WP booking QF award tix

[Chucksta]

Does anyone know if WP can still ask QF to release seats for FF redemption?

What's the procedure for this?

Am looking at booking CGK-PER return flight for family members.

thanks

Chucksta

 

[Leumas]

Just ring them up and ask for the Premium Desk if you aren't already connected there.

Book them as per usual, and if there aren't any availability, they'll ask for it. You shouldn't need to prompt them.

Having said that, some agents aren't too interested, so you may have to try a different one or get them to ask. You'll have to pay 2500 points per person though, especially if seats have to be released for you.

 

[Mal]

Have seen some recentish posts that indicate that this is still possible... you can only try, and let us know how it went.

 

[ejb]

Have seen some recentish posts that indicate that this is still possible... you can only try, and let us know how it went.

Hi,

I phoned Friday and was given 1 J Rtn Syd-Per award when the flights were showing no classic award avilability.

ejb

 

[Chucksta]

In the past when i phoned the WP number, I don't seem to be getting the premium desk.

Does it even still exist?

 

[Mal]

In the past when i phoned the WP number, I don't seem to be getting the premium desk.

Does it even still exist?

I'm sure my recent calls have been answered with "Premium Desk"... but tbh, don't really mind what they answer with if they give me the right answers!

 

[Leumas]

I'm the same - but I was told by a Premium Desk rep once that just ask to be transferred. The standard desk reps have always been happy to transfer your call - probably because it'll look good for their call completion numbers...

As Mal said, when you get there, the rep will answer with 'Premium Desk'.

 

[Skyring]

This is releasing seats that are still notionally available, right? They won't actually boot a low status person off the flight to fit in a WP or two?

"Sorry Grannie, you're only Bronze. We've rebooked you onto the dawn flight for, um, operational reasons."

 

[NM]

This is releasing seats that are still notionally available, right? They won't actually boot a low status person off the flight to fit in a WP or two?

Right. And they won't automatically make a seat available as an award just because there is an unsold seat available on the flight. They make a judgement about the likelihood of actually selling the seat vs keeping a high-status FF member happy.

Now the Platinum benefit of guaranteed economy seat availability is a different matter. If you meet the booking criteria (booking class and lead time) they will actually boot someone off a full flight to make room for you (and a travelling companion). But that's for paid tickets and not for award redemptions.

 

[Lendav Orav]

sorry to burst your bubbles guys, but I used to work in QF res, and there is no such thing as the "premium desk". When you call on your priority number it gets priority in queue and the rep sees on the phone that you've called on that line and will answer "Qantas priority". But it's the same bunch of people taking the calls. No idea why anyone would have transferred you through to someone else. End of their shift may be?

 

[serfty]

Actually, they answer Qantas "Premium".

And generally, when answered in such a way service/knowledge of the CSA seems a lot better (like knowing that WP's can request preallocation of exit seating on international flights).

Maybe, it's the nous to answer "Qantas Premium" that sets these agents apart.

Just this week I called for some seat preallocation changes and was answered "Qantas", I asked to be transferred to "Qantas Premium" and "was" ... answered about 15 seconds later with "Qantas Premium".

 

[Danger]

I just called the WP premium number (although I wasn't greeted with "welcome to Qantas premium") for assistance with an award booking. There were no award seats available on my return date so I asked if one could be released for a WP. The lady said they no longer do this; it's now only for international flights.

 

[Lendav Orav]

We definitely said "priority" back in the day but of course these things can change. Back then, domestic FF redemptions were handled by the call centre in Newcastle who were not actually QF staff, they were old Impulse people who had been kept on. I think that's still the case. So they may like to put premium people through to the those staff who have benefits and maybe like their job a bit more In any case, my point was that all of us that worked in the call centre knew exactly how to request FF seats for platinum members if there were none available so QF has no need to create a separate group of people to handle it - it's just priority queueing system on the call, that's all.

A friend of mine who still works in res told me the other day that they can now KK straight away whether or not you can request seats for platinum members which is good- before you had to send off the request and wait to hear back from yield management.

BTW, platinum (and gold) get an extra allocation of Y class redemption seats - T class. So even if you can't request any more on domestic, there's always T.

 

[straitman]

Lendav Orav,

Welcome to AFF. I'm sure you'll have some gems to pass on to us.

I have to agree with serfty as the regular call centre have actually refered me to call back to the premium desk on occasions when they could not answer a query. They also seem to have a higher knowledge base than the regular crew. If this service does not exist why give Platinum's a different number to ring or does it simply prioritise the calls :?:

 

[Lendav Orav]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Yes the different phone number is just to prioritise the calls in the queue. The only difference between consultants is whether or not they can handle both domestic and international bookings (apart from the Impulse call centre I mentioned earlier which is only domestic FF redemptions). But my friend/former workmate who's still there told me that all new consultants are being trained as multi-skilled, i.e. can take both intl and dom enquiries.

I just realised what I said about T class earlier can't be true any more as that's now discounted Y+ I believe (in line with BA). I'd be surprised if there still isn't a bkg class with special Y class FF avblty for gold and plat members though.

But yeah, if you have any questions I might be able to answer just let me know.

 

[serfty]

Lendav Orav, A belated welcome to AFF .

Yes, T class is no longer the Elite WHY award fare bucket; it has been replaced with "a subclass of Y".

Reference here: http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...-flyer-changes-online-13719-4.html#post178178

 

[Danger]

I understand the 2,500 points change fee is waived for WP award bookings. Is Qantas likely to waive the 5,000 points cancellation fee, too for WP?

 

[Leumas]

I guess it's perfectly feasible for this Premium Desk to be 'virtual'. Perhaps it's just to re-inforce the W in WP to give them a separate number to call, where we all know when the Premium Desk can't handle the call volume, it'll just get sent to the 'normal' desk.

To be honest, I'm happy for them to prioritise calls properly when I punch in my QFF number.

 

[Danger]

Despite a number of AFFs' experiences to the contrary I was yet again told that WP may no longer have an award seat made available to them (if award available has been exhausted). I need to travel SYD-PER for a funeral, preferably this Tuesday evening on 571 (5.50pm) but I was told by the premium desk (i) no award availability on 571 or 583 (7.20pm) and (ii) WP may only request a J seat be released (but definitely no Y).

I'd be grateful if those of you who have had experiences to the contrary could give the premium desk a call and see whether they get information different to mine, particularly with regard to 571 on Tuesday night.

 

[dajop]

WP may only request a J seat be released (but definitely no Y).

I have read somewhere (probably on AFF board) that this is indeed the case for domestic flights. Different story for international flights.

Hope you can get to the funeral.

Are you willing to via MEL or ADL, I notice online that on Tuesday night there's a 5:45pm via MEL (arr 10:05pm) or a 5;25pm via ADL (arr 9:50pm)