PE to JNB, release dates and contingency for no return avail

Thank you for a wonderful forum. I have looked through many questions an interesting answers, but unfortunately nothing that answers my dilemma!

My wife and I have flown LHR>JNB in PE with VA ever other year and amassed enough points for a reward return in PE. Previously with dates decided there has been no reward availability so this time we booked the single outbound on release for March 2016 (rather than wait for the inbound date to release, should the outbound disappear).

I daily checked the inbound dates and found there was one UC and three econ released each day. I did not see any PE (or it came and went, but I was on there a lot). Our desired return date 4/4/16 came and went. FC helpline could only say there was no availability. They suggested people ring and reserve a single seat in the hope a second will become available a few days later. We're flexible within the leave available but it needs to be that week so if the following week appeared on Monday it will need more leave than I have.

I hope (!) at some point over the next ten months there will be PE availability. But it is an odd situation to be in. My wife thinks the best idea would be to stay there and not come back A single inbound is fully flexible and costs the same as we normally pay return, in fact more expensive once you account for the tax on our reward flight and the pointless loss of points. FC said a Combi-fare was one option but they could not do it now I had booked the single. That said if we had to wait for the return leg to become available the outbound reward would have gone anyway.

I have some choices, a couple of which will need doing if reward seats get released, but others are if we get close to flight time and that's not happened.

(1) Wait and hope there is availability. I can see there are two seats in PE for some days over the next few months but they are coming in to winter now so maybe there's the reason they are unclaimed.

(2) If reward economy seats become available book them and hope to upgrade (don't fancy this should we fail to upgrade and end up in economy).

(3) Adding money now to our miles to get to the UC inbound level and should they come up, grab them instead (my wife would need £200 to do so).

(4) Buying a return PE from JNB>LHR to get home and put the return LHR>JNB far enough off and change it as necessary for 2017, hope to get a reward back.

(5) If two PE's appear (for dates that are too late for leave) book them and hope to change to our dates before flying.

(6) If we get close to the date, cancel the reward and just buy as we have done before.

Sorry for all the questions, we have been travelling VA for many years to amass the 75k points but failed dismally to use them. Just when we thought it was our turn this year, we appear scuppered!

I am wondering if the demand has grown now as LHR to Cape Town direct is ending so they are selling more LHR to Jo'burg?

am not an expert on these things - others on the forum are - but we , quite easily got UC reward seats this Jan to Cape Town and now fear that returning to SA using Jo'burg as the destination airport may mean less opportunity in Spring/Summer seasons there?

am also hoping that my post will spur on other responses for you in the meantime

Thanks for the reply - I have continued to check a few times a day and the same pattern, one upper and three economy become available and gradually go. There was one day with at least two PE seats but no use as it goes beyond a month of leave. I can check for most months and find PE availability between now and then, just not early April.

I shall just keep checking and hopefully it will work itself out!

I have been following this route for the last few months as I'm going in December. Not sure if it has changed recently but the pattern I was finding as you mentioned was one UC and Some EC opening up on day 1 and then the next morning one or two PEs would open for that flight.

Problem is not only the cancellation of the Cape Town flights but also the change to the 787-9 has reduced reward availability. So far I have one UC and a PE booked and I am keeping my fingers crossed for another UC to open up closer to the time!

As many V-Flyers will testify, reward seats can and do appear at any time and beyond the initial release when the flight opens there's no discernible pattern so you just have to keep checking.

Your return date is smack in the middle of the English school holidays which may explain why availability is poor - if VS think they can sell out PE for cash they'll release fewer reward seats.

But keep trying - it's a long way off yet and reward seats often open up in the last 24-48 hours. If there are still unsold PE seats on the day you may even be able to upgrade with miles at check in.

So if reward seats are available in economy I'd grab them. At least then you're definitely booked on a flight home, and it's easy to upgrade to PE or UC should reward seats become available, changing the date if necessary (for a modest fee).

Thanks for all your advice, very welcome! With better planning I should have looked at these dates this year, I can see why they would hold reward back if the are likely to sell. We thought it would be a less popular time because of the impending winter. I noticed when I booked seats on the outbound it is a 787 and seemed to have less PE.

Outbound was easily booked - comically in fact, since we booked separately from different locations and both bookings failed. Following this there was no availability shown but after 15 mins we booked, I suppose when our failed bookings timed out. I will keep an eye on the availability and should any economy come up will grab.

As we have the outbound and not the return, I don't think we can go out there banking on some availability coming up the day before the return flight. We might have to emigrate!! There are still economy seats available the following week, I think a contingency booking of one of those would be sensible

Just as a heads up a load more availability, Mainly PE, has opened up overnight for this route on quite a lot of dates.

Just as a heads up a load more availability, Mainly PE, has opened up overnight for this route on quite a lot of dates.

Thanks for the heads up. A lot of dates have both Economy and Premium Economy outbound for the Easter period, but little inbound Premium Economy.

Much obliged for the heads-up! Found 13Apr would let me book 4 seats so enough for both of us but ultimately I succeeded and the wife looks like she's staying since it said no availability Phoned contact line who said all had gone but they have reserved economy until friday which we will take up if no more appear. Big relief!! Thanks for everyones advice!

Update ... half an hour ago (I'm night shifts) a PE appeared! FC would not deal with me to book it (argh!) so I had to wake the wife. She called them and upgraded the prior booked reward economy up to reward PE! Success and we're in PE for both legs of the journey.

The (previous) week we had intended to travel has never been released that I could see. Having another week there is worth the extra few days leave anyway.

As has been said, frequent checking was the key. I left a tab up and occasionally flicked to it and refreshed the page. Being nights this week has helped too!

It came good in the end! At least we can now start to firm up hire car and accommodation. Thanks for all your help!

FC would not deal with me to book it (argh!) so I had to wake the wife. She called them and upgraded the prior booked reward economy up to reward PE! Success and we're in PE for both legs of the journey.

Good news . You might wish to become authorised to use each other's accounts ( easy to do) which would avoid this in the future .

DL

Really pleased for your happy ending ! Once again, perseverance paid off

It also pays to phone them as you can't always rely on the website to show full availability.

Great stuff, I noticed loads more availability has opened up on this route this morning. Still on a 787-9 for the time being!

for anyone that is interested a load of UC reward availability has opened up on this route, especially over Christmas/new year. Sadly not on the date I need yet but remaining hopeful

Some more has opened up on this route in the last 24 hours, including the original week we had planned to return (the first week in April, school holidays). Now we've booked for the additional week though it seems a shame not to enjoy it there so we're sticking to the longer stay as booked