After much messing around I can finally report a successful partner redemption through QRPC.
I had originally intended to book a CX F return ticket to HKG from LHR given this is probably the best value QR redemption from Europe at 255k return, but the current QR booking process makes this extremely difficult as it is highly likely that by the time QR get back to you on your partner redemption request someone else will have already taken one of the two seats. Note that QR's current online tool for requesting partner redemptions is also very restrictive on routing, e.g. you can only request LHR-HKG and not LHR-HKG-x on CX - I'm not sure if this is deliberately restrictive or just more bad IT.
I instead decided to go for a JL F return to HND for 300k, not cheap but better than wasting the miles on Duty Free or QR J flights. I submitted a request through the online form and around 12 hours later I received an email allocating me a service request number. About 48 hours after that I received an email with a link to a provisional booking online which gave me 72 hours to pay before the booking became invalid. Unfortunately, this is where QR's usual terrible customer service kicked in as due to a change in plans I needed to change the return date of the flight. A quick email to QR gave me another service request number for the change and an assurance they were working on it but they of course didn't complete the request before the previous booking expired. No-one bothered to email me to tell me I needed to make a new request as the previous booking had expired and I only found this out when I emailed them to ask how the change was progressing. Another request submitted through the online form, another 48 hour wait and I now have a confirmed JL F ticket booked with Qmiles.
Of particular interest is that I was not charged the new $75 per F segment booking fee that would have applied on a QR redemption, so it appears partner redemptions are even more attractive now if you're looking to use up orphan Qmiles.
Last edited by lost_in_translation; Aug 19, 2018 at 5:02 am