SQ devaluation coming Jan 24 2019

[burmans]

Knowing for certain that your waitlist for an award booking has been unsuccessful doesn't leave many options for alternatives 14 days out. I agree that this is not that helpful really.

About 14 days out seems to be when they free up inventory anyway. First off it goes to waitlist but then (if there is no waitlist) appears as open inventory. This hasn't really changed in terms of what options exist, what has changed if the fact that at 14 days you get a definitive yay/nay and for one I'd rather know that. With the flexible search you will be better able to see that availability too and while you may not be able to get the day you want SQ seem pretty good at making what is unsold actually available about 1-2 weeks out.

Noone has mentioned the discounted redemptions for last minute travle, this may be interesting too.

 

[stig_aus]

Yeah, I’ve got that card and that 80K was a solid part of the 567K I transferred to SG in order to lock-in what I thought I needed for 2 x J EUR tix.

We will be ok as more points in the pipeline, but if that was your last throw of the dice and you had a plan, well it’s gone out the window really.

This is 100% me. Had plans for 2x J to Europe and transferred nearly the exact amount in late December. Frustrating to be hit with the changes, but I wasn't planning on booking for another 6-8 months anyway so there's time to get what I need.

 

[theblank]

Knowing for certain that your waitlist for an award booking has been unsuccessful doesn't leave many options for alternatives 14 days out. I agree that this is not that helpful really.

??
AFAIK in order to waitlist a flight, dont you have to have the alternative flight already booked?

If not, then surely if one is waitlisting, they would grab the next best thing while they can, just in case.

 

[ninja-tim]

Well it doesn't say you can't waitlist again within 14 days?

??
AFAIK in order to waitlist a flight, dont you have to have the alternative flight already booked?

If not, then surely if one is waitlisting, they would grab the next best thing while they can, just in case.

You don't need an existing flight booked to waitlist. You just need the required points in your account to waitlist.
Yes, essentially your trip shouldn't really be planned around a waitlisted flight. Most people waitlist first then book their alternative flights as that would use up your points and you may not have enought left to waitlist a flight.

 

[MH_fan]

??
AFAIK in order to waitlist a flight, dont you have to have the alternative flight already booked?

If not, then surely if one is waitlisting, they would grab the next best thing while they can, just in case.

There was nothing available (even to waitlist) for 2 days either side of the flights I eventually waitlisted for. What makes it harder is that I already have the outgoing flight confirmed but am waitlisted for the return flight, so if this doesn't pan out, I'm going to have to find a 1-way flight back and that's gonna be astronomically expensive.

 

[Kangol]

Star Alliance award rates not changing right? How easy is it to get domestic awards on United? Will have to try to tack on something next time I use KF pts to the US.

No change to Star Alliance awards - making an addition to the end of an itinerary could provide a modest saving

 

[Drakecula]

No change to Star Alliance awards - making an addition to the end of an itinerary could provide a modest saving

No change... yet. I am planning on cashing in on a Star Alliance RTW redemption with Krisflyer very soon, I hope hope hope that they don't change that because I have just enough to cover it.

 

[theblank]

Am I reading the upgrade Charts correctly? from Economy to Business upgrade costs almost the same points as a straight up redemption?

BNE/SYD/MEL > SIN is 62k points for a saver award.
Upgrade Y to J is 57k points.

 

[theblank]

You don't need an existing flight booked to waitlist. You just need the required points in your account to waitlist.

Oh, thanks.

Most people waitlist first then book their alternative flights as that would use up your points and you may not have enought left to waitlist a flight.

I guess I didnt realise because thats what I always did.

 

[Bazzi]

With the Amex transfer devaluation and now this, I’m kinda glad I’m happy to travel in Y (preferably with an exit row/bulkhead seat) when it means I can travel more often.

I’ve enjoyed my experience in the SQ J & F cabins but this is only achievable for us using points. I’ve noticed recently that availability is scarce in all cabins at the Saver rate.

Friends just stumped up 95k a person for a o/w SYD BCN Y advantage redemption which, with current flight deals, was very bad value - the ‘cost’ was more than a return revenue ticket! - but they couldn’t afford the trip otherwise. If SQ allowed transfers between friends/family KF accounts, I would have paid for the revenue tickets and taken the points.

 

[burmans]

There was nothing available (even to waitlist) for 2 days either side of the flights I eventually waitlisted for. What makes it harder is that I already have the outgoing flight confirmed but am waitlisted for the return flight, so if this doesn't pan out, I'm going to have to find a 1-way flight back and that's gonna be astronomically expensive.

But that's always been a potential problem and unrelated to these latest changes.

 

[Ausbt]

With the Amex transfer devaluation and now this, I’m kinda glad I’m happy to travel in Y (preferably with an exit row/bulkhead seat) when it means I can travel more often.

I’ve noticed recently that availability is scarce in all cabins at the Saver rate.

I'm tending to agree. I've got a long-haul J upgrade request logged (from PE Saver) with VA but I'm not going to chase them up about it, I'm thinking now I'd rather hang on to the 45K points and transfer them over to SQ later. I would also expect to see far less SQ saver inventory available, surely with the squillions of points transferred from Amex & VA it's going to get harder. The nightmare scenario for me would be cessation of VA linkage.

 

[penegal]

I generally don't see the value of Y redemptions at all anymore. Especially if you have significant ++ from on those tickets (e.g. the good old AU passenger movement charge).

I fly F wherever I can, and J as an alternative. You only live once, and miles are there to be used, not accumulated to show off an account balance.


I once did a 50% off [miles cost] Y redemption when the WBC Krysflyer co-brand credit card came out...It was actually reasonably value at those levels, but I still had to sit in economy on 4x 6+ hour flights. My sister who accompanied me on that holiday had much more comfortable flights

 

[h15t0r1an]

Referring to the comment about the Krisflyer devaluation in March 2017 " it removed fuel surcharges to compensate for the higher mileage costs." I personally read this as "it made mileage costs higher to compensate for the removal of fuel surcharges" !. since by that time, at least one other airline in the world, BA, was getting sued in the USA for still applying "fuel surcharges" when there was no longer any justification for them.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I generally don't see the value of Y redemptions at all anymore. Especially if you have significant ++ from on those tickets (e.g. the good old AU passenger movement charge).

Not that I am flying Y on redemptions anymore either, but since SQ removed the fuel fine their Y redemptions are actually ok value. Unlike say via QFF where they are basically not due the high fuel fines there.

For those with large points balances, and more so if they need to redeem for 4 or more (iea younger family) Y redemptions via Krisflyer would be an economical way to partake in international travel which otherwise may not be an option.

 

[LadyC]

Just locked in my final pre-devaluation redemption for Jan 2020.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Not that I am flying Y on redemptions anymore either, but since SQ removed the fuel fine their Y redemptions are actually ok value. Unlike say via QFF where they are basically not due the high fuel fines there.

For those with large points balances, and more so if they need to redeem for 4 or more (ie a younger family) Y redemptions via Krisflyer would be an economical way to partake in international travel which otherwise may not be an option.

Ooops.. That was meant to be


For those without large points balances......

 

[daft009]

managed to lock in 4 redemption today.
even 6 months out, availability wasn't as good as I've been used to...uh oh hope its not a sign of things to come...

 

[k3nnis]

Stupid question, can I ask why do we suspect that availability won't be as good as before?

 

[daft009]

Stupid question, can I ask why do we suspect that availability won't be as good as before?

well firstly I hope I am wrong with the below..
It seems to me, with the amex deval coming in April, people are transferring out and booking KF redemptions. Most people it seems are transferring out to KF due to excellent availability, which in turn can't remain "excellent" anymore