FF newbie needing advice

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Chris13491

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Oct 14, 2019
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Hey guys, complete and utter newbie here with the FF program.

So my partner and I are looking at heading to America next year and we are looking to use our points for upgrades to and from the states and linking our FF to as many flights as possible.

Looking for a bit of help and assistance as to best way to go, we are tossing up between business on the way over or premium economy both there and back.

No flights have been booked as yet as we are leaving approx this time next year.

The flights we will be looking at are as follows

Adelaide to LA
San Francisco to Austin
Austin to Las Vegas
Las Vegas to Calgary
Calgary to Toronto
Toronto to New York
New York to New Orleans
Louisville to Sydney
Sydney to Adelaide

We are looking at hiring cars at points to explain the gaps in the travel there.

Any advice, tips and pointers would be amazing as I’m a bit over my head with all of this.

Ive been told that due to our new status as members (will have 2 domestic return flights on the accounts each by the time we travel) that we are unlikely to receive an upgrade. if this is the case, when would we find this out, could we ring qantas to speak to them in regards to an upgrade before spending the money on flights only to find we don’t receive the upgrade? If this is the case I would prefer to put the points towards the flights and pay less.

Any advice or tips would be incredibly helpful!

thanks in advance
 
Welcome to AFF Chris

At first glance if you're talking about using QANTAS (QF) FF points to upgrade, they will only be ogod on QF operated flights, so the long legs between SYD/MEL/BNE and LAX/SFO (or other pots such as DFW and ORD). Internal North American flights booked with American Airlines, Westjet oor any other airline will not be able to be upgraded with QF points at all. Your Aus domestic connections to/from ADL would be upgradeable, unless you wind up on a Jetstar flight or similar.

With regards to your comment about having no status and thus difficulty in upgrades on the long transpacific flights.. that is correct - it will be very hard on long haul popular flights.

You also cannot upgrade cheap Sale fares - this is a gotchya which oftn gets people.

In general the best strategy to maximise chance for upgrades are:

1. Avoid school holidays
2. Business passengers usually fly less midweek, ie Tue/Wed, so these are days to consider booking the long flights on
3. I would think about flights to/from places that aren't LA, or on less popular flight sectors, such as LAX-BNE, or SYD/MEL-SFO, BNE-SFO/ORD(starting next year). These flights may have more availability for upgrade seats.

With no status you will be among the last to be processed for upgrade requests behind all those with status. Calling QF won't help much - they might offer you an "upgrade" in terms of paying the cash fare difference to the next class up.

If I were you, to be honest, I would wait for a Premium Economy sale to come up and book that to be sure of a minum level of comfort ensured.. then put in requests for upgrade. Another optiuon may be to consider Jetstar Business Class to Honolulu, then getting a Visit USA pass or similar (ask a travel agent) to cover all those domestic flights within Aus.

I am sure many others will chim in with much more helpful information. Good luck and above all enjoy your big trip - it looks like an exciting itineary from what you've posted above! :D
 
First you would only be able to register for points upgrades on flights marketed and operated by Qantas.
That is flights which have a QF flight number AND are being operated by QF metal (aircraft).
So that is likely to be any domestic sectors and perhaps the flights between AU and the US, depending on which flights you book.
You can't use points to upgrade on flights operated by partner airlines, even if they have a QF flight number due to a codeshare arrangement.
So the flights within the US will not be upgradeable. However if you choose American Airlines you can earn points and status credits.
Second, routes such as SYD-LAX are heavily booked and usually there are lots of upgrade requests, but you could be lucky depending on your travel dates.
Avoid school holidays!
Third, you are right that, as bronze frequent flyers, you will be at the bottom of the list for upgrades if they are available.
Fourth, the fare you pay does change your position somewhat.
In theory you are more likely to be upgraded from PE to J than from Y to J.
So it might be worth pursuing the option of PE both ways if you can find good fares.
I wouldn't usually advise this as in my view the PE fares are not great value as you usually pay close to a J fare for a product closer to Y.
Fifth, there is no point whatsoever in calling QF to discuss upgrade probability. They will not give you any useful information.
You may glean some information here but this is only really meaningful close to the date of departure.
By which point it is usually too late to book, and fares will usually be higher.
Finally, points plus pay is a pretty awful way of redeeming points and won't give you much value.
I'd be tempted to save the points for future need!
 
Thank you very much for the quick reply, we are a little stuck with dates as certain things over there are on particular dates which we are heading over for and want to be in specific places.

heading over late September I believe will be school holidays here, but not over there but working in our favour is mid week flights.

we would only be looking at upgrading the flights too and from America if possible but doesn’t sound like we will have a lot of luck!
 
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If you are wanting to upgrade, I'd put it as soon as possible. Obviously all the tiers above you will trump you over, but the earlier you put it, the better if you are competing with people with similar status.

Mid week flights may increase your chances. There have been low tier members who have secured upgrades, but again, it all depends how many people put one.
 
Tuesday is the best day for a transpacific flight, but as everyone else points out it will be a struggle for you to get what you want.

As someone else suggested go for a sale fare in PE and then request an upgrade.

Try Bris to LAX if the upgrade is really important to you.
 
I am a waffler, (talk too much),
Also look into buying the seat between the both of you as empty, if upgrades using points turns out a big no.
I have done this before, and as in non bulk head seats, the armrest can be raised, so you do have quite some space to wiggle, even if the seat belt is fastened.
For QF (Qantas), you have to phone up Customer Services and ask for a Comfort Seat booking, ie, you have 3 seats for the both of you.
PremyY is good, better than plain Y, but premY does not have lounge access, and not as plush as true J.
For this upcoming trip, without any status with QF, I would go with the Comfort Seat booking, but thats just me.
Comfort seat bookings for the longer sectors, might be option.
Going to the US, also look with flying the 380, rather than the 787, as the 380 will have more seats overall.
Trouble with upgrades, is that it also depends on availability, so that there is a small slight chance that one person might get from discY to premY, while the other doesn't get upgraded, or both will be unsuccessful, there is no hard and fast rule, when it comes to upgrade.
Sometimes, success is 100%, sometimes less.
What ever you do, don't be tempted to "cut corners", or to buy points off/from Ebay or anything else.
Adelaide to the US, you have to go via the eastern states, MEL is the easiest airport to transit from domestic to international, SYD and BNE you have to get buses between the domestic and international terminals.
Your very wide ranging plan/itineary, will make it a very complicated process.
I have been with with Qantas FF since 1997, and have not ever tried anything as complicated as yours.
There is a very very very very small chance of an upgrade, here and there, called an op(erational) upgrade, whereby without being asked, they might upgrade a person, have had it happen to me once with QF, they decided to put 90 or so kids into my seat in Y, and I got MEL - ADL to J without asking, just found out at the gate.
Your 2 domestic flights, under your belt by the time you fly to the US, "will hold no water" so to speak with QF, we are small fry, they are more keen on doing more for upper status members, ie, WP/P1 or CL, (google the codes if you don't know what they mean).
Yes, I admit a lot on here have flown and been with QFF since the very begining.
Adding your QFF # to your reward flights, in Y won't help, as most reward flights don't allow points collection.
Adding your QFF # to car bookings, that will at the least help you amass some points while driving in the US, if driving with QFF partners.
Adding your QFF # to hotel bookings, whether hotels booked with Qantas hotels, or with partners, will also add to your points tally a bit.
 
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