Decoding fares / AA Platinum Challenge

[thadocta]

Thanks Lindsay - it is probably a good thing that Scott isn't around.

Dave

 

[NM]

Thanks Lindsay - it is probably a good thing that Scott isn't around.

Now that would be entertaining .

 

[QF WP]

My thoughts exactly :wink: - your comments would have been tame by comparison

 

[Bob]

Well I followed Lindsay's advice, made it back to Brizzie and have just checked AA to confirm I now have Platinum membership from that one flight LAX to BNE. Plus upgraded to business class. So success all round thanks.

Bob

QF Plat, AA Plat, QC Life, AC Elite, AN Diamond & GW Life (RIP)

 

[NM]

Bob, congratulation on completing the AA LOC (Lack Of Challenge) . Now you have OneWorld Sapphire status and can use the Qantas Pub any time you are flying QF or any other OneWorld airline.

I assume the upgrade was operational! Congratulations again. The benefits of travelling alone and on a B fare no doubt. So we get a trip report?

 

[QF WP]

Bob, some days are diamonds, aren't they :wink: - nice operational upgrade, that would have been so hard to take (I can't understand why you didn't turn it down though :? :roll: )

Allow me to echo NM's comments and enjoy your 14 month AA Plat membership. May you travel frequently to make use of the bonus points and re-qualify next year.

 

[thadocta]

Bob, we are having a get-together in the BNE QP on Wed 08DEC - want to attend?

*Technically* you would have to be flying to get in, but there are enough Plat's there to get you in, and even if there aren't, there are some Gold's flying in who can get you in as a guest.

Dave

 

[NM]

*Technically* you would have to be flying to get in, but there are enough Plat's there to get you in, and even if there aren't, there are some Gold's flying in who can get you in as a guest.

And if you can pass as one of my children there is no limit to how many we can get in! Last week I took the family in. Only Mrs NM (Bronze FF) and MiniNM#4 (3 weeks old) were flying. Using my Plat card we all waltzed in (Me, Mrs NM, and 4 MiniNM's).

The again yesterday for their return, with non of us flying, me and the three MiniNM's again walzed into the QF to await their return from the west. It was a shame that it was standing room only due to the airporgt being closed for a few hours due to the storms and all departing flighs significantly delayed.

 

[Bob]

Dave, Thanks for the invite. I would love to be there but am leaving for Canada in a week and won't be back until mid Feb.

Lindsay, I'm not sure what an operational upgrade is (other than luck), but this was not one. It was an upgrade certificate given to me by QF customer care as a goodwill gesture after I got stuffed around some months ago. It works on a 'space available' basis so if there are any J seats left when the flight closes then you are in the running for one. The QF ground staff at LAX were really proactive and helpful in getting my QF Oneworld emerald status linked to my (then) basic AA membership so I would have some priority in getting the upgrade.

No exciting trip report. I took a sleeping pill and crashed for the flight. The best way to travel IMHO.

Thanks for all your good wishes. I shall do my best to travel in style.

 

[NM]

Dave, Thanks for the invite. I would love to be there but am leaving for Canada in a week and won't be back until mid Feb.

Hmm, Canada between November and February. I hope you like snow! Than again, what other reason could there be for spending the winter months in Canada. Enjoy!

Lindsay, I'm not sure what an operational upgrade is (other than luck), but this was not one.

An operational upgrade (or op-up as we often call it) is when the cabin in which you have a paid ticket has more people seeking seats than available seats exist (could be due to overselling, waitlisted passengers, other flight cancellations or passengers missing earlier connections) and seats exist in the next cabin forward (ie business class or first class). So the airline decides to upgrade some people from the lower cabin to a premium cabin for "operational" reasons.

Op-ups can have flow on affects. It is unusual for anyone to receive an op-up from WHY to First Class. In a situation where there is a spare seat in First and waitlists in WHY, a business class passenger will get an op-up to F, and a WHY passenger will get an op-up to business class.

Most airlines have a policy of giving priority for op-ups to their elite status frequent fliers. QF will look for a Platinum member to upgrade if someone needs to be upgraded for operational purposes. Debate continues as to how the choose which of the plat members gets to smile.

 

[kpc]

AA platinum challenge looks the way to go...

Also note that the 26K AA points is probably worth more than the 31K QF points. AA awards on QF in Australia/NZ are all the same cost, not matter of distance. 20K points gets you anywhere inside Australia and NZ in economy, and 30K in business class - including PER-AKL if you want.

NM, Lindsay or anyone else please, if you use AA points to redeem a QF flight within Australia, do these awards seats come out of the same QF award seat allotment or a different allotment? Eg If I see an award seat available on the QF web page, would this be available as well when I ring up AA to book it?
Thanks.

 

[NM]

I believe they come from the same bucket as QF awards. As a QF WP, I get award seats on AA from X and T inventory, so I would expect it to work the other way around.

Economy awards on domestic Australian flights are readily available, especially for Gold and Plat QF members, so I expect that will also be the case for AA Plat and Exec Plat members. Business Class awards can be harder to find, but are still there so long as you are willing to fly off-peak times of the day and avoid high demand times like school holidays, long weekends etc.

But, a high status QF members can request an award seat be made available when one does not exist on QF flights (this is unpubished and the request is at the discretion of the Premium Desk and considered by the revenue management dept - no guarantees). But an AA member does not have the abality to make such a request.

Also note that a QF FF member can use points for upgrades. And for international flights can waitlist for an upgrade. Now we all know that the points required for these uprades and QF awards are about to go through the roof (come May 2005). So that makes AAdvantage even more attractive for award flights in Australia/NZ.

 

[Ekka]

"But, a high status QF members can request an award seat be made available when one does not exist on QF flights (this is unpubished and the request is at the discretion of the Premium Desk and considered by the revenue management dept - no guarantees)."

NM, would an SG qualify, or do you think "high status" equates to CL/WP only, in this respect?

 

[QF WP]

Not sure whether SG get the same availability, Ekka, but can always be requested:

(the) request is at the discretion of the Premium Desk (read "QF Reservations" in your case) and considered by the revenue management dept - no guarantees

If one never asks, one will surely never get.

 

[NM]

Different people have reported different success in having award seats released upon request. I have been successful twice in the past, but this is going back quite a few years. I have not tried recently. I suspect a Gold member would have less chance of being successful, but it never hurts to ask. It will all depend on the current and predicted load for the flight.

 

[serfty]

Different people have reported different success in having award seats released upon request. I have been successful twice in the past, but this is going back quite a few years. I have not tried recently. I suspect a Gold member would have less chance of being successful, but it never hurts to ask. It will all depend on the current and predicted load for the flight.

As a Equiv. WP, I was generally successful (about 75%). As an SG, this dropped to approx 25%. It really seems to depend on the quality of the request as referred by the CSO. If they sound hopeful over the telephone you seem to have more chance.