Using points to upgrade an award booking queery

[dmitri]

Hi there people, excuse me if this mentioned somewhere else but I couldn't find the required info. Last week I booked flights for myself, wife and son all on points- see below

SYD-SFO PE
SFO-SYD J

SYD-SFO PE cost me 216,000 points and SFO-SYD J cost me 288,000 points. I checked today on the QF calculator about upgrading from PE award to J SYD-SFO and the calculator shows 67,500 each ticket. That to me seems totally illogical as I've already used 216K then would need to use another 202k to get J (418K total for 3 people if I upgraded) when the 3 J awards cost me 288K outright on the second flight. I know this is a 1st world problem but I'd love to know the reasoning behind this. (don't even get me started on the taxes I paid)

Thanks, Dmitri

 

[mannej]

Not that I can help with the logic, but the ability to upgrade a reward booking has only been around for ~18 months or so. As far as I know it's always had a fairly expensive cost to it though.

 

[dmitri]

Yeh I knew it was still early days for it but I assumed it would just be the difference between the standard award bookings.

 

[mannej]

It's a separate product hence the price differential.

 

[Limewood]

Its another Qantas "enhancement".

 

[mannej]

Its another Qantas "enhancement".

Tongue in cheek comments aside, it actually isn't an 'enhancement' in Qantas speak as there wasn't the ability to do this previously...

 

[sudoer]

If there's availability showing in U, you're much better off cancelling the PE award (costs 5000 points per passenger I believe) and rebooking the business award on a new PNR.

 

[mviy]

Also as a WP you could ring up and see if J seats can be released. If travelling in an off-peak time you might be able to get one or if you're very fortunate two seats released.

 

[dmitri]

If there's availability showing in U, you're much better off cancelling the PE award (costs 5000 points per passenger I believe) and rebooking the business award on a new PNR.

I would of done that but have exhausted all of my points, currently sitting at 108

 

[dmitri]

Also as a WP you could ring up and see if J seats can be released. If travelling in an off-peak time you might be able to get one or if you're very fortunate two seats released.

Have done this in the past but we are travelling in December this year so quite a busy period.