Qantas superjumbo cleared for take-off

[JohnK]

And the award cost remained the same for Dreamtime vs Skybed J products. I see no reason to set different award requirement levels for different types of seats within the same booking class.

Why? Much easier to make you use more FF points if you want a better product. I believe SQ does something similar by blocking business class awards on the 77W, and probably A380 now as well, and I believe that there is no differentation between C booking class on the 747, 777, 77W or A380.

With the discussed introduction of QF "any time" awards it will be quite easy to set different award requirement levels for different aircraft types with different products. I am only guessing but if they go down the path of "any time" awards then I would not expect any premium awards, J & F, available on the A380 at the "saver" or "base" level.

 

[NM]

Why? Much easier to make you use more FF points if you want a better product. I believe SQ does something similar by blocking business class awards on the 77W, and probably A380 now as well, and I believe that there is no differentation between C booking class on the 747, 777, 77W or A380.

Manipulation through availability is very different to making it available at different points costs.

Qantas did have a surcharge on J seats on A330 services to Japan at one stage (on paid seats, not awards). I am not sure if that still applies or not. But for awards, all they did was make them scarce on the A330 and available on the 763 flights.

With the discussed introduction of QF "any time" awards it will be quite easy to set different award requirement levels for different aircraft types with different products. I am only guessing but if they go down the path of "any time" awards then I would not expect any premium awards, J & F, available on the A380 at the "saver" or "base" level.

I would expect "any time" awards to be proportional to the lowest paid fare available at the time. So if the paid fare say MEL-LAX is the same for A380 as it is for 744, then I would not expect any difference in the "any time" award cost between the two flights.

 

[straitman]

Yes it is horizontal beds rather than sloping with some extra pitch - but not a quantum leap - as between dreamtime and SKBI.

Remember that some of us actually like sloping beds. We have a slope on our bed at home for health reasons so the QF 'J' seats are great from that perspective.

 

[auriga]

Why? Much easier to make you use more FF points if you want a better product. I believe SQ does something similar by blocking business class awards on the 77W, and probably A380 now as well, and I believe that there is no differentation between C booking class on the 747, 777, 77W or A380.

Business class awards on SQ definitely blocked on the 380, except using double Krisflyer miles. Strangely enough, the new SQ 234 SYD-SIN on the 77W is available for redemption! (but not SIN-SYD)

 

[JohnK]

Manipulation through availability is very different to making it available at different points costs.

We will not agree on this topic and this discussion will just continue in circles. Either way I do not think you will be able to redeem a premium award seat on the A380 for the same number of FF points as an A330, 747, 763 or whatever. How they achieve it is entirely up to them but it is not too difficult to achieve and can be the same booking class.

I would expect "any time" awards to be proportional to the lowest paid fare available at the time. So if the paid fare say MEL-LAX is the same for A380 as it is for 744, then I would not expect any difference in the "any time" award cost between the two flights.

Again it is only an assumption to think that "any time" awards are going to be proportional to the airfare. I think it will be much simpler. Some award seats will require x number of FF points whilst others will require 2x, 3x, 4x the number of FF points for the same award seat. Any number of factors will be used to determine the actual award cost.

 

[NM]

Remember that some of us actually like sloping beds. We have a slope on our bed at home for health reasons so the QF 'J' seats are great from that perspective.

There are been geat debate about the "issues" if sloping seats following AA's introduction of their new Business Class product on their 777 and 763 aircraft. Here is a link to how AA is addressing the concerns raised by one FT member on the FT AA forum. Perhaps QF could learn from some of these measures.

Warning, complete coffee consumption prior to opening the link - keyboard damage may result.

 

[serfty]

... Warning, complete coffee consumption prior to opening the link - keyboard damage may result.

Never fear; my coffee cup is anchored by Velcro to my desk ...

You certainly put paid to that thread ...

 

[NM]

Never fear; my coffee cup is anchored by Velcro to my desk ...

You certainly put paid to that thread ...

Somehow I don't think the Americans understood my sense of humour