QF First Class with points!

[timmy-t]

Hi everyone - I have been a reader of the site for many years, but this is my first post... I am mad and had to tell someone :evil:

I have the QF points for a nice award trip and my wife and I decided on HKG as our destination. My thought was to surprise her with First class, rather than the usual J award flight, as we could use the new First lounge in MEL prior to departure.

Do you think it would be possible to find 2 First award seats on MEL-HKG. I searched the whole year ahead - nothing. I called the QFF service centre - nothing. They even tried other combinations out of SYD, to SIN and BKK - still nothing. They could offer me 1 seat, but not 2.

Does anyone know of this problem?
Do QF only release 1 First award seat per flight? (doesn't seem fair for couples wanting to travel together) - in fact the QFF service centre offered 1 first and 1 business ticket, but I declined as I want to travel together.

What can I do about this?
Write a letter to the yeild department?

Any tips would be most useful. :idea:

 

[MelUser]

I had this problem once on Qantaslink jets - getting business class seats.

I contacted someone I knew at Qantas who contacted someone in the "seat release" department who then agreed to release seats.

This happened to me recently again when QF cancelled a flight and put me on another flight. I was travelling in economy (Q I think). The flight they put me on was not acceptable so I rang and asked for a change.

The flight I wanted only had K class seats left so the telephone person had to ring through (somewhere) and get the "seats released" [there were 2 of us travelling].

The key is to talk to someone who knows about the department which releases seats and ring them [this department may well be called yield management]. Person you are taking to will put you on hold which is fine.

I have found one of the most annoying things about calling Qantas is that if you get someone who has recently started or unfamiliar (for example in international reservations or the way in which international seating works or whatever) it can be very frustrating. It can pay sometimes just to call back and you invariably get someone else. Sometimes it also helps to say "I've done that before (or my friend ...) - would you mind checking with your supervisor" or whatever it takes to get them to check. A friend of mine managed call centres for many years and the staff were far from subject matter experts - in fact many call centre staff can only do what their computer tells them or lets them - they are like robots!

 

[gwilliamb]

Hi Timmy, I've flown a few times to Europe First with QF/BA but only once with my wife and it did take a lot of searching to get them. I've opted to go Singapore Airlines a couple of times even though their points are much more expensive. In April I'm going to Europe again with my wife and I got two BA First tickets to Bangkok and from there I had to go Thai First to Frankfurt. Lots of stuffing around to get these co-ordinated. Coming back there was two 1st on BA but I opted to try Virgin Upper Class. Also I did get my mother and sister next month two 1st class tickets to Bangkok of BA but only Business coming back.
So soming it up , they are hard to find but sometimes you can be lucky. Also some routes are easier than others so HKG might be one of the hard ones. I know the US is virtually impossible.

 

[simongr]

I just tried 355 days out for interest and then worked back - J available 355-352 and then only whY - a pretty busy route it seems... I am still on the lookout for two J seats back from HKG on July 31 next year - I shall be calling closer to the date I think mrssimongr is no longer intereste in whY...

 

[Platy]

Sometimes additional award seats are released within a week of departure - not much use if you are trying to pre-plan your trip!

 

[simongr]

Yeah - I have a whY seat booked back from HKG for us both which I will try to replace close to departure. Now this is where anytime access to a seat would be very handy - I wouldnt care if I burnt 120K points on two J one way seats...

 

[ANstar]

Given CX are moving to no F on Aus routes and the MEL/SYD 744's are LHR extensions I reckon your chances of getting F are going to be pretty slim

 

[Standby]

I agreetrying to get FH redemptions is nigh on impossible.A cabin of 14 seats to europe that is a mutileg flight further reduces yr chances.Yr up against
MELHKG MEL LHR and HKGLHR punters all for those seats. I have found if yr a high tier customer..plat for eg they are much more likely to entertain asking for more space. To LHR I have found the days most likely to get either straight redemptions or upgrades on points are midweek Tue/Wed .Big business is making so much money at the moment there are more punters eligable to travel first and business and with the A380 delay there really hasnt been any extra capacity other than the "sandpit carriers...EK"
of course today marks a change in the other direction with SQ taking the keys of their new A380..so here's hoping in 6-12 months things get a bit easier

 

[timmy-t]

Thanks all to your quick replies. Very efficient of you all...

Mmm, maybe I pay for a Econ fare and go down the upgrade route and cross my fingers.

I think a letter to QF might help too. Does anyone have names/addresses of anyone in Yeild Management or Frequent Flyer Award bookings department???

Thanks!!