Professor Fels, where art thou?

[acampbel]

Soooo..... I try to book a couple of economy award flights for September next year, and on the day the award date opens for the outward leg .... there are no available seats.

Not even a dodgy One World routing via Tokyo or Frankfurt. Just no seats.


Why is this so?

No, seriously - how can there be no seats available on any routing 11+ months away. Is Qantas squeezing the program down in preparation for another "enhancement"? Are they releasing seats in ones and twos every few months these days? Are they trying to bolster the value of the QFF business by making the points they sell actually valueless?


cough me!


Andrew

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[Maca44]

You might want to try again after midnight. There are many options for that route available on previous days, and as the website indicates "Searching forward is not permitted as you have reached the end of the available flight range" so try tonight.

 

[Platy]

Maybe someone could recommend Andrew a program to view seat category allocations (KVS???)?

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

Professor Fels retired some time ago, and is now an academic. So I doubt he would be much help at all. You want Graeme Samuel.

 

[thadocta]

Would it be because LHR-GLA isn't available yet (since it leaves on 12.9.08) and therefore it isn't showing you anything for the whole route?

I've just checked SYD-LHR, and it is available (in WHY only though). The day before is available in J.

Dave

 

[moa999]

Should the OP just be trying for LHR (ie on QF metal).
The onward flight to Glasgow would be on BA metal - is that on a 330-day release?

 

[NM]

Would it be because LHR-GLA isn't available yet (since it leaves on 12.9.08) and therefore it isn't showing you anything for the whole route?

I've just checked SYD-LHR, and it is available (in WHY only though). The day before is available in J.

Dave

I believe that is high on the list of reasons. The 353 days (or whatever it is now for QF FF awards) only applies to QF flight for redemptions using QF FF points. Since QF FF awards are not available on QF codeshares (except the one documented case of LAN flights to SCL) and QF does not fly into GLA or to Europe via NRT or other strange routings, you have to wait until the partner award flights are loaded into the systems.

You can may be able to look for QF flight options as far as LHR, but that will be as close as you can get until partner airline availability is loaded.

 

[aus_flyer]

Available now!!!!

 

[Yada Yada]

Professor Fels retired some time ago, and is now an academic. So I doubt he would be much help at all. You want Graeme Samuel.

But sadly, you wouldn't want to hold your breath. Mr Samuels has turned out to be as toothless as many believed at the time he took over. If it weren't for the NRMA, there'd be no-one putting pressure on the petrol companies.

 

[acampbel]

OK - there may have been some technical reasons for the complete absence of seats, but here is the situation for someone trying to get 2 awards in September 2008 for SYD/GLA :-

1st - 6th - no availability
Sunday 7th - via Tokyo on QF, BA, BA
Monday 8th - no availability
Tuesday 9th - yes (QF1 to LHR, BA)
Wednesday 10th - via SIN/BKK on BA, QF/BA, BA
Thursday 11th - via SIN/BKK/HKG BA/QF, BA/QF, BA

So the situation as at noon is that only the 9th of September 2008 offers a single carrier/flight# to LHR. By the time you read this they will probably be gone. My dilemma is that I would like to book a One World award (140K points) but cannot do so until the window opens for all flights. Under these restrictions it seem I will be unlikely to be able to pick the month that I fly, let alone the week or day that fits in with our desired schedule.

So should I book each leg as it becomes available and then at the end ring up Qantas and ask that they morph it into a One World award? This will cost 5K in points for ringing up but may save tens of thousands in points compared to the sector charges.


Hang-on .... that would actually be helpful so I guess I've answered my own question.


Cheers,

Andrew

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[markis10]

OK - there may have been some technical reasons for the complete absence of seats, but here is the situation for someone trying to get 2 awards in September 2008 for SYD/GLA :-

1st - 6th - no availability
Sunday 7th - via Tokyo on QF, BA, BA
Monday 8th - no availability
Tuesday 9th - yes (QF1 to LHR, BA)
Wednesday 10th - via SIN/BKK on BA, QF/BA, BA
Thursday 11th - via SIN/BKK/HKG BA/QF, BA/QF, BA

Dont forget availability also varies by Status, I can see availaibility for Sept 2, BA10 and 16 are avbl on the 9th along with BA flights from HKG and Japan with a QF connect, please also note that CX routing will not show, known issue that requires a phone call!

 

[DTM1]

I'm sure I've seen it somewhere on this site before, but can anyone set out a list of the furthest date for release of points seats for each of the OneWorld airlines ?

thanks