QF Flexi Fare Changes and new 14 day advance purchase Flexi

[im.daniel]

Hey guys,
I was looking for flights and noticed that most of the super saver tickets have 'sold out' or have 'no available seats'. However, the prices of the Flexi Saver tickets have gone down by a substantial amount.

BNE-PER Flexi Saver = $399 on most dates - before it used to be around 800 ...
Anyone know what's going on?

 

[theintelligent1]

Hey guys,
I was looking for flights and noticed that most of the super saver tickets have 'sold out' or have 'no available seats'. However, the prices of the Flexi Saver tickets have gone down by a substantial amount.

BNE-PER Flexi Saver = $399 on most dates - before it used to be around 800 ...
Anyone know what's going on?

Thought that was strange when i booked my flight PER-MEL this morning....was going to do it last night and flex saver was 800ea savers were around 400ea.....got distracted.....logged on this morning and got flexi saver for 440ea both ways.......I thought it was because I am flying tonight....hopefully it is as you say a restructure!

 

[oz_mark]

Qantas have played around with K and B fare levels, (and introduced a new K fare level), so it may be related to that.

 

[Mal]

Hmm. Thanks Virgin ;-)

---
Posted from a non-Apple device.

 

[Deleted member 9370]

The price of a Flexi-Saver fare SYD-CBR has plummeted!!:?::?:

 

[MarcB]

Yeah. I've noticed this too across other destinations ex-BNE such as SYD and MEL. Prices each way have come down $60 each way to MEL for K. I suspect that this is the new 14 day AP fare that they have released. Funny how we are going back to the old days of AP fares in the DOM market. Good news for travellers though - can now justify paying a little more for a flexi as it works out to be less than the cost of 2 RED-E's for full Y SCs and no change fees! I wonder if this is also linked to the JQ fare changes which would otherwise have made JQ a better option for QF FFs?

 

[chrispy3276]

Just had a look at Syd - Melb for the end of June... on some flights at the end of June the Flexi Saver is just $9 more than the red e-deal! Some great changes coming on by Qantas...

 

[markis10]

Just had a look at Syd - Melb for the end of June... on some flights at the end of June the Flexi Saver is just $9 more than the red e-deal! Some great changes coming on by Qantas...

Some great changes coming on by Qantas...as put in place by Virgin first, welcome to true competition ladies and gents!

 

[MarcB]

I suspect we will eventually see a complete rejig of the QF fare structure to significantly simply the offering...in much the same way that DJ have simplified theirs.

 

[aus_flyer]

I see they book into K class - can these flexi savers be changed online without a change fee? Obviously higher fare is payable if needed...

 

[dk4]

Wow!!

I was considering some SYD-PER bookings the other day; QF was ripping-off $500 each way for SuperSaver (i.e. confirmed in J via points [16K] upgrade) and VAA was charging $750 for Premium Economy... so I was actually considering DJ P.E. ...

Now QF has dropped FlexiSaver to $359 (same as Virgin Flexi), looks like I am back to the QF option. (confirmed in J via points [10K] upgrade).


I wonder how VAA will respond?

 

[dk4]

Wow again!!!

QF Business Class SYD-MEL (one way) for $200 +5K pts (with a confirmed K->U upgrade) So very tempting!

 

[markis10]

Wow again!!!

QF Business Class SYD-MEL (one way) for $200 +5K pts (with a confirmed K->U upgrade) So very tempting!

Y ASAs based on the Flexi have reflected the changes as well, now around 3.5K difference for a YASA BNE-SYD when there is no classic availability.

 

[markis10]

New 14 day advance purchase QF Flexi Saver Fare

As noted by observant AFF members above QF has changed the conditions of its Flexi Saver Fares.

BUT they have also added a 14 day advance purchase Flexi as mentioned by oz_mark, so on the SYD-PER leg you can get a flexi for $439 next week, this drops to $359 for a flexi 14+ days! Similarly on SYD-MEL flexi is as low as $229, drops to $199 at 14+ days.

Latest Qantas News Domestic Fares Update 08 June 2011
Qantas has released a number of changes to the Qantas Domestic Tariff on selected markets effective for sale and travel immediately.

These changes include:

• Adjustment of existing KIPOX and BIPOX (Flexi Saver) fare levels.
• Introduction of a new 14 day advance purchase fare in K class (KIPOXAP)

The adjustments to existing KIPOX and BIPOX fare levels apply to both Qantas published and private fares.

 

[samh004]

Prices look a lot more attractive suddenly

 

[777]

Anyone know what's going on?

Borghetti?

<pure speculation > Interesting to see what will happen with this as i think this has to be very costly for Qantas.

Virgin have restructured their fares but i think they've also probably increased or at least held their margins. The new Virgin "Flexi" fare is much cheaper than the old full fare in most cases however i'd pretty confident they will sell a lot of more of them as they've increased the value of what you get in a way that shouldn't cost them a lot of money and will probably get a large increase in volumes. They weren't selling heaps of the more expensive fares before. Same deal with their new "premium" fares.

By contrast, aren't these fares qantas' bread and butter? Or at least their cream. If Qantas is only marginally profitable as it is a price war on Flexi fares could do the bottom line some real damage. </end pure speculation >

Either way. We win.

 

[MarcB]

Borghetti?

<pure speculation > Interesting to see what will happen with this as i think this has to be very costly for Qantas.

Virgin have restructured their fares but i think they've also probably increased or at least held their margins. The new Virgin "Flexi" fare is much cheaper than the old full fare in most cases however i'd pretty confident they will sell a lot of more of them as they've increased the value of what you get in a way that shouldn't cost them a lot of money and will probably get a large increase in volumes. They weren't selling heaps of the more expensive fares before. Same deal with their new "premium" fares.

By contrast, aren't these fares qantas' bread and butter? Or at least their cream. If Qantas is only marginally profitable as it is a price war on Flexi fares could do the bottom line some real damage. </end pure speculation >

Either way. We win.

Don't overlook the value of the upsell factor though. Not sure what the stats were on REDE Deal loads on a plane, but I can imagine a lot of people will buy the more flexible fare if it's only a marginal difference - say another $60 - on BNE-SYD $60 is pretty close to the difference now. You get full SCs and no change fees. I'm sold. So Qantas' strategy just made me fork out another $120 bucks return for something that probably doesnt cost them much more than letting you fill an empty seat on a plane when you turn up early and want to change flights and a few SCs...

 

[777]

Don't overlook the value of the upsell factor though. Not sure what the stats were on REDE Deal loads on a plane, but I can imagine a lot of people will buy the more flexible fare if it's only a marginal difference - say another $60 - on BNE-SYD $60 is pretty close to the difference now. You get full SCs and no change fees. I'm sold. So Qantas' strategy just made me fork out another $120 bucks return for something that probably doesnt cost them much more than letting you fill an empty seat on a plane when you turn up early and want to change flights and a few SCs...

I think you're right about that but i suspect it's more significant for VA who were selling a larger number of lower value fares before. As opposed to Qantas who (i suspect) were selling more higher value fares so they take a hit on every one of those and need to make that back before they come out ahead.

As i said, just speculating.

 

[samh004]

Looking at flights to CBR for later this year, some of the Flexi deals now actually look quite enticing. If I went via SYD I'd even get 80SC all up, and if I could upgrade on the way home to J, I'd be a happy boy.

 

[jas]

Hmmm... to cancel the red-e-deal booking I made before the double-SC's promo for July, and re-book on flexi-savers at a $64 fare difference? (+ change fee)

160SC's rather than 40? And a 10k points upgrade if I feel like it? I think so.