Secure & change, or wait?

[rock86]

Hi all,

As noted in the 2019 Travel thread, mrs rock and I are planning a 2/3 week US trip late Nov/early Dec. Originally we were planning J, but we have amassed a significant amount of points with ease and have decided we'd like to 'splurge' them on F.

Now as a QF bronze I don;t get access to QF premium flights until 295 (I think) days out and EK flights aren't available to book until 330 days out (in most cases). I've been constantly checking the reward calendars and it seems that for the long haul routes we plan to do, SYD-DFW(QF) & JFK-DXB-SIN-BNE(EK), that there is a steady stream of awards released. However, I'm worried that waiting the extra 1-2 months that when the weeks we are looking at travelling become available, no rewards will be released.

I'm thinking to be very safe and just book QR/CX flights as they're released a lot earlier and change the flights to F as they become available. Does everyone else play on the safe side when planning their award bookings (even if they don't plan on taking the original booked flights)?

 

[zenyattamondatta]

Does everyone else play on the safe side when planning their award bookings (even if they don't plan on taking the original booked flights)?

I can't speak for everyone else, but I do tend to make several cancellations (of provisional bookings) during the course of a given year. Some might call that "selfish", but what the hey. The ultimate goal is to get what you want, and there's no guarantee that you'll be able to lock in the future bookings you're hoping for.

 

[BD1959]

I'd book and change (if it becomes available...) *however* this becomes quite "expensive" if you are looking at doing this on a number of sectors. It may be my imagination but it seems that airlines generally are not releasing the number of premium award seats they once did.

Late last year I booked return J to the UK. For the return flights at time of booking, as a WP, I could only get BHX-DXB-BKK-SYD-MEL (due to the September school holidays in Australia *majority of* premium awards appeared to be with-held). Fortunately around 8 weeks out a F seat opened up SIN-MEL against which I could also swap the DXB-BKK to DXB-SIN. I was fortunate that I was able to request a second F which cleared immediately and so I made the switch.

However, I didn't fancy my chances of *any* other premium opening so - in the same situation - I'd book what *is* available and avoid the disappointment of that too disappearing.

Regards,

BD

 

[serfty]

Yes, book now and regret the 5K (or 6K) later IF something preferable comes up.

 

[rock86]

Thanks all, I'm going to book the J seats as they become available as you all have said.

I'm confident of getting the EK F flights home from NYC, I think the one that may escape us is the QF F from SYD-DFW.

 

[mrsterryn]

I asked something similar and now like you I am going to book and if I get a better ..ticket just cancel and wear the points loss.
I would rather have one in the hand so to speak

 

[rock86]

Can you change the airport of departure? (I thought I read somewhere that isn't possible)

I'd like to fly WTB-SYD-US, but CX/QR release their seats ahead of QF domestic, so it isn't possible to book the domestic leg from the start.

 

[rock86]

Hmmm a conundrum, has anyone had flights ticketed with QF booking via online that falls outside of their actual rules? I think there is a little quirk in the QF system at present that could benefit the flyer, but I'm worried that if I get it ticketed and then look to change one of the flighst later on they might try and hit me up for the extra points on the "quirk".

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

Can you change the airport of departure? (I thought I read somewhere that isn't possible)

As you haven’t yet commenced any travel on the itinerary, yes you can change the airport of departure (subject to change fees of course).
Extract of relevant rule follows (refer in particular to part (d):

14.7.4 Subject to this clause 14.7, the following changes are permitted to a Classic Flight Reward after ticketing and prior to commencement of any travel and will incur a Change Fee (see the Fee Schedule) per passenger:

(a) change to flight number;
(b) change to date of travel;
(c) change to class of travel;
(d) change to any Segment routing or airline;
(e) change to name (only for Flights with a Qantas (QF) flight number on the ticket that are operated by Qantas); and
(f) request to cancel ticket and re-credit Points. Please note that only Points that would not have expired will be re-credited.

 

[rock86]

As you haven’t yet commenced any travel on the itinerary, yes you can change the airport of departure (subject to change fees of course).
Extract of relevant rule follows (refer in particular to part (d):

14.7.4 Subject to this clause 14.7, the following changes are permitted to a Classic Flight Reward after ticketing and prior to commencement of any travel and will incur a Change Fee (see the Fee Schedule) per passenger:

(a) change to flight number;
(b) change to date of travel;
(c) change to class of travel;
(d) change to any Segment routing or airline;
(e) change to name (only for Flights with a Qantas (QF) flight number on the ticket that are operated by Qantas); and
(f) request to cancel ticket and re-credit Points. Please note that only Points that would not have expired will be re-credited.

Awesome, thanks for that.

 

[rock86]

Argh, been looking the last few days for BNE-LAX/SFO release by CX and none. Yet the week before there wer J awards released pretty much everyday. SYD departure it may be, gotta love this game....

 

[mrsterryn]

@rock86 I actually did mutli city choices as per advice from AFF

Also don't forget if you are plat you can request a seat to be released (I just had one for me )

 

[rock86]

@rock86 I actually did mutli city choices as per advice from AFF

Also don't forget if you are plat you can request a seat to be released (I just had one for me )

Just a lowly bronze here

And at the moment it seems that with CX I'm yielding better results when searching direct (and letting CX married segments take care of the rest), every time I search either BNE/SYD-HKG & HKG-US as mutli-city, nothing shows for the HKG-US leg.

 

[mrsterryn]

@rock86 I believe USA is often difficult to have.
Mine was for Europe

 

[rock86]

@rock86 I believe USA is often difficult to have.
Mine was for Europe

It certainly isn't the easiest, but I've been monitoring it for the last fortnight andnit seems just as when I actually want to book they're throttling them.

 

[Franky]

@rock86 I actually did mutli city choices as per advice from AFF

Also don't forget if you are plat you can request a seat to be released (I just had one for me )

How would this be acheived, thru QF or CX?

 

[rock86]

Hmmm interesting, East coast AUS to West coast USA with QR is pricing at 139k points, wonder if it will ticket if I book it.

 

[sjk]

Hmmm interesting, East coast AUS to West coast USA with QR is pricing at 139k points, wonder if it will ticket if I book it.

I reckon you'd be OK. I ticketed BNE to LAX on EK in F at 192k a couple of days ago.

 

[rock86]

I reckon you'd be OK. I ticketed BNE to LAX on EK in F at 192k a couple of days ago.

I did see that sjk, hopefully it is still pricing like that in a month time when the flights should become available (then I'll cancel the booking made today for EK F)

 

[rock86]

Well secured CX SYD-SFO with 3.5hrs in HKG. With some luck hopefully can snag some F flights, but if not a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!

Now the more difficult flights may be in a few weeks time booking for early-mid December from NYC back to Aus.