Why does Qantas insist on making it very undesirable to book classic awards?
12 replies
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Why does Qantas insist on making it very undesirable to book classic awards?
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Why does Qantas insist on making it very undesirable to book classic awards?
521303
521303
Member since 03 Jan 2012
Total posts 62
Why does Qantas insist on making it very undesirable to book classic awards? I'm looking into return from Perth to UK in 2016 and all flights leaving Perth appear to go to the UK via Adelaide onto an Emirates flight (with a + 10 hour wait chucked in for free). Fantastic routing and great timing also!! I then checked on Adelaide - and those folks get the joy of being routed back through Perth on the return leg. I've also seen Sydney flights going via Brisbane. Is this simply a scam to put FF off claiming classic awards?
GBRGB
GBRGB
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 21 Jan 2014
Total posts 295
Its not just reward flights that are difficult to fathom, the same goes for normal fares as well, why is it cheaper to fly via a second city than direct on many occasions, supply and demand I would imagine.
eminere
eminere
Member since 25 Sep 2013
Total posts 376
Because you pay for the convenience of direct flights.
drsimon50
drsimon50
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 10 Oct 2013
Total posts 81
on the flights i have tried from ADL they often route via MEL (with a wait thrown in!) - hence changed to emirates direct as much simpler - have you tried them? especially as you have luxury of a380 (depending on which UK airport of course - BHX is my 'home' airport and no a380 yet!)
drsimon50
drsimon50
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 10 Oct 2013
Total posts 81
sorry just realised reward flight!
Frank
Frank
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 09 Sep 2013
Total posts 107
Similar situation using the AA web site for the same journeys from Perth, it's almsot a Captain Cook tour getting from start to finish.
riley
riley
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 19 Mar 2014
Total posts 358
I've found the same thing in booking reward and conventional fares. I'd have to assume, despite it being frustrating, that there's no malice. Probably the algorithm is set so it grabs less occupied flights over direct routing, which would also often give cheapest broken down fares but often not the case in multi-leg trips.
11sjw
11sjw
Member since 11 Mar 2012
Total posts 160
PER-JFK will generate a directish routing via HKG on CX should they be available. Fancy a few days in NYC before heading to the UK (on your own $$ of course).
How far into 2016 are you looking?
madge
madge
Member since 07 Aug 2012
Total posts 58
Qantas would rather you wasted spent your points on toasters.
moa999
moa999
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 02 Jul 2011
Total posts 835
I read the title and thought you were going to be complaining about the taxes, versus a discount cash fare
Frank
Frank
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 09 Sep 2013
Total posts 107
Again, not booking award seats, but paid business class seats on QF for my wife Perth-Taipei, and have been given 4 choices; variations on via Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, then Hong Kong, then Taipei with flight times around 20 hours, with the same 4 options for the return leg.
Booking on CX, I can get her there in around 11 hours via Hong Kong only.
Serg
Serg
QFF
Member since 12 Apr 2013
Total posts 987
For flyer classic reward in business is the best possible value to burn points. Some may argue that upgrade little better, but I disagree – upgrade is uncertain up until flying and sometimes up until gate. So if it damn good value for you it automatically became very poor value for Qantas. So Qantas issue very little classic award seats and uses most unpopular routes where it has difficulty to sell full aircraft. And yet Qantas much prefer you to p!ss points in their “store” then book international business flight. For example for the same 120000 points you can do either buy return ticket in business to Singapore (cannot get it for less then about $3500) or you can buy Garmin Edge 1000 Bike Computers that can be get elsewhere for mere $600. Even after subtracting taxes it is no least then 5 times difference! Got the picture?
snaggit
snaggit
Member since 15 Jun 2015
Total posts 10
Reward seats really are distressed inventory. It is common practice to fill seats with points bookings that you wont fill with commercial sales as the yield is generally lower. The flip side is havinga program that is attractive to the consumer and if it is hard to burn then it can sway the loyalty of an airline.