Weird QF award booking issue

[kreuky]

Anyone ever experience something like this?
- I'm trying to book SYD to LHR in J, but when i search for my particular date, i don't see any availability.
- However, when i search LHR to SYD return, and pick the same date i want for SYD to LHR, i see J availability on QF metal on 2 particular days
- I did a dummy booking with LHR-SYD and SYD-LHR with one of the dates i wanted and got to the payment page (usually would error out in my experience before getting to the payment page if it was some phantom availability and this is all QF metal)
- Re-did the search, and the seats disappeared (as expected, since i didn't complete my booking)
- Waited 24hrs and seats reappeared but only via the method described above (as i was expecting)
- Searching expertflyer shows U class availability on one of the dates in question (interestingly, the date i actually did a dummy booking shows no U class availability even after it came back on the QF website)
- Calling QF was pointless as they did not understand what i was doing, and them searching for all the dates that i wanted showed 0 U class availability. I asked them to replicate my search but they said "the QF website is broken" lol. Did not bother trying again.

Would i be able to book LHR-SYD return (one Y, one J)and then ask them to just cancel and refund the LHR to SYD (Y) leg so i get my SYD to LHR (J) leg? I did ask the agent this and they said no, but I'd thought i ask the collective wisdom of AFF also.

 

[RichardMEL]

I wonder if there's a point of sale factor here (even for awards)? It doesn't seem likely tbh but it's the only thing I could poetnailly think of.

I am not sure if a booking would be kept if segment 1 (LHR-SYD) was cancelled. I mean usually that would trigger the whole booking to be cancelled I would think - that's probably why the agent said nyet.