Qantas - Emirates shady award flight availability?!

[RedSMS]

Alright.

So, I'm half thinking of heading to Dubai early next year.

QFF no status, but with enough points to book 2 X classic reward legs from MEL-DXB return in J.

Qantas is using EK metal for these scam redemptions, and no matter how hard I try, (on QF website), the system will force feed me a return leg that's 137,000 points + $1300 (as opposed to 119,200 +$1245 for MEL-DXB) and fly me home via SYD, and then plop me on a JQ flight to MEL !!!!!!!

They do the exact same thing if you were to try and book SYD-DXB return (whether as a round trip), or as a one way redemption.

EK operates 3 flights a day to/from MEL-DXB, SYD-DXB (and I would presume vice versa), but they slap you in the face for trying to use your points. As if the $1300 isn't bad enough!!!!

By the way, I checked for multiple dates the availability of direct flights (if you were to book them as standalone flights), and QF do offer direct classic reward redemptions!!!!

Surely there has to be a workaround here?

Because if there isn't, Qantas is technically showing classic reward flight bookings for legs (direct) that can't actually be booked?

Or, do I take the chance and booking one leg at a time???

This just seems like a pretty shady practice to me to be perfectly honest.


It's almost as if they are ghost flights!


SURELY, there is some way to bypass this endless scam that is QF Frequent Flyer!!!

 

[downtheback]

Search as Multi-City (flexible dates) AND make sure to sort by duration.

The QF website will sometimes favour any itinerary with a QF or JQ flight above others - even if it's a worse itinerary.

The multi-city search is older and I find it to be more robust

 

[SYD]

Search as Multi-City (flexible dates) AND make sure to sort by duration.

The QF website will sometimes favour any itinerary with a QF or JQ flight above others - even if it's a worse itinerary.

The multi-city search is older and I find it to be more robust

It actually seems to have improved as well.

A couple of recent searches haven’t displayed those annoying “(i) Your long haul flight ABC-DEF will be in Economy” results when searching Biz seats.

EK operates 3 flights a day to/from MEL-DXB, SYD-DXB (and I would presume vice versa), but they slap you in the face for trying to use your points. As if the $1300 isn't bad enough!!!!

EK imposes the excessive carrier surcharge - there’s a thread / article or three on it…

 

[RedSMS]

Search as Multi-City (flexible dates) AND make sure to sort by duration.

The QF website will sometimes favour any itinerary with a QF or JQ flight above others - even if it's a worse itinerary.

The multi-city search is older and I find it to be more robust

Thanks, but it doesn't allow you to search for award bookings does it?

 

[SYD]

Thanks, but it doesn't allow you to search for award bookings does it?

Yes, check the “rewards” option at the top and select “Flexible” dates when in the date field.

 

[RedSMS]

OK -

So, I have tried the multi city search tool and It's the same deal.

I tried lowering the duration, then clicking on reward fares, but every time I do it, a notification comes up - "To view reward flights, any previously selected flights will be removed from your cart."

In other words, as I suspected, QF won't let you do it.

This is illegal, according to chatgpt (yeah I know it's prone to mistakes), but it is a breach of consumer law.

Can I ask a favour?

Can someone check for me if they can book a reward/award trip in J (QFF EK metal) MEL-DXB-MEL using points? Preferred DEP mid-late jan, (but would consider early jan) returning approx 2-2.5 weeks later.

I found that the multi city tool and subsequent suggestions still lead to the same scam.

I would appreciate it if someone could do a quick search for me.

Thanks in advance!

 

[MELso]

It could simply be that there are no non-stop award flights in J or F from DXB to MEL in late January and that the system is offering the best alternative. It’s school holidays, premium cabin availability is scarce and Emirates is notorious for crazy expensive carrier charges (I myself have just paid $2.5k to fly to the US the long way in first class).

What Qantas is doing is certainly not illegal either, nor is it a scam…

 

[Andy72]

Yes. Use chrome on a laptop. Back to Sydney. All classes out, harder for return trip

 

[MEL_Traveller]

OK -

So, I have tried the multi city search tool and It's the same deal.

I tried lowering the duration, then clicking on reward fares, but every time I do it, a notification comes up - "To view reward flights, any previously selected flights will be removed from your cart."

In other words, as I suspected, QF won't let you do it.

This is illegal, according to chatgpt (yeah I know it's prone to mistakes), but it is a breach of consumer law.

Can I ask a favour?

Can someone check for me if they can book a reward/award trip in J (QFF EK metal) MEL-DXB-MEL using points? Preferred DEP mid-late jan, (but would consider early jan) returning approx 2-2.5 weeks later.

I found that the multi city tool and subsequent suggestions still lead to the same scam.

I would appreciate it if someone could do a quick search for me.

Thanks in advance!

I just put in 19-26 November, J award, MEL-DXB-MEL… no issues. Both non-stops. Took me through to payment screen.

 

[serfty]

This is illegal, according to chatgpt (yeah I know it's prone to mistakes), but it is a breach of consumer law.

Unfortunately it is not illegal.

On Jan 21st I see availability SYD-(QF)-xMEL-(EK)-DXB, but not MEL-(EK)-DXB or SYD-(EK)-DXB.

This simply means that QF/EK are willing to sell an award SYD to DXB via MEL but not direct to DXB from either SYD or MEL.

The additional points cost is due to there being two "Trips" due to change of carrier (QF to EK). [Note that this does not happen for QF/JQ/AA/FJ combinations.]

It is what it is and one of the reasons to consider other award schemes. I know that's a bit tough given you have enough QFF Points to book.

 

[MELso]

Just had a bit more of a play around. Annoyingly, the multicity booking engine is broken (for me at least), but not surprisingly there are no J or F award flights from Dubai to the eastern seaboard until the second week of February, at which time you can book from DXB-SYD in J (or F on 11 or 12 Feb, if interested), although there are J awards through ADL from 29 January.

The regular Qantas booking engine is bunding that J fare with an economy fare from SYD to MEL but pricing that economy fare as part of the business class ticket (so wanting 18,400 points, not 8000 it should be charging).

The solution is to call to book (I got a Y MEL-SYD award ticket added to my SYD-DXB-SEA F flight correctly charged at 8000 points to position for that flight). (It may also work manually adding the sector in the multi-city booking but I can't test it because, as noted, it's broken.)

But yes, it's one of the many, many bugs affecting the Qantas booking engine, just not illegal or a scam.

 

[Andy72]

Just had a bit more of a play around. Annoyingly, the multicity booking engine is broken (for me at least), but not surprisingly there are no J or F award flights from Dubai to the eastern seaboard until the second week of February, at which time you can book from DXB-SYD in J (or F on 11 or 12 Feb, if interested), although there are J awards through ADL from 29 January.

The regular Qantas booking engine is bunding that J fare with an economy fare from SYD to MEL but pricing that economy fare as part of the business class ticket (so wanting 18,400 points, not 8000 it should be charging).

The solution is to call to book (I got a Y MEL-SYD award ticket added to my SYD-DXB-SEA F flight correctly charged at 8000 points to position for that flight). (It may also work manually adding the sector in the multi-city booking but I can't test it because, as noted, it's broken.)

But yes, it's one of the many, many bugs affecting the Qantas booking engine, just not illegal or a scam.

Safari isn't working but it works on chrome. Annoying I know. If you book the Dubai Sydney Flight you can ring up and almost always get them to add a local J connection even if rewards are not available on the booking tool.

 

[serfty]

The regular Qantas booking engine is bunding that J fare with an economy fare from SYD to MEL but pricing that economy fare as part of the business class ticket (so wanting 18,400 points, not 8000 it should be charging).

Using the multi citi Option, for Jan 21st I was able to select earlier SYD-MEL flight in Business class rather than the one being served up.