Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

[Danger]

My experience today was not good . . .

I had another go today but got the same result.

Again, another help agent, but the end result was 164k in U for PER-xMEL-LHR, despite a classic on the exact same flights bein 128k. At my request the agent looked into it further. She referred to the section of the website that says 'In most cases the minimum points required for an any seat award will be more than for a classic award'. This is the first time I've seen it that way.

An extra 36k for pretty much nothing. Can't say I'm real happy.

 

[QF WP]

I did not know about a 3 hour ticketing safety margin so this morning my attempt to wake up and book and fly on a Marginal Any Seat status run thru Brisbane and Melbourne and back to Adelaide did not fly (so to speak).

That's because I had told them that I wasn't available to met you at the airport on Sunday .

 

[kevrosmith]

I had another go today but got the same result.

Again, another help agent, but the end result was 164k in U for PER-xMEL-LHR, despite a classic on the exact same flights bein 128k. At my request the agent looked into it further. She referred to the section of the website that says 'In most cases the minimum points required for an any seat award will be more than for a classic award'. This is the first time I've seen it that way.

An extra 36k for pretty much nothing. Can't say I'm real happy.

That would make it pretty clear that it is pricing as two sectors: PER-MEL 36K + MEL-LHR 128K....? Seems that the routing rules are not valid/being taken into consideration in this instance.

 

[Danger]

That would make it pretty clear that it is pricing as two sectors: PER-MEL 36K + MEL-LHR 128K....? Seems that the routing rules are not valid/being taken into consideration in this instance.

I agree that the 36k difference clearly means it's pricing as a stopover in MEL and I think the agent (again very helpful, happy to get some assistance and look deeper, not at all in a hurry to get me off the phone) agreed because she did say that it was not possible for her to instruct the system that it's a transit only (even though the timings of the flights should tell it this). Maybe the wording on the website about ASAs rarely pricing at the minimum classic level was an excuse but from the Google docs tabls it's clear that others have had success getting an ASA from MEL/SYD to DXB/LHR for the minimum (classic level). While they haven't been coming from PER, they are still getting the ASA at the minimum rate. That to me says either (now) two agents are wrong or WA flyers are getting a bum-steer (again).

 

[QF WP]

It sounds to me like the xASA rules are still showing that PER and ADL pax are able to travel (with one international stop) to LHR. Now we all know it hasn't been possible with the deletion of international services...so surely QF should change them to factor in the requirement, they must be allowed a transit in SYD/MEL/BNE...unless QF doesn't want their business :evil:

 

[tekkyy]

Has anyone (say WP) had success in asking them to release business award seat (say 2 x J) and then book it as ASA?
Or am I pushing it lol.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Has anyone (say WP) had success in asking them to release business award seat (say 2 x J) and then book it as ASA?
Or am I pushing it lol.

ISTR two instances of this occurring. One in F and one in J or something like that. As a general rule though, you are pushing it .

 

[Dmac6345]

I was lucky enough to get MEL-SYD-HKG return as a JASA from a classic award creation. This was the 1st time I tried it over the phone (MASA) and the CSR said, "I'm not sure I can do that, let's have a try". Sure enough, all went through. It is now listed under My Bookings as an Any Seat Award etc etc.
I have tried it again 3 times, but must have been beginners luck. For both myself and QF CSR.

 

[JessicaTam]

I was lucky enough to get MEL-SYD-HKG return as a JASA from a classic award creation. This was the 1st time I tried it over the phone (MASA) and the CSR said, "I'm not sure I can do that, let's have a try". Sure enough, all went through. It is now listed under My Bookings as an Any Seat Award etc etc.
I have tried it again 3 times, but must have been beginners luck. For both myself and QF CSR.

I think you have just been lucky, as it not the norm. I have tried in the past and have been unsuccessful.

 

[Kangol]

I was lucky enough to get MEL-SYD-HKG return as a JASA from a classic award creation. This was the 1st time I tried it over the phone (MASA) and the CSR said, "I'm not sure I can do that, let's have a try". Sure enough, all went through. It is now listed under My Bookings as an Any Seat Award etc etc.
I have tried it again 3 times, but must have been beginners luck. For both myself and QF CSR.

Do you mean you had an award seat released, then got it booked as an ASA? If so, I'm guessing only on the SYD-HKG leg (likely to be plenty of availability on MEL-SYD).

 

[bismarck]

Booked a SYD-WLG JASA last night and was having a chat with the CSR. She was of the view that they'll not be keeping these around for longer....was well on top of the fact that I was doing this for the SC's.

Took about 15 minutes as she had not done one for a while and had to check how to do them.

 

[kevrosmith]

Booked a SYD-WLG JASA last night and was having a chat with the CSR. She was of the view that they'll not be keeping these around for longer....was well on top of the fact that I was doing this for the SC's.

I've had a couple agents mention this too, though has always been followed up by rebuttals by managers and others during follow-up conversations, including reassurances by Red Roo in this forum and as others have reported elsewhere. When I hear an agent saying it, I take it as hear-say and agents making stuff up as they go along, which they seem to do from time-to-time to distract/placate the customer, or perhaps they are merely expressing their own internal thoughts/wishes, based on internal water-cooler talk and office gossip.

FWIW, the couple times I have been fortunate enough to have a J/F classic reward seat released, I have sought to have it booked as an ASA.... often trying HUACA to see if that would help. In all cases it has been denied. (Though not complaining... it just would've been a bonus to get the SCs and points).

 

[Deleted User]

She was of the view that they'll not be keeping these around for longer....

I Can't understand why they would want to remove them...

1. They make a lot of money off points in the first place, so removal of any sort of redemption will affect this revenue stream to some degree.
2. When booking a JASA/MASA/xASA or whatever you want to call them, there is also a significant payment of Cash required...more revenue.
3. These types of bookings are more lucrative for Qantas than the basic vanilla classic version (excluding the points & SC earn)
4. The points earn is trivial when compared with other "easy" points such as 10 point per $ voucher promotions.
5. The SC earn, while significant has a good effect on "customer retention / loyalty" so can also be seen as a positive to the bottom line.
6. People that are using these types of bookings for status, don't really fly enough anyway to clog up the usual high tier status perks.

I'm pretty sure that they know if these fares are removed then there will be some effect to pax flying habits, not easily measured but I'm thinking they dont want to take the risk.

If they were going to go...they'd be gone already...

 

[Aussie_flyer]

they have been saying that since the change from online bookings last year... I don't think they have a clue to be honest

 

[JessicaTam]

they have been saying that since the change from online bookings last year... I don't think they have a clue to be honest

Agreed. QF CSAs are starting to sound a bit like a broken record.

 

[cove]

Erica in Melbourne did mine efficiently today in about 12 minutes for 4 flights in J.

 

[DC3]

Erica in Melbourne did mine efficiently today in about 12 minutes for 4 flights in J.

You're lucky that you didn't get the other Erica.

 

[hossein_au]

Erica in Melbourne did mine efficiently today in about 12 minutes for 4 flights in J.

Had to call a 2nd time, but I got Sherri (spelling?), and she was absolutely brilliant. The only 2-second hiccup was when she asked for assistance fee, and a quick mention of RoQ 7740, and the fee was never mentioned again.

 

[JohnM]

You're lucky that you didn't get the other Erica.

Maybe it is the other Erica who, surely by now, has learned .

 

[QF WP]

Well, our successes will be short-lived after this announcement from Red Roo.

I see a large number of mASA's being booked in the next 3 month window - at least they have given us time to be able to make them. Kudos for the engagement, QF