QFF Platinum requesting release of extra Classic award seats?

[encryptededdy]

You can also try periodically calling to see if they'll release a seat and then change your existing booking to U class.

You will come out ahead on points this way (82k + 5k change fee vs 31.5k + 69.7k upgrade) and earn SC via Points Club.

Do you think the outcome is likely to change even closer in given we're already only 3 weeks out? Either way, I'll give it a shot (although having to call multiple times until I get an operator who can put it through to the bot immediately is very annoying).

 

[sudoer]

Do you think the outcome is likely to change even closer in given we're already only 3 weeks out? Either way, I'll give it a shot (although having to call multiple times until I get an operator who can put it through to the bot immediately is very annoying).

Honestly, probably not, so it really depends on your threshold for pain and how much you want the extra SC

 

[encryptededdy]

Honestly, probably not, so it really depends on your threshold for pain and how much you want the extra SC

Already renewed WP, so it's more for the points savings

I'll call 5 days or so out for a check before upgrades start to clear. Just annoying to make a call from Japan where most tourist SIMs are data only.

 

[levelnine]

Alright, finally got through to Hobart

You don't have any *A points, by any chance?

Wide open availability on ANA. Up to 5 J seats on each day:

 

[encryptededdy]

You don't have any *A points, by any chance?

Wide open availability on ANA. Up to 5 J seats on each day:
View attachment 324362

Yeah I'm aware. Just burned 155k krisflyer points on a SQ Suites redemption sadly, so got nothing left

 

[encryptededdy]

You don't have any *A points, by any chance?

Wide open availability on ANA. Up to 5 J seats on each day:
View attachment 324362

Thanks for posting this though, it made me reconsider my options.

I ended up buying 55k Aeroplan Miles for CA$850 (~$943 AUD) since they currently have a +85% bonus going on right now and using that to redeem NH Business. I'm gonna go drop the econ leg off my Qantas flight now.

I recognise this probably isn't even the best value for buying Star Alliance miles, but I didn't want to deal with Lifemiles or wait for an Aeroplan +100%.

Still, I think ~A$1000 including taxes for one way business from HND to SYD is a pretty great deal.

 

[kpc]

Tried to ring Hobart just then to get seats released but got South Africa....agent sounded blur and i asked her where she was....South Africa! Thanked her for her time and hung up. Rang again, got answered by an agent with a non Aussie accent so hung up....will need try another time

 

[larrymull]

Tried to ring Hobart just then to get seats released but got South Africa....agent sounded blur and i asked her where she was....South Africa! Thanked her for her time and hung up. Rang again, got answered by an agent with a non Aussie accent so hung up....will need try another time

rang before too they were busy. I've had some OK responses with SA agents.

 

[garybatz]

Am currently Platinum for the first time (thank you Covid double SC passes ), so tried requesting release of two award seats from Delhi to MEL next February. Went in with low expectations, but pleasantly surprised that one got approved. The Aussie-based agent was also surprised, she said that route is very heavily booked at the moment.

 

[philr2000]

Is it possible to request release for additional seats for QF Domestic flights? And is there an increased liklihood vs international? Thanks

 

[encryptededdy]

Is it possible to request release for additional seats for QF Domestic flights? And is there an increased liklihood vs international? Thanks

Yes, and unsure. I've requested Economy seats a few times very close in (<7 days) and they've all been approved, but YMMV.

 

[sudoer]

Is it possible to request release for additional seats for QF Domestic flights? And is there an increased liklihood vs international? Thanks

IME far more likely to get domestic requests approved due to the more lenient booking classes to submit a request, and on most routes, more frequent departures compared with international.

E.g. If your SYD-MEL 8am doesn't get approved, try the 7:30, 8:30, 9am, etc.

 

[larrymull]

I got an Ayers Rock to Sydney Business Class last Saturday approved the morning of the flight as I booked my family on the wrong flights.

 

[Ade]

2xY SYD-BNE return requested & approved immediately. Called around 2100 last night, went straight to HBA, no wait time. The agent was super helpful, however, the tickets did not arrive. Woke up this morning to no tickets, points not deducted, CC not charged for fees.

Called again this morning - 10 minute wait, answered by HBA. Confirmed that the ticketing has not progressed. Learnt that normal bookings ($/CR) will be ticketed as usual, however, if CR booking is made by requesting release of seats, there needs to be a manual calculation step that needs to be done before the *automated* ticketing job does it's thing. The HBA agent was able to do the manual calculation and left it, from where the *automated* ticketing will happen.

e-ticket landed in under 4 mins after the call was completed. 5-5-3 at the survey

 

[astrosly]

Do you think the outcome is likely to change even closer in given we're already only 3 weeks out? Either way, I'll give it a shot (although having to call multiple times until I get an operator who can put it through to the bot immediately is very annoying).

My recent experience would say not. I booked classic Y on QF9 on the MEL-PER leg for Wed 19 April back in September. I called to request classic J release with I9 and was denied. I called intermittedly over the next few months where it was still I9 and always refused. Last call was two weeks ago when it was I6 - but x9 for all other classes - and was refused with the HBA agent (got through to HBA on the 3rd attempt) actually laughing at me and saying "but the flight is only in two weeks, no chance!!! ha! tsk tsk"). She was quite condescending on a number of fronts.

As it turned out the day before the flight only about 1/3 of the J cabin had seats allocated and still selling x9s but with I3. Submitted an upgrade request at the 30 hour mark and within two hours was successful. Next morning and seven hours before the flight more than 1/2 the cabin was still empty - it only filled up within 4 hours of the flight which are clearly mostly if not all upgrades.

Yes I would have preferred to have got the release to save about 5K in points and get an extra 23 SCs especially on a flight that was just not going to sell J but QF were just not interested in WPs (which the HBA agent pretty much confirmed as "well, you are not a P1").

 

[ShrinkWrapped]

I'm curious, has anyone managed to get J released on QF3/4 yet? either SYD/JFK vv or AKL/JFK vv?

 

[muppet]

My recent experience would say not. I booked classic Y on QF9 on the MEL-PER leg for Wed 19 April back in September. I called to request classic J release with I9 and was denied. I called intermittedly over the next few months where it was still I9 and always refused. Last call was two weeks ago when it was I6 - but x9 for all other classes - and was refused with the HBA agent (got through to HBA on the 3rd attempt) actually laughing at me and saying "but the flight is only in two weeks, no chance!!! ha! tsk tsk"). She was quite condescending on a number of fronts.

As it turned out the day before the flight only about 1/3 of the J cabin had seats allocated and still selling x9s but with I3. Submitted an upgrade request at the 30 hour mark and within two hours was successful. Next morning and seven hours before the flight more than 1/2 the cabin was still empty - it only filled up within 4 hours of the flight which are clearly mostly if not all upgrades.

Yes I would have preferred to have got the release to save about 5K in points and get an extra 23 SCs especially on a flight that was just not going to sell J but QF were just not interested in WPs (which the HBA agent pretty much confirmed as "well, you are not a P1").

I'm not sure, but I think having a seat on the flight already may have complicated things.

 

[Ade]

Called in last night to request 1x CBR-MEL Y for 01/05 one-way seat. Call 13 12 11, no wait time, connected to immediately to a lovely agent at HBA. Request put in and confirmed instantly. Points deducted & payment taken when on the call. Ticket issued within 30 mins.

 

[funnybrus]

5 Dates in early March SYD>SCL as WP
Didn't bother with business as only flex fares being sold
All T9 for PE, rejected
In Q/N for economy, rejected
Allocation (clearly of 0) exceeded.

Asked for manual review but apparently only possible for P1.

 

[levelnine]

Allocation (clearly of 0) exceeded.

Will be interesting to see if QF's prediction of high demand on that route plays out.

I'd certainly be keeping a close eye on fare buckets as they may change. I've been surprised at how quickly QF's Japan routes have gone from inaccessible to wide open. Last year I tried for some dates in May/June this year, and had zero luck. A few months ago I had my pick of those months.