Why are my domestic routes showing as waitlisted?

[Bubbles]

Hi All

I'm booked to travel from ADL-HELin August via Sydney with BA and AY (ticketed D, discount business (corporate deal) through AY).

I've done this route lots of times but for the first time, both the domestic routes (ADL-SYD and SYD to ADL) are showing as 'waitlisted' in my Qantas profile even though a quick search for flights on those days show that business seats are still plentyful.

I've asked the PA who made the booking and she's said 'Oh, don't worry, there's lots of times, it'll clear' and while I really want to ask her to call our corporate travel agent and ask what's going on, I don't want to come across as one of those demanding corporate travellers who throw a tantrum at the prospect of not getting my 'rightful place' in J.

At the risk of someone calling the waambulance, I have once had the misfortune of having to sit in domestic Y after a long trip home in international J and, after such a long trip, it really does feel much worse and makes the last leg feel that much longer - and this is coming from someone who flys Y domestically when not connecting to/from an international flight)

Any suggestions as to what might be going on with Qantas? Should I insist that the PA follows this up before J really is sold out?

Many thanks!

Bubbles

 

[serfty]

Firstly, what is the fare bucket availability for the flight(s) in question?

 

[Bubbles]

Firstly, what is the fare bucket availability for the flight(s) in question?

Umm, good question. What's a fare bucket availability and where would I find it?

Ta

Bubbles

 

[Flashback]

Umm, good question. What's a fare bucket availability and where would I find it?

Ta

Bubbles

You could find on SeatCounter - The Booking Class Availability Machine otherwise let us know the dates / flight numbers and can look up on Expert Flyer.

 

[Bubbles]

You could find on Seatcounter otherwise let us know the dates / flight numbers and can look up on Expert Flyer.

Ah, fascinating - thanks so much!

But the plot thickens a little: my flight out is showing 0 seats in D but 9 seats in J which is promising. What's strange, though, is that on the way back SeatCounter is showing 6 seats in D but I'm still waitlisted?

I'm leaving on Monday the 9th so maybe I'll wait til a week out and see how things go.

A bit of a mixed bag this flight though, out on BA to HKK but I get to try out the new business config on AY's new A330s - finally, fully flat seats!

Thanks for the tips!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Hi All

I'm booked to travel from ADL-HELin August via Sydney with BA and AY (ticketed D, discount business (corporate deal) through AY).

I've done this route lots of times but for the first time, both the domestic routes (ADL-SYD and SYD to ADL) are showing as 'waitlisted' in my Qantas profile even though a quick search for flights on those days show that business seats are still plentyful.

I've asked the PA who made the booking and she's said 'Oh, don't worry, there's lots of times, it'll clear' and while I really want to ask her to call our corporate travel agent and ask what's going on, I don't want to come across as one of those demanding corporate travellers who throw a tantrum at the prospect of not getting my 'rightful place' in J.

At the risk of someone calling the waambulance, I have once had the misfortune of having to sit in domestic Y after a long trip home in international J and, after such a long trip, it really does feel much worse and makes the last leg feel that much longer - and this is coming from someone who flys Y domestically when not connecting to/from an international flight)

Any suggestions as to what might be going on with Qantas? Should I insist that the PA follows this up before J really is sold out?

Many thanks!

Bubbles

If your booking is ticketed 'D' ie a discounted business fare it would have to be booked in D & it sounds like the bucket of 'D' seats is full leaving only 'J' buckets which is for full business class fares.

It is annoying when PA's or anyone else for that matter eg cabbies, hotel employees & airport security employees take it upon themselves to give out 'advice' unsolicited which 99% of the time is erroneous.

With all due respect to your PA, how on earth does he/she know the waitlist will clear? They are not the one who has to sit in Y you are. Not even someone who works at QF in Yield Management could predict that! Sounds more a case of "I hope it'll clear because I can't be bothered calling the travel agent & seeing what else they can do" type situation.

If I was in your shoes I would do the following:

Call the travel agent yourself & ask them what is plan B should the waitlist not clear eg can they confirm you on an earlier/later flight in 'D' class as a backstop. Have they even got you confirmed in economy ADL/SYD/ADL? That way you will hear the options directly from the agent & not a modified version the PA chooses to tell you.

Make sure if the waitlist has not cleared by the time your ticket is due to be issued that the travel agent has your ticket issued for the higher class of service ie 'D' class. You can always travel in Y on a D ticket, but if you waitlist clears in D & your ticket is only issued in Y - that's the class of travel you will be travelling in.

By the way you're travelling in August which is only a few days away - that's not a lot of time in my book.

I heard of one PA when asked by the travel agent for the pax's FFN replied "oh he's already got enough points anyway". That attitude annoyed the agent & they were able to source the pax's FFN through other means. Turned out he was a WP with with special meal request which he wouldn't have got had his FFN not been in the booking, never mind getting a decent seat on the plane.

You don't sound like a 'demanding corporate traveller' to me and you have every right to know all the details of your booking.

Good luck & let us know how you go.