PER-xDXB-NBO return. Why does QF only offer via E coast out but direct back?

[JohnM]

I've just been looking at PER-xDXB-NBO-xDXB-PER.

No matter what dates I put in the QF search engine, the only options that come up for the outbound is via SYD or MEL. It will not pick up the QF codeshares on EK PER-DXB. But it does for DXB-PER.

Is this just a search engine deficiency or is there some Simple and Fair(TM) reason .

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I've just been looking at PER-xDXB-NBO-xDXB-PER.

No matter what dates I put in the QF search engine, the only options that come up for the outbound is via SYD or MEL. It will not pick up the QF codeshares on EK PER-DXB. But it does for DXB-PER.

Is this just a search engine deficiency or is there some Simple and Fair(TM) reason .

Is it something to do with the amount of transit time in DXB on the way to NBO if flying non-stop PER/DXB?

Did you try doing a multi city availability PER/DXB & DXB/NBO instead of PER/NBO?

When I recently booked a QF Classic award, when I did an availability BCN to BNE it would only display the EK BCN/DXB flights connecting to EK434 DXB/BNE when I wanted to catch QF2 via SYD instead. I did a multi city availability BCN/DXB & DXB/BNE and was then able to booked my preferred option of EK186, QF2 & QF506.

 

[JohnM]

No go. This is what comes up:

 

[JohnM]

It's crazy!

I just tried a one-way and PER-xDXB-NBO came up. Changed it to return with same outbound date and all outbound reverted to xMEL or xSYD selections.

What would explain that apart from a booking engine glitch?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It's crazy!

I just tried a one-way and PER-xDXB-NBO came up. Changed it to return with same outbound date and all outbound reverted to xMEL or xSYD selections.

What would explain that apart from a booking engine glitch?

Can you ask res to book it and waive the phone assistance fee, citing the above example & how it's impossible to book the routing you want on the website?

 

[JohnM]

That's what I will do if it comes down to travelling that route.

At the moment, I'm just doing some early scoping out of options for getting PER-NBO or NBO-PER as I'm looking at a tour to Madagascar next year and while I'm over that way stitching to it a tour through Tanzania/Kenya to get better bangs for the buck.

But it seems pretty clear that the booking engine is a bit flaky - makes one wonder how many other options it fails to capture .

 

[Mattg]

Just had a play around with this on the Qantas website and couldn't get it to work either. It's crazy. Tried using the multi-city search engine and can't even get that to work at all. The page seems to be broken.

I suspect that QF wants you to fly on their own services, even if they are via the east coast. I say that as the direct options on the outbound leg were displayed right at the bottom, under about a dozen indirect services via SYD/MEL.

I think you would be well within your rights to book this over the phone and ask for the phone assistance fee to be waived.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It would be interesting to see what OTA sites like Zuji or Expedia show in their availability displays.

 

[Mattg]

It would be interesting to see what OTA sites like Zuji or Expedia show in their availability displays.

I found the shortest routing via DXB, all on QF numbers on Expedia for $10 less than what was available direct through QF.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I found the shortest routing via DXB, all on QF numbers on Expedia for $10 less than what was available direct through QF.

You'd still have to add the $30.00 cc fee though or did you already factor that in?

Another option would be to use a QF gift voucher as no cc fee or phone assistance fee.

 

[Mattg]

You'd still have to add the $30.00 cc fee though or did you already factor that in?

Another option would be to use a WF gift voucher as no cc fee or phone assistance fee.

I didn't factor that in because I figured that the credit card fee would still apply if booked on the QF website. (Though I do acknowledge that there are fee-free methods.)