d00t

Spent a very long time doing searches accross a 8 month timeframe and there is always plenty of X but never any U or Z seats available.

I'm now using FF to search/book a seat for me once it finds an available flight but damn this game game is getting more difficult to play

Called QF and they won't even release more seats for Platinums now.

What the heck is going on?

VT01

Perhaps it's related to the delay of the A380's? Perhaps they won't have the seat inventory they thought they would.

Other than that, It's just QF being typically stingy....

bensyd

Maybe if you tell them you are "Super Supreme Executive Elite Superior Diamond Preferred Platinum for Life".

og

There seems to be plenty of BA F (Z) availability SYD-SIN and SYD-BKK (and vice versa). Maybe thats a message that their product is crap compared to others.

Theres also quite a few in the LOTFAP priding themselves on snagging QF U seats at 330 days out - just check out the AS and AA Boards.

Traveloguy

That would be right.... Give all the U seats to the AS and AA members.

Dave Marsh

I find QF is definitely the most stingy to release U and Z Class bookings compare to all other Oneworld airlines.

For CX as a DM I am almost guaranteed a X/U or Z Class seat except for 830/831.

ThomasBne

deleted

thadocta

Perhaps it is a realisation that they can actually SELL the seats for $$$$ (rather than points) which makes the U and Z seats hard to get?

(Can't say I am complaining, I am a shareholder afterall).

As has been mentioned, there is a capacity drain at the moment, the A380's should be online by now (but instead are running two years late) and this is putting all sorts of pressure on capacity, particularly in the premium cabins.

With the demand for premium space, I am not surprised that award seats in U/Z are hard to come by - it will become easier though.

Dave

d00t

I did.

Called back just tonight hoping to get different shift of workers - Same deal.

I also tried enterring a random FF# in to go to the pleb call que - Same Deal.

Worded it differently both times - once asking to release seats, the other asking to be waitlisted.

It doesn't make me want to buy the seats...... it makes me wonder why I bother supporting a program that doesn't support me.

</rant>

thadocta

Sure, it doesn't make you want to buy the seats. But then, they don't need to make you buy the seats, there are plenty out there who WILL buy the seats.

The program DOES support you, in some ways. (It doesn't support you in ohters, I agree. CONFIRMED upgrades is one way in which the program could support us, and that is one way in which the program is deficient). You can get seats on all flights, in all classes, you just need to be very VERY quick to get the seat/s in U and Z on the prime flights. Otherwise, the rest of the seats will go to paying customers. (I, as a shareholder, am grateful for that). For the rest, your hard earnt points can be readily redeemed in WHY on most flights.

Dave

Traveloguy

Reading the SQ board, it seems that SQ are going to jack up the amount of points required to redeem a F or J award. I suspect QF will happily follow suite.

SW7London

Why are you so grateful when the shareprice has gone virtually no-where in the last 4 years!

The company barely earns it's cost of capital!

Seriously - and I'm not trying to be difficult - I cannot understand how Qantas would be considered a good investment? Massive capital costs, very competitive markets, slim operating margins...As a airline Qantas would have to be the best investment out there, but as a company, I think there are better options.

d

thadocta

I agree - if I was buying shares now I would NOT be buying Qantas shares.

The fact happens though is that I own Qantas shares (around $A40K worth) and I look at it from a shareholders perspective. (I also look at it from an FF perspective, so it gives me two insights - it allows me to ask difficlut questions should I happen to get to an AGM).

The dividends are okay though, better than a bank will give you on a commensurate deposit.

Dave

Dave Noble

There is no longer a release of seats for Platinum members, what is available is what you can book. I cannot see the reason for the rant, you must be aware that award seats are capacity controlled and so are limited in availability.

They do provide benefits to Gold and Platinum members with the additional inventory of T class for economy bookings, but for international business, QF likes to sell as many seats as possible

There are schemes with no capacity controls ( e.g. AA offers non capacity controlled award seats at double cost ) but QF is not, nor does it claim to be, one of them

Dave

spotwelder

All I can say is that I spend a lot of money on the Roo route and I cannot book 330 days in advance. I do not accumulate miles in a 9 to 5 job with the odd commute somewhere and a shed load of supermarket miles on a credit card. Perhaps 1000 QF miles a year come from hotel stays. Hundreds of thousands on QF etc. I have now been 14 months without a holiday, a day or two off in a month, but that 15 day break is nowhere to be seen.

So, if I want to feel rewarded by my airline of choice, I have to book on another, such as CX and pay the extra. I was looking back through the programme for the last ten years and I have yet to manage to book a single flight on QF with miles. So far, I have used miles and points for four upgrades on long haul flights.

It might be nice to take someone with me on a business trip between UK and Australia, but the Former Next Potential Mrs Spotwelder would not be impressed with a free economy seat whilst I sit upstairs or lie down in the front.... or, I suspect vice versa if allowed.

If I change programme to AA, then I will drop to gold with subsequent loss of ability to spend miles and upgrades as well as waitlist priority. Trapped?