DXB to PER blackout

[MKenworthy]

Hi All,

Trying to book Classic Reward flights from DXB to PER in July (ideally in First, but would basically take what I can get) around the 22nd but looks like there's a blackout across the board on all Classic Rewards EK flights to Australia (and Singapore) during this timeframe. Have been tracking these dates since last year and wondering if there's any possibility that they will come up (not sure if this is common every year).

Can see that there's availability in Business on Emirates Skywards but don't have the points to book with Emirates. Is this likely to flow through to QFF at any stage or given how close it is am I screwed?

Appreciate any help/past experiences.

 

[Pushka]

Is that July 2017? Probably too late as it's school holidays etc. I start tracking 14 months out and as soon as they are released I'm booking.

 

[MKenworthy]

Is that July 2017? Probably too late as it's school holidays etc. I start tracking 14 months out and as soon as they are released I'm booking.

Yep July 2017, thing is I've been tracking for almost that long (June 2016) and they've never been available. It just seems weird that there's not even a stray Economy seat from Dubai to Perth/Melbourne/Singapore/Sydney over that time period.

 

[Pushka]

Yep July 2017, thing is I've been tracking for almost that long (June 2016) and they've never been available. It just seems weird that there's not even a stray Economy seat from Dubai to Perth/Melbourne/Singapore/Sydney over that time period.

Does it need to be Dubai? You could look at Cathay as their availability is excellent usually.

 

[Infrequent]

I, too, was watching around the same time last year (mainly for J). From memory, there was a point where the availability just disappeared on some routes (as in - available each day up to a certain date, then ... nothing). I wasn't looking as closely at DXB-PER at the time, but did notice that the PER-DXB flight availability, when it returned, had changed to only the 06:00 and not the evening flight ... and that the DXB-PER did likewise by August. "Interestingly" the only available flight was being "sold" as a380 (4 abreast in J) but subsequently was downgraded to the (7 abreast in J) b777.
Perhaps the EK bookings were quite solid on the evening flight, so only the morning offered, and now they've downgraded that, less seats available - so no excess for QF award bookings?

 

[MKenworthy]

Does it need to be Dubai? You could look at Cathay as their availability is excellent usually.

Assuming you mean does it need to be Emirates rather than Dubai? It's actually New York that we're leaving to get back to Perth. Easy to get JFK to DXB, it's getting out of DXB that's the issue. But yeah staying over in Hong Kong and getting back via Cathay is one of the back up options I'm looking at.

 

[JohnM]

Hi All,

Trying to book Classic Reward flights from DXB to PER in July (ideally in First, but would basically take what I can get) around the 22nd but looks like there's a blackout across the board on all Classic Rewards EK flights to Australia (and Singapore) during this timeframe. Have been tracking these dates since last year and wondering if there's any possibility that they will come up (not sure if this is common every year).

Can see that there's availability in Business on Emirates Skywards but don't have the points to book with Emirates. Is this likely to flow through to QFF at any stage or given how close it is am I screwed?

Appreciate any help/past experiences.

If something does happen to become available, be aware that taxes/fees are astronomical for award flights originating in DXB.

 

[Pushka]

Assuming you mean does it need to be Emirates rather than Dubai? It's actually New York that we're leaving to get back to Perth. Easy to get JFK to DXB, it's getting out of DXB that's the issue. But yeah staying over in Hong Kong and getting back via Cathay is one of the back up options I'm looking at.

No. I was thinking does it need to be Dubai as transit.

 

[hopefulQFF]

I did the JFK - HKG - Aus last year in J and it was good on Cathay. I didn't stopover in HKG and just connected back to Aus. The J product on CX is very comfortable and I got some good sleep.

I'd choose that over Emirates J (but I've not done F - which I assume is very nice!).

 

[MKenworthy]

Good info, cheers all. Looking into it JFK - HKG direct is ~$1400 USD cheaper on taxes (not that fussed on the points difference), the flight time suits us better, but can only get it in W. But travelling in Emirates F is on the bucket list and as we're travelling with an infant under 2 this may be the last chance we get to do it for many years... decisions, decisions...

 

[Pushka]

Good info, cheers all. Looking into it JFK - HKG direct is ~$1400 USD cheaper on taxes (not that fussed on the points difference), the flight time suits us better, but can only get it in W. But travelling in Emirates F is on the bucket list and as we're travelling with an infant under 2 this may be the last chance we get to do it for many years... decisions, decisions...

Except the EK seats aren't available. So....

 

[MKenworthy]

Except the EK seats aren't available. So....

Negative, if doing JFK-DXB-HKG the Emirates seats are available. It's just flying directly into anywhere Australia or Singapore from DXB that they're completely blacked out.

 

[Pushka]

Negative, if doing JFK-DXB-HKG the Emirates seats are available. It's just flying directly into anywhere Australia or Singapore from DXB that they're completely blacked out.

Ok. Back to tempting then.