Business Saver Award Wait-List Can Be Cleared..?
 

Hi All,

Good morning everyone!

I am trying to use Krisflyer points to redeem two Business Award tickets to Turkey Istanbul. The schedule & detail as following:

04Nov'2011 => SIN-IST SQ490 Business Saver (Available)
10Nov'2011 => IST-SIN SQ391 Business Saver (Wait-List)

Fortunately or unfortunately, up until now, all my J awards on other routes were available for my redemption. So, I had never been on J award wait-list...

I would like to have your comments whether these wait-lists will be cleared easily..? Or it will almost never get cleared..? FYI: I am Krisflyer Elite Gold member (not so special, but hopefully get some wait-list priority...).

If it is most likely wait-list not to be cleared, I will make other alternative arrangements as soon as possible, as that week is Singapore long holiday. So I guess the flight may get filled up quickly..? :(

Thank you very much for your input.

Nice day ahead!

I have always had my wait-listed Business Saver Awards AKL-SIN or CHC-SIN clear.

Some have cleared two days before the flight.

Thank you very much for sharing your experience!! However, being cleared only 2 days before seems risky... After making all other travel arrangements such as hotels etc, and then finally find out that the wait-list cannot be clear will be a mess. :-(

Well if you are too worried you could always redeem SIN-IST on SQ as a one way for 2 in Biz and then call KF and ask if they got seats on TK IST-SIN direct service. Yes you will not get the 15% online booking discount for the TK flights, but it would also be a C saver award as all *A awards are savers. Then you can still waitlist on SQ and see if it clears.

Just a thought. I think SQ IST-SIN should not be that hard to clear. Maybe a wait a week or two and if nothing looking into the TK option. Having flown both I can tell you that apart from the crew who is better on SQ the seat and the food will be way better on TK. Yes you heard right. TK uses a new A330-300 on this route which has a fully flat seat (not angled like on SQ) and serves very good 4-course meals (Do&Co catering) of high standard. YMMV

I have tried TK's catering, they r really good.

Thank you very much for your comments.
Sounds like Turkey Airlines is quite good also.
I will try one way SQ, one way TK then!!!
Hopefully I can get the seat now.

Thanks everyone again!

Tried to call Krisflyer... TK is also full already (checked different dates as well) and the KF call centre lady said that they cannot not do Wait-List on other Star Alliance Award booking. :(

So, now I am still on Wait-list on SQ flight. Hope the seats can be cleared soon... :p

Sorry to hear that. Yes TK may have filled up too by now. Nonetheless, keep waitlisting with KF and hope for the best.

I had a quick look and TK is planning to fly an A340-300 that day to SIN (Nov 10) which is not that great a seat (same as on A330-200, the best seat is on A330-330 only). In that case SQ would be the better option if you can get it.

The only flights around your dates that I can see with two possible award Biz seats are one day earlier:

Nov 9, TK64, IST-BKK, DEP: 19:45, ARR: 09:45 (+1), Biz, A330
Nov 10, TG413, BKK-SIN, DEP: 11:40, ARR: 14:50, Biz, 777

If you are desperate for any flights right now to secure something then I would call KF and ask them if they can see and book these seats for a one-way *A award in C. Then you keep waitlisting for SQ direct flights.

The load for revenue pax in Biz on both the SQ491 and TK66 flights on Nov 10 look pretty low meaning they are still wide open and chances of SQ or TK releasing additional award seats closer to the travel dates are decent as of now. YMMV.

Hi demue,

Thank you very much for your great comments and your help to see TK's aircraft schedule.

Actually, I had changed the schedule a bit due to the seat availability on SQ J Saver Award when I booked the flight yesterday. Currently, I am doing:

05Nov'2011 => SIN-IST SQ490 Business Saver (Wait-List)
11Nov'2011 => IST-SIN SQ391 Business Saver (Confirmed)

As you suggested, I am trying to do one-way SQ, one-way TK. I am thinking to take SQ on SIN->IST and TK on IST->SIN, because of 2 reasons:
(1) Can get access to SQ Business Lounge in Changi
(2) Timing of TK flight IST->SIN is at 11pm, which suit my schedule much more than SQ flight at 1pm

Well, hoping 05Nov SQ can be confirmed. And additionally, will call KF again & again to see whether TK release seats for 11Nov. Finally if nothing can confirm, then I may need to redeem 05Nov SQ on Y award instead...

<By the way, if I do SIN-BKK on TG, then BKK-IST on TK, it will be two seperate award tickets, is it correct? Or I can do it with same miles as SIN-IST direct?>

Cheers! :)

SIN-BKK-IST is the same one-way saver award mileage cost then SIN-IST direct except that you wouldn't get the 15% discount like you do when booking the SQ flight directly online from SQ website using your KF miles. Ohh and no stopover allowed in BKK if it is booked as a one-way award.

BTW, in the case of TK watch out for the aircraft they will be using. The good plane with new Biz seat is only the A330-300. If it shows A343 or A330-200 then it will not be a brilliant seat (not even angled flat). It is still okay and survivable, but nowhere near the fully flat version.

Thanks for the advise... Unfortunately, it seems like TK is using A343 for Singapore route in November. I had checked a few dates, they are all A343... :td:

Anyway, thank you very much!!! I do apprecaite!!! :)