QFF Platinum requesting release of extra Classic award seats?

[RichardMEL]

If a WP, for release of INT J class, you'll need fares available in the Business 'I' fare bucket, which generally correlates to a Business Sale fare when searching flights in the usual manner. This said, whilst having 'I' fares available is the key, it still won't unlock the door on its own. QF has other quite tight restrictions on certain flights (e.g. QF1/2, QF3/4, QF103/104) and periods, like school holidays, and major events (e.g. the 2024 Olympics), where you may not be able to access anything, regardless of published inventory. Which destination and period are you looking at?

Cheers,
Matt.

This is a great response - pretty much what I would say.

I'd just add that the explanation @AirKat was given is essentially correct (as explained here) but remember that while you may not see any sale seats show up for a specific flight when looking on the QF website, that doesn't mean there is zero "I" class open - it could be there is no sale fares lodged for that route/flight/date, but the inventory is open.

However, it's still up to the QF system as to if it will OK a seat release.

Nothing has really changed with this in respect to requesting reward release. I think @AirKat is possibly mixing up two different things here (or the agent is) and this has caused some confusion. the 353 day thing is when traditionally reward seats would be made available for QF flights for certain elite tiers - in a general sense (as in available online to book). Now while it seems that this is not a hard date anymore, it's also a different thing to being able to call and request for release of reward space as a Platinum or higher - and that is the case where one wants the "I" class available (for Platinum) or "D" for P1 (but again, not guaranteed of course).

 

[LokiMc]

Anyone had any luck with releasing F or J reward seats on QF1/2 for October 2024 thus far? WP and no luck the last 5 times I've called, despite there being A class fares avail on Expert Flyer (no I class fares however I try both anyway when I call)

 

[dairyfloss]

Anyone had any luck with releasing F or J reward seats on QF1/2 for October 2024 thus far? WP and no luck the last 5 times I've called, despite there being A class fares avail on Expert Flyer (no I class fares however I try both anyway when I call)

I’ve never heard of a WP getting seats released on QF1/2. Only a few mentions of P1s having success…

 

[Princess Fiona]

I’ve never heard of a WP getting seats released on QF1/2. Only a few mentions of P1s having success…

I have had a few F and J seats released on QF1/2 including a few weeks ago for January but agree not seen any success for WP on this.

 

[Sprucegoose]

I’ve never heard of a WP getting seats released on QF1/2. Only a few mentions of P1s having success…

I've had 5 premium seats released recently; it can happen as a WP; however, it's not the strong benefit P1's enjoy and would seem to be more agent-driven beyond the 'computer says no' scenario.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I've had 5 premium seats released recently; it can happen as a WP; however, it's not the strong benefit P1's enjoy and would seem to be more agent-driven beyond the 'computer says no' scenario.

As a WP?

On QF1 or QF2, or both?

Month of the flight?

 

[levelnine]

I've had 5 premium seats released recently;

By premium, do you mean PE or J/F? There's a lot of crucial information missing from this post.

Post automatically merged: Dec 28, 2023

would seem to be more agent-driven beyond the 'computer says no' scenario.

Furthermore, WP don't have the ability to request manual review of seat release requests, so this post smells extremely fishy ...

 

[Kangol]

Furthermore, WP don't have the ability to request manual review of seat release requests, so this post smells extremely fishy ...

I took that post to mean: the ability to request seats in the first place, is not the strong benefit of P1 over WP.
Instead, the strong benefit of P1 over WP is the ability to have manual requests when a computer rejection has occurred.
Both statements are true, maybe it's the misinterpretation that is fishy

In any case, this is more fuel for the fire. Haha.

 

[levelnine]

Instead, the strong benefit of P1 over WP is the ability to have manual requests when a computer rejection has occurred.

Why are they reporting on the way P1 requests are handled (a basic piece of knowledge everyone knows and does not bear repeating) when they are reporting on personal WP experience? It is an exceptionally poorly worded post if that is what was intended.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Why are they reporting on the way P1 requests are handled (a basic piece of knowledge everyone knows and does not bear repeating) when they are reporting on personal WP experience? It is an exceptionally poorly worded post if that is what was intended.

I’m pretty sure the OP is P1

 

[levelnine]

I’m pretty sure the OP is P1

Ahh okay, so the post contains no actual data lol.

LokiMc asks if a WP (not a P1) has had any success getting seats released on QF1/2.

Sprucegoose responds they've had seats released as a P1.

This forum cracks me up sometimes.

 

[jukebox333]

A little more mundane domestic action for me, I'm afraid...

Looked to get x3 Y seats on QF9 MEL-PER released in early May for a Mother's Day jaunt - computer says "No" ("allocation exhausted" was the exact advice). Getting those Dreamliner domestic legs is proving impossible for me, sadly, regardless of class of travel.

So asked if QF773 MEL-PER could be made available for the same afternoon - after a short pause on hold, these were granted.

I then asked to also get a set of x3 matching Y seats on QF427 to get me SYD-MEL with some time in the J lounge, and those were released, too.

A great job by Dahni (sp?) in the WP call centre.

 

[dylarr]

Looked to get x3 Y seats on QF9 MEL-PER released in early May for a Mother's Day jaunt - computer says "No" ("allocation exhausted" was the exact advice). Getting those Dreamliner domestic legs is proving impossible for me, sadly, regardless of class of travel.

I'm 99.9% certain the droid assesses QF9 MEL-PER as if it was an international flight rather than a domestic one - so the lower Q class fare bucket needs to be available for an economy request to be considered and even then you're not guaranteed to get a seat. This is different to my experience with actual domestic releases (i.e. flights departing from the domestic terminal) - I've never had an economy request knocked back when there is N class available.

 

[jukebox333]

I'm 99.9% certain the droid assesses QF9 MEL-PER as if it was an international flight rather than a domestic one - so the lower Q class fare bucket needs to be available for an economy request to be considered and even then you're not guaranteed to get a seat. This is different to my experience with actual domestic releases (i.e. flights departing from the domestic terminal) - I've never had an economy request knocked back when there is N class available.

It's a shame because I rate the transcontinental DOM legs of QF 5/6/9/10 in the 787 as the best domestic J product Qantas offers. The crews, too, seem to treat the leg as an international one, and the attention to detail and level of service has, in my experience anyway, been superb almost every time.

Best use of 27,000 points (10,000 when they pay for flex fares) I can think of, bumping my work paid westbound discount Y legs up to J (at ~3hrs duration, the eastbound legs are not as good value!).

 

[Daver6]

Managed to get two J seats released in late Feb/early March for PER-SYD return. EF showed I availability. 5 minutes on hold and based on accent got through to a South African rep. She knew what to do and seats released and booked. About 20 minutes on the phone to her.

Did note some interesting things while searching EF. I saw some Y awards seats on QF as a WP but EF showed X0. Chatting to @JohnM those Y awards seats didn't show up to him as a lowly SG (I'm actually not even sure why I associated with him given his lack of status).

The other thing I noticed, I could see some award seats on the QF website in both J and Y via BNE. However, EF doesn't throw that up as a connecting option to show award space.

 

[Sprucegoose]

As a WP?

On QF1 or QF2, or both?

Month of the flight?

P1

QF1 Dec

Prior to that QF to SIN ICN MNL in the last few months.

Correction - it is one of the strongest P1 benefits. Points are only worthwhile if you can use them.

HNY

 

[madrooster]

I’ve never heard of a WP getting seats released on QF1/2. Only a few mentions of P1s having success…

I've seen several cases of WPs getting QF1/2 released, even post covid and even in F outside of peak periods. It is tough though and you have to be quite flexible, but it can be done.

 

[jukebox333]

Happy New Year, AFF'ers

Still trying for QF9 MEL-PER 2 xJ for next weekend... still no love.

QF 9	MEL 16:50 → PER 17:50 J9 C9 D9 I0 U0 W5 R5 T5 Z0 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G0 X0 E0

QF 9	PER 19:20 → LHR 5:05 J0 C0 D0 I0 U0 W0 R0 T0 Z0 Y1 B0 H0 K0 M0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G0 X0 E0

I've got my son with me, and wanted him to try the pointy end of the Dreamliner...

My consolation is I do have J seats on the A330 flight earlier in the afternoon.

Edit. And T-12, now I don't. Qantas just enhanced both of our transcontinental legs to 737's

If I didn't need the SC's, I'd cancel the lot and reroute direct.

 

[AirKat]

Thanks everyone for the clarification. We are trying to get from Mel to Paris in Dec next year for 4 pax in J... yes I know... very unlikely. But I am an optimist!

Anyway, end result is denying x3 and x4 J seats on every possible route over a 4 day period between Mel/Syd/Per and Lhr-CDG. In the end I was able to get x4 economy seats Mel-Tokyo and we'll then connect to Tokyo-CDG with x 3 pax in J and x1 in PE. I'll take that for Dec. Now to see how we go in a few weeks time trying to book the return leg

 

[BobbyFlyer]

Another reference point for this thread. As WP requested today for release of 2 J seats on 21 Dec on QF71 Per-Sin. There are 5 I class seats available and I am declined again. I have necker seen J international classic seats from Perth available ever (stand to be corrected)…that is 2/2 unsuccessful when I class is showing for me now…