QF23 (Syd - BKK) Jan - No Classic Reward Seats

[Darryl_Sydney]

I am looking to use my 120K QF Points for flights to BKK and back for my son and I in Jan.

Qantas isn't showing any Classic Reward Seats for QF23/QF24, only if you fly indirect with partner airlines.

If I trade my 120K Points in on 'points plus pay', they value my points at about $600, the remainder being still more expensive than flying with Thai. I'm a little short for points at the moment (require about 140K Points for 2 tickets) and to buy the 20,000 points is $1100. If they had direct seats, I would have more than enough for 2 seats.

Anyone have experience or inside knowledge about whether it is likely that QF will release more Classic Economy Reward seats?

 

[Hvr]

Fairly normal for this route. It can be hard to get a reward seat at the best of times let alone peak season.

 

[luxury-lizard]

I am looking to use my 120K QF Points for flights to BKK and back for my son and I in Jan.

Qantas isn't showing any Classic Reward Seats for QF23/QF24, only if you fly indirect with partner airlines.

If I trade my 120K Points in on 'points plus pay', they value my points at about $600, the remainder being still more expensive than flying with Thai. I'm a little short for points at the moment (require about 140K Points for 2 tickets) and to buy the 20,000 points is $1100. If they had direct seats, I would have more than enough for 2 seats.

Anyone have experience or inside knowledge about whether it is likely that QF will release more Classic Economy Reward seats?

this may or may not be helpful - look at Qantas wines - they often have special offers with up to 10,000 bonus points per case - should work out less than $1100 and you get a couple of case of wine (if that is of any interest to you). In fact there are a couple of offers right now for $249 a case on a few different wines where you get 10,000 points per case.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am looking to use my 120K QF Points for flights to BKK and back for my son and I in Jan.

Qantas isn't showing any Classic Reward Seats for QF23/QF24, only if you fly indirect with partner airlines.

If I trade my 120K Points in on 'points plus pay', they value my points at about $600, the remainder being still more expensive than flying with Thai. I'm a little short for points at the moment (require about 140K Points for 2 tickets) and to buy the 20,000 points is $1100. If they had direct seats, I would have more than enough for 2 seats.

Anyone have experience or inside knowledge about whether it is likely that QF will release more Classic Economy Reward seats?

As Hvr says, award seats can be hard to find on QF planes to BKK. Another option might be for you to use your points to say Singapore, and then pick up a cheap flight between Singapore and Bangkok. Or just pick up Jetstar's flight out of Melbourne, non-stop. Paid tickets, return, are $600-$900 (plus bags) for Jan. (Bearing in mind the fees and charges on your award ticket are going to be in the region of $300 per person anyway!)

 

[Darryl_Sydney]

Was just surprised I could fly JQ or MH indirect on points, but not QF.

Wondering if there was a likelihood QF would open up seats.

Will probably just book TG flights, but I like to cut out my points for this trip, like I have in previous years.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Was just surprised I could fly JQ or MH indirect on points, but not QF.

Wondering if there was a likelihood QF would open up seats.

Will probably just book TG flights, but I like to cut out my points for this trip, like I have in previous years.

Award seats are usually seats the airline doesn't think it is going to be able to sell. Bangkok is a popular destination, so seats are hard to come by. Especially if they start to allow overseas travel early next year I'd expect Qantas and Thai to be jammed full. The reason why MH still has seats is probably for the same reason you're not using them... extra points, extra stop, and possibly a few people who will not fly them.

 

[drron]

We fly to BKK 2-3 times a year but gave up on QF some 3-4 years ago.Mrsdrron was never able to get a QFF J award to or from BKK yet I could nearly always get 1 J award on 23/24 through AA.Mrsdron was plat with QFF and I plat on AA though but that is equivalent to QFF gold.

 

[dajop]

Just wondering if there was a chance they would open some award flights. still be operating those flights come January.

Corrected this for you.

It has been speculated that QF are mainly selling future international flights to bring in much needed cash. I guess they may have severely throttled award bookings at the same time, or the allocation was taken when they re-initated sale of such flights.

I think if the probability that they will indeed will be operating such flights by January goes up, you might find some award availability. But until then best bet is to go with partner or pay for Thai.

As Hvr says, award seats can be hard to find on QF planes to BKK. Another option might be for you to use your points to say Singapore, and then pick up a cheap flight between Singapore and Bangkok.

I would not be doing this until it is clear that separate ticket transits would be allowed at Singapore (at the moment they are from Australia to Thailand but not on the return). There is a still long way to go, until things are properly opened up, and the last thing anyone wants to do is deal with Scoot or AirAsia or Jetstar Asia for a refund or travel credit.
.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Corrected this for you.

It has been speculated that QF are mainly selling future international flights to bring in much needed cash. I guess they may have severely throttled award bookings at the same time, or the allocation was taken when they re-initated sale of such flights.

I think if the probability that they will indeed will be operating such flights by January goes up, you might find some award availability. But until then best bet is to go with partner or pay for Thai.


I would not be doing this until it is clear that separate ticket transits would be allowed at Singapore (at the moment they are from Australia to Thailand but not on the return). There is a still long way to go, until things are properly opened up, and the last thing anyone wants to do is deal with Scoot or AirAsia or Jetstar Asia for a refund or travel credit.
.

Although QF will be getting some money from QFFF!

The OP isn't travelling until Jan. The award flight to Singapore could be locked in now, free cancellation I think? Then sort out the connection later, possibly even adding it to the award.

However searching for SIN doesn't yield many results either for QF metal. But TBH, with the fees and charges on awards the JQ flight non-stop out of MEL would be cheapest and quickest.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I am looking to use my 120K QF Points for flights to BKK and back for my son and I in Jan.

Dreamin. Much better chance when Emirates was on the route.

 

[Mattg]

Qantas is currently, systematically *not* releasing award seats on many international routes, for travel up to a year from now, that would normally be available. This doesn't seem to only affect the SYD-BKK route, although award seats on that route were always difficult to find anyway.

I would agree with the advice to book flights to SIN now, and change later if a QF flight to BKK becomes available. You can always change/cancel later for no fee. If it turns out by early next year that you are able to travel overseas, and there's still no availability on QF flights to BKK, you could just fly to SIN and pick up a cheap Jetstar Asia ticket from there to Thailand.

 

[sudoer]

If it turns out by early next year that you are able to travel overseas, and there's still no availability on QF flights to BKK, you could just fly to SIN and pick up a cheap Jetstar Asia ticket from there to Thailand.

Or if there's award availability, add the SIN-BKK 3K flight onto the SYD-SIN booking.

It still falls into Zone 5 (just) so there's no additional points to pay, only taxes.