How do you book multi flights at different class levels on the same ticket?

[Taezar]

Hi guys.
Now I have tracked down my passport I am ready to go.
I didn't have time to call the call centre today to book (and they are challenging at the best of times <LAN>) and tomorrow I am in meetings from 8am through till 5pm off site so no chance to call. Then the call centre is closed on the weekends.
What I want to do is this:
23/04/2011
QF501 Discount Economy
LA800 Business Class
25/04/2011
LA801 Business Class
QF512 Discount Economy

I want it all on the same ticket incase I get delayed in BNE. If I don't make the connection I am screwed - I would only be in AKL for a day.
Can anyone suggest how I can make this happen - short of emailing a travel agent?
Thanks happy campers!
Taez

 

[V1213]

Hmm not sure for a booking with domestic legs, but Book Cheap Flights with iFly - iFly can definitely do it for international bookings. I can easily get mixed Business/Economy flights to Europe with Finnair by using their advanced search function.

iFly uses SABRE and is the most powerful and flexible Australian-hosted engine I'm currently aware of. What's more is that they generally don't seem to charge booking fees so they're often the cheapest!

Having a play with iFly now to see what I can get...

 

[Taezar]

also playing. my return from SYD to BNE is now sold out - so picking later cheapest avail... thanks!

 

[samh004]

While my solution wouldn’t have all flights on the same booking, the domestic Qantas flights can be paid via bank transfer, eliminating a CC fee, and then you know how to book the LAN flight on their US website, right?

But I can’t see a way around the call centre, other than to use a TA, or trust a friend with your details.

 

[V1213]

Having a play with iFly now to see what I can get...

Hit and miss results:

• Can get all one itinerary for $1717.29 but can only get a single itinerary booking with QF506 SYD-BNE on the way back, which is a 25 minute connection, which obviously doesn't work and probably can't be ticketed - not sure what will happen if you buy it. Otherwise, all other criteria are met by this. Fares are listed as: LPXO, DEEEJ223, DEEEJ223, LPXO, which looks like the QF legs are Super Saver, rather than Red-e-Deal.

• Can also get all the flights you wanted, selected as individual legs for $1565.73. At the confirmation screen it lists them as 2 separate groups of flights (QF and LA), with 2 separate sets of rules, so not sure if all flights will be considered as being on the same itinerary. Fares are listed as: EPTWEBU, SPXO for QF and DEEEJ223, DEEEJ223 for LA.

 

[Taezar]

LAN confuses the heck out of me. This morning when I tried to book I got $747 return SYD AKL SYD - now time $1288.
GAH!

 

[Taezar]

Hit and miss results:

• Can get all one itinerary for $1717.29 but can only get a single itinerary booking with QF506 SYD-BNE on the way back, which is a 25 minute connection, which obviously doesn't work and probably can't be ticketed - not sure what will happen if you buy it. Otherwise, all other criteria are met by this. Fares are listed as: LPXO, DEEEJ223, DEEEJ223, LPXO, which looks like the QF legs are Super Saver, rather than Red-e-Deal.

• Can also get all the flights you wanted, selected as individual legs for $1565.73. At the confirmation screen it lists them as 2 separate groups of flights (QF and LA), with 2 separate sets of rules, so not sure if all flights will be considered as being on the same itinerary. Fares are listed as: EPTWEBU, SPXO for QF and DEEEJ223, DEEEJ223 for LA.

I guess I am going to have to try and call during a toilet break or something. But last time I tried to call them it was a joke. They couldn't understand what I was trying to do, it took ages, and in the end they connected me to web support when I was trying to book a flight.

 

[Taezar]

bah humbug
just did a search on another agregator. Obviously they have sold out of the cheaper bus class fares.
that will teach me for losing me passport.
now to work out what to do over easter instead.
Loving iFly though!
EDIT: Actually all the cheap bus class fares disappeared a couple of weeks ago too. I might check each morning and evening just in case then suck it up and visit a travel agent to get decent connections, cause iFly's seem wacky

 

[V1213]

LAN confuses the heck out of me. This morning when I tried to book I got $747 return SYD AKL SYD - now time $1288.
GAH!

Looks like the cheap fare may be advance purchase only, as all dates within a week seem to be the more expensive price...

 

[Mal]

iFly uses SABRE and is the most powerful and flexible Australian-hosted engine I'm currently aware of. What's more is that they generally don't seem to charge booking fees so they're often the cheapest!

Hmm, I had heard of them before, but didn't know what you've mentioned above ... And after a few checks (once I actually found their flight booking engine!), I am impressed...

 

[V1213]

Loving iFly though!
EDIT: Actually all the cheap bus class fares disappeared a couple of weeks ago too. I might check each morning and evening just in case then suck it up and visit a travel agent to get decent connections, cause iFly's seem wacky

Not sure what's up with iFly's connections but I figure that if they give you the ticket then the airline has an obligation to your destination and you'll get there somehow... Hopefully the dodgy connection would be picked up at ticketing, rather than check-in, or worse, arrival at SYD.

Good luck getting a cheap fare! [For the record iFly has the LA fare for $1217, which is nicer than the $1288 available at most sites like Expedia].
A quick check of EF shows J9 D7 I5 Y9 B8 H0 K0 M0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G0 X0 for LA800 on 23/4 and J9 D9 I8 Y0 B0 H0 K0 M0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G0 X0 for LA801 on 25/4 so it looks like the Saturday is the problem, although there is supposedly availability in the I bucket. The QF codeshare (QF321) on the 23/4 also appears to be empty, so I'm not sure if this has the potential to affect the LA allocation at all... wishful thinking perhaps?

 

[Taezar]

Looks like the cheap fare may be advance purchase only, as all dates within a week seem to be the more expensive price...

but I am still over a week out - I dunno. I remember a few weeks back I checked June and September and they were 1288 so no idea.

EDIT: Do I book something else - thinking B&B on North Shore in SYD for a couple of nights or hope that the fares open... #firstworldproblem

 

[V1213]

EDIT: Do I book something else - thinking B&B on North Shore in SYD for a couple of nights or hope that the fares open... #firstworldproblem

Clearly the best option is to hope that fares open - if so, you will get to fly on LA800 with yours truly!

 

[Taezar]

Clearly the best option is to hope that fares open - if so, you will get to fly on LA800 with yours truly!

aye - I was already thinking of all the different ways, you, missafternoondelight and I could raise some hell in the lounge and AKL

 

[MiLK_MaN]

I really wish there was a way to combine an itinerary with QF Y and JQ *C. My upcoming trip of MEL-CGK-SIN-MEL would of been real nice paying for *C rather than burning points to upgrade from Y-J.

 

[ozmille]

Not sure what's up with iFly's connections but I figure that if they give you the ticket then the airline has an obligation to your destination and you'll get there somehow... Hopefully the dodgy connection would be picked up at ticketing, rather than check-in, or worse, arrival at SYD.

I heard of a couple of instances where the pax who missed his/her connection was forced to buy a new ticket at the airport because the agent booked under the MCT. For a simple Sydney to Brisbane this is not so much of an issue and pax can easily claim back from TA but I know some people who got stuck at SVO and had to spend a night there and then had to buy a OW back to Sydney. Expensive day to say the least...