Using FF points to book business class flights

[smack01]

Remember that higher tier elites get better availability too than a Bronze member.

That may be my issue. I am only a Bronze Qantas Club member.

 

[daturtle]

I just did a dummy booking for SYD LHR return in J

QF9 (7th April)
QF2 (14th April)

256K in points

For F, it is something like 384K (all on QF metal).

If only I had the spare time.... not points..... to enjoy this !

I've got the time but not the points. Maybe we can reach an arrangement

 

[k3nnis]

I've got the worst problem out of you lot. The wife won't let me lol

 

[Mwenenzi]

smack01
Try this (have not used myself) http://www.australianfrequentflyer....nexus-community-account-50124.html#post817648

Award Nexus is an advanced award search engine, specially designed to enhance redemption for International First or Business class awards. It has coverage for dozens of airlines and powerful features that allow you to do multi-segment award searches or long-range date searches. In additional, a number of tools are available for your trip planning and an automated award search with email alert feature is available to track award availability.
<snip>

 

[serfty]

It's actually at midnight UTC.

It's always at 10am during winter and in BNE, but during daylight saving in MEL & SYD it's at 11 am.

 

[simongr]

I can't see an issue routing via HKG (apart from the additional points cost). Great seats and service on CX and great transit location.

 

[Gogo65]

When you say "three flights", do you mean 3x J award tickets on the same route on the same day?

No. Two seats one day same route and one seat the following week, all school holidays/easter though. Was on at 10am to get them.
i am lowly bronze and had the same availability as my friend who was sitting next to me booking using her husbands points who is platinum.

 

[legroom]

... i am lowly bronze and had the same availability as my friend who was sitting next to me booking using her husbands points who is platinum.

Are you sure ?

Seems different from what was noted earlier and elsewhere.

As seat selection is status based, I doubt if award seats are not.

Also, P1 (but not WP) could request seats to be released for awards. Again, status counts there.

 

[nickfromeastryde]

I can't see an issue routing via HKG (apart from the additional points cost). Great seats and service on CX and great transit location.

Could you actually do a stopover rather than just transit on a award booking?

 

[simongr]

I have done stopovers on awards.

 

[Gogo65]

Are you sure ?

Seems different from what was noted earlier and elsewhere.

As seat selection is status based, I doubt if award seats are not.

Also, P1 (but not WP) could request seats to be released for awards. Again, status counts there.

Yep, we were doing it next to each other, the only thing different was she had access to the row in front of me when we got to seat selection, she had row 14 available on a 747 and I only had row 15.

 

[serfty]

Qantas don't necessarily make availability higher for elites on any specific flight, although I have seen it happen.

These days I mainly look for xASA at award rates and those appear to use basic Bronze availability only.

 

[Kangol]

No. Two seats one day same route and one seat the following week, all school holidays/easter though. Was on at 10am to get them.
i am lowly bronze and had the same availability as my friend who was sitting next to me booking using her husbands points who is platinum.

Ah, I was gonna say - it sounds too good to be true if they are on the same route same day....

Also, P1 (but not WP) could request seats to be released for awards. Again, status counts there.

I thought WP could still request the release of award seats? As a WP I did this last year... has this feature since been "enhanced"?

 

[scheps]

I havent been successful at all this year. But they do check though, then come back with a no, not sure if its no you can not request or no there isnt any. They just say the request has been declined......

 

[legroom]

....i am lowly bronze and had the same availability as my friend who was sitting next to me booking using her husbands points who is platinum....

It looks like your observation is correct.

I did a dummy booking using my SG and my son's NB accounts (SYD xLHR SYD) in F for April 2014.

Availability is identical.

See the following snapshots

That was from a NB account with a zero point balance.

And this is what is available if I were to proceed for 384,000 points.

Yes, I stand corrected and surprised too.

So, it does appears that award seat availability is not a function of status.

 

[harrydart]

In case anyone is wondering. The mention of checking for J seats at "about" 10am is correct. However don't check at "about" 10am AEST, make sure to check at midnight universal time which is 10am AEST. If you wait an hour or so seats will be taken up and you will miss out. Award seats are allocated at midnight universal time 353 days in advance.

 

[legroom]

....Award seats are allocated at midnight universal time 353 days in advance.

Just curious really

Why 353 days ?

Is there any particular reason for that rather odd number instead of a round number (say 330, 340, 350...)?

Or better still, 365 (or 366 for leap yr) days out so it becomes simpler to calculate D day (D for Departure).

Also, how do you work out that 'D + 353' ?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Also, how do you work out that 'D + 353' ?

That's a piece of cake:
http://www.awardgrabber.com/

 

[Mwenenzi]

.Also, how do you work out that 'D + 353' ?

365-12=353 (if not a leap year) So 1 year minus 12 days

 

[legroom]

That's a piece of cake:
http://www.awardgrabber.com/

Amazing to find out what info is out there from AFFers !