The Qantas Newbie Questions Thread

[elanshin]

Westpac has 2 versions of Altitude CC, one that earns Westpac Points (and cant directly transfer to Qantas, hence the EDR work around above) and one (formerly known as Earth) that automatically transfers all points to Qantas.

@RooFlyer just a minor correction. It is possible to transfer Westpac Altitude to QFF at 2:1 but needs you to have a business CC (sole trader abn works too as long as you qualify). Then it activates for your personal CC too and it transfers directly into your personal qff account (makes for easy points club).

 

[Vivp]

Welcome @Vivp
Good suggestions already.
I have a Westpac Qantas Platinum card, complimentary TI and you can add pre existing medical for an admin fee.

Points go directly over to QFF, I don't recall it being tricky.
Though as @BriarFlyer has mentioned, depends on your card.

Hi Flyfrequently Thanks for your info - appreciate them.

 

[Vivp]

Westpac has 2 versions of Altitude CC, one that earns Westpac Points (and cant directly transfer to Qantas, hence the EDR work around above) and one (formerly known as Earth) that automatically transfers all points to Qantas.

Hi Aeryn. Thanks for the info - did not realise Westpac Points had 2 versions of Altitude CC. I think mine is not Earth.​

Welcome aboard.
**Upgrades are never guaranteed**
What route and approximately when?
Domestic and international can have different upgrade process

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/manage-booking/upgrade.html

Hi Mwenenzi. Thanks for your info.

 

[Vivp]

This is the one I have @Vivp and sounds like you have the one mentioned by @Aeryn
Good work around with EDR
View attachment 491957

Hi Flyfrequently. I have exactly the same card. So are all the points only to be redeemed via Qantas or can I use other airlines like OneWorld members? I was thinking of upgrading from Economy Value/Flex to Premium Economy via SIA from Melbourne to Singapore. Also can I use KrisFlyer points to upgrade from Scoot Econ to Scoot Plus please. I feel that taking cash is not worth it as they only offer $1500.00 for my more than 400,000 points and to change for Flight Centre vouchers they were offering only $1800. So I thought I might as well use them for upgrades.
Also I would like to thank all the other contributors who had so kindly offered and welcome me into this Forum. Thank You All!

Hi Flyfrequently. I have exactly the same card. So are all the points only to be redeemed via Qantas or can I use other airlines like OneWorld members? I was thinking of upgrading from Economy Value/Flex to Premium Economy via SIA from Melbourne to Singapore. Also can I use KrisFlyer points to upgrade from Scoot Econ to Scoot Plus please. I feel that taking cash is not worth it as they only offer $1500.00 for my more than 400,000 points and to change for Flight Centre vouchers they were offering only $1800. So I thought I might as well use them for upgrades.
Also I would like to thank all the other contributors who had so kindly offered and welcome me into this Forum. Thank You All!

 

[Vivp]

Hi Flyfrequently Thanks for your info - appreciate them.

Re your info re pre existing medical what do they cover and do you need to tell them? What the extra you need to pay. Thanks

 

[Seat0B]

I was thinking of upgrading from Economy Value/Flex to Premium Economy via SIA from Melbourne to Singapore.

Hi and welcome to AFF.

Just to be sure you understand how points upgrades work, you can only request an upgrade using points. It is entirely possible that you will not get the upgrade despite asking for it because someone with a higher FF status also wants it (and higher tier members get priority on upgrade requests) or because there are no spare seats available on your flight eg if you are flying at a popular time like school holidays or Christmas.
The only way to be sure of flying in a premium cabin is to buy the ticket. You can also be pretty sure that you will be in a premium cabin if you get a reward seat - a seat booked 100% using points. Asking for a points upgrade is the riskiest way to do it. Do you have any tier status with Singapore airlines?

 

[Seat0B]

Re your info re pre existing medical what do they cover and do you need to tell them? What the extra you need to pay. Thanks

@Flyfrequently can’t really answer these questions for you. It totally depends on the particular card insurance you have, the particular medical conditions you gave (noting that usually anything at all that you’ve seen a doctor for in the past 12 months at the time of applying is regarded as a pre-existing condition), your age, the length of your trip, how long between when
You take the insurance and when the trip starts, and other factors known only by the insurers.
You will need to call your proposed insurer and ask them - or fill in the web site quote forms and see what they tell you. Fred credit card insurance usually charges a fee around $75 just to assess your medical conditions and may also then charge you an extra premium depending on the factors above. Good luck! It’s a bit of a mine field until you get more experience with it.

 

[Mwenenzi]

....... So are all the points only to be redeemed via Qantas or can I use other airlines like OneWorld members?..........

With Qantas points you can only book Qantas award flights and partner airline award flights on the QF web site or by phoning QF. Cannot use QF points directly with another airline.

 

[Flyfrequently]

@Flyfrequently can’t really answer these questions for you. It totally depends on the particular card insurance you have, the particular medical conditions you gave (noting that usually anything at all that you’ve seen a doctor for in the past 12 months at the time of applying is regarded as a pre-existing condition), your age, the length of your trip, how long between when
You take the insurance and when the trip starts, and other factors known only by the insurers.
You will need to call your proposed insurer and ask them - or fill in the web site quote forms and see what they tell you. Fred credit card insurance usually charges a fee around $75 just to assess your medical conditions and may also then charge you an extra premium depending on the factors above. Good luck! It’s a bit of a mine field until you get more experience with it.

Well stated @Seat0B re TI and upgrade question
@Vivp
Lots++ of research, reading PDS thoroughly, calling to get clarification and understanding what you are/what you are not covered. The list goes on!

 

[FlyingFiona]

I've never change a leg of a QF award booking before so I'm checking here before I go ahead and try. I am currently booked MEL-SYD-CGK on QF with only 1hr45mins transit time in SYD. I then connect to a paid booking on QR 5.5hrs later in CGK. I've started to get really ansey about the tight SYD connection, especially because Saturday's plane arrived 40mins late, so I'd like to swap the MEL-SYD leg to a flght an hour beforehand. MMB does not show it as an option, but QF website does (when looking at it as a single leg). Do you forsee any issues with calling QF and asking them to swap the first leg? I know that I'll have to pay a 5K change fee for the priviledge.

(My other option is to drop the first leg completely, and get an early morning VA flight.)

 

[Captain Halliday]

Do you forsee any issues with calling QF and asking them to swap the first leg?

The most likely issue is that you’ll be told that the award seat you can see is only for new bookings.

The system is coded to block domestic connections on an international award.

Is MEL-CGK showing as an available award with your preferred timing for NEL-SYD?

If not, you might get the response above.

But there are agents who can work around it and you may need to HUACA.

Also, be aware that this change may mean your whole itinerary will be repriced.

Depending when you booked, fuel surcharges, fees, taxes etc may have increased. If so, you could be up for more dollars in addition to the points for the change.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've never change a leg of a QF award booking before so I'm checking here before I go ahead and try. I am currently booked MEL-SYD-CGK on QF with only 1hr45mins transit time in SYD. I then connect to a paid booking on QR 5.5hrs later in CGK. I've started to get really ansey about the tight SYD connection, especially because Saturday's plane arrived 40mins late, so I'd like to swap the MEL-SYD leg to a flght an hour beforehand. MMB does not show it as an option, but QF website does (when looking at it as a single leg). Do you forsee any issues with calling QF and asking them to swap the first leg? I know that I'll have to pay a 5K change fee for the priviledge.

(My other option is to drop the first leg completely, and get an early morning VA flight.)

As above, unlikely they’ll make the change.

But what does work, almost 100% of the time, is to head to the airport early on the day of travel, well in advance of an earlier flight.

9 times out of 10, as long as there’s a seat on an earlier flight, check in will simply change you over. They see it as an international connection, and treat it just like arriving international and transferring to domestic… ie ‘next available flight’

That’s not guaranteed, but has been reported successfully by others here in AFF as well as friends and colleagues of mine.

 

[Hvr]

(My other option is to drop the first leg completely, and get an early morning VA flight.)

Actually that's not an option. As soon as you don't take any leg, the rest are automatically cancelled.
You would need to rebook the flight and get the first leg removed.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

(My other option is to drop the first leg completely, and get an early morning VA flight.)

DO NOT do the bold one, without speaking to QF, as you will be seen as a no show.
Even if you flew out MEL > SYD the night before, and then appeared at SYD T1, as you didnt show up for the MEL > SYD flight, as on that PNR, you would be also be seen as a no show.
Just dont.
If you have to change things, contact QF/QFF.
1hr45mins on a linked PNR is tight, in SYD, but there would be others also in the same pridicament.
Linked PNR means you show passport to MEL checkin, so you dont have to do it at SYD, but if you dont show passport at MEL, its a no show, so, ... to sum up, dont do the VA route, without speaking to QF/QFF first.