Just made a terrible value redemption in order to help a family figure

[Quickstatus]

Maybe change the title to "...help an eligible family member"

 

[Seat0B]

And I have lots of cousins! I already outed myself recently in another thread for doing something similar on a domestic flight. No one even looked twice.

 

[JohnK]

I've helped out friends a few times as I knew they were struggling at the time.

 

[tdimdad]

I've only flown kids between parents, etc, but the your redemption was the best value of them all! The kindness you exercised carries far. It may have hogged away a sizeable amount of points but for the best of purposes.

 

[Michenny]

A friend needs to go see her granddad in the UK as he has terminal cancer. She is strapped for cash and couldn't really afford to go. So I offered to buy her the tickets using points. Of course this is happening in the peak travel time (July) so there were hardly any availability. Found economy seats via USA. She is over the moon about being able to go, and I'm happy for her, but I am sad about my points balance! I also covered most of the taxes/fees so she's getting this trip for $500.

She did promise a lot of baby sitting in return though, so I'm getting something out of it

Has anyone else used points to help out friends in need?

Karma will reward you in spades.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

She's our child's godmother if that counts. I'm sure that if they audit the booking they'd understand and let it slide. I'm not too worried about it.

I would confirm with your ‘friend’ the nature of your relationship. My sister’s domestic partner (same address and everything) was asked to state the nature of their relationship at check-in. aover jealous checkin agent? Perhaps the account was flagged by audit with a note sent to check-in? I guess it doesn’t matter, but they can ask.

This will only be an issue ex australia i suspect, and by Qantas if qantas is the operating airline. If they’re on a partner airline like AA I doubt they’d get involved.

 

[Lost Redditor]

I would confirm with your ‘friend’ the nature of your relationship. My sister’s domestic partner (same address and everything) was asked to state the nature of their relationship at check-in. aover jealous checkin agent? Perhaps the account was flagged by audit with a note sent to check-in? I guess it doesn’t matter, but they can ask.

This will only be an issue ex australia i suspect, and by Qantas if qantas is the operating airline. If they’re on a partner airline like AA I doubt they’d get involved.

It's a Qantas flight out of Australia...

Feeling more and more like I should just help her with cash rather than points. I rely too much on points to gamble with my account and points balance.

I might contact Qantas and see if they can make an exception on compassionate grounds.

 

[Quickstatus]

I might contact Qantas a

Just don't use your FF number when it asks you to during the waiting period. Stay anonymous

 

[Flyfrequently]

In South East Asia, male aquaintance senior to you is an "uncle" and female - "auntie"

Having "ABC's" (Australian Born Chinese) in our family everyone is respectfully addressed by Auntie or Uncle.

 

[Lost Redditor]

Having "ABC's" (Australian Born Chinese) in our family everyone is respectfully addressed by Auntie or Uncle.

Somehow I don't think this counts

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It's a Qantas flight out of Australia...

Feeling more and more like I should just help her with cash rather than points. I rely too much on points to gamble with my account and points balance.

I might contact Qantas and see if they can make an exception on compassionate grounds.

I would absolutely NOT call qantas!! That’s just asking for an over zealous operator to flag the booking, or worse, somehow cancel it by accident.

It happens rarely, and i doubt its even going to be an issue. But sometimes checkin agents can be weird. We had one the other day insist they couldn’t check us in for Indonesia unless we had the covid tracking app. Which they couldn’t even find, was all in indonesian when we did find it, and in the end they made an ‘exception’ to allow us to board.

the tracker is no longer a requirement for entry!

Cash fares have really come down lately. Might be quicker to buy a cash fare and take a hit on the 6000 point cancellation fee?

 

[Quickstatus]

cash fare and take a hit on the 6000 point cancellation fee?

Fair point as in general, Y redemptions are of less value than J redemptions. Certainly a cash fare would also allow a more direct route.

 

[Ade]

I might contact Qantas and see if they can make an exception on compassionate grounds.

I would ansolutely NOT call qantas!! That’s just asking for an over zealous operator to flag the booking, or worse, somehow cancel it by accident.

What @MEL_Traveller said ... do not call QF ... just let your *cousin* know that when/if asked she can state your *cousin-ly* relationship ... works always ...

 

[flyingfan]

I might contact Qantas and see if they can make an exception on compassionate grounds.

I would not be doing this. Not that I encourage breaking the T&Cs but they probably wouldn't have known that your friend isn't an eligible family member but when you tell them, they definitely will and will probably cancel the ticket and worse. T&Cs aren't known to be compassionate.

 

[Quickstatus]

they definitely will

Not if you remain anonymous and don't quote your FF number.

If going to ring up ask what QF requires as evidence of kinship. Just say you are thinking of making a rewards booking, not that you have made one

 

[justinbrett]

I am fortunate to have many cousins and brothers in law.

 

[Lost Redditor]

I would be cancelling if they gave me a "no" on the phone. There is availability on VA, so I can scrounge up a few extra points and book there as they have no such restrictions I believe.

While it's tempting to just chance it, my partner and I will be flying at around the same time, in J around EU and USA, and the thought of them cancelling our flights and suspending my account is just too scary

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I would be cancelling if they gave me a "no" on the phone. There is availability on VA, so I can scrounge up a few extra points and book there as they have no such restrictions I believe.

While it's tempting to just chance it, my partner and I will be flying at around the same time, in J around EU and USA, and the thought of them cancelling our flights and suspending my account is just too scary

The policy is set out in the terms and conditions. Agents of the airline do not have the authority to vary those terms and conditions. So they can’t really say ‘ok’. Even if they did, their excuse would be that they didn’t understand what you were really asking.

 

[Lost Redditor]

The policy is set out in the terms and conditions. Agents of the airline do not have the authority to vary those terms and conditions. So they can’t really say ‘ok’. Even if they did, their excuse would be that they didn’t understand what you were really asking.

Okay, that makes sense. So I think best course of action is to just book her on a VA flight. Seems to be a fair of bit of award availability.

 

[Quickstatus]

Having "ABC's" (Australian Born Chinese) in our family everyone is respectfully addressed by Auntie or Uncle.

Everyone is everyone's auntie and uncle
The BA chaperones for unaccompanied minors are called Aunties and Uncles