BD1959
Established Member
- Joined
- May 11, 2011
- Posts
- 2,337
- Qantas
- Platinum
*Hang Up and Call Again (or HUCA as it's sometimes referred to in its shortened form!)
Classic Example.
For some time now I've had a J award booking for 2 pax of MEL-HKG-MAN, BHX-DXB-BKK-SYD-MEL, QF-CX, EK-QF. The return dog-leg was the only availability I could find at the time of booking; the return is at the end of the coming school holidays and there was almost no availability in to Australia: nothing from the US, Asian (with the exception of that one exception of BKK-SYD. I do hear stories of EK opening up award closer to the date and have been avidly watching for some weeks, but there has been nothing in to any Australian port ex DXB.
Last night I spotted DXB-SIN and - as the stars would have it - 2 x F redemptions on QF36 for SIN-MEL. Great: this would cut 6hrs and 1 stop off the overall journey and turn a 7hr transit in BKK into a 6hr transit in SIN. The upgrade to F was of no importance: it's an overnight and I expect the crew to be ... well, usual QF F lottery. My only question was whether that F leg would turn the whole itinerary over to an F redemption.
I called the Premium Line and spoke with - I'm guessing from the accent - the NZ Call Centre. The CSE could not see the DXB-SIN that I could but, strangely, a flight 2hrs earlier which failed MCT (I couldn't see this). I asked her to check the date ... yes, that's right, and then asked why there was such a discrepancy - I'd seen tales here of mismatch, especially between QFF and partners, but never to this extent. "Oh, it happens sometimes, your view of the system is wrong" and with that I gave up.
This morning I checked and *my* DXB-SIN was still showing so I called back. Sure enough, the (Australian?) CSE could see it, but the SIN-MEL had dropped to 1 award seat. She confirmed that the cost would just be an upgrade to the SIN-MEL leg; put the DXB-SIN on hold and applied for the additional SIN-MEL F request in, which came back positive in a couple of minutes (surprised me as it's a pretty busy F cabin!).
10,000 change points well spent + the "upgraded leg" and slight tax increase (of course!)
But ... RESULT!!
Moral of the tale: HUACA.
Regards,
BD
Moral
Classic Example.
For some time now I've had a J award booking for 2 pax of MEL-HKG-MAN, BHX-DXB-BKK-SYD-MEL, QF-CX, EK-QF. The return dog-leg was the only availability I could find at the time of booking; the return is at the end of the coming school holidays and there was almost no availability in to Australia: nothing from the US, Asian (with the exception of that one exception of BKK-SYD. I do hear stories of EK opening up award closer to the date and have been avidly watching for some weeks, but there has been nothing in to any Australian port ex DXB.
Last night I spotted DXB-SIN and - as the stars would have it - 2 x F redemptions on QF36 for SIN-MEL. Great: this would cut 6hrs and 1 stop off the overall journey and turn a 7hr transit in BKK into a 6hr transit in SIN. The upgrade to F was of no importance: it's an overnight and I expect the crew to be ... well, usual QF F lottery. My only question was whether that F leg would turn the whole itinerary over to an F redemption.
I called the Premium Line and spoke with - I'm guessing from the accent - the NZ Call Centre. The CSE could not see the DXB-SIN that I could but, strangely, a flight 2hrs earlier which failed MCT (I couldn't see this). I asked her to check the date ... yes, that's right, and then asked why there was such a discrepancy - I'd seen tales here of mismatch, especially between QFF and partners, but never to this extent. "Oh, it happens sometimes, your view of the system is wrong" and with that I gave up.
This morning I checked and *my* DXB-SIN was still showing so I called back. Sure enough, the (Australian?) CSE could see it, but the SIN-MEL had dropped to 1 award seat. She confirmed that the cost would just be an upgrade to the SIN-MEL leg; put the DXB-SIN on hold and applied for the additional SIN-MEL F request in, which came back positive in a couple of minutes (surprised me as it's a pretty busy F cabin!).
10,000 change points well spent + the "upgraded leg" and slight tax increase (of course!)
But ... RESULT!!
Moral of the tale: HUACA.
Regards,
BD
Moral
