Opinions on this Air France Business fare?

[TanyaB]

Will be brief as typed long question before and it got deleted cos I quoted a website address (oops!).

Am looking for a fare under $7,000 that gets me on favoured route - Melb-Singapore-CDG or LHR - Hong Kong - MEL. Will consdier other fares that get me home through major Asian shopping hub.

On Air France website I found the above route - flying Business with Qantas to Singapore, Air France Business to CDG and then AF Business back to Hong Kong, and home to Melb on Qantas economy. Fare was $6,700. Sounds OK to me?? (As long as the AF business are the new seats). What do you FF's think?

Have seen quite a few mixed class fares on bestflights and am thinking this may be the way to go. Otherwise Qantas does my preferred route in PE for about $5,500. Do Travel Agents offer mixed class/airline fares? With thanks.

 

[Anna]

The cost seems about right but if earning FF points and status credits is important to you then you should check out what you would get on Air France before purchasing. Air France is not a Oneworld member.

Are you sure the fare is QF business from Australia to Singapore and not economy?

Finnair and SAS both do combination economy/business fares to Europe that you could check out for a comparison. There are probably others.

I recently paid the QF Y+ fare on this route and scored free upgrades to business both ways so that turned out to be a great investment. QF does not have Y+ on all planes and with the recent mechanical problems, if a Y+ plane is out of action they seem to be upgrading the Y+ passengers.

 

[Travel Guru]

I think you'll find the AU-SIN on QF is in Y for AF J fares.

Not one world, but id look at the LH fare with TG, very good value.

TG

 

[TanyaB]

OK - am trying to copy and paste fare from air france on to this forum but I got booted off. I'll try just to c & p the bit that is in question....AF80913:30 PMMelbourne, Tullamarine (MEL) - Australia9:05 PMSingapore, Changi (SIN) - Singapore22h50mn direct flight,
B 747l'Espace Affaires
D
Flight operated by Qantas Airways

Isn't D Business??

 

[v8Statesman]

OK - am trying to copy and paste fare from air france on to this forum but I got booted off. I'll try just to c & p the bit that is in question....AF80913:30 PMMelbourne, Tullamarine (MEL) - Australia9:05 PMSingapore, Changi (SIN) - Singapore22h50mn direct flight,
B 747l'Espace Affaires
D
Flight operated by Qantas Airways

Isn't D Business??

Possibly, what sirte are you getting this from? (Message me)

 

[maninblack]

I think you will find that the MEL-SIN-MEL legs are meant to be in economy on these mixed fares and sometimes the Air France website sells MEL-SIN as "D Economy", on some flights, which makes no sense. Z is their discounted business class SIN-CDG. Aircraft is 777-300er angled flat sleeper seat in biz. I would ring a TA or Air France on the phone to check the fares. Still the $5500 mixed fare is a reasonable deal.

 

[TanyaB]

Hey guys - just tried to do same dummy booking (which was in May 2009)as per my quote above and suddenly the prices have changed and now same thing is up to $7,500 ish. Can this sort of deal change overnight? A fare that was bookable yesterday for May 2009 is now not available? Or could this be an issue with the Air France website? It's all a bit perplexing!

 

[v8Statesman]

Hey guys - just tried to do same dummy booking (which was in May 2009)as per my quote above and suddenly the prices have changed and now same thing is up to $7,500 ish. Can this sort of deal change overnight? A fare that was bookable yesterday for May 2009 is now not available? Or could this be an issue with the Air France website? It's all a bit perplexing!

Tanya provided me some details in a PM. I have been able to replicate her booking. for AUD 6,712.47. I Got MEL-SIN in QF D, SIN-CDG in AF Z, CDG-SIN in AF Z and SIN-MEL in QF H.

They way I read it is 3 of the 4 sectors are in Business and the final leg SIN-MEL in Economy.

 

[TanyaB]

Me again guys - and many thanks V8 for confirming my "messing about"! I have just used a couple of different dates - late May until early June this time - and got the $6,700 fare back again as per my original post.

I can see the "Economy D" on another day that someone mentioned earlier but the one I see now is flight AF8091 operated by Qantas out of Melbourne to Singapore in "l'Espace Affaires D" on Wed May 20.

Can we agree that this is a Qantas Business seat? And if you FF's think it's dodgy...how does one go booking this flight? Will it suddenly become economy on the day? If I were to book now and pay on line with credit card, does the booking actually exist as Qantas Business Class to Singapore if I have it on a confirmed itinerary from Air France?? Maybe this is asking you to check out your crystal balls...or are changes to a class after booking and payment likely when it's a discounted D fare? With thanks!

 

[v8Statesman]

Can we agree that this is a Qantas Business seat?

I am afraid it is fence sitting time. The web page is showing what apears to be a J seat on QF, however the farerules clearly state that this fare should be booked in H class

 

[v8Statesman]

Adding to this, reading the fare rules on EF, does not help matters

It makes no mention of booking classes ex AUS

 

[maninblack]

Can we agree that this is a Qantas Business seat?

No we can't. I believe it will be an economy class seat...sorry.

 

[TanyaB]

Hey maninblack - doesn't this somehow fall under false advertising then? The leg is called "l'Espace Affaires D" operated by Qantas - by choosing this leg it is a $6,700 fare, while if I choose the economy Melb-Singapore leg the fare is $5,500. How can an airline's website offer a fare and class that isn't "real"? Are they effectively charging me $1,200 more for nothing??

Does this mean that I actually can't trust bookings made on line directly with airlines? (Getting a bit despondent now).

 

[maninblack]

I can't say if it's false advertising or a confusing booking engine. I have had a go at the AF website before and eventually gave up. It is possible that on some days they will be selling a cheap business class seat MEL-SIN and if it is sold to you as "l'Espace Affaires D", and then "Business" on the payment page then indeed they have to honor it. Go for it.

 

[TanyaB]

Hi Maninblack - thanks for comment. I tried again last night and fare still there - this time I went through to the Payment page and it clearly stated in a column down the left side - Business, Business, Business, Economy. So I suppose that means I can hold them to it?? (Would hate to be stuffed around on day of departure though...but just seems to be a great deal - don't you think??).

 

[Travel Guru]

Tanya, i'd definitely advise you to go and speak to a TA on this one.

AF have several different fares, some mixed some all business, depending on the fare levels which are:
$4660++ AU-SIN in H (economy)
$6436++ AU-SIN in H (economy)
$7250++ AU-SIN in Z (business)
$7676++ AU-SIN in I (business)
(and so on)

Their cheaper fares all technically a mixed class fare.

It's going to save you alot of time and hassle with this type of fare to speak to a TA who can access live availability quickly in their GDS.

Good luck with it

TG

 

[wandering_fred]

Just to complicate your choices :shock:, one of the online SIN TAs is showing AirFrance Biz seat SIN-CDG (except Fri/Sat) at SG$5250++ You probably have a better idea on the exact value of the ++ but the base at about $AU3700 leaves a great deal of wiggle room.... for taxes and the flight from Oz to SIN

Fly QF - but don't pay their ridiculous exOz ticket prices.... Find an award ticket to SIN - get the AF ticket and then a round trip on QF SIN-Oz-SIN. They're good for 12 months.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[TanyaB]

Many thanks TG and Fred. I will investigate the AF flights further with a TA. Cheers for now!

 

[winetraveller]

I think you'll find the AU-SIN on QF is in Y for AF J fares.

Not one world, but id look at the LH fare with TG, very good value.

TG

I agree, AF is a favourite, although trans atlantic for the most part, but I'm pretty sure the QF component is in Y.

My choice would be TG LH as well.