QF & AA ATW - availability

[Smithy789]

Fellow FFers,

I am able with accumulated cc points to book two business class ATW tickets (5 stops) - one ticketed via AA (150,000 points) and one via QF (280,000 points). A third ticket for baby can be purchased through QF for taxes only (contrast AA who charge 10% of ticket class plus taxes).

I have called QF to get an itinerary sorted out, MEL-LHR-LYO-MCI-MEL. However, availability to get from MCI to MEL I have to go via LAX and SYD. Fair enough. But in late May / June seats seem non-existent. It also seems really hard to get from LYO (Lyon in France) to MCI (Kansas City International) in mid-May.

Am I in dream land trying to think I can get two business tickets on either of these routes in May / June. Should I have booked 360 days in advance...?

Have I overlooked any possibilities? What is the website that lets me know award flight availability?

The QF help desk was reasonably helpful but was really looking to give me the time of day to try and nut out the different possible routings.

Any advice well received...

smithy789

 

[MelUser]

It is very difficult to get Qantas reward seats in business.

They are known as U class.

You can do dummy searches through QF website.

Award Seats are released 330 days ahead of travel but with an ATW which lasts say a month, by the time the end of the trip catches up - ie you get to 330 days out for the end of your trip, and you book the whole trip, someone else will have grabbed your outbound flights as they appeared 1 month ago!