Melbourne-Washington on points

[Walter Plinge]

Hi folks - couple of queries for experienced travellers.

I'm planning a trip to the US in June 2010, on points and in PE. It will be MEL-IAD (Washington/Dulles) forward and JFK-MEL return.

I had a look at flights June this year and tried a couple of tentative bookings see to if a split trip affected the points (it doesn't).

However, on the forward trip I could only get flights via Heathrow, a 36 hour trip. Looking at Qantas route maps it shows a MEL-IAD via LAX route.

Has anyone got any experience with the MEL-IAD route? Is it a seasonal thing, or a 'penalty' for doing it on points? Obviously I'd rather go via LAX.

On the return leg I assume JFK-LAX is an AA codeshare. I assume this is a two-class cabin. What seating would you be in? Obviously I wouldn't be keen to expend valuable points on PE for the whole trip if it means 5 hours in coach for this part.

Ta, WP.

 

[ksthommo]

Try a Multi City booking, had a play and it will cost you 90,000 points.
That's PE Melbourne/LAX, Economy LAX/Dulles

 

[NM]

However, on the forward trip I could only get flights via Heathrow, a 36 hour trip. Looking at Qantas route maps it shows a MEL-IAD via LAX route.

Has anyone got any experience with the MEL-IAD route? Is it a seasonal thing, or a 'penalty' for doing it on points? Obviously I'd rather go via LAX.

This is purely due to award seat availability for the specific dates for which your searched. Different dates will show different availability. Also note that not all Qantas flights between Australia and LAX offer premium economy seating at the moment. More will do by June 2010. Also note that Qants is starting to sell Premium Economy on some of the 2-class 744 flights such as BNE-LAX (and possibly AKL-LAX) so be flexible and check routings via SYD, BNE and even AKL for dates around when you want to travel. Your desire for premium economy unfortunately rules out routing via HKG with CX or via NRT using AA.

LAX-IAD will be with AA and could be non-stop or routed via DFW or ORD. Either way it will be in coach (economy). Routing via LHR allows you to go premium economy all the way using BA's World Traveller Plus for LHR-IAD.

On the return leg I assume JFK-LAX is an AA codeshare. I assume this is a two-class cabin. What seating would you be in? Obviously I wouldn't be keen to expend valuable points on PE for the whole trip if it means 5 hours in coach for this part.

Ta, WP.

JFK-LAX could be operated by QF 108 as a 4-class 744 by June 2010, so you may be able to use that one. If the flight is operated by AA and non-stop between JFK and LAX then its likely to be a 3-class service and a Qantas PE award will dump you into AA Coach cabin. Even if its an AA 2-class aircraft you will end up in Coach for that leg. So the only hope for Premium Economy JFK-LAX will be to book QF108 if it operates with a PE cabin at the time.

 

[DTM1]

Hi folks - couple of queries for experienced travellers.

I'm planning a trip to the US in June 2010, on points and in PE. It will be MEL-IAD (Washington/Dulles) forward and JFK-MEL return.

I had a look at flights June this year and tried a couple of tentative bookings see to if a split trip affected the points (it doesn't).

However, on the forward trip I could only get flights via Heathrow, a 36 hour trip. Looking at Qantas route maps it shows a MEL-IAD via LAX route.

Has anyone got any experience with the MEL-IAD route? Is it a seasonal thing, or a 'penalty' for doing it on points? Obviously I'd rather go via LAX.

On the return leg I assume JFK-LAX is an AA codeshare. I assume this is a two-class cabin. What seating would you be in? Obviously I wouldn't be keen to expend valuable points on PE for the whole trip if it means 5 hours in coach for this part.

Ta, WP.

Hi Walter

Not sure about the problems you aer having MEL - IAD. The tricky bit is to usually get a seat with points from MEL to LAX. If you can do that, then you should have no probs getting an economy seat from LAX - IAD. If those flights are full, which is unlikely, then you should have a look at LAX - DCA (which is the more convenient airport in DC, but flight connections may not be as good as IAD).

As for the trip home, you have a range of options. There is actually a flight on QF metal (QF108) from JFK to LAX, but it is only available to passengers connecting to an o/s flight in LAX - which includes you. You would then switch to QF 94 in LAX - the timing is not a problem.

Alternatively, you could fly JFK - LAX on AA if you want, which allows you to leave JFK a bit earlier if you want to.

However, for what it's worth, you're better off jumping on the QF metal - it's a better plane to travel on and you have the full IFE.

I'm pretty sure that QF108 has PE, but I stand to be corrected. I have only flown it in J.

cheers

 

[DTM1]

Bearing my comments and NM's comments in mind, you might be better of seeing if you can get a PE award MEL - LAX and then booking 2 x Y awards LAX - DCA and JFK - LAX.

 

[NM]

I'm pretty sure that QF108 has PE, but I stand to be corrected. I have only flown it in J.

They sel PE on the route. Some aircraft operating do not have a PE cabin yet but they are selling the last few rows of J seats as PE. Sometime they are selling rows 29 and 30 (14 x Skybeds) and rows 34 and 35 (12 x PE seats) as the combined PE cabin.

Award availability on these flights is likely to be limited as the number of seats is limited and Qantas is trying hard to sell PE now that F and sometimes J are difficult to fill.

 

[Walter Plinge]

Thanks for your comments and advice everyone -- very helpful and much appreciated.

It seems the flaw with my scenario is that I checked on flights with a comparatively short lead time so there were no direct MEL-IAD award seats left. I'll be making the actual booking 10-11 months in advance which should give me MEL-IAD direct (or not via LHR anyway).