Reduction in QF domestic business award seats

[Doctore1003]

Just booked some MEL-PER flights for late next year and noticed QF have reduced business award availability to 3 seats per flight (on the A330s, new config and old). I think there used to be at least 6 seats per flight? Was expecting a reduction due to the refurb but 3 is lower than I thought...

Anyway, makes it more imperative now to get in early on those east-west coast awards/upgrades.

I imagine only 3 seats are available on the old config planes because Qantas expects the new planes to be subbed in possibly?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Not to mention needing more points for awards.
Read on AusBT.

 

[Doctore1003]

Not to mention needing more points for awards.
Read on AusBT.

Really? I can't see anything on AusBT - what's the link?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

It came under the AA blurb about their AA rewards system changes.
Also said about needing more points.
20000 QFF points needed TransAust.

 

[opusman]

You do realise that AA and QF are two completely separate airlines with completely separate rewards programs, don't you?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Ah...
Opusman got it right.

 

[Mattg]

It came under the AA blurb about their AA rewards system changes.
Also said about needing more points.
20000 QFF points needed TransAust.

Not correct - you're talking about AAdvantage miles. There have been no recent changes to redemptions using Qantas points.

 

[Doctore1003]

Yeah my point was about reduced availability of award seats on QF domestic east-west flights. Would be interested to hear if anyone else has noticed this on other flights.

 

[Standby]

Could it be the reduction over time in capacity from 30-36 J cabins down to 28 with newly reconfigure aircraft?

 

[Doctore1003]

Could it be the reduction over time in capacity from 30-36 J cabins down to 28 with newly reconfigure aircraft?

That's part of the story, but I think there's more. It seems like there's been a decision to reduce award seat availability overall on domestic flights, or at least east-west flights.

 

[cove]

Well that got me moving....I booked two to get to the AFL grand final yesterday and had to go PER-SYD-MEL even though it is many months to go.

 

[Borisdog]

That's part of the story, but I think there's more. It seems like there's been a decision to reduce award seat availability overall on domestic flights, or at least east-west flights.

I must say it seems that way to me also. I've been flying east/west return fortnightly for 3 years now and it's never been harder to get an upgrade, and I'm WP. That's generally booking 2-3 months out and requesting it there and then. They've been flying the upgraded 330 ex JQ planes for about a year now ( BNE-PER v/v ) and I'm about 0 from 12 in upgrade requests. I've yet to fly the upgraded ( ex JQ layflat ) 330 in J. Got 3 requests in ATM, latest one is mid Jan 2016. Not one of them cleared - they're all in the queue and EF has plenty of seats showing available but I don't have a paid membership so I can't see award availability.

Believe it or not the last successful upgrade I got was on a 737 BNE-PER. 5 hours in Y in a 737 is not for the faint-hearted, so it's a compulsory upgrade there for me. Only 12 J seats in that compared to 28 in 330, and 3 of them were empty, I got a shadow. A colleague (SG) was denied the upgrade. Work that one out.

 

[Mattg]

I must say it seems that way to me also. I've been flying east/west return fortnightly for 3 years now and it's never been harder to get an upgrade, and I'm WP. That's generally booking 2-3 months out and requesting it there and then. They've been flying the upgraded 330 ex JQ planes for about a year now ( BNE-PER v/v ) and I'm about 0 from 12 in upgrade requests. I've yet to fly the upgraded ( ex JQ layflat ) 330 in J. Got 3 requests in ATM, latest one is mid Jan 2016. Not one of them cleared - they're all in the queue and EF has plenty of seats showing available but I don't have a paid membership so I can't see award availability.

Believe it or not the last successful upgrade I got was on a 737 BNE-PER. 5 hours in Y in a 737 is not for the faint-hearted, so it's a compulsory upgrade there for me. Only 12 J seats in that compared to 28 in 330, and 3 of them were empty, I got a shadow. A colleague (SG) was denied the upgrade. Work that one out.

You may want to have a look at this thread: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....s-glitches-processing-qfd-upgrades-71237.html

Generally, if there is a reward seat available, the upgrade will be accepted. But there is a glitch where upgrade requests are not processed immediately when/if reward seats are released. You may wish to check if there are reward seats available on any of your upcoming flights. If so, cancel the upgrade request and re-submit.

You should also be able to see if there is an upgrade on any domestic flight at the time of booking, using this method.

If you're flying regularly, Expert Flyer might be a worthwhile way to keep track of reward seat releases.

 

[kamchatsky]

Well that got me moving....I booked two to get to the AFL grand final yesterday and had to go PER-SYD-MEL even though it is many months to go.

Smart man plans ahead!

 

[Borisdog]

You may want to have a look at this thread: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....s-glitches-processing-qfd-upgrades-71237.html

Generally, if there is a reward seat available, the upgrade will be accepted. But there is a glitch where upgrade requests are not processed immediately when/if reward seats are released. You may wish to check if there are reward seats available on any of your upcoming flights. If so, cancel the upgrade request and re-submit.

You should also be able to see if there is an upgrade on any domestic flight at the time of booking, using this method.

If you're flying regularly, Expert Flyer might be a worthwhile way to keep track of reward seat releases.

Yep - Saw it and tried it. No joy.
Even when going in and trying a reward J booking on all 3 of the flights requested there's nothing and yet EF has just about every J seat available on all 3 flights.
Repeatedly cancelling and retrying has the potential to drop me down the queue ( if there is one!! ) does it not?
Weird to say the least.
I might just have a crack with a paid membership on EF, although I'm giving up the ( frequent ) flying within the year.

 

[Mattg]

Yep - Saw it and tried it. No joy.
Even when going in and trying a reward J booking on all 3 of the flights requested there's nothing and yet EF has just about every J seat available on all 3 flights.
Repeatedly cancelling and retrying has the potential to drop me down the queue ( if there is one!! ) does it not?
Weird to say the least.
I might just have a crack with a paid membership on EF, although I'm giving up the ( frequent ) flying within the year.

Cancelling and re-requesting the upgrade only works if you know there is a reward seat available at the time.

The $4.99 monthly EF subscription might be best in your case. Just renew by the month until you no longer need it.

Either way, I agree that it does seem QF is holding back on the award availability on east-west flights.