Reward flight booking

[Alexh92]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to book a flight using qantas points and am a bit confused between classic rewards and any seat rewards

I am planning on flying from SYD - Atlanta then Miami - SYD

With classic rewards it would be 152,000 points + taxes where as points plus pay it seems to work out much the same but I would also earn points at the same time

Am I missing something? I always though classic rewards was meant to be cheaper?

 

[Anna]

How much is it if you keep your 152,000 points and just pay?

With Y rewards the taxes are often almost as much as buying a ticket outright. So sometimes it's better to keep your points and use money. YMMV.

 

[Alexh92]

It's around $2000 for flights, if I half the cost with points plus pay id be looking at 120,000 points but would also earn 19,000 back. I don't really care about upgrades to business etc just trying to figure out how to get best point value

 

[Limewood]

As an enhancement Q in their usual brilliance took ASA's off site now have to call.

details HERE

Best of luck.

 

[RooFlyer]

As an enhancement Q in their usual brilliance took ASA's off site now have to call.

details HERE

Best of luck.

I note the Op is a relative noobie, so hope you don't mind if I expand a bit Limewood, for the OPs benefit.

The 'Points+Pay' on the web site is an 'Any Seat Award) - see footnotes here Points Plus Pay | Qantas and you can mix & match cash and points, and earn SCs etc. As Anna mentioned, the taxes on Y rewards are sometimes close to the cost of an cash economy ticket, so don't discount that.

The best option is to book an 'Any Seat Award at Classic points levels', sometimes called a 'Marginal Any Seat Award' or 'MASA'. That is, 'cheaper' than 'Points+Pay' I'm definitely not the expert on this, but as Limewood says you can only access these by calling. Read the thread that Limewood linked to. Then

* Look up Classic availability on the web site for the flight you want to take. You may need to be flexible.

* Phone the numbers specified, quote the words in the thread (and the fare class mentioned in the thread) and the flights where you saw Classic availability on the web site. Don't refer to it as 'points+pay'.

* Phone agents are sometimes unaware of the 'MASA' type booking and may encourage you to book a Classic Award. If this happens, you can either hang up and call again, or you can take note of the 'On Q' cheat sheet mentioned in the thread and quote it to the phone agent and ask them to look it up. You CAN book MASAs, which are Any Seat Awards at or close to the cheaper, Classic point level.

 

[Alexh92]

Okay awesome, so I would be booking the any seat flight at the same point rates that the classic one would be with all points instead of points plus pay and won't need to pay the taxes of the classic award flight? Do I still earn SC's and points back with this? Sorry I don't fly heaps and am new to flyer points I just have a stack of flyer points to use up for this trip, appreciate all the help

 

[RooFlyer]

No, sorry to be ambiguous.

The MASA is a combination of points and cash, but cheaper than the 'point+pay' you can get on the web (and you get SCs etc). Qantas is restricting the accessibility of this cheap option by taking it off the web and not advertising it. The cash will include taxes & fuel charges etc.

To benefit from the cheapness, you have to use the correct wording and maybe be determined. Suggest you plough through the thread and come back with any queries. Or call to see how you go. You don't necessarily have to say 'yes' to the points and cash they quote you.

 

[Alexh92]

Okay cool I understand now, its confusing because realistically there all points plus pay when you take into consideration the taxes. There fee's seem quite different to... the flights were quoted at $4600 (this is just for economy...) and then when I clicked best price as the option they dropped to $2004 pretty massive difference

I'll try give them a call, the points + pay seems to be a better option then using all points anyway so I'll try see what they can do over the phone

 

[serfty]

...
I'll try give them a call, the points + pay seems to be a better option then using all points anyway so I'll try see what they can do over the phone

I'd suggest you avoid using the term Point + Pay full stop.

Take RooFlyer's advice and also read and understand the thread linked to in post #4.

 

[grussellt]

Hi Alexh92. A bit of help. An award (Economy) from SYD-ATL costs 56000pts and $464.43 in charges. MIA-SYD costs 64000 points and $464.43 in charges so all up this is 120000 points and $928.86. If you only wanted an overnight stay in Atlanta (less than 24H) you can travel SYD-ATL-MIA for 64000 points and $467.33. Once you learn the ropes there are some nice awards around e.g SYD-MIA-CDG is still only 64000 points!

 

[Alexh92]

Appreciate the help, I will be staying in Atlanta for a few nights (26th-1st of sep/oct) for a music festival from there I will be driving up the coast and flying back from Miami on the 15th. It's a shame about the taxes they kill it quite a bit it was looking awesome till I hit those lol

This is the first time I have booked with points so I am a bit of a noob (there my dad's flyer points) I will try call Qantas today and see how I go using above suggestions

 

[Alexh92]

Not having any luck over the phone they have no clue on this different booking type and claim they can't help and to try online

Seems my best option is points plus pay, classic reward is 152,000 points + $788.96 taxes where as points plus pay is 152,000 points + $695.42 co-payment (plus a bonus 19,414 points which would drop the cost to $502.24 if I used them for this booking)

I always thought classic was meant to workout cheaper?

 

[Newk]

You have to be very specific with your wording. And if you use the correct words and they cannot help it is not your fault. Hang up and start again. Rehearse your request. Have the flights and dates in front of you. Say "I want to book an any seat award at classic rates in the ..... class (for domestic business it is U, someone will help for international economy). If they don't understand refer them to the cheat sheet or hang up and start again. IMHO it really is worth understanding and persisting with this.

 

[RooFlyer]

Agree with Newk.

Classic Rewards ARE cheaper. And you CAN get an Any Seat Award at close to Classic prices.

Its just that Qantas, cynically in my opinion, is making it very difficult to get them.

You need to digest the thread referred to before, get the wording right, get the cheat sheet reference handy (from the thread) and if they are still nonplussed, stand your ground (politely) and ask for a supervisor or guide them towards the cheat sheet.

And thee is NO BOOKING FEE on this type of over-the-phone booking. Definitely.

 

[legroom]

You have to be very specific with your wording. And if you use the correct words and they cannot help it is not your fault. Hang up and start again. Rehearse your request. Have the flights and dates in front of you. Say "I want to book an any seat award at classic rates in the ..... class (for domestic business it is U, someone will help for international economy). If they don't understand refer them to the cheat sheet or hang up and start again. IMHO it really is worth understanding and persisting with this.

If ASA is the OP's preference, here are my choice phrases (non-exclusive):

1) ASA booking into (.....) fare bucket (P for First, U for business, Z for Premium Economy and X for economy);

2) ASA with the points requirement of a Classic Award seat

3) Reference on Q #7740

Ask on AFF if anyone has any idea what the co-payment should be - before you call - so you could continue or decline the quote with some confidence.

Believe me, all that info and I still hang up on occasions.

 

[Alexh92]

ASA isn't necessarily my preference, just whatever works out cheaper which I was under the impression ASA was, I am wanting just economy so it will be an X class booking

Classic doesn't seem to be cheaper re the figures I quoted "classic reward is 152,000 points + $788.96 taxes where as points plus pay is 152,000 points + $695.42 co-payment (plus a bonus 19,414 points which would drop the cost to $502.24 if I used them for this booking)" The points plus pay option was quoted on a "best price" flight which I believe is a sale flight though?

I will try to call for a better deal however I am a bit unsure as to what I could potentially be looking at getting, should I be expecting the same amount of point requirements in this case 152,000 with lower co payment or less points but higher co payment but still lower then normal point plus pay?

Sorry if I'm catching on a bit slow

 

[RooFlyer]

<snip>

Sorry if I'm catching on a bit slow[/COLOR]

Don't be. Its a shemozzle and its taken the collective efforts of a bunch of people here for the past 2 months to try to sort things out, against an airline that plainly doesn't want to sell these fares.

 

[Limewood]

Try this sticky.

 

[Alexh92]

^ have already read that post in full depth. I'm still confused as to what I should be expecting when I ring up (so far I keep just getting "you can do that online") Also I'm lost as to why points plus pay seems to be working out cheaper then classic awards for me when it apparently shouldn't be :s

 

[serfty]

OK, what class are you looking to book? Presumably economy.

Are all these on QF flight numbers or are there some AA ones in there?