What is Qantas Playing at?

[robolb]

Just looking at Econ Award flights for next year for my wife to visit family in BKK. (Mar/Apr 26)

SYD-BKK. No problem. lots of seats,.

Coming back. Not a chance!
Only seats are via BNE or MEL.

The reason for this can surely only be........to make people buy tickets on the return rather than use points?

Not only a waste of time, but not great for the Planet is it? Adding in sectors (and all that added fuel) just to make people pay more. Or maybe I'm missing something here?

My wife just said "No way"
"I'll pay for the return ticket on Thai Airways or another airline".

It kind of makes you wonder, with all these routing games, what the actual result of it is....
All sorts of one way load imbalances across airlines?

 

[StayGoldPonyboy]

Easter and school holidays perhaps

 

[JohnK]

Yes Easter and School holidays but what's wrong coming back via BNE? Easy connection and does it really cost more points? It's JQ so should cost less points.

Note I booked one-way SYD-BKK for 3 of us on Christmas Day 2023 and we were coming back around 20 January 2024 and there was no Qantas award availability until mid-May 2024. None on SQ either. I paid one-way for 3 of us and that was 4 flights via Vali.

If you can find some availability take it and don't get too hung up about connection via BNE.