Does anyone know if Qantas is restricting Classic Award seats for the new J product?

Does anyone know if Qantas is restricting Classic Award seats for the new J product? I'm a Bronze FF and can't seem to find any J award seats on A330 flights (even just as flights are released for booking). The booking engine will happily reroute me through a different port to shunt onto a 747 or CX flight.

I think the correct terminology is "Qantas revenue management is limiting availability of redemption inventory in anticipation of high demand for revenue bookings"

Give it a while, by that I mean 2 years for the fanfare around these new seats to die down before you will see redemption availablity trends reverting to prior periods.

This.

I never seem to be able to get an award flight these days on QF metal. My last 3 j awards ( albeit for 4 pax together) this year have been on qatar, emirates and cathay!  Nice one qantas

I suspect any J availability on Qantas after revenue bookings are taken into consideration, are kept aside for QFF points upgrade/Platinum op-ups. It makes more business sense for them to:

a) Reduce their FFP liability, while still making revenue. With vanilla redemptions the revenue stream is limited to fuel surcharges).

b) Keep the golden geese (QFF Plat/P1) in their programme happy by ensuring a higher consistency of upgrade success, be it points or op-up - you don't want to upset those people who bend over backwards and pay a premium to fly QF or QF codes.

c) Given the limited competition (duopoly) chances are any man and his dog has QFF points - and if they persevere, will have enough (after perhaps a decade) for an international J redemption. These people essentially are being taken for mugs by the QFF programme and do not really require to be taken care off.

I agree with TRB above; same thing happened with Singapore when they first released their Suites Class. It's now available for redemption using Krisflyer miles under the saver category.

I have had a business case idea that QANTAS could adopt, but doubtful they ever would (and again this is an arm chair CEO).

Set an annual index price for Points (e.g.1pt = 4.5cents) and then allow people to book ASA or CA with a set cash value equivalent to points, in-line with fare adjustments. Obviously, ASA attract more pts but allow earning of SC and Pts, where as a CA don't. Allow Upgrades on pts as ASA or CA aswell, to make them appealing.

Allow the Pts/$ to fluctuate every year on market on either a set date, or do it on direct market conditions and reflect it for indivdual accounts. e.g.: My QFF anniversary is Nov, my index price is adjusted to market on that date and locked for my membership year.

This would allow QFF to continue to be a marketable venture, and QANTAS could still retain loyalty as QFF have a locked in redemptin rate for their pts each year.

I booked an A330 (double checked with paid booking) transcontinental flight for Oct this year hoping I could snatch the new J seat. QF then downgraded the aircraft to 737-800. So even if you can get one now means nothing.