a packaged deal.

Edit: QF website didn't give me a direct route from KUL-SYD but when i called up, they found it and i booked it. Call centre fee's should be waived if you tell them that the website doesn't provide that particular routing (they will check of course).

 

[madrooster]

CX actively block award inventory to/from HKG on non stops. This has been the case for well over a year.

 

[dajop]

Something’s up. I was looking the other day at MEL-KUL. It was available as MEL-ADL(QF)-KUL(MH) but when you put in ADL-KUL on same day only available as ADL-MEL(QF)-KUL(MH). Odd.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

married segments to discourage business travellers taking advantage of 'free' (cough) seats?

 

[Captain Halliday]

CX actively block award inventory to/from HKG on non stops. This has been the case for well over a year.

Is this just to and from AU, or all ports to which CX operates?

 

[davidj]

looking at flights from Singapore to Adelaide i can see numerous business availability in late Jan on CX transiting through Hong Kong.
if i change my search to Hong Kong to Adelaide there is no availability.
finding this a lot a not just with CX.

Married segments. They want you to book all the way though not just to HKG. CX increased MS a few years ago, but applies to a few carriers.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Is this just to and from AU, or all ports to which CX operates?

AFAIK, from many ports system-wide to/from HKG only. Add something like TPE to the itinerary and all of a sudden you'll find quite a few seats available.

 

[madrooster]

Is this just to and from AU, or all ports to which CX operates?

All CX ports.