Syd - LAX business class on points - HOW FAR AHEAD!?

[mel1]

Hi - I'm new to the community...not sure what sort of questions we can post here...

We want to fly to the US next April (2011) and have enough points (accumulated via American Express) for 2 business class return tix. I check the Qantas site once a week (started more than a month ago) but there is never anything available.
We are inflexible re our dates, I know this is a problem.
We are willing to look at Air NZ, I think we can use them there but not sure how that works. Do we have to be members of the Air NZ FF program first?
Any advice pls?

 

[harvyk]

Being flexible with dates is the key to easily getting J (business) flights on points. They only release a certain number of J seats on points for any one day \ flight (about a year out). Once they are gone, they are gone.

The other choice is to use any seat awards (called JASA's around here). They use more points than a classic award seat, but I don't think there is any limits as to how many JASA seats are released. The points + pay is an option as well if you don't want to blow too many points on a JASA.

 

[jackcollins1960]

You can increase your odds of getting a Business class seat if you check all the optios. The QANTAS site will just answer what you ask...in otherwords it will not explore all the one stop or two stop connections that you can use to get to LAX. So try AKL - LAX (then look for a SYD AKL which should be easy) or a SYD - NAN then NAN - LAX? or even SYD - SFO (then economy from SFO-LAX) or say SYD -HRT (Tokyo) then NRT to LAX. or maybe SYD -HKG then HKG - LAX (this would be Cathay Pacific and there flights usualy DONT show in a web search...you have to call QANTAS...same with JAL)
Dont forget the obvious and start from MEL or BNE as occassionaly there are seats but because there is no great Bus seat on the connecter fro SYD the auto system does not tell you about the transpacific leg.
There are other combinations but they start to get obscure.
Good luck

 

[BAM1748]

I managed to get SYD to SFO on points earlier this by going Sydney - Brisbane - LA - San Francisco. Managed to get a direct flight back.

Need to poke around, being flexible with the dates certainly helps. If you can't get the dates you want now they are probably gone already and you need to start looking at alternatives.

 

[mel1]

Thanks all. Some of your options I have tried, some not, so thanks.
We will be more flexible in 2 years when the kid finishes school!

Re your comment BAM1748, that the dates I want are probably gone...I was wondering about that. Do they release FF seats right away, or do they dribble them out depending on sales?

We have previously done the Syd-Narita-NYC trip, but I hadn't looked at that this time...I will now, thanks for reminding me. Also Cathay, as you say. Thanks all

 

[cove]

You didnt say what dates exactly so I loaded April and May for one at a time on classic.
You can get out on J virtually every day in April but getting back I saw Premium Economy then First May 1st and 2nd.
You wont be holding hands if you go a day apart but does that really matter?
School principals say most families cheat on exact school holiday dates so you would not be an orphan extending a school break.
I look out of MEL,SYD and BNE as well as Any Seat.

 

[mel1]

I will check Classic then, thanks. Nice of you to look.

Trouble is our total inflexibility.
We have to leave April 4 and back IN OZ by April 25.
We can't cheat that much on school! Our kid is in a choir (this is why we are going, the choir is going on tour to USA and we want to see a concert, then do our own thing for a bit). So we have to leave a day after her and get back at least the same day as her! Too complicated/inflexible? Other option I guess is to get one J FF ticket and pay for one. May be easier.

 

[cove]

Try advanced purchase of 2 premium economy seats then lodge a request for an upgrade to business class on points would not be a bad way to minimize the cost and maximize the result potential.

 

[mel1]

Try advanced purchase of 2 premium economy seats then lodge a request for an upgrade to business class on points would not be a bad way to minimize the cost and maximize the result potential.

You are absolutely right BUT...we only find out at the airport at check-in, is that right? That scares me!

 

[Walter_Plinge]

You are absolutely right BUT...we only find out at the airport at check-in, is that right? That scares me!

Recently I flew to the US business class and back in PE, all on points. As a result of that I wouldn't bother with business class although I'd take an upgrade if offered and had no cash component.

Further an article in the press (The Age IIRC) today says PE is the same standard of seating and service as business class in 1980. Business has got a lot better of course.

I just tried to book a return flight to Paris-CDG -- no PE award bookings for the whole of May-June 2011. Went to LHR instead. Only one flight left going over but a reasonable choice coming back.

 

[antycbr]

I just tried to book a return flight to Paris-CDG -- no PE award bookings for the whole of May-June 2011. Went to LHR instead. Only one flight left going over but a reasonable choice coming back.

This would be because there are no flights on QF metal to CDG, only codeshares on AF. Quite possible that not all classes are offered on these flights depending on the nature of the codeshare.

 

[Walter_Plinge]

This would be because there are no flights on QF metal to CDG, only codeshares on AF. Quite possible that not all classes are offered on these flights depending on the nature of the codeshare.

Makes sense. I couldn't get an economy award seat either. If QF doesn't go to CDG then I guess you'd have to go to LHR and swap to a BA flight. Probably not worth the effort. I'm now booked to go to LHR in PE -- I'll then hop on Eurostar and be in Paris about the same time (or earlier) anyway.

 

[cove]

Premium economy paid seems to put you higher in the queue for an upgrade to J on points. With PE it is as good as or better than J was 10 years ago so that is a reasonable starting point.
If that is no good look to another brand on the basis of price/value for money.

 

[Blackadder]

You are absolutely right BUT...we only find out at the airport at check-in, is that right? That scares me!

You will find out prior to check in (around 5 hours prior from my experience), if worse comes to worse and the upgrade doesn't come through 13hrs or so across the Pacific in Premium Economy is not a bad way to travel IMHO.

 

[straitman]

You will find out prior to check in (around 5 hours prior from my experience), if worse comes to worse and the upgrade doesn't come through 13hrs or so across the Pacific in Premium Economy is not a bad way to travel IMHO.

I have had a PE to Bus upgrade (MEL-LAX) come through at 5 days before the trip so sometimes you hear early.

 

[blueflamenco]

You are absolutely right BUT...we only find out at the airport at check-in, is that right? That scares me!

Purchasing Premium Economy is good advice. Don't get too caught up in the flight, business class isn't the be all and end all. I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to reroute just to get into a business seat especially when its SYD-LAX.

 

[Walter_Plinge]

Purchasing Premium Economy is good advice. Don't get too caught up in the flight, business class isn't the be all and end all. I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to reroute just to get into a business seat especially when its SYD-LAX.

Recently I was booked on a return flight to JFK flying PE. I won't go in to the details but I ended up flying the forward part on Cathay Pacific business class via HK and Vancouver for just the additional points. Return was PE as booked.

As a result personally I wouldn't bother with business. The lie-flat seats didn't really suit me (I'm 187 cm) and the entertainment system was quite ordinary. The service and food was very good but so was the service and food coming back PE. I slept comfortably in the PE seats with additional recline.

Oddly the middle row of PE facing the bulkhead had a clear 2 metres of leg room!

 

[BAM1748]

You will find out prior to check in (around 5 hours prior from my experience), if worse comes to worse and the upgrade doesn't come through 13hrs or so across the Pacific in Premium Economy is not a bad way to travel IMHO.

As Bill pointed out you may find out early, but as a rule, the Yield Management Dept people review the loading and who is ranked where for upgrades 24 hours before the flight.