Domestic Award Flight - rule for less points when transiting?

[kooky]

Quick question, and I've searched/looked everywhere I could think of, just couldn't find the answer!

What is the rule on needing less points when it's just a transfer, not a stopover?

i.e. If I search:
Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne (no stopover) = 12000 points
Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne (stopover) = 8000 + 8000 points

What's the rule specifically to get it at 12000 points that would give me time to arrive in Sydney in the morning, see the city for a few hours, then get back on the later plane to Melbourne?

It it a case that the flights need to be on the calendar day?

I had this idea that you had to have <24 hours between each flight, but for some reason that theory doesn't hold, and I get quoted 8000 + 8000. i.e. If I land in Sydney late, and then take a morning flight to Melbourne, the whole lot within 24 hours, I still get quoted 8000 + 8000.

What's the scoop?

 

[jveevers]

You pretty well gotta take the next available flight that goes (in your case) Sydney-Melb.
If you want a later flight, you pay the extra.
Keep trying and looking at available flights. You might jag one that gives you a few hours layover to do your Sydney sightseeing.
I was lucky with a Fiji-Perth via Melbourne as I got into sydnay Sydney at 8am and my onward flight to Perth was 3pm.
Initially I was not happy at the prospect of 7 hours at sydney airport but decided to take a cab into town and spend a few hours there.
I would think that most BRIS_MELB would come up with a direct flight which i suppose would be your best next option if you cannot get one with a long layover.

 

[kooky]

Firstly, I just gave that trip as an example, I don't specifically want to fly that.
I'm just trying to understand the algorithm.

If I search Brisbane-Sydney 06:30 - 08:05,
I can pretty much select any of the flights to Melbourne that day, even 22:05-23:40, and it's 12000 points.

So it doesn't seem to be the case about next available flight.

However if I choose Brisbane-Sydney 20:55-22:30, overnight, and then Sydney-Melbourne 06:00-07:35, it's 16000 points.

Is the rule therefore that both flights must be on the same calendar day?

 

[harvyk]

The first one is technically a BNE-MEL booking stopping in SYD, the second one is a BNE-SYD and then a SYD to MEL. The first assumes that you want to get from BNE-MEL in the shortest possible time (but don't mind the stop over), the second one knows that SYD is an actual destination.

Of course if you can't do the booking via the website, call QF and tell them your plans. They may be able to do it over the phone, and will sometimes waive the cost if it's a valid booking which can't be made via their website.

On a BNE-SYD-MEL flight you sometimes do get a "helpful" check in person (assuming not OLCI) in BNE who offers a direct flight.

 

[kooky]

The first one is technically a BNE-MEL booking stopping in SYD, the second one is a BNE-SYD and then a SYD to MEL. The first assumes that you want to get from BNE-MEL in the shortest possible time (but don't mind the stop over), the second one knows that SYD is an actual destination.

With respect to transit hours, SYD-BNE 06:30-08:05 to BNE-MEL 22:05-23:40 is 14 hours yet BNE-SYD 20:55-22:30 to SYD-MEL 06:00-07:35 is only 7 hours. But on the latter you pay two trips. So the algorithm can't be based on time. Is it therefore based on calendar day?

Basically I'm trying to get creative and see if I can stop somewhere in Australia while on my way to somewhere, e.g. stop at Ayers Rock for 4 hours on my way to wherever. Knowing the algorithm means I can just shop via timetables instead of having to run the Award Flight search to find out the points needed.

 

[oz_mark]

The rules are to be found in the T&C's of the program (Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Terms & Conditions)

'Stopover' in relation to:
(a) an Australian domestic Itinerary, means a break of journey at an intermediate point when onward travel does not take place on the same calendar day; and

'Transfer' in relation to:
(a) an Australian domestic Itinerary, means a break of journey at an intermediate point when onward travel takes place on the same calendar day; and

 

[kooky]

Thanks so much! The needle in a haystack.
Sometimes you just have to know what you are searching for.

 

[medhead]

You can shop that via timetables anyway without knowing the rules if looking at exotic places. For somewhere like Alice you just need to find your arrival flight and then a departing flight 4 hours later and then try booking from the starting point to the final destination.

As far as the same day thing goes I see that rule but I'm not sure it is valid as I've seen a combination with an overnight stop in the middle that cost the same as the same day version.

The other rule that applies is that if you put 2 segments into the booking engine you will be charged for 2 segments - same day or not.


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