Booking MH award seats with QF Has anybody been able to find availability and book award seats with QF points on MH?

Booking MH award seats with QF

Has anybody been able to find availability and book award seats with QF points on MH? It seems that routes are extremely limited and availability is next to nothing. I was trying to find availability on KUL-CDG but it seems that QF do not offer awards on MH to Europe. Probably because they want you to fly via DXB, however, as part of OW shouldn't I be able to book partner awards? Anybody any expereince? Should I call the helpdesk to "search" for availability?

Dear KG,

Am I right to understand that award booking availability is not subject to your frequent flyer programme so much as the availability of seats in X,U and P inventory?

I suggest you use Expertflyer to find the appropriate inventory on MH. Expertflyer however does not identify X,U or P inventory but instead shows I for Business and A for First, which are the "upgrade" inventory for MH. I find that these inventories are interchangeable i.e. I to U - I could be wrong but whenever I find I inventory available MH was able to confirm the availability of U inventory.

And that is the other thing you can do; call the MH call centre and ask them if there are any X,U and P inventory available for the dates you wish to travel. In my experience the MH agents are very helpful especially if you're OW Emerald, which I assume you are.

Also I suggest you do your search (on Expertflyer and through the call centre) for separate sectors i.e. SYD/KUL and KUL/CDG, if you're flying from SYD. Your inability to secure award bookings could be due to the fact that only one sector is available in the inventory you require.

Hope this helps!

Thanks TRB. I do use Expertflyer and F availability normally shows as O and C availability as I. I am in this case actually wanting to find a classic award from SYD-DXB in Dec. On EK (logged in to Skywards) I can get the 6am in Y, trying to find C class availabilty however.QF does not show the seat that EK displays (understand that).

I thought I might be able to route via SIN, KUL or BKK. Looking at KUL I did not see a single space on MH in any class, in fact, i doubt QF shows the availability online.

I was more interested in hearing from QF FF who have been succesful in using their QF points to book MH awards. As said, on the QF website no availabilty is displayed for MH. I have no experience with calling QF and asking for availability that does not show online, so was curious to hear if readers on AUSBT have had expereince with this.

small clarification: I did look at multi segments, e.g. SYD-KUL, SYD-SIN, KUL-DXB etc etc. And now instead of going KUL-CDG trying to route to DXB and onwards. I have QF and EK points to use.

No worries KG.

Classic awards are vanilla redemptions in X for Economy, U for Business and P for First, as far as I'm aware.

Honestly give MH a ring and ask if they have availability for KUL/CDG then call QFF and make the booking. MH are the ones who release their inventory and would be the best people to ask if it's available.

Only two months out, I think you would struggle to find almost any award availability in December

You'd be surprised (so was I) there is some decent space out there (on CX and BA). But agreed, December is a tough month for award travel.

KG, if it helps, I have logged onto MH Enrich as a member. There is availability for at least one pax every day from 30 November through 31 December on their  MH20, the KUL-CDG, in business class for 46,750 Enrich points.

QF should let you access this inventory for redemption as a OneWorld partner redemption (?).

Only a suggestion, if all else fails, if you have the odd 46,750 Amex MR points lying around you could transfer the 46,750 to Enrich and secure the KUL-CDG that way (?).

Let me know if you'd like me to look up any other availability on the MH system directly.

FYI: Just signed up for an Enrich account and indeed, award availability in abundance. Now for the tricky part to see if I can get QF to book it....

...and QF call centre should be able to locate and arrange such a partner redemption. I just haven't tried it myself.

Thanks PLATY, I'll sign up as an enrich member to check availability myself. After I found my flights I'll spoonfeed them to QF in the hope they are able to book the award. This is how I nromally do it to book Star Alliance awards and works well (check space on ANA award tool and call US Airways to book my award), QF website is a bit crap in showing award availability.

KG, do let us know how you get on!

KG - hoping to emulate your proposed trip back in 2013, so hope things have not changed much since then.  We have sufficient points to get us Perth/London return.  What help did you get from both MH and Qantas please?