Booking Qantas via BA or QR websites

[S879]

I’ve been keeping an eye on using my Avios to book Qantas/Cathay flights out of Brisbane or Gold Coast in Australia. Even almost an year out there is hardly any availability on BA. Is there a trick to it? If I find availability on Qantas’ website and call BA, are they able to book it? Any tips would be appreciated. We are a family of 4 and would like to use my Avios to reach the Far East from Australia.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

BA can only show and book flights have have been made available to it.

BTW when you use QR do you mean Qatar or QANTAS (whose code is QF)

[The Savage Squirrel]

International availability is notoriously tight at Qantas, even for their own frequent fliers (as my Aussie relatives frequently grumble about to me), let alone partners. Domestic availability is generally much better, so for a family of 4 the easiest and most useful deployment of Avios may be any internal flights you have planned in Australia.

[phantomchickenz]

I’ve heard similar re Qantas – very hard to get reward seats. For the far east, you might be better off trying JAL or Malaysia.

[S879]

Thanks all, even Malaysian has just one seat per flight for most flights from Sydney and Perth. Hardly seen any JAL. Perhaps more on Japan cities out of Australia.

BA Flyer IHG Stayer I meant Qatar when I said QR as my BA and QR accounts are linked so thought I’d ask if Qantas or Cathay flights could be booked via either.

[Lady London]

I suggest you focus on QR which probably has more available generally and ideally be prepared for 2 of you to travel in a lower class if you want same flight – as 4 award seats is a big ask especially from Oz. CX you might get close to date depending on manipulations of award schemes but even then 4 is relatively hard.

[S879]

Lady London wrote:

I suggest you focus on QR which probably has more available generally and ideally be prepared for 2 of you to travel in a lower class if you want same flight – as 4 award seats is a big ask especially from Oz. CX you might get close to date depending on manipulations of award schemes but even then 4 is relatively hard.

Thanks, will do.