A-380 flights in January 2008.
Sep 6, 2007, 3:36 pm
#1
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Join Date: Apr 2001
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A-380 flights in January 2008.
I have a UA scheduled MR into SIN. Will be in SIN for five nights. I'd love to get on the A-380 in F even if I have to pay versus an award. Any ideas on the route the plane might be flying? Thanks.
Sep 6, 2007, 8:09 pm
#3
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I guess I will have to wait for the successful launch as I am only seeing 747 on the route. Thanks.
Sep 6, 2007, 8:21 pm
#4
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
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The flights are known already (see the sticky). If you wait until announced it could be too late to get any awards, let alone in F - then again it could already be too late.
Sep 6, 2007, 9:22 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Sep 8, 2007, 1:54 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: NE & SE Asia, N America
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Posts: 3,105
I couldn't find it either. Just people guessing. The FA on my flight this week told me he thought for sure it would be SQ219/220 starting the first week in November but that's impossible to do with just one plane. I told him that but he still insisted he thought it would be those flights. He did say it hasn't been announced officially so we have to wait before we know for sure. I'm betting it'll be SQ221/232. I'm booked on that the first week in November so I'm hoping I've guessed correctly.
Sep 9, 2007, 8:26 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: somewhere north of stateside...
Posts: 4,153
Worth noting that F is zeroed out on flight 221 (SIN-SYD 20:30ish departure) over a large number of days in December, for example. This may well be an indication that SQ will be putting the A380 on this route.
A bit frustrating that you can't get a booking, though...
A bit frustrating that you can't get a booking, though...
Sep 9, 2007, 7:51 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Townsville ...Australia (Great Barrier Reef)
Programs: QC/Qff Gold Starwood SS/venetian HHon's Accorgold AmexPlat
Posts: 142
The strangest thing happened!!
In Feb this year l booked and paid for 2 "SQ ONLY RTW F" tickets for my parents as a present with a month long cruise and hotel and transfers as well.
Needless to say its a massive trip for them as they have never been out of OZ before let alone ever been in the First Class of anything. I wrote to SQ telling them about the surprise and that mum and dad had never left OZ before, requesting special assistance for them and to please make this their "trip of a lifetime" as my sister and me had saved for over 3 years to make this trip possible.
As you can see by the copy of the previous post l have quoted below, they were confirmed on 222 SYD-SIN but were waitlisted for 232 on the first leg. The last leg they are confirmed on 231 but waitlisted on 221.
TODAY l received a call from SQ telling me l had to DROP one of the waitlists and requested me to choose which one????
They said l could not keep both but would not tell me why, (except to say that it is because they are booked into A bucket)
The agent also said l was lucky because if l had not sent the lovely letter to SQ about what l was doing for mum and dad and paid in full so early then neither of the waitlists would have cleared as there is no A buckets any more for these flights
So l picked 232 to keep and 221 to drop mainly because it is the first leg of the trip.
SQ then immediatley confirmed the waitlist for 232 and canceled the 221 waitlist.
The SQ agent then said mum & dad are going to have a wonderfull trip and one which they should not forget from the first moment onboard.
I found this the strangest thing, as on any airline l have ever flown in F l have always been able to leave waitlists in place regardless. Wether they come through or not is another thing, but l have never been required to DROP one before.
I will hazard a guess here now that l have had time to think about it and reconfirm my thoughts from an earlier post that the 380 flight no's will be 221/232.
And that somehow as an A bucket booking they will only let them fly the 380 once as a special request and that A seats are going to be impossible to book on these flights in the future.
Here is my original post.
Which Flights?
Hi there,
I have just shouted mum and dad there first international trip out of australia with the SQ in first with the "SQ only" RTW.
They are presently confirmed on
26th nov SQ 222 Syd-Sin F (2f & 3f)
waitlisted on 232
28th nov SQ 334 Sin-Cdg F (1a & 2a)
02nd dec SQ26 Fra-Jfk F (2a & 3a)
4th dec AA 1165 Jfk-MIA F (3a &3b)
4th dec AA 937 MIA- Sjo Costa Rica J (3h &3j)
5th dec seabourn legend cruise Caldera Costa Rica-FLL 30 days
2nd jan CO 1849 FLL-Houston F (2e & 2f)
2nd jan CO 1566 Houston-SFO F (3e & 3f
5th jan SQ 15 Sfo-Sin F (1f & 2f)
7th jan SQ 231 Sin-Syd (2f & 3f)
but waitlisted on
6th jan sq 221 sin-syd F
This being dads first time out of oz l was wondering wether the syd sin syd flights might end up on the new 380 if its delivered on time or wether you would recommend that they change to another flight for their best chance.
Because there will only be one delivery, which flight numbers do you recon will get the 380 in the begining syd-sin.
I know dad would be over the moon if he managed to score one of those flights. It has taken me 5 years to talk them into traveling out of Oz for "their trip of a lifetime" and just want to make it as special as l can for them. And yes this trips costing me a fortune.
I have sent SQ a nice letter telling them the story and requesting assistance.
I was also amazed at how cheap the RTW F sq only tickets were in the first place 2 for $7799 Aud ea exculding the internal US and Caldera flights.
Needless to say its a massive trip for them as they have never been out of OZ before let alone ever been in the First Class of anything. I wrote to SQ telling them about the surprise and that mum and dad had never left OZ before, requesting special assistance for them and to please make this their "trip of a lifetime" as my sister and me had saved for over 3 years to make this trip possible.
As you can see by the copy of the previous post l have quoted below, they were confirmed on 222 SYD-SIN but were waitlisted for 232 on the first leg. The last leg they are confirmed on 231 but waitlisted on 221.
TODAY l received a call from SQ telling me l had to DROP one of the waitlists and requested me to choose which one????
They said l could not keep both but would not tell me why, (except to say that it is because they are booked into A bucket)
The agent also said l was lucky because if l had not sent the lovely letter to SQ about what l was doing for mum and dad and paid in full so early then neither of the waitlists would have cleared as there is no A buckets any more for these flights
So l picked 232 to keep and 221 to drop mainly because it is the first leg of the trip.
SQ then immediatley confirmed the waitlist for 232 and canceled the 221 waitlist.
The SQ agent then said mum & dad are going to have a wonderfull trip and one which they should not forget from the first moment onboard.
I found this the strangest thing, as on any airline l have ever flown in F l have always been able to leave waitlists in place regardless. Wether they come through or not is another thing, but l have never been required to DROP one before.
I will hazard a guess here now that l have had time to think about it and reconfirm my thoughts from an earlier post that the 380 flight no's will be 221/232.
And that somehow as an A bucket booking they will only let them fly the 380 once as a special request and that A seats are going to be impossible to book on these flights in the future.
Here is my original post.
Which Flights?
Hi there,
I have just shouted mum and dad there first international trip out of australia with the SQ in first with the "SQ only" RTW.
They are presently confirmed on
26th nov SQ 222 Syd-Sin F (2f & 3f)
waitlisted on 232
28th nov SQ 334 Sin-Cdg F (1a & 2a)
02nd dec SQ26 Fra-Jfk F (2a & 3a)
4th dec AA 1165 Jfk-MIA F (3a &3b)
4th dec AA 937 MIA- Sjo Costa Rica J (3h &3j)
5th dec seabourn legend cruise Caldera Costa Rica-FLL 30 days
2nd jan CO 1849 FLL-Houston F (2e & 2f)
2nd jan CO 1566 Houston-SFO F (3e & 3f
5th jan SQ 15 Sfo-Sin F (1f & 2f)
7th jan SQ 231 Sin-Syd (2f & 3f)
but waitlisted on
6th jan sq 221 sin-syd F
This being dads first time out of oz l was wondering wether the syd sin syd flights might end up on the new 380 if its delivered on time or wether you would recommend that they change to another flight for their best chance.
Because there will only be one delivery, which flight numbers do you recon will get the 380 in the begining syd-sin.
I know dad would be over the moon if he managed to score one of those flights. It has taken me 5 years to talk them into traveling out of Oz for "their trip of a lifetime" and just want to make it as special as l can for them. And yes this trips costing me a fortune.
I have sent SQ a nice letter telling them the story and requesting assistance.
I was also amazed at how cheap the RTW F sq only tickets were in the first place 2 for $7799 Aud ea exculding the internal US and Caldera flights.
Sep 10, 2007, 3:47 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,406
I too have read the sticky - but can't seem to find a confirmed answer for what is likely to happen after Jan/Feb - will the A380 continue to operate to SYD or will it be pulled for the LHR route? I'm confirmed for travel in April. 
Regards
lme ff
Regards
lme ff
Sep 10, 2007, 8:18 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Townsville ...Australia (Great Barrier Reef)
Programs: QC/Qff Gold Starwood SS/venetian HHon's Accorgold AmexPlat
Posts: 142
possible answer
I hazard a guess makin'miles that they have not announced it yet because SQ want maximum focus & media attention on the auction of the first return flights.
If people knew days after the first flights, they could take flight number such-n-such for the regular fare for the 380 then the auction would not raise the level of interest that they hope for and might not generate the level of interest it is presently enjoying.
I also assume that SQ want to recognize maximum revenue yield in it's brief honeymoon period before the next airline competition receives theirs.
So that would explain the near impossibility for the last 5 months to book an "A" or "D" bucket for 221 or 232 this blackout of availability covers the last 3 weeks of Nov, Dec and the first 3 weeks of Jan.
I do not know what other peoples successes have been with redeeming awards on these flights but l hazard a guess and recon that 3 months ago all of a sudden there has been no availabilty on these flights the same as no availability in the cheap "A" "D" paid buckets for the RTW's ect.
Now l could be completely wrong in all of this, but the phone call l received today was strange to say the least.
It was almost like they are doing me a "favor"
The smart FT members here have probably been aware of this for months and have made their bookings/redemptions ages ago, but to protect their chances they keep their knowledge to themselves to maximize their chances.
I know if l was more experienced with all this FF stuff, thats what l would do.
One thing l have learn't here is the best chance of cheap seats/upgrades/higher status credit/bonus miles/extra benefits, come with change of aircraft, new routes, route changes, new alliances & codeshares and extra capacity.
The clever FF knows when these are happening and with their knowledge of the system, knows when to take a punt and move on a ticket or award whether just for the joy of it or to achieve a goal or plan.
And good on them, because with their success and their willingness to share we all learn how to make this work for us.
Thats what l love about FT and its members.
If people knew days after the first flights, they could take flight number such-n-such for the regular fare for the 380 then the auction would not raise the level of interest that they hope for and might not generate the level of interest it is presently enjoying.
I also assume that SQ want to recognize maximum revenue yield in it's brief honeymoon period before the next airline competition receives theirs.
So that would explain the near impossibility for the last 5 months to book an "A" or "D" bucket for 221 or 232 this blackout of availability covers the last 3 weeks of Nov, Dec and the first 3 weeks of Jan.
I do not know what other peoples successes have been with redeeming awards on these flights but l hazard a guess and recon that 3 months ago all of a sudden there has been no availabilty on these flights the same as no availability in the cheap "A" "D" paid buckets for the RTW's ect.
Now l could be completely wrong in all of this, but the phone call l received today was strange to say the least.
It was almost like they are doing me a "favor"
The smart FT members here have probably been aware of this for months and have made their bookings/redemptions ages ago, but to protect their chances they keep their knowledge to themselves to maximize their chances.
I know if l was more experienced with all this FF stuff, thats what l would do.
One thing l have learn't here is the best chance of cheap seats/upgrades/higher status credit/bonus miles/extra benefits, come with change of aircraft, new routes, route changes, new alliances & codeshares and extra capacity.
The clever FF knows when these are happening and with their knowledge of the system, knows when to take a punt and move on a ticket or award whether just for the joy of it or to achieve a goal or plan.
And good on them, because with their success and their willingness to share we all learn how to make this work for us.
Thats what l love about FT and its members.
Sep 10, 2007, 8:27 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: somewhere north of stateside...
Posts: 4,153
Unfortunately, I can't even get an F seat on 221 over several days in late December 
.
What I love about flyertalk, though, is that if I check every two hours, I'm bound to find one that will open up
.What I love about flyertalk, though, is that if I check every two hours, I'm bound to find one that will open up
Sep 12, 2007, 4:08 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Townsville ...Australia (Great Barrier Reef)
Programs: QC/Qff Gold Starwood SS/venetian HHon's Accorgold AmexPlat
Posts: 142
Still flying full
Yes, even with all the negativity in regards to SQ's PPS changes and its disloyalty program.
SQ still fly most long-haul flights full with no sign of this changing in the near future.
This is especially so in their premium cabins.
To me it just shows, that people are happy to pay for quality, As long as that quality remains, stuff the loyalty benefits, just give me what l pay for & do it well.
Thats why SQ does so well, they excel at premium travel full stop.
SQ still fly most long-haul flights full with no sign of this changing in the near future.
This is especially so in their premium cabins.
To me it just shows, that people are happy to pay for quality, As long as that quality remains, stuff the loyalty benefits, just give me what l pay for & do it well.
Thats why SQ does so well, they excel at premium travel full stop.
Sep 12, 2007, 6:36 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: West Coast USA
Programs: UA GS/4 MM, AA Exec Plat, Lifetime Hilton D, Hyatt G, Marriott Titanium earned Ambassador
Posts: 7,553
I was able to book seats on the flights we think will be the 380 SIN to SYD to SIN in F/P for about $5k US. Yes. People are willing to pay for quality and in my case the experience of the A-380.
Sep 12, 2007, 7:37 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: somewhere north of stateside...
Posts: 4,153
Take a look at availability on 221 on 19 December today:
R4 Z4 C4 J4 D4 S2 Y0 E0 B0 M0 W0 Q0 N0 H0
Note the lack of 'F' class. R was the class used on Concorde, and I'm sure that this is replacing F on the A380 flights.
R4 Z4 C4 J4 D4 S2 Y0 E0 B0 M0 W0 Q0 N0 H0
Note the lack of 'F' class. R was the class used on Concorde, and I'm sure that this is replacing F on the A380 flights.