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Rewards flights?

PostPosted: 25 Sep 2013, 11:15
by gilly
We are booked to do a large chunk of a Cunard World Cruise in 2015, from San Francisco ( Feb 8th) to Hong Kong ( March 25th though we will fly back to the UK in early April)

We want to pop to Ho Chi Minh City and back from Hong Kong to visit our son who lives there, so have elected NOT to book the flights with Cunard. Plus the fact they sting you for them!

Given the fact we will be able to book whenever they become available, is it likely we'll be able to find reward/ upgrade seats in Upper on these routes.? To a certain extent we can be a little flexible with dates, although more so in HKG than SFO.

Re: Rewards flights?

PostPosted: 25 Sep 2013, 12:21
by gumshoe
Both are entirely possible, you just have to keep checking regularly and be ready to pounce if a G appears because they get snapped up quickly. Persistence pays.

Consider connecting flight options as well - LAX, with its two daily flights, tends to have better reward availability than SFO, as do Tokyo or Shanghai for the return.

Very jealous by the way - are you on the QM2? I've only done one of those 2-night taster cruises on her, but absolutely loved it.

Re: Rewards flights?

PostPosted: 25 Sep 2013, 12:28
by Nottingham Nick
It is getting harder and harder to predict availability. VS seem to be less generous with early releases these days. There have also been several comments on here and FT about lack of reward seats to and from the West Coast of the US this year - you also have to factor in the Delta effect now.

If I was in your position I would not only do as gumshoe suggests, and check regularly for G's I would also be tempted to pounce on any PE reward seats that are available, with a view to upgrading if G's appear later.

Also, in my own experience, if you snap up one G, look again straight after or the next day. We found that when one was taken, it was replaced by another.

Good luck.

Nick

Re: Rewards flights?

PostPosted: 25 Sep 2013, 12:39
by gilly
Thanks very much, at least it gives me hope that we just MAY be able to reduce the cost a bit y) god knows the voyage itself costs enough :0

Not the QM2 - I agree a fabulous ship that we are on in a few weeks. This time the Queen Elizabeth offers such an amazing itinerary, we simply had to book it.