Reasonable- value Y redemption

[andye]

Have just completed what must be quite an unusual occurrence: a reasonable-value long-haul Y redemption

Had booked seats ages ago for 6 SYD-BKK-DXB/DXB-BCN with QF for family holiday next month. Eldest son manages to be selected for rep rugby team with tournament the first weekend we were due to be away. Keen for him to take opportunity so Mrs andye will stay with him if can make sensible travel arrangements to catch up later.

SYD-X-BCN cost $1500+ for one-way flights under 32h duration
No other OW/SQ/CX/EY reward availability for week before school holidays. MH as usual very good for availability.

Book SYD-KUL-LHR for 38.5K Enrich +$285 each. Revenue LHR-BCN $180 on BA with reasonable connection time.

So over 2.5c/point. Pity that the massive devaluation happened as I didn't have enough points to get J (also available at such short notice).

 

[andye]

Had the nagging feeling I had missed a trick. Worked out that I had just enough MR points to get 2xJ KUL-LHR @60K on the current 20% off promo and get 2xY SYD-KUL on points+pay online separately.

Called MH who (slightly to my surprise) were prepared to change the tickets on that basis. Transferred over the requisite points but the agent I spoke to the next day wasn't prepared to offer the discounted J points redemption only the standard 75K.

Im awaiting a call-back to see if this can be resolved but a couple of data points that might be useful to some...

a. {It does seem possible to change an origin or destination on a redemption ticket} NOT necessarily true-see below

b. The points + pay rate is currently about 1c per point for a Y redemption SYD-KUL (could make for a reasonable positioning flight) but about 3c per point for a SYD-LHR J redemption

 

[andye]

Realise no replies (apart from my own) to thread yet but seem to have had a reverse-HUACA experience in which every call gives a worse outcome and don't want poeple to be led astray by second post

The third operator says that only possible to upgrade the whole trip at full (not online) rates. Not enough points to do this. To be honest this was what I as expecting them to say the first time I called.

Not particularly worse off than when I originally booked except for now having 45K points in Enrich rather tham Amex. My suggestion that this was not ideal didn't produce any satisfactory response on telephone and I have been advised to write in for any possible compenstion

 

[Pele]

Gday

I possibly need to fly to SYD-KUL over Christmas- New Year and, like you Andye, noticed that the Y redemption value is the best i have ever seen for any airline. Due to the Christmas New Year period being the peakest of all you can get about 4c per point value in Y. This is better than many J redemptions! Also on every day i can find availability they have seats on all three flights in both Y and J.

What is frustrating me is the points and pay option. I only have 1000 points and am trying to work out how much i would need to pay to go J but the slider only moves as far as you have points ie 1000. Return points is 93500 and points and pay is 1000 points plus about $2600. Andye i dont understand your post above- for example if i had 40000 points roughly how much would i have to pay in J?

Thanks!

Pele.

 

[andye]

The value applied to a point with a points+pay varies at MHs whim. It looks like you are looking at paying over 2c per point for that J redemption so if you had 40K you would be looking at reducing the price by $800+. You can work it out accurately by clicking on the 'tax' section on the right hand side of the quote screen and doing the sums from there

 

[medhead]

That's a great tip, the taxes are invariant. Always have to pay those as a base level.

 

[andye]

As a bonus the KUL-LHR (but not SYD-KUL) leg earned BA tier points and avios for Mstr andye1 (Mrs andye's identical flight didn't credit to QFF)