Benefits of booking award travel from a high status account
Aug 26, 2015, 9:22 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Cairns, Australia
Posts: 924
From QF website:
"...+ Preferential access will be provided, when available, to selected Qantas Classic Award seats for Silver, Gold and Platinum members. On selected flights, preferential access provided to Gold and Platinum members may be above the access available to Silver and Bronze members. Qantas & Partner Classic Award seat availability is limited and some flights may not have any Classic Award seats. When seats are available, preferential access is provided at qantas.com and from Qantas Telephone Sales and Qantas offices, excluding some international locations (Award Assistance Fee applies to assisted bookings)..."
...so can anyone provide evidence to substantiate "preferential access" (and thereby disprove the hypothesis that such does not exist to a practically relevant extent for the average QF WP/P1 loyal member)...?
...I would not count releasing a seat into the award bucket upon phone request, which I understand is an unpublished benefit, would count in such disproof (how is the customer to know about that process if they don't spend hours reading online travel/frequent flyer blogs?).
"...+ Preferential access will be provided, when available, to selected Qantas Classic Award seats for Silver, Gold and Platinum members. On selected flights, preferential access provided to Gold and Platinum members may be above the access available to Silver and Bronze members. Qantas & Partner Classic Award seat availability is limited and some flights may not have any Classic Award seats. When seats are available, preferential access is provided at qantas.com and from Qantas Telephone Sales and Qantas offices, excluding some international locations (Award Assistance Fee applies to assisted bookings)..."
...so can anyone provide evidence to substantiate "preferential access" (and thereby disprove the hypothesis that such does not exist to a practically relevant extent for the average QF WP/P1 loyal member)...?
...I would not count releasing a seat into the award bucket upon phone request, which I understand is an unpublished benefit, would count in such disproof (how is the customer to know about that process if they don't spend hours reading online travel/frequent flyer blogs?).
Aug 26, 2015, 9:46 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Melbourne
Programs: ►QFWP/LTG►VA WP►HyattExpl.►HiltonGold►ALL Silver
Posts: 21,995
I have seen differing availability between status on accounts; but that was some time ago.
With mASA's being my main search for the last few years and needing basic availability for them, I would search with an NB account.
With the demise of mASA's I have not bothered searching so in recent times.
With mASA's being my main search for the last few years and needing basic availability for them, I would search with an NB account.
With the demise of mASA's I have not bothered searching so in recent times.
Aug 26, 2015, 10:13 pm
#18
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Cairns, Australia
Posts: 924
I have seen differing availability between status on accounts; but that was some time ago.
With mASA's being my main search for the last few years and needing basic availability for them, I would search with an NB account.
With the demise of mASA's I have not bothered searching so in recent times.
With mASA's being my main search for the last few years and needing basic availability for them, I would search with an NB account.
With the demise of mASA's I have not bothered searching so in recent times.
In any case, IMHO the preferred use of QF points is EK F awards, thus the potential preferential availability for WP/P1 is somewhat irrelevant.
Per the original query...booking via a WP account is strategically wise, just in case...
Aug 26, 2015, 10:31 pm
#19
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 1,799
There are some differences, but very few, and mostly on domestic economy. e.g. as of this moment, QF487 SYD-MEL on 16 Sep. Award seats are not available if you search without logging in (do a normal search, and it displays redemption available as well). However, logging into my WP account would have a seat available for the flight.