What happened to the Qantas G'day USA sale?

[jauyeung]

I thought every January during the G'day USA time, Qantas had a faresale... but G'day USA started today and no sale on Qantas.com. I'm nervous because this was when I planned to buy our tickets for NY to Sydney. I read that they could be as low as $1000 roundtrip! If they decided not to have a sale, is it pretty feasible to keep an eye of prices each day until it does go that low at some point?

[joandian]

Here are the lastest specials. Flights to Sydney are just over $1000 but it looks like these prices vary depending when you are flying. Good luck finding something at a good price.

 

You could check VAustralia. I've always flown Qantas but I've heard some good reviews on Virgin.

 

Jo

[jauyeung]

Thanks but I've looked at the specials on their website and called customer service. There aren't any tickets left at that price even though they advertise as having it for May-June '11 fares. Tickets are approx. $1,300.

[donaldsc]

If you had tried typing "Qantas G'day" into Google, you just might have found your answer.

 

DON

[jauyeung]

If you had tried typing "Qantas G'day" into Google, you just might have found your answer.

 

DON

 

Hi Don,

I have searched it before but all I get are articles about the sale during the years of 2006 through 2010. Nothing about 2011 events. I've searched this morning before posting and just now again in case you saw some new post. Are you seeing something that I'm missing? Please share.

 

Thanks.

[Globaliser]

I thought every January during the G'day USA time, Qantas had a faresale... but G'day USA started today and no sale on Qantas.com.

Remember the rules about airline fare sales:-

• There is no guarantee that there will be a sale at any particular time.
• If there is a sale, there is no guarantee that it will apply to the route you want to fly.
• If it does cover the route you want to fly, there is no guarantee that it will apply to your travel dates.
• If there is a sale fare for your route and travel dates, there is no guarantee that there will be availability in the booking class required on your desired flights to achieve the advertised sale fare.

After all, if everyone knew that they could be guaranteed to get the sale fare when the sale comes around, why would anyone ever buy a ticket at a non-sale price?

 

No passenger ever has any special insight into whether they will be able to get a sale fare unless they have insider knowledge from the relevant department of the airline.

Thanks but I've looked at the specials on their website and called customer service. There aren't any tickets left at that price even though they advertise as having it for May-June '11 fares. Tickets are approx. $1,300.

What do you mean by "approx $1,300"?

 

The lowest published Qantas fare from New York to Sydney is a fare of $938 round-trip. This must be booked by 31 January, as the qantas.com sale conditions state, so it's clear that $938 is a sale fare. There is a Qantas fuel surcharge of $160, which adds up to the sale fare of $1,098 advertised on qantas.com (which is required by US law to include the fuel surcharge). The total payable includes a number of other bits and bobs, making a grand total of $1,252.30.

 

Is this what you were quoted? If so, you were being quoted the lowest sale price. There are currently no lower published fares.

I read that they could be as low as $1000 roundtrip! If they decided not to have a sale, is it pretty feasible to keep an eye of prices each day until it does go that low at some point?

Do you know whether the fares "as low as $1,000 round-trip" that you read about were before or after taxes? If they were before taxes, that's what you're seeing right now.

 

It is certainly feasible to keep an eye on prices every day. You might get lucky one day.

 

But how would you feel if prices went up to (say) $1,600 round-trip for your travel dates and never came down again. Would you then think that you were prepared to pay $1,250 after all?

 

And if so, then why on earth are you not prepared to pay $1,250 now? Is it a price you're prepared to pay, or not? That is the question you must ask yourself, and answer.

[jauyeung]

Thanks for the replies. Lowest approx. $1300 because that's what I saw online and also what the phone support at Qantas told me is available to purchase. She said the seats at $1098 price is sold out so my best option is $1300.

 

I can wait if the prices go up. I have flexibility because I haven't booked anything.

[Globaliser]

She said the seats at $1098 price is sold out so my best option is $1300.

In case it's not clear from the above: If you are comparing $1,098 to $1,300, you are not comparing like with like.

 

The $1,098 fare advertised on the website works out to be about $1,250 when everything else has been added on.

 

The next cheapest fare is $40 more than that, which would therfore be about $1,290 all inclusive.

 

I wouldn't want you to think that you have missed out on fares that are $200 cheaper than what you can get now, if you can currently buy a ticket for $1,290 all inclusive. On an all inclusive basis, there never was a $1,098 fare; and you may currently be rejecting a fare that is only $40 more than the cheapest possible fare.

I can wait if the prices go up. I have flexibility because I haven't booked anything.

The big question is this: If the prices go up and don't show any signs of coming down, how long can you wait? Is the trip entirely optional? Can you just bin the idea if prices never come down?

[Dr_Rudi]

Please please please check the Qantas website. The specials are there, just not badged as G'day USA - but only on sale until the end of the month:

 

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/special-offers/us/en

 

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/visit-australia/us/en?int_cam=us:qf:fy11:so-vist-au

 

http://www.australia.com/campaigns/nothinglikeaustralia/us/oww/oww_us.htm

[vbmom87]

Please please please check the Qantas website. The specials are there, just not badged as G'day USA - but only on sale until the end of the month:

 

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/special-offers/us/en

 

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/visit-australia/us/en?int_cam=us:qf:fy11:so-vist-au

 

http://www.australia.com/campaigns/nothinglikeaustralia/us/oww/oww_us.htm

 

Thanks

[Globaliser]

She said the seats at $1098 price is sold out so my best option is $1300.

I've now had a chance to look at the Qantas website, and this is absolutely untrue.

 

The "$1,098" fare is available for one passenger for outbound travel on 24 out of the 30 days of April, and 26 out of the 31 days of March, for example. For two passengers, it's 19/30 for April and 26/31 for May.

 

You will know you've got the "$1,098" fare because the total per passenger (after taxes, fees and charges are added) is shown as "$1,258" or "$1,257.25".

 

There is no lower fare than this in the sale. I suspect that the agent you spoke to simply couldn't see any fare that allows you to get a ticket for an all-inclusive price of $1,098 - but that's because there's no such thing in this sale.

[The_Big_M]

I've now had a chance to look at the Qantas website, and this is absolutely untrue.

 

It could just be that it's sold out on the day(s) jauyeung wants to travel.

[Globaliser]

But jauyeung did say that they have flexibility, and just a little flexibility should be able to secure that fare.

 

I'm concerned that there may be some misapprehension that you can pay $1,098 and get a ticket. You can't; the advertised "$1,098" fare is before taxes, fees and charges that take it to $1,250. I'm also concerned that jauyeung may think that the $1,300 ticket is a big price step up from the advertised "$1,098" ticket; it isn't because it's only $50 more.

[vbmom87]

But jauyeung did say that they have flexibility, and just a little flexibility should be able to secure that fare.

 

I'm concerned that there may be some misapprehension that you can pay $1,098 and get a ticket. You can't; the advertised "$1,098" fare is before taxes, fees and charges that take it to $1,250. I'm also concerned that jauyeung may think that the $1,300 ticket is a big price step up from the advertised "$1,098" ticket; it isn't because it's only $50 more.

 

I understand it perfectly. Perhpas jauyeung will now.

[AzEileen]

For you frequent travelers to New Zealand/Australia; do any of you know if there are sales/promotional pricing for flights in the fall season? Qantas sales posted now must include travel by March 31. Also, are Premium economy seats available from LAX to Aukland?

[Globaliser]

I don't know detailed specifics about US-Australia fares, but Qantas often does have specials for the northern autumn/fall from the UK, which has broadly similar market dynamics. I have often made use of these, sometimes at relatively short notice.

 

But as always, there is no guarantee that there will be specials in any particular year, or that they will be valid for the exact dates you require.

 

Also, the peak season for travel to Australia usually starts somewhere about 9 December, so don't expect low economy/premium economy fares for outbound travel after that date. However, that is occasionally a fruitful time for picking up a sale fare in business class.

 

Qantas does not operate premium economy between LAX and Auckland. If you want to do this in Qantas PE, it would have to be via Sydney or Melbourne. But you can mix classes, and (for example) do PE from LAX to Sydney, and economy from Auckland to LAX.

 

Air New Zealand operates premium economy between LAX and Auckland, but does not operate any direct flights at all between Australia and LAX.