Could I have done better on points??

[Willsmere]

Hi, just looking for some retrospective advice on a J class points booking from last December. Just wondering if I did ok with my booking? I booked about mid year to Japan for my family of 4. I thought I might have just enough velocity points for 4 J class one way to Japan and would just pay for the return leg. Anyway, after much shuffling of dates and arrival ports in Japan I found 4 J class seats Mel-Sin-cough on a day that suited for 110,000 velocity points each (might have been sale seats?). So I thought stuff it, I will book it. It also quoted about $280 for each ticket in taxes (about $1100), then about a month after the booking I got a refund to my credit card for the full amount of taxes. Worried the seats had been cancelled I rang and was told, very sorry, we charged you at the Singapore Air taxes by mistake so we are refunding the whole amount and your seats are fine. Anyway, great flight and service of course but on return did a bit of researching and it looks like if I had transferred the points to Krisflyer and done it through them I may have saved 90,000 velocity points even with the transfer loss. But, on the other hand I couldnt seem to find 4 J seats together on any flights direct with Singapore? Is this normal? So, my question is did I inadvertenly do myself out of 90,000 velocity points by not looking hard enough or perhaps waitlisting on flights? On the upside I ended up with no fees on the points booking. Interested in experts opinons. Cheers.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

You got refunded the fuel levy and other fees charged on rewards seats, and they didn't charge you the VA fuel fees and other fees involved with rewards seats?
Ouch, if I were you, I would not muse about it too much.
Yes, you had to pay more for the 4 seats, 90,000 each vs 110,000 each, but you had gained (I think I read it right), you were not charged any fees that usually go with reward seats.
Close that chapter, and work your way up towards amassing enough points for other rewards, would be what I would do.

 

[Fiches Mouser]

Hi, just looking for some retrospective advice on a J class points booking from last December. Just wondering if I did ok with my booking? I booked about mid year to Japan for my family of 4. I thought I might have just enough velocity points for 4 J class one way to Japan and would just pay for the return leg. Anyway, after much shuffling of dates and arrival ports in Japan I found 4 J class seats Mel-Sin-cough on a day that suited for 110,000 velocity points each (might have been sale seats?). So I thought stuff it, I will book it. It also quoted about $280 for each ticket in taxes (about $1100), then about a month after the booking I got a refund to my credit card for the full amount of taxes. Worried the seats had been cancelled I rang and was told, very sorry, we charged you at the Singapore Air taxes by mistake so we are refunding the whole amount and your seats are fine. Anyway, great flight and service of course but on return did a bit of researching and it looks like if I had transferred the points to Krisflyer and done it through them I may have saved 90,000 velocity points even with the transfer loss. But, on the other hand I couldnt seem to find 4 J seats together on any flights direct with Singapore? Is this normal? So, my question is did I inadvertenly do myself out of 90,000 velocity points by not looking hard enough or perhaps waitlisting on flights? On the upside I ended up with no fees on the points booking. Interested in experts opinons. Cheers.

Interesting – SQ usually have better availability (for their metal) than what I tend to see through VA, but it happens I guess.

Honestly, if it was me, I would probably cancel and re-book through SQ. There'll be significantly higher fees/taxes but I could easily get that value back out of the extra points.

It really just depends how much you value the points and if that outweighs the taxes charged by SQ.

The lesson: do you research

Best of luck Willsmere.