Qantas & Singapore

[Ducatiman]

All

Thought I'd share my thoughts.

At present I am really frustrated and annoyed with Qantas regarding their service to Singapore since commencement of the 'new' route via Dubai. I tried to book QF35 10 DAYS ago for Monday 8 April and was told it was full. For a start I've been booking Melbourne-Singapore for the last 6 years with no issues on availability, even 2-days out from flying. How can it be full 18 days out?

However I was told there was no availability and I'd need to be waitlisted. So I booked through Sydney with no issues, remaining on the waitlisting for QF35. Today Qantas confirm theres availability but it's $4,000 more expensive that a usual ticket business class ticket! Guess what, I'm still going through Sydney, catching the 6.00am Melbourne-Sydney first. However Singapore Airlines had availability from Melbourne to Singapore and were $4,150 cheaper than Qantas, that's right $4,150!!

My ongoing concern is the service to Singapore. My business has tried to remain loyal to Qantas, we spend approx $1M a year. I am P1 earning on average 4500 status points every year since 2006, most of my General Managers are Platinum and then we have many other employees at Gold membership level. 70% of our International travel is to Singapore, if Qantas service remains the same I can see no option by to move over to Singapore Airlines. This will also have a knock-on effect to domestic travel due to the fact that flying Singapore Airlines means you can credit your Velocity account. So why fly Qantas domestically?

Why is Qantas not serving Singapore properly, why such small planes, why no seat left 18 days out? I'd really like to remain a Qantas regular however it's looking very difficult. Shame, I was looking forward to my invite to the 'Chairmans Lounge', lol..........

 

[TheInsider]

Planes get full, you have only one example of this happening. Emirates flight to Singapore on their 777's out of MEL have been full lately too.

 

[NM]

All

Thought I'd share my thoughts.

At present I am really frustrated and annoyed with Qantas regarding their service to Singapore since commencement of the 'new' route via Dubai. I tried to book QF35 10 DAYS ago for Monday 8 April and was told it was full. For a start I've been booking Melbourne-Singapore for the last 6 years with no issues on availability, even 2-days out from flying. How can it be full 18 days out?

8th April is the middle of school holiday period in most states (I note WA is not). School holiday periods always affect airline load factors (sometimes heavy loads, something light loads, depending on the route).

 

[dajop]

If not happy, move. Really so many people seem shackled to QF for a range of reasons, but are dissatisfied. SQ will have 4x daily options shortly, catering to range of timings you may or may not want, but definitely superior to the QF/EK options which only has two timings outbound (morning + evening) and one on the return to MEL (evening). Plus the SQ hard products - either their fully flat 77W/380 seat or nearly flat 330/773 seat are arguably better than the seat on A330.

 

[smit0847]

I think you've already answered your own question as to why you should move. I would have thought it was an obvious choice to go with the national airline of the country you are travelling to the most, especially when they are a 5 star airline, and have an Australian domestic partner.

 

[mannej]

School holidays and Chinese New Years can definitely starve you of the availability you are after.

Things like this definitely aren't limited to the Roo...

 

[serfty]

...

My ongoing concern is the service to Singapore. My business has tried to remain loyal to Qantas, we spend approx $1M a year. I am P1 earning on average 4500 status points every year since 2006, most of my General Managers are Platinum and then we have many other employees at Gold membership level. 70% of our International travel is to Singapore, if Qantas service remains the same I can see no option by to move over to Singapore Airlines. This will also have a knock-on effect to domestic travel due to the fact that flying Singapore Airlines means you can credit your Velocity account. So why fly Qantas domestically?

Why is Qantas not serving Singapore properly, why such small planes, why no seat left 18 days out? I'd really like to remain a Qantas regular however it's looking very difficult. Shame, I was looking forward to my invite to the 'Chairmans Lounge', lol..........

With those types of Parameters, Krisflyer might consider you for a Status match, but probably not.

If you spend SGD25k pa with them for your travel, then you would become PPS.

(You can also become *G on another program - see here: PPS Club - FlyerTalk Forums)

 

[browski]

From MEL, SQ have 3 flights per day; and soon to be 4.
Qantas have QF35, but they also codeshare on the EK405 flight....... and then of course you have the JQ7 flight.
So..........I'm not sure you are really trying.

Yes, you should probably switch to SQ, but your QF options are really pretty good.
God help you if you ever need to fly to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta or Manila.

 

[DJVA]

The only downside with moving to SQ would be their so called 'lounge' in Melbourne.

Virgin might even match your status if you are serious about SQ but still want decent recognition in Australia.

 

[dajop]

The only downside with moving to SQ would be their so called 'lounge' in Melbourne.

Wait and see with this one. There is no SQ lounge at the moment. Whilst they are using UA lounge (which the less said about it the better, it feels like being transported straight into a typical US airport lounge ), the NZ lounge can be accessed with a SQ J or F BP or SQ Y BP with star gold printed on it, and it is more than adequate. Out of luck with a VA status on an SQ Y BP though, stuck with the UA lack of lounge.

 

[Awesom Andy]

I guess it is quite difficult to go from the QF F lounge to the SQ no-lounge...

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Even SQ are regularly sold out during school holidays. Its a good thing QF is sold out because if they were not I'd be very worried for their future.

 

[ReLoad]

I dig where you are coming from, but really a flight is sold out.... It happens....

What if it has a group booking on it? What if the national under 12s hyperactivity club has booked the majority of the flight out?

It happens. I can't get a JASA to lax either, but am I going to move because of it? Nope.

 

[simongr]

With $1M spend per year I would be calling your QF account manager to ask what they can so or all your business moves away. If you don't have a QF account manager then I would be calling QF and getting one...

 

[dajop]

As a regular traveller on this route over 5 years, there are times when it can be difficult to get a seat on any of the EK, SQ or QF services. So it is not impossible to conceive that the flight is sold out. Having said that, I think school holidays is not the reason, as typically the J cabin is more open during school holidays (due to less business traffic) and it is the Y cabin that fills up (more leisure traffic). It also not inconceivable that half of J pax on the old QF9 were passengers finishing their journey at SIN, and with the A330 having half the seats of the A380, this could mean a near to full A330.