The Master SQ Guide (Krisflyer, Waitlists & Waitlists Clearing)

[Cruiser Elite]

Firstly make booking as 2 x one ways - never return - pts and taxes are identical.

Get outbound locked in then play around with return - how flexible are you with arr port and date?

 

[Mr H]

Firstly make booking as 2 x one ways - never return - pts and taxes are identical.

Get outbound locked in then play around with return - how flexible are you with arr port and date?

Return bookings have the advantage of only having one cancellation fee if plans change, plus you get a stopover.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Return bookings have the advantage of only having one cancellation fee if plans change, plus you get a stopover.

Fair enough so go for it

 

[NoName]

Bringing this across from the tips thread as may be more appropriate.

Two pronged question here so apologies for firing them off back to back:

Looking to book awards from SYD to NYC in J for the other NoNames and seems like our preferred SQ26 may only have waitlists available. Would want to book on the non-stop to JFK/EWR if available to at least have something locked in. What is the procedure here? Do I waitlist the SIN-FRA-JFK and then book the confirmed award SYD-SIN-JFK/EWR? Then if the waitlist clears just ring and make the change to the existing confirmed booking?

So I ended up booking this yesterday for Mrs NoName & NoName Jnr. SYD-SIN-JFK Advantage award in J. Logged on and booked the moment they were released. Had to waitlist the SIN-JFK on SQ26 which I had expected. What I hadn’t expected was for the waitlist to clear 30 minutes later. No email notification came through, I just happened to be looking at various bookings I’d made and noticed the status changed to reserved. Made me wonder why it was even waitlisted in the first place! Weird! Anyone ever had a waitlist clear so quickly?

 

[jrhoades]

Firstly make booking as 2 x one ways - never return - pts and taxes are identical.

Get outbound locked in then play around with return - how flexible are you with arr port and date?

Thanks that makes sense.

However, I guess I still have the same question - assuming I split it into two tickets, for LHR - MEL with availability for the LHR - SIN leg, but waitlist for the SIN - MEL: if the SIN - MEL does not become available, does that affect the LHR - SIN leg. I'm not too bothered if I have to pay for a SIN - MEL on SIA or at worst Scoot, provided the LHR-SIN is covered by points, otherwise I'll probably come back on whoever else is cheapest.

 

[jrhoades]

Firstly make booking as 2 x one ways - never return - pts and taxes are identical.

As a quick PSA - when I book the trip as two one ways - a non-waitlisted rewards ticket was available! (admittedly it's an 9 hour layover, but in Changi, that's no great hardship). I've doubled checked and it doesn't show when you try to book a return.

 

[billmurray]

I am hoping to book 3 reward flights from SYD - SIN - FRA (or any port into Europe) for September this year.

If worst case, i will book 2x business and 1x premium on the same flight. We will be travelling with an infant (6 months) at the time of the booking, so what are the chances of the parents swapping seats in the different classes?

EXAMPLE;
I book the 2x business seats for my wife (who will have our 6month old) and my mother.
I book 1x PE seat for myself.

Then during the flight, my wife and i swap seats as needed when helping/caring for our newborn infant - would this be allowed?

 

[Mr H]

I am hoping to book 3 reward flights from SYD - SIN - FRA (or any port into Europe) for September this year.

If worst case, i will book 2x business and 1x premium on the same flight. We will be travelling with an infant (6 months) at the time of the booking, so what are the chances of the parents swapping seats in the different classes?

EXAMPLE;
I book the 2x business seats for my wife (who will have our 6month old) and my mother.
I book 1x PE seat for myself.

Then during the flight, my wife and i swap seats as needed when helping/caring for our newborn infant - would this be allowed?

This would presumably be at the discretion of the cabin crew but I can’t see them being enthusiastic.

 

[Human]

I am hoping to book 3 reward flights from SYD - SIN - FRA (or any port into Europe) for September this year.

If worst case, i will book 2x business and 1x premium on the same flight. We will be travelling with an infant (6 months) at the time of the booking, so what are the chances of the parents swapping seats in the different classes?

EXAMPLE;
I book the 2x business seats for my wife (who will have our 6month old) and my mother.
I book 1x PE seat for myself.

Then during the flight, my wife and i swap seats as needed when helping/caring for our newborn infant - would this be allowed?

Don’t expect it to be allowed, but ask politely on the flight and consider it a pleasant surprise if the crew allow it.

If you have the points, a better strategy would be to find a route that has First class (eg. FRA) and book 2 of you in Business and 1 in First. That means you’re all in a premium cabin and you’re not leaving anything to the whim of the cabin crew.

 

[Mr H]

If you have the points, a better strategy would be to find a route that has First class (eg. FRA) and book 2 of you in Business and 1 in First. That means you’re all in a premium cabin and you’re not leaving anything to the whim of the cabin crew.

There would still be the same problem if trying a switcheroo mid flight between F and J. The crew are likely to see it as trying to get two lots of champagne for the price of one (or three for the price of two).

 

[Human]

There would still be the same problem if trying a switcheroo mid flight between F and J. The crew are likely to see it as trying to get two lots of champagne for the price of one (or three for the price of two).

You’re right — I was thinking that you should put your mother in F and so the two of you with childcare duties can sit together in J.

 

[Mr H]

You’re right — I was thinking that you should put your mother in F and so the two of you with childcare duties can sit together in J.

I'm a natural cynic and assumed the childcare was just a pretext to get three people enjoying the benefits of two J tix.

 

[hossein_au]

Thanks that makes sense.

However, I guess I still have the same question - assuming I split it into two tickets, for LHR - MEL with availability for the LHR - SIN leg, but waitlist for the SIN - MEL: if the SIN - MEL does not become available, does that affect the LHR - SIN leg. I'm not too bothered if I have to pay for a SIN - MEL on SIA or at worst Scoot, provided the LHR-SIN is covered by points, otherwise I'll probably come back on whoever else is cheapest.

I have recent experience (on multiple occasions) when SQ sends a deadline for ticketing of the 'reserved' legs, even though the rest of the trip is on waitlist. If not ticketed in the timeframe provided, SQ proactively drops the reserved legs from the PNR! :-( On a couple of occasions I called SQ and asked what happens if we ticket the reserved leg and the waitlist does not clear? The answer was basically 'tough" (not in so many words; but basically I was told I would need to either find alternatives or cancel the ticketed leg and pay any applicable cancelation fee.