Group travel US to Australia to US

[FxTrader]

Hi Guys,

Never done this before so time to seek your advise.

Planning to pay for and bring 14 - 18 family members from the EU, Canada and the US to Australia for a major family event. After a 1st round of checking, seems QF has the best prices. None has QF FF membership nor probably ever fly on QF or visit Australia again.

Questions:

1) From what I can find, they can join QF FF for $0. Is that correct?

2) If they all join QF FF, the miles they earn from my purchase of their tickets can be family transferred to my QF FF account? Correct?

3) As they will probably all have different dates to leave and return, there is not much chance of any group discounts? Correct?

4) My WP status will not be of any use / help to them? Correct?

Any comments and/or suggestions are most welcome.

 

[drron]

All your statements are correct.
so none of the family are in to FF accounts?
You lucky fellow!

 

[Mwenenzi]

For family transfer they should meet the definition of "family" as QF ffp t&c's Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Terms & Conditions. List of the allowable realtionships.

'Eligible Family Member' of a Member means any person the Member can demonstrate, to the reasonable satisfaction of Qantas, as being related to that Member in any of the ways described below:

• Husband/Wife
• Parent/Step-parent
• Domestic Partner/De Facto
• Child, including foster & step-child
• Brother/Sister
• Half Brother/Sister
• Grandparent
• Grandchild
• Son/Daughter-in-law
• Brother/Sister-in-law
• Father/Mother-in-law
• Uncle/Aunt
• Nephew/Niece
• First cousin

If any of the family are a members of any OneWorld airline FFP the miles could go to them directly if you are feeling extra generous. BA have household accounts. If they want the miles directly AA, BA and/or AB may be better freq flyer programs long term for them

Very unusal for QF to have the best prices from such a wide range of destinations.
Will they fly economy, economy plus or business (OK if you do not want to disclose)?

 

[smit0847]

You must have lotf of money!

If you are interested in VA status, consider flying VA as you can family pool SCs which would prob give 2 ppl WP status. If everyone pooled to one person for the first leg that person would prob be WP for the return meaning he/she could treat some others to lounge access etc.

I would be contacting 3 different travel agents for quotes - they would be salivating about booking that many flights at once and should be able to give you a good discount (it should help their monthly budget enormously)

 

[drewbles]

You must have lotf of money!

If you are interested in VA status, consider flying VA as you can family pool SCs which would prob give 2 ppl WP status. If everyone pooled to one person for the first leg that person would prob be WP for the return meaning he/she could treat some others to lounge access etc.

I would be contacting 3 different travel agents for quotes - they would be salivating about booking that many flights at once and should be able to give you a good discount (it should help their monthly budget enormously)

Keeping in mind, you can only pool one person over 18 to another, and they must be at the same address

 

[Katy]

Keeping in mind, you can only pool one person over 18 to another, and they must be at the same address

On VA? I have family pooling from my son to me so if that's the case then it's something they've changed in the last 2 years. We're both at the same address though

 

[FxTrader]

For family transfer they should meet the definition of "family" as QF ffp t&c's Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Terms & Conditions. List of the allowable realtionships.
If any of the family are a members of any OneWorld airline FFP the miles could go to them directly if you are feeling extra generous. BA have household accounts. If they want the miles directly AA, BA and/or AB may be better freq flyer programs long term for them

Very unusual for QF to have the best prices from such a wide range of destinations.
Will they fly economy, economy plus or business (OK if you do not want to disclose)?

They all meet the "family" definition. Was surprised that QF came in lowest. May be the time of year (Sept) or 6 months in advance booking. Some will be flying Y+ and some J. None of them are flyers and know nothing about FF programs. While the cost is relative to income, the total of the points is very significant and something I would like to be able to recoup for the airfare purchases.

Will of course be running this by a few travel agents to see if they can get better prices than I can. Problem is there are multiple departure points and the dates do not align. So hard to get a deal on the now 16 tickets. So as I see it my best shot to get some value back for the funds spent on the purchases is to get the miles to end up in my QF FF account.

 

[FxTrader]

You must have lotf of money!

If you are interested in VA status, consider flying VA as you can family pool SCs which would prob give 2 ppl WP status. If everyone pooled to one person for the first leg that person would prob be WP for the return meaning he/she could treat some others to lounge access etc.

I would be contacting 3 different travel agents for quotes - they would be salivating about booking that many flights at once and should be able to give you a good discount (it should help their monthly budget enormously)

Interesting. Did not know you can pool SCs in a family VA account. Any other alliances that allow SC pooling? As I see it now, the only way to get SCs from the purchases is via QF miles pooling and then doing QF Jaxas.

 

[FxTrader]

All your statements are correct.
so none of the family are in to FF accounts?
You lucky fellow!

They do not fly very much. If any flights are done, they are just short local hops. Seems I'm the only family member who lives in planes

 

[Red Roo]

They all meet the "family" definition. Was surprised that QF came in lowest. May be the time of year (Sept) or 6 months in advance booking. Some will be flying Y+ and some J. None of them are flyers and know nothing about FF programs. While the cost is relative to income, the total of the points is very significant and something I would like to be able to recoup for the airfare purchases.

Will of course be running this by a few travel agents to see if they can get better prices than I can. Problem is there are multiple departure points and the dates do not align. So hard to get a deal on the now 16 tickets. So as I see it my best shot to get some value back for the funds spent on the purchases is to get the miles to end up in my QF FF account.

I hope we have the opportunity to look after your family on what sounds like a trip of a lifetime, for very special occasion. We have a recently travelled "Modern Family" that can vouch for our services.

However I thought I'd share some handy hints that would be useful regardless of who your booking agent is:

- ensure passenger names on the tickets match their passports and Frequent Flyer memberships
- fares and routing will vary according to departure point and availability, therefore it may be best to make 16 individual bookings
- since you're booking so far in advance, separate bookings will also offer added flexibility (e.g. adhoc routing, date and time changes) without disrupting others in the same booking
- passengers on different fares, dates and routes will have to be booked separately anyway
- all bookings can be linked where appropriate, and easily amended if necessary
- new Qantas Frequent Flyer members can claim points for eligible flights taken up to 30 prior to joining
- Business passengers may have access to lounges where others won't...we don't want any arguments, especially on the return ex SYD.

 

[11sjw]

Sign them up for a FF account yourself. If they have no idea of it carry out the administration of it including the family transfers yourself. They'll be none the wiser and you'll have a shed load of FF points!

​P.S. Happy to nominate as your long lost cousin should you feel like sharing!

 

[FxTrader]

I hope we have the opportunity to look after your family on what sounds like a trip of a lifetime, for very special occasion. We have a recently travelled "Modern Family" that can vouch for our services.

However I thought I'd share some handy hints that would be useful regardless of who your booking agent is:

- ensure passenger names on the tickets match their passports and Frequent Flyer memberships
- fares and routing will vary according to departure point and availability, therefore it may be best to make 16 individual bookings
- since you're booking so far in advance, separate bookings will also offer added flexibility (e.g. adhoc routing, date and time changes) without disrupting others in the same booking
- passengers on different fares, dates and routes will have to be booked separately anyway
- all bookings can be linked where appropriate, and easily amended if necessary
- new Qantas Frequent Flyer members can claim points for eligible flights taken up to 30 prior to joining
- Business passengers may have access to lounges where others won't...we don't want any arguments, especially on the return ex SYD.

Thanks for the advise.
For many it will be their once and only taste of Australia, so Qantas is the airline of choice.
Will do a 4 day or so stop over in Sydney on the way back.
Travel will be Y+ and J for senior family members.

 

[CaptJCool]

So you're going to pump something like $60,000 (say 14 Y plus at like 2500 - 4000 per head and 4 Bus at around $7000 into QF coffers.... I hope on the quiet, you are getting some traction on that. while publicly the rules are the rules, I'm staggered they appear too stingy to do anything better, this is the kind of service opportunity that provides great free advertising in the places from where your relatives will travel - have you checked out group sales webpage or 132624.

Also, with a group the size you are proposing, oft[h=3]Qantas Conference online includes:[/h]

• Access to the most competitive domestic and international fares
• Dedicated event webpage including logos of your company and Qantas
• Quick and easy 24 hour booking access including hyperlink to Qantas.com booking engine
• Full tracking and reporting facility with dedicated conference coordinator
• For every 50 domestic tickets one bonus ticket* or travel voucher
• For every 20 New Zealand tickets one bonus ticket*
• For international events, bonus tickets* subject to destination city and delegate numbers
• Frequent Flyer points on flown Qantas flights

* For bonus tickets you will need to pay taxes, fees and service charges.

In the airline world, it would come with flight vouchers for the group organiser, you, or free tickets just like above - I would be really shocked if some arrangement couldnt be worked out for you given the quantum and price value of the tickets - perhaps they will extend your WP for forever lol!
the points above from the conference page on qantas website. i wonder if the AFF forum has considered re-badging its annual gathering as a conference to take advantage of the opportunity above.... muses...

 

[FxTrader]

So you're going to pump something like $60,000 (say 14 Y plus at like 2500 - 4000 per head and 4 Bus at around $7000 into QF coffers.... I hope on the quiet, you are getting some traction on that. while publicly the rules are the rules, I'm staggered they appear too stingy to do anything better, this is the kind of service opportunity that provides great free advertising in the places from where your relatives will travel - have you checked out group sales webpage or 132624.

Also, with a group the size you are proposing, oftQantas Conference online includes:

• Access to the most competitive domestic and international fares
• Dedicated event webpage including logos of your company and Qantas
• Quick and easy 24 hour booking access including hyperlink to Qantas.com booking engine
• Full tracking and reporting facility with dedicated conference coordinator
• For every 50 domestic tickets one bonus ticket* or travel voucher
• For every 20 New Zealand tickets one bonus ticket*
• For international events, bonus tickets* subject to destination city and delegate numbers
• Frequent Flyer points on flown Qantas flights

* For bonus tickets you will need to pay taxes, fees and service charges.

In the airline world, it would come with flight vouchers for the group organiser, you, or free tickets just like above - I would be really shocked if some arrangement couldnt be worked out for you given the quantum and price value of the tickets - perhaps they will extend your WP for forever lol!
the points above from the conference page on qantas website. i wonder if the AFF forum has considered re-badging its annual gathering as a conference to take advantage of the opportunity above.... muses...

Thanks for the feedback.

Once the dates are locked down, the fun will begin. Locking down the dates, probably all different and with many wishing to see other parts of Australia, may be a major issue. Don't expect the booking process will be simple nor quick.