Does this seem right? (Large change in taxes, changing LAX-SYD flight)

[Febs]

Hi all,

Just wondering if this seems right to you guys (I tried to check the cost of flights on Qantas.com as a rough guide, but that didn't really answer my questions).

I'm currently booked in J LAX-SYD on QF150 on Fri 30/5. I rang up our corporate TA to enquire about changing this to LAX-SYD two days later (Sun 1/6), who said they needed to get a quote from Qantas. Quote came back - approximately $1,050 more expensive (not including the TA's change fee)!

Does that seem right? J tix are flexible, so I believe the extra fees are from taxes and fare differences...but $1,000?

I also enquired about changing my flights into LAX and there were no extra costs involved there (travelling on AA F)...the extra cost only comes from the Qantas LAX-SYD flight.

Appreciate any advice.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[simongr]

The only thing I can think of would be a lack of availavility in your original booking class so having to change the fare basis (bit of a stretch I know). Availability shows:

QF 12 F6 A5 J1 C0 D0 I0 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9 X9 E9
QF 108 F6 A6 J9 C9 D9 I0 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9 X0 E9

Maybe the lack of C and D on QF12 moved you around a little?

And comparing the ticket price of a oneway fare LAX-SYD (in whY)

Taxes on 30 May = US$153.97
Taxes on 1 June = US$153.97

Hmm...

 

[ANstar]

Didnt they recently increase prices by 4% and then a few weeks later announce another increase of 3-4%

?

How long ago were these tickets booked?

 

[Febs]

Thanks guys.

simongr - Thought about that...but the original fare was in J (not D) so I wouldn't have thought that would cause a problem...

ANstar - They were booked about a month ago and ticketed probably ~3 weeks ago.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[serfty]

This does seem strange; seem like they are reticketing rather than revalidating.

Plug your Qantas booking reference and surname into the LAN e-ticket utility.

It should come up with the fare code.

Please advise and it can be looked up on E/F.

 

[NM]

Thanks guys.

simongr - Thought about that...but the original fare was in J (not D) so I wouldn't have thought that would cause a problem...

ANstar - They were booked about a month ago and ticketed probably ~3 weeks ago.

Cheers,
- Febs.

There can be lots of different fares that use the same booking class. You need to compare the full fare basis to know if it has been changed. For example. there is often a fare basis called "J" and there may be another called "J2JRT" that both book into J availability but could be priced differently and have different conditions.

 

[Platy]

Remember also that "flexible" does not mean you can simply change your booking from one business class seat to another available one on the same routing!!!

It used to, but not anymore!!!

It means that the money you have spent on a J ticket can be flexibly re-assigned to another booking (or you can opt for a very very long wait for a refund).

Thus if the J seat on the other flight is more expensive for some reason, you have to pay that price (using the money already paid towards it and coughoing up the difference)!!!

An unsubtle change in the definition of flexible with a win-win situation for the rude roo...

 

[Febs]

Thanks guys. Couldn't find my Qantas reference (only my PNR, which is interestingly a really cool one ) but my itinerary has the fare basis - all flights are J2JRT.

I'm not sure how much the SYD-LAX-SYD flights alone were, but SYD-LAX-DFW-MEM / MCI-DFW-LAX-SYD in J (QF) and F (AA) was a bit over $9.5k inc taxes.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[MelUser]

9.5K seems like a good deal for that route in J!

 

[Febs]

A bit more clarity from a very helpful QF staffer...

Apparently because my ticket is a "through" ticket (MCI-DFW-LAX-SYD on the same day), splitting it up is what's going to cause the bulk of the extra cost, not the actual change in routing.

Subject to availability (and my willingness to do so ), his suggestion was
to move the entire MCI-DFW-LAX-SYD to 1/6, and buy my own MCI-ORD-MCI. A lot of effort, but seems like the only way it could work.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Febs]

Subject to availability (and my willingness to do so ), his suggestion was
to move the entire MCI-DFW-LAX-SYD to 1/6, and buy my own MCI-ORD-MCI. A lot of effort, but seems like the only way it could work.

..and that's exactly what I've done. Travel centre didn't even charge me a fee to change my flights to Sunday 1/6, and I was able to get ORD-MCI as an award flight (still dirty that Qantas charge the 2,500pt fee for flights that can not be booked online, even for WP's...but oh well. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.)

Just thought I'd give an update.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[serfty]

Glad it all worked out.

...

Hmmm ... 18½K QFF points

for such a short trip.

I guess the USD301 return did not appeal.

 

[Febs]

Glad it all worked out.

...

Hmmm ... 18½K QFF points

for such a short trip.

I guess the USD301 return did not appeal.

Thanks.

It would've been USD$292 return on the flights I wanted, but given I have enough QFF points (still enough for those RTW tix for dad and myself ) I was happy to blow 10,500 for a $156AUD airfare. Granted, it's not the best way to spend my points, but meh...it's not a lot of points given I've probably earnt ~65,000 on this trip alone.

So end result was $156AUD (inc taxes) for MCI-ORD and 10,500+$2.70AUD for ORD-MCI.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Evan]

Points are only good if you use them
I find that a great use of points when you feel the $$ is too much.
And one way fares.
E

 

[MelUser]

Where was your fare bought? 9.5K is good for an OZ to US fare in J.

 

[Febs]

Where was your fare bought? 9.5K is good for an OZ to US fare in J.

Corporate travel agency - I imagine we have a fairly good deal with them given the amount of travel we do.

The $9.5k fare (according to my itinerary) included a number of US domestic sectors in F class (on AA) too.

Cheers,
- Febs.