Award Upgrades

[justinbrett]

My partner and I have award tickets for DFW-SYD in Y+. If we put an upgrade request in (I'm SG), do award tickets get penalised at all or are they treated the same as cash fares? I understand normally the way upgrades are done by status and then date requested, just not sure if award bookings are treated any differently.

There's no J award availability anywhere near the dates we are flying (just a few days before Christmas leaving 19th) so I already know the chances are low - especially as we're asking for two seats. Just glad we're not booked in Y.

 

[Bilton]

do award tickets get penalised at all or are they treated the same as cash fares?

In my experience with QF, once you have a booking, how it was paid for makes very little difference to how you are otherwise treated across the board as a passenger. I have definitely received points upgrades on classic award tickets while at both Silver and Gold status level.

 

[justinbrett]

I've since seen there's J award seats available on YVR-SYD and only 8000 points more than our Y+ seats, +6000 points for cancelling DFW.

Trouble is I'm planning to bring back my weight in alcohol and don't want to have to take it through Canadian customs. More planning required...

 

[mviy]

Points upgrades from award tickets are expensive, but if that's the cheapest way to hopefully fly J for you then go for it, provided you're happy to fly the class booked if it doesn't work out. You'll be below solo SG and higher status travellers in the upgrade lottery.

 

[justinbrett]

Points upgrades from award tickets are expensive, but if that's the cheapest way to hopefully fly J for you then go for it, provided you're happy to fly the class booked if it doesn't work out. You'll be below solo SG and higher status travellers in the upgrade lottery.

I'm leaning very heavily towards flying through YVR now - it's two days later so won't require changes to our trip - now an extra 2 day stop in LAS (instead of overnight in DFW) and an overnight in YVR, I can live with that . For the sake of 14,000 points each going from Y+ to J, + A$450 for AA IAH-PHX-LAS,LAS-PHX-YVR, and also not having to fly on that mammoth flight from DFW, seems like a win/win. I've managed to find the alcohol I wanted in Vancouver so that's not an issue now.

 

[justinbrett]

I've booked YVR - 96,000 points vs 84,000, no brainer. Managed to get two seats on the upper deck - this will probably be my final QF B744 ride - but at least I'm doing it in style!