Help a newbie - ASA booking question!

[lovedbymarylane]

Hi all!

I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to the nitty-gritty of QFF points, so please bear with me!

I've been reading up on the changes to ASA bookings, and have seen people talk about booking Classic Awards as ASAs (over the phone). Does this mean, if I find a Classic Award seat I want, I can just book it as an ASA (thereby receiving SCs and points), for the same (or similar) amount of points?

For example, I was thinking of using 72,000 points to fly business (for the first time!) from MEL to PER return. It costs the same amount of points to do this with a stopover in ADL. If I were to book this as an ASA, I'd get an easy 6,454 points and 240 SCs, and since it'll probably be in January that I travel, that's 360 SCs (instant Silver!) with the 1.5xSC promotion happening.

Could I do that?

Thank you!

(NB: There are plenty of Classic Award seats available on the dates that I'm interested in, but the ASAs all cost at least 4 times as many points.)

 

[Princess Fiona]

Hi all!

I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to the nitty-gritty of QFF points, so please bear with me!

I've been reading up on the changes to ASA bookings, and have seen people talk about booking Classic Awards as ASAs (over the phone). Does this mean, if I find a Classic Award seat I want, I can just book it as an ASA (thereby receiving SCs and points), for the same (or similar) amount of points?

For example, I was thinking of using 72,000 points to fly business (for the first time!) from MEL to PER return. It costs the same amount of points to do this with a stopover in ADL. If I were to book this as an ASA, I'd get an easy 6,454 points and 240 SCs, and since it'll probably be in January that I travel, that's 360 SCs (instant Silver!) with the 1.5xSC promotion happening.

Could I do that?

Thank you!

(NB: There are plenty of Classic Award seats available on the dates that I'm interested in, but the ASAs all cost at least 4 times as many points.)

Yes, you should be able to do exactly that.
Not technically speaking a "stopover" in Adelaide but you will be transiting there.
Feed the telephone agent the flight numbers you want.
The co-payment will be a fair bit more than what you see on the classic award online. For MEL-ADL-PER rtn expect to pay ~$450

 

[ozbeachbabe]

For example, I was thinking of using 72,000 points to fly business (for the first time!) from MEL to PER return. It costs the same amount of points to do this with a stopover in ADL. If I were to book this as an ASA, I'd get an easy 6,454 points and 240 SCs, and since it'll probably be in January that I travel, that's 360 SCs (instant Silver!) with the 1.5xSC promotion happening.

Could I do that?

Thank you!

(NB: There are plenty of Classic Award seats available on the dates that I'm interested in, but the ASAs all cost at least 4 times as many points.)

If you're looking online you are not looking at the Any Seat Awards people are talking about as since 26 Jun this year they have to be booked over the phone.

What you are looking at is 'Points & Pay' which as you stated can be about 4 times as many points of often costs hundreds or even thousands of dollars more.

You only check Classic Award availability on the QF website to ascertain that there are "U" class seats available then you must call up and say you'd like to booked an Any Seat Award (which has a fare basis of UBPASROW) & refer to CSR to the 'Right on Q 7740' reference card so they can follow the step by step guide to selling you the correct airfare.

Checkout post #2 of the following thread:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....er-program/is-good-use-175k-points-54643.html

 

[lovedbymarylane]

Thanks for the clarification, Princess Fiona and ozbeachbabe! It all makes much more sense now.

I gave Qantas a call and it seems that the copay for MEL-ADL-PER return is over $800 - yikes. I was kind of expecting it to be around the Classic Award rates. Perhaps my business class dreams will have to wait.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Thanks for the clarification, Princess Fiona and ozbeachbabe! It all makes much more sense now.

I gave Qantas a call and it seems that the copay for MEL-ADL-PER return is over $800 - yikes. I was kind of expecting it to be around the Classic Award rates. Perhaps my business class dreams will have to wait.

That seems a little expensive
As a comparison I have booked SYD-MEL-PER rtn twice this year, once online prior to website changes and once on the telephone at ~$450 and ~$500 co-payments.

 

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the clarification, Princess Fiona and ozbeachbabe! It all makes much more sense now.

I gave Qantas a call and it seems that the copay for MEL-ADL-PER return is over $800 - yikes. I was kind of expecting it to be around the Classic Award rates. Perhaps my business class dreams will have to wait.

As reference, I have booked these quite a few times now since the removal of these off the website on June 26th...

July 2013 | Business | ADL > PER | 36k | $233.22 + $7.00 (80 SC)
Sept 2013 | Business | ADL > PER > ADL | 72k points | $462.72 + $7.00 (160 SC)
Sept 2013 | Business | ADL > PER > ADL | 72k points | $469.62 + $ 7.00 (160 SC)
October 2013 | Business | PER > ADL | 36k | $234.81 + $7.00 (120* SC - Booked using 1.5x SC offer)

 

[Pooch]

Soooo ... an October SYD>BNE>CNS (U) rt for 80K points + $505 copay is about right for the "new" JASA? Sorry to be an idiot, but this is the first time I've used the phone option - I followed NM's very helpful (thank you!) steps and the above was the result (Classic - 72K points). With thanks for any opinions ...

 

[Princess Fiona]

Soooo ... an October SYD>BNE>CNS (U) rt for 80K points + $505 copay is about right for the "new" JASA? Sorry to be an idiot, but this is the first time I've used the phone option - I followed NM's very helpful (thank you!) steps and the above was the result (Classic - 72K points). With thanks for any opinions ...

I've not personally booked this route but it sounds about in the ballpark

 

[Pooch]

Many thanks Princess F - always good to have an expert confirm that it is, in fact, reasonable! 'Specially when one is onl doing it to take advantage of the 50%+ SCs!

 

[Deleted User]

Soooo ... an October SYD>BNE>CNS (U) rt for 80K points + $505 copay is about right for the "new" JASA? Sorry to be an idiot, but this is the first time I've used the phone option - I followed NM's very helpful (thank you!) steps and the above was the result (Classic - 72K points). With thanks for any opinions ...

Is this a status run (travel purely to obtain Status Credits)? Or do you actually need to get to CNS...?

If its just a status run then SYD-BNE-TSV-BNE-SYD can be had for 48k points & ~$350 for the same SC earn

 

[Pooch]

Thanks shintaro ... it's purely and SC run ... but I need to fly biz (not just because I'm a wally, but ...) - and unfortunately I've already booked/paid ...

 

[Deleted User]

Thanks shintaro ... it's purely and SC run ... but I need to fly biz (not just because I'm a wally, but ...) - and unfortunately I've already booked/paid ...

No worries, Dont forget there is a very useful document available to help in these cases... https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...U3k1MThWMF9SVGh0cHp5RWdVeXc&usp=sharing#gid=0

 

[Pooch]

Good point shintaro ,,, and again, many thanks ... I might try that one also - together I'll be half way to maintaining WP