Originally Posted by number_6
You know the answer, there is none -- particularly not 330 days in advance. CX will release seats within 2 weeks of the travel date, probably not before. QF will release seats for upgrades in that time frame, but probably not for awards.
I haven't checked, but KIX-CNS used to be operated by a sub-standard QF service, so it may not really be business class (no skybeds, for example). Not sure if all the japanese routes have been upgraded to the international long-haul standard yet.
You are right in that they are still being operated by another QF service. The AA rep wasn't sure that would be a valid route, but it was included on the
oneworld schedule as one of their routes, so it should be valid; but you are right in that that does not guarantee that it's good. **The itinerary says "Qantas Airways operated by /Australian for Qantas"**
I would be perfectly willing to split my ticket from my parents and take another route/flight that arrived at the same destination within a reasonable time period, but unless we are willing to downgrade to economy, the award seats just aren't there.
One possibility I had floated is booking economy now and hoping that business awards seat availability eventually freed up, and then I could reticket the class upgrade without having to have all the segments re-checked from scratch. Certainly worth US$15 to reticket an upgrade, but it sounds like it won't ever become available. Frankly I was amazed at first that I managed to get business on the mid-week LHR-SYD flight from it's fuel stop in BKK, as the BA forum said that it was likely the most popular award flight of all BA's routes; but I guess we would have been filling seats of a family doing a stopover at BKK.
Thanks,
Steve