Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer - No availability on flights from MEL?

I'm looking into SQ flights that return from MEL to SIN in mid-December, but the SQ website and seatcounter.com are both showing zero availability in Y, at any price on any flight, for all dates between Dec 12 and 22. Business class seats are available, and third-party websites will happily sell me AI codeshares on SQ metal for dates after Dec 12, at very reasonable fares too. Any idea what's going on? :confused:

It appears all flights are full in economy. Checking Sydney shows the same. It is peak non-business travel time though. Can you waitlist in S/Y?

However, well done SQ for filling 2 x A380, 1 x 747 & 4 x 777 out of SYD & MEL combined on a daily basis (obviously in Y!).

I'm not sure of the commercial SQ/AI codeshare agreement, but some (albeit ever decreasing) agreements saw airlines taking a set amount of seats on each flight. This MIGHT be case here as I can see sporadic availability on the AI codeshare. If you need to get on the flight, go ahead and book asap, as the codeshares as by no means wide open.

I beg to disagree: I have often encountered this phenomenon on sq.com, particularly on the Australia and New Zealand flights - no availability for 6 days out of 7, even when booking 1-2 months in advance.

When I checked again a few days later, seats "magically" popped up again, and I could book without a problem... :confused:

You can also try doing a dummy booking for two one-ways, and then a return - sometimes you get different availabilities there, at least it will help you dissect where there is space and where there isn't.

The routes to MEL and SYD are very popular, but seeing as BA and QF also fly there from SIN, I doubt that every seat in Y will have gone already.

Don't forget that some people also reserve seats, but then change their travel plans, so that space frees up again.

If I were you I would simply keep trying, and then if you really cannot find anything on SQ, consider going on BA or QF (or one of the many other airlines that fly SIN - xxx - MEL indirect).

The routes to MEL and SYD are very popular, but seeing as BA and QF also fly there from SIN, I doubt that every seat in Y will have gone already.

Don't forget that some people also reserve seats, but then change their travel plans, so that space frees up again.


Well, it could well be the case, but 2 things stand out for me -

SQ have stricter policies regarding the holding of any any economy class tickets than BA/QF and auto-canx 14 days post holding seats, so less seats are being churned. And if you hold out then you run the risk of getting nothing as all SQ/QF flights on this routes for these dates WILL be full - it's cutting it close already for peak season, you run the risk of getting nowt.

Note there is only 1 x QF flight as well on the MEL route, BA have dropped it.

However, don't forget EK who have 1 x daily MEL - SIN - MEL.

This is the norm for December - very difficult to gets seats out of MEL, due to the huge number of students SQ ferry back to Asia over the summer break. In the past SQ have added an extra flight 3 or 4 times a week AND last year they changed SQ237/8 to a 747 instead of a 777 to cope with extra demand. I looks like this year they are relying on the increased capacity of the A380.

Space has now opened up until the 14th, but still zero from there onwards. :td:

Re: those Air India codeshares that do have space, does anybody have any idea what fare class they're in and/or whether they earn miles? They don't show up on the crappy Air India website, and zuji/airfares.com.sg etc refuse to show the fare class.

I'm tempted to just go book Emirates instead :mad:

Space has now opened up until the 14th, but still zero from there onwards. :td:

Re: those Air India codeshares that do have space, does anybody have any idea what fare class they're in and/or whether they earn miles? They don't show up on the crappy Air India website, and zuji/airfares.com.sg etc refuse to show the fare class.

I'm tempted to just go book Emirates instead :mad:

AI shows K,L & M class only on the codeshares. However, no idea with AI and what that means re: mileage, maybe someone else can advise.

Here is one you might have not thought of and that is Flying MEL/ADL on either Qantas or Virgin Blue but try and get a plane by 10am at the latest and connect onto the SQ268 going over ADL/SIN if it has to be on Singapore Airlines.Another Option ALSO IF you can get it is Malaysia Airlines MEL/KUL and connect KUL/SIN if it doesn't have to be on Singapore Airlines.

The worst part is that it is school and university holidays Australia Wide which may also explain the availability situation.

But it should be better for you EX Melbourne passengers now with the A380 daily while we Adelaide Folk make do with a A330.

But it should be better for you EX Melbourne passengers now with the A380 daily while we Adelaide Folk make do with a A330.

The a380 does not make up for the additional 777-200 we had in previous years over summer hols

Another Option ALSO IF you can get it is Malaysia Airlines MEL/KUL and connect KUL/SIN if it doesn't have to be on Singapore Airlines.
I ended up booking Emirates, which flies direct, has perfect flight times, uses better aircraft than SQ, offers occasional A$150 business class upgrades, and cost all of S$1000 return. SQ's loss :td:

I ended up booking Emirates, which flies direct, has perfect flight times, uses better aircraft than SQ, offers occasional A$150 business class upgrades, and cost all of S$1000 return. SQ's loss :td:

How is it SQ's loss when they don't have a ticket to sell you? :confused:

I ended up booking Emirates, which flies direct, has perfect flight times, uses better aircraft than SQ, offers occasional A$150 business class upgrades, and cost all of S$1000 return. SQ's loss :td:

Then why consider SQ in the first place?:rolleyes:

SQ sold the same seat on there plane for double that, and filled the plane too!