QFF Platinum requesting release of extra Classic award seats?

[DC3]

… and my experience now requesting seats as a newly minted World Platinum …

No, not World Platinum. You are Wa..er Platinum.

Edit: Me, also

 

[Jacques Vert]

Now I know, some will find this as a very pedestrian exercise - a domestic classic economy award. Big whoop! But look at the cash fares, and compare that to the points required and you'll quickly realize that this is one of the ways to make your points stretch extra far.

I agree. Before Covid I considered using points for Y seats to be a waste of those points. But with the current price of airfares I have burnt through many thousands of points on Y fares this past year or two.

 

[RooFlyer]

There’s no such thing as “world” platinum. It’s just misleading the children to use such a phrase.

Just attention seeking.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Just attention seeking.

Yes, that’s why it was named WP.

 

[kamb1ng]

Hi all, newbie to this game (just became Platinum last month).

Please can I confirm that my understanding is correct? Want to request CR seats in QF75 SYD-YVR on Sat 22/06/2024 in Economy for 4 people.

Availability is:
QF75 J9 C9 D9 I1 U0 W9 R8 T0 Z0 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O0 G0 X0 E0

I should be looking at Q9 which shows there are 9 seats available? Meaning I have a good chance?

Thank you!

 

[dylarr]

I should be looking at Q9 which shows there are 9 seats available? Meaning I have a good chance?

Yes you should be looking at Q9 for an international economy release. 4 is a lot of seats so it could go either way but give it a go for sure and let us know!

 

[Pixiechick]

Am I off my rocker? Was originally thinking I’d request the release of a single J seat to NY (as lots of I availability and I had some flexibility around dates). Paid fares were sitting around $20k, making the point value just about 7 cents - excellent value! Now Qantas has dropped a sale and I can get the seats paid for ~$8.5k, point value of 2.5 cents or so (still excellent value) BUT a paid trip will pretty much ensure I keep WP for another year (where I will want to use points to get 2x seats when travelling with partner).

Am I nuts to be considering paying for this trip when I can get a points value of 2.5 cents? Of course, it’s not guaranteed the they’ll release a seat for me, but given loads to NY in Feb, I availability and my flexibility on dates I expect it wouldn’t be that hard.

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

Am I nuts to be considering paying for this trip when I can get a points value of 2.5 cents?

Discount Business class to New York from Sydney will net you 560 SCs and cost you around $8500.

You could wait for a DSC offer and do one or two business class status runs to New Zealand. These will likely cost you around $1000 - $1300 for each return trip (from Sydney), but net you around 320 SCs each return trip (or even more depending on routing), if you take advantage of a DSC offer.

If you're a Points Club member then even a classic award return J fare to New York will earn you about 224 SCs. So a single DSC status run to New Zealand in business (320 SCs or more), plus the SCs you earn as a Points Club member on an award flight (224 SCs), will get you around the same number of SCs as a paid business class ticket, for substantially less in cash.

If you're not a Points Club member you could do two DSC runs to New Zealand and get 640+ SCs, at a cost of maybe $2000-$2600. Again, quite a bit cheaper than a paid J ticket to New York.

All this assumes business class tickets to New Zealand continue to be as well priced as they've been in the past, and that Qantas will run a DSC offer before your membership year expires, and that you can have the time to make those status runs.

 

[DC3]

You could wait for a DSC offer and do one or two business class status runs to New Zealand.

New Zealand? Isn’t Pixiechick heading to NYC?

 

[muppet]

Am I off my rocker? Was originally thinking I’d request the release of a single J seat to NY (as lots of I availability and I had some flexibility around dates). Paid fares were sitting around $20k, making the point value just about 7 cents - excellent value! Now Qantas has dropped a sale and I can get the seats paid for ~$8.5k, point value of 2.5 cents or so (still excellent value) BUT a paid trip will pretty much ensure I keep WP for another year (where I will want to use points to get 2x seats when travelling with partner).

Am I nuts to be considering paying for this trip when I can get a points value of 2.5 cents? Of course, it’s not guaranteed the they’ll release a seat for me, but given loads to NY in Feb, I availability and my flexibility on dates I expect it wouldn’t be that hard.

Yes you are nuts.

Cash is cash. Always can deal with WP down the track.

 

[levelnine]

New Zealand? Isn’t Pixiechick heading to NYC?

Jean is helpfully providing an alternative way of meeting the SC requirements for WP for far less cash.

 

[DC3]

Jean is helpfully providing an alternative way of meeting the SC requirements for WP for far less cash.

Let’s see what Pixiechick has to say about going to NZ instead of NYC.

Edited

 

[levelnine]

Let’s see what Pixiechick has to say about NZ instead of NYC.

It would be both — classic reward to NYC then a status run to NZ for a saving of ~$6K. If I were considering my options, I certainly would have appreciated this alternative.

 

[DC3]

I certainly would have appreciated this alternative.

Edited

 

[Pixiechick]

New Zealand? Isn’t Pixiechick heading to NYC?

Let’s see what Pixiechick has to say about NZ instead of NYC.

Well, I am booking a flight to NZ but for January, and no DSC will be coming up before then! And honestly, taking trips solely for SC seems a waste. What I did just realise is that I can easily combine work with NY so the flight is tax deductible and therefore after tax not a bad deal at all.

If only a magical DSC showed up!

 

[DC3]

… taking trips solely for SC seems a waste …

Yes, I travel to places that I prefer to see, rather than just for the SC. Probably frowned on by some AFFers.

 

[kamb1ng]

Yes you should be looking at Q9 for an international economy release. 4 is a lot of seats so it could go either way but give it a go for sure and let us know!

So this request was rejected.

I have requested the same seats in the same flight 1 week later (29/6) so let's see. If it doesn't work out I may need to fly to LAX then connect to local flight to YVR.

The funny thing is, the first time I called I got someone that can make a request and get me result in 1 minute. The subsequent calls only spoke to folks that tells me to wait for notification if I'm successful or if no news after one day, to call back.

 

[sudoer]

So this request was rejected.

I have requested the same seats in the same flight 1 week later (29/6) so let's see. If it doesn't work out I may need to fly to LAX then connect to local flight to YVR.

Did you try request for fewer than 4 seats? You may need to do a mix of reward and cash seats, then get the two PNRs linked.

The funny thing is, the first time I called I got someone that can make a request and get me result in 1 minute. The subsequent calls only spoke to folks that tells me to wait for notification if I'm successful or if no news after one day, to call back.

The first time you called, you likely reached Hobart or Auckland.

The second time was more likely Cape Town or Fiji. Or the bot was down and needed a restart (which actually happens quite a bit..)

 

[Flyfrequently]

So this request was rejected.

I have requested the same seats in the same flight 1 week later (29/6) so let's see. If it doesn't work out I may need to fly to LAX then connect to local flight to YVR.

The funny thing is, the first time I called I got someone that can make a request and get me result in 1 minute. The subsequent calls only spoke to folks that tells me to wait for notification if I'm successful or if no news after one day, to call back.

Email through this morning @kamb1ng : Qantas has Red Tail sale to North America Y $1399 SYD -YVR Jan- March.

Edit: not your dates

 

[Fifi2207]

Well, I am booking a flight to NZ but for January, and no DSC will be coming up before then! And honestly, taking trips solely for SC seems a waste. What I did just realise is that I can easily combine work with NY so the flight is tax deductible and therefore after tax not a bad deal at all.

If only a magical DSC showed up!

I'd defo fly to NZ to retain Platinum