KrisFlyer Business Savers waitlist

[mjward55]

Hoping to book 3 Business Savers in Sep 2010 (booking in advance as I know how hard redemption seats are to obtain).
We were able to book 2 Business Savers.
We have to waitlist for the 3rd business saver.

Do any members have any experience with how obtaining confirmed seats from the business saver waitlist.

As an aside Y is available.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

This is my first post.

 

[albatross710]

My experience is that the waitlisted seats have always come through twice for me. It must be getting close now to your ticketing deadline, so give the KF Singapore call centre a call and see how it is progressing.

My understanding is that there are likely to be a limited number of J redemption seats available on each flight, perhaps your first 2 are the last J redemption seats.

I have seen another thread on here with a similar issue http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...lyer/krisflyer-redemption-help-2-f-19334.html

Give consideration to taking the two J seats and having them ticketed. Then keep on plugging away at the third seat, possibly booking an economy redemption which you later upgrade/cancel.

Alby

 

[mjward55]

Alby - thanks so much for kindly posting your reply, muchly appreciated for a newbie like myself. I have also read the other thread which you suggested.

I have taken the two J seats and will now proceed to waitlist for the 3rd. I actually rang KrisFlyer and asked if I waitlisted in J (whilst economy was showing available) would that mean the Y would be confirmed and I would be waitlisted for J upgrade....but that is not the case. KrisFlyer also advised that you would not be able to have a dupe booking on the same flight for both Y and J. So maybe booking Y and constantly checking status of J is the way to go.

Interesting to read about the F on the 747 with a change of equipment consequences.

I have been trying to find out if our SIN-AMS and MAN-SIN flights will have lie flat beds as the SQ system shows a possibility of 3 777-200/ER configurations, some of which only have reclining seats. For such long-haul flights I just expected they would have lie-flat seats. So if you know how to find out the exact aircraft type that would be great.

thanks again Mark

 

[albatross710]

I have been trying to find out if our SIN-AMS and MAN-SIN flights will have lie flat beds as the SQ system shows a possibility of 3 777-200/ER configurations, some of which only have reclining seats. For such long-haul flights I just expected they would have lie-flat seats. So if you know how to find out the exact aircraft type that would be great.

thanks again Mark

Even better, I just completed the SIN-AMS leg last month. Seats are definitely not lie flat, they are what people refer to as skybeds. This was the seat layout I had last month SeatGuru Seat Map Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200ER (772)

Personally I found them quite comfortable to sleep in. I loved the feeling after about 30 minutes of little adjustments that you have when you have it just right.

While lie flat is excellent, these are still pretty good.

The cabin in general in the SIN-AMS leg is a little tired. IFE not as sophisticated as the later model aircraft.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I have booked the same flights...but the reverse directions for next July.

I did this as flying out of the UK now you have to pay a punitive extra "green" tax. But it does not apply on arrivals.
So for me in MAN and out AMS saved many $$$$ or my party of 4 in J.

On waitlists>> I cannot give advice based upon personal experience, but after reading up a lot success on waitlists with SQ are based upon Status....as well I guess on availaibity of seats.

I have no status with them, and we seem to be trending out of the GFC.

So as I wanted seats for 4 pax, I deemed booking two J Savers with 2 on waitlist a bit risky.

So for ceratainty I opted instead for two pax each on consecutive days.

We all leave Oz togeather, but SIN to Euope only ever seems to show 2 Savers in J per flight.

 

[albatross710]

So as I wanted seats for 4 pax, I deemed booking two J Savers with 2 on waitlist a bit risky.

That makes sense. As a matter of interest did you give the waitlist a try and sit out the three days?

 

[mjward55]

Just getting my points together (AMEX) and hope to book the waitlist later this week. Will let you know how I go.

Thanks for info on the skybed - they look excellent. Seatguru actually calls them lie flat beds and thats where I got the terminology from.

Also interesting comment on avoiding landing in UK due to green tax. Too late now for me. I had heard about the tax but was hoping I might be earlier enought to avoid it. The fees & tax were really expensive. I realise the tax's are unavoidable, but it was a surprise.

thanks Mark

 

[lovetravellingoz]

That makes sense. As a matter of interest did you give the waitlist a try and sit out the three days?

1/ No. The dates I wanted to fly were determined by my two daughter's 3 weeks school holiday period. So to maximise that period that was a constraint. rather than risk getting 2 and the missing out I went for the consecutive days. I had been watching the flights for a few weeks prior and the 2 seats were often snapped up quickly. Being school holidays I thought it would be moreso.
I would add that all 4 leave Melbourne on the one day and flight and so the SIN-MAN leg is then staggered. I was able to book all 4 on the one day..though the sytem went down after the first 2 and I did the other tow by phone (and still got the 15% discount). Return flights are completely on consecutive days...but my wife and youngest daughter had a bit more time availbility on return and so if it took more than consecutive days this would have been ok.
2/ I was/am new to redeeming on SQ and so was very uncertain if any more availability would show and more so as I needed 2 more seats and not just 1.
3/ However out of interest and as I have a third daughter who may of been able to join us (unfortunately as she is at Uni she has not yet been able to confirm dates for then and so may not) I have tried at various stages to do a booking for an extra J on both flights and nothing showed up as being available.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

try and sit out the three days?

Specifically on the 3 days..I am as mentioned new to SQ redeeming.

From my reading I was under the impression that while waitlist can be reviewed quickly that equally it might only been done quite close to the actuall flying date...and importantly that status is important, as waitlisted seats are assigned in order of status ranking.

I have no status and thus thought that those with status would be likely to gazump me.

QUESTION:

On your 3 day comment...is it your understanding that such an initial period review is likely (keeping in mind that my bookings have been made almost a year out at the absolute maximum period & again that I have no status)?

 

[mjward55]

For anyone still watchng this thread, when you "book" the standby business savers my booking is in limbo for approx 5 days and if the seats do not come thru then your booking is cancelled. You can then rebook and try again. I have done this twice now and also rang KrisFlyer (whith a long wait on the phone to get thru) to see what my chances are - they were very non-committal and could only suggest I try another route...not very helpful with 2 pax already booked.

So I will book the 3rd in econcomy, save up some more points and try the business saver as a 2nd option. Hopefully not too many cancellation fees if the business saver comes thru.

 

[kpc]

Hopefully not too many cancellation fees if the business saver comes thru.

If done online, only 3000 KF miles or USD30; 50% discount if you are KrisFlyer Silver or higher!
https://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/krisflyer/customerservice/service_fees.jsp


...so it is actually very reasonable. Another option that you could consider is to book (online) the 3rd J award on another day, keep checking, and change (online) to the preferred day, if it becomes available. There is NO charge for changing the dates (not class of travel, tho) of award flights on SQ/MI...a great benefit which I have taken advantage of many times!

If you book the Y award seat, it only costs 1200 miles or USD12 (see link above) to change it to a J award (+ the points difference) if you do it online...this is probably the way to go, if you really want everyone on the same flight!!

 

[mjward55]

thankyou kpc for your brilliant post.
I was wondering about the cost to change/upgrade and the SQ charges are very reasonable.
We definately want to be on the same flight and I have read how this can be difficult for bookings with more than 2 pax.
After reading your post I have now booked in economy.
I nearly have enough points (having used them all on my recent bookings) to book the J saver on standby and I will just keep trying and hope it comes up, but two sectors so that might be a bit tricky.

Do you know if you can buy access to the SQ lounge for our 3rd pax (I assume the J pax get automatic access).

 

[kpc]

Do you know if you can buy access to the SQ lounge for our 3rd pax (I assume the J pax get automatic access).

You cannot buy a pass to the Silver Kris lounge. J pax will have access, but are not entitled to bring in a guest (unless PPS). However, as there are 2 of you travelling in J in your party of 3, they might let the person (travelling in Y) in if you are ask and explain the situation nicely. But strictly, a passenger travelling in J cannot bring in a guest unless also a PPS member.

 

[mjward55]

Dear KPC

Again thanks for your kind help. If it comes to that I will try and talk my way into the lounge, but I will not count on that.

As I have booked the Y award seat, how do I go about changing it online to a J award seat (yes we really want everyone on the same flight) as you have suggested.

I thought it would be thru the "Modify this Booking" feature, but it just comes up saying J saver not offered, even though the J saver standby is offered when you look at doing a normal redeem flight booking.

thanks

 

[kpc]

Dear KPC

Again thanks for your kind help. If it comes to that I will try and talk my way into the lounge, but I will not count on that.

As I have booked the Y award seat, how do I go about changing it online to a J award seat (yes we really want everyone on the same flight) as you have suggested.

I thought it would be thru the "Modify this Booking" feature, but it just comes up saying J saver not offered, even though the J saver standby is offered when you look at doing a normal redeem flight booking.

thanks

I presume by standby you mean waitlist...sorry, I have not done it personally myself, but maybe you can only change / modfiy the Y award if the J seat is actually available, not just waitlisted. Otherwise, I suggest a call to KrisFlyer for help, and ask them to tell you how to do it online...if they can't, they should do it for you at the "online" cost

 

[albatross710]

From my reading I was under the impression that while waitlist can be reviewed quickly that equally it might only been done quite close to the actuall flying date...and importantly that status is important, as waitlisted seats are assigned in order of status ranking.

The Waitlist option when requesting SQ Redemption seats is on waitlist for 3 days. If they don't clear the waitlist within the three days then the booking request lapses at 6pm that night. This is a different type of Waitlist than say an upgrade waitlist or delayed flight waitlist.

Yesterday I was looking to book 2 SIN-BNE in J in April. There was only 1 J saver available on the required flight. I used the online redemption tool to waitlist for 2 x Business Savers on that flight.

Within 10 minutes I had received an email to say that the booking was Confirmed for the 2 x J savers. Thanks SQ.

 

[Flashback]

The Waitlist option when requesting SQ Redemption seats is on waitlist for 3 days. If they don't clear the waitlist within the three days then the booking request lapses at 6pm that night. This is a different type of Waitlist than say an upgrade waitlist or delayed flight waitlist.

Yesterday I was looking to book 2 SIN-BNE in J in April. There was only 1 J saver available on the required flight. I used the online redemption tool to waitlist for 2 x Business Savers on that flight.

Within 10 minutes I had received an email to say that the booking was Confirmed for the 2 x J savers. Thanks SQ.

Is it 3 business days, or do weekend days count also?

 

[albatross710]

Is it 3 business days, or do weekend days count also?

For me it has been three days including weekend days.

 

[Flashback]

For me it has been three days including weekend days.

Great. If it hasn't cleared by Monday I'll rebook for a few days later, as there's availability then. Unless I should just do it now as the date I fly out doesn't really matter..

 

[Flashback]

Great. If it hasn't cleared by Monday I'll rebook for a few days later, as there's availability then. Unless I should just do it now as the date I fly out doesn't really matter..

Too impatient, have changed the flight to 2 days later and all is now confirmed. Have nabbed 1B for my F sector