Booking with FF points

[SimonM]

Thanks Serfty - I will give it a go, but at the moment I seem to be locked out - keep getting Server Entity Too Long

I was getting that error message a lot last week when doing my award booking.

I thought it was something I was doing with my booking, so good to see it's not just me!

 

[Flying Senior]

Thanks for that Roopaw. I thought they were so sick of me doing dummy runs they had locked me out.
I'm going to try again late tonight when its less busy and hope they dont give me the same message again.

 

[Flying Senior]

Hi Roopaw - I tried again last night - kept getting the same -"Request Entiity too Large"
Same again this morning.
How did you get rid of yours?
Thanks

 

[SimonM]

Hi Roopaw - I tried again last night - kept getting the same -"Request Entiity too Large"
Same again this morning.
How did you get rid of yours?
Thanks

I just tried your Hong Kong to London booking at it seemed to be OK for me.

A bit embarrassing about how I fixed mine. I was going to go around the world from here through Taipei to Oslo to New York and home via LAX, but I kept getting the error and thought I was over-taxing the system so I reversed my trip and selected Shanghai instead. Still, never mind, it worked out well for me in the end anyway.

Another great day here on the Coast, eh?

 

[serfty]

Re-try after clearing your cookies.

If that does not work, use a different Web browser.

i.e. If you've been using MS Internet Explorer, try Firefox or Chrome ...

 

[SimonM]

i.e. If you've been using MS Internet Explorer, try Firefox or Chrome ...

I was thinking I should mention that I use Firefox.

 

[munitalP]

...try Firefox or Chrome ...

May the Eye of Horus ward off such evils!

Mr!

 

[Flying Senior]

Thanks Serfty & Roopaw - had a good dummy run with both Firefox & Chrome.
Also spoke to someone in QFF who told me they only release 1 Award Business class seat on a flight.
How on earth are you supposed to book 2 people?

 

[munitalP]

Thanks Serfty & Roopaw - had a good dummy run with both Firefox & Chrome.
Also spoke to someone in QFF who told me they only release 1 Award Business class seat on a flight.
How on earth are you supposed to book 2 people?

how do you explain that I just booked 2 J to Shanghai? I have also booked J flights (2 off) to NZ many times now


Bad advice methinks...


Mr!

 

[NM]

Also spoke to someone in QFF who told me they only release 1 Award Business class seat on a flight.
How on earth are you supposed to book 2 people?

You have been mislead. There are many examples of people redeeming multiple business class awards on the same flight.

 

[Flying Senior]

Thanks Munital & NM for that information.
I thought it seemed a bit strange only releasing 1 seat.
Thanks to everyone else also for all the help and information.

 

[fiscal]

Thanks Munital & NM for that information.
I thought it seemed a bit strange only releasing 1 seat.
Thanks to everyone else also for all the help and information.

2 weeks have passed and availability has improved - sometimes you may need to book one way and watch each day for a return flight then book the second - just be prepared to be a bit flexible.

BA is usually good out of HKG. Not done Finnair but they have new lie flat seats I think.

Tony

 

[megmcw]

Last year I flew from Brisbane to Santiago on points. The routing was Brisbane/Sydney/HongKong/L.A/Miami/Santiago/Buenos Aires/Maimi/LA/Brisbane - using Cathay and American Airlines apart from on the way back from LA to Brisbane was QF. I had to make the booking using the operator. The only seats on the charts that come up are QF seats. Booking through the operator gets all the One World Airlines.
Next week we are flying Sydney/Johannesburg QF - Johannesburg/LHR BA - LHR/Hong Kong BA - Hong Kong to Brisbane Cathay via Cairns. We obviously had to pay the extra points to fly Cathay 5,000 each but each time I have booked FF tickets by phone I have found the operators that I spoke to more than helpful. They seem to try to go out of their way with suggestions. The trip to South America was a bit of a horrendoplasty - but I did break the journey in Hong Kong and L.A. - it was quite an experience. Both my trips were done in Business Class. Tax flying in to London is always very high. Originally we could only get Economy seats on a direct flight with Qantas from HK to Brisbane, but when I rang yesterday the operator came up with the Cathay flight. I just had the required amount of points, plus the 5,000 to make the change.
I really think that if you cannot find the flights easily it is worth the extra points to go through the operator. The Cathay flight has really flat bed seats which is also a plus. Good luck.

 

[Flying Senior]

Thanks so much for that info fiscal & megmcw.
Now can someone tell me which is the best plane to fly on - a 747-400 or a 777- 200/300, and what is the difference?
We really want the lie flat seats for the overnight flight from Singapore or Hong Kong to London - I think BA has them.
Also which are the best seats to book? And can you specify your seat numbers when you book award seats on line?
Any info would be much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[fiscal]

Thanks so much for that info fiscal & megmcw.
Now can someone tell me which is the best plane to fly on - a 747-400 or a 777- 200/300, and what is the difference?
We really want the lie flat seats for the overnight flight from Singapore or Hong Kong to London - I think BA has them.
Also which are the best seats to book? And can you specify your seat numbers when you book award seats on line?
Any info would be much appreciated.
Thanks

BA Club World is top/tail setout but flat. They get a good write up - Airline Seating Charts - Best Airplane Seats - SeatGuru will give you idea of best seats

 

[craven morehead]

BA Club world are quite good :mrgreen: CM

 

[megmcw]

Log on to Skytrax - they have a detailed site of, flat seats, sloping seats, seat plans plus passenger information on seats. Each Airline listed.
If you book with QF they can give you seats of your choice, but if they book you through another airline it is almost impossible to get seats. American Airlines made it easy but BA and Cathay are difficult.
I would rather the 747 - depending on the configuration. Seat Guru is another site, but Skytrax has more detailed information. Hope that helps.

 

[kvalois]

I see someone inquired about Finnair and I completed a OneWorld RTW business travel recently, used Finnair to get from China to Europe, flying from Beijing to Helsinki. I found the service good, it was a day time flight, but very efficient and comfortable. I traveled next to a passenger who said he and his employees use Finnair to travel between London and Beijing on a regular basis (and find it less expensive than BA by far). Even thought the business class cabin was full, I had plenty of room, good entertainment choices, food was good and the seats are spaced well in that cabin. A good experience, and I would travel on RTW through China to Europe from PEK-HEL again.

 

[kvalois]

Really glad to see the posts about using the operator for QF award bookings. I have not done that before. I have found it IMPOSSIBLE to get awards both ways of a RT flight involving some destinations (example, SYD-HNL, where I have never been able to book Biz class awards both ways, and only find one direction or the other...and no, JQ is not the same ! have tried that before and found it rather unsatisfactory, unless you get the rare few ok seats in Biz class cabin).

I do fly alot (esp for business, doing several RTWs each year) and regularly save up and use points to get long haul biz class fairs for my husband and me. And spring for the taxes. I plan way ahead though, and am flexible about our travel dates. Generally I look for the long haul air fares in biz class first. Then we plan the rest of the trip around that.

 

[Andyzx]

Quote: Now can someone tell me which is the best plane to fly on - a 747-400 or a 777- 200/300, and what is the difference?

Prefer 747 top deck, check in online 24 hours before the BA flight and usually you can get up there. We usually start trying about 24h 10 minutes and both of us on different computers:!: Also if you can't get two joining seats get windows and usually the person on the isle will swap with you to get a window - just ask the BA staff they will arrange, add things like "just married", anniversary can also add to the pressure.

My wife and I flew Q to HK and then BA to Lon. We enjoyed the Q service but found the BA lie flat beds much better and facing each other window and isle, were really good for meals and take off landing etc. I understand that FIN now has great seats, from a friend of mine.

Some thoughts, often as there is only one award seat available try the next BA flight out, I know you’re on different flights but they are only 30 minutes or so apart and meet up at the airports. Also not sure how, but getting from HK to Shanghai must be easy and fly BA out of there or Beijing may be options to get two award seats. Generally we have given up trying to get 2 award seats to buy one, award one works well for us now.

Once you have booked check the threads on the lounges in HK, we don’t like the BA /Q lounge, so if you can get into the others (status) try them.