Emirates Award Availability in Business and First Reduced?

[Spizz]

Hi,

I was having a search on different flights and couldn’t find any classic award flights out of ADL in either business or first on emirates to European destinations. Had a look out of Sydney and couldn’t find any either. Has there been a reduction in emirates awards as there used to be awards in business and First pretty much near daily.

 

[gazza48]

Hi,

I was having a search on different flights and couldn’t find any classic award flights out of ADL in either business or first on emirates to European destinations. Had a look out of Sydney and couldn’t find any either. Has there been a reduction in emirates awards as there used to be awards in business and First pretty much near daily.

I have been looking for my return seats ex Athens waiting for the actual date I wanted and it became available yesterday and that was on QR. Normally in the past I have booked J on EK as they normally had seats available in J and F. Now when I have been searching the only flights coming up on EK has been F but nothing out of or into Australia. I do know they release more closer to dates as that happened last year when I was overseas so I cancelled my original bkg and grabbed the EK ones which were more suitable out of a different port. I now start my journey out of and into SIN. EK points level is below QR but their taxes on premium classes are double!!

 

[Spizz]

I also looked at ATH and could find nothing from EK into and out of Australian in either F or J.

 

[tongaface]

I was tracking similar flights for about 2 months (with decent availability) and last week most of the EK and QR F & J vailability from Europe to Perth suddenly disappeared (travel period Sep/Oct 2020)

 

[Franky]

I was tracking similar flights for about 2 months (with decent availability) and last week most of the EK and QR F & J vailability from Europe to Perth suddenly disappeared (travel period Sep/Oct 2020)

School Holidays 26SEP-11OCT might be part of the reason...

 

[Spizz]

Franky I've looked over the most the year and it seems they have been removed.

 

[aikman]

Can anyone find any economy or business award seats on Emirates to anywhere or anytime? Only first class seats seem to be appearing.

 

[Infrequent]

Far from an expert, but I've noticed this happens periodically. Sometimes related to airlines reviewing/restructuring offerings to/from certain destinations. OTOH it may just be the middleman!

NB: I'm just a humble "bronzed Aussie" - so I can't comment on how the other half sees availability!

 

[gazza48]

Can anyone find any economy or business award seats on Emirates to anywhere or anytime? Only first class seats seem to be appearing.

I have been looking for a few months now and I agree that all I could find on EK was F on most routes I was looking at. But then again I was not looking out of Australia as no one seems to have them in premium cabins so I started my search ex SIN and back into SIN and still nothing with EK but plenty with QR who release their seats at least a month ahead of EK. EK points level in premium cabins are less than most airlines but their taxes are nearly double QR!

 

[RichardMEL]

I can see J and F seats on, for example, MEL-DXB next month... just as a data point.

 

[BriarFlyer]

<Can anyone find any economy or business award seats on Emirates to anywhere or anytime?>

This business availability includes Emirates:

 

[skylight]

I was trying to find EK J from Amsterdam to Singapore in March for 2 pax only F came up so I took them. Still worth the points for First Class A380 with Emirates.

 

[Danielb56]

Hi,

I was having a search on different flights and couldn’t find any classic award flights out of ADL in either business or first on emirates to European destinations. Had a look out of Sydney and couldn’t find any either. Has there been a reduction in emirates awards as there used to be awards in business and First pretty much near daily.

ant o travel

Hi,

I was having a search on different flights and couldn’t find any classic award flights out of ADL in either business or first on emirates to European destinations. Had a look out of Sydney and couldn’t find any either. Has there been a reduction in emirates awards as there used to be awards in business and First pretty much near daily.

It seems like we are all travelling to similar places and at same time. My wife and I have been looking for Sydney to Athens in leave late Aug/Early Sept 2020. Up to around Aug 20th you could get some Emirates flights in Business but then they stopped. First class appeared and then disappeared and appeared etc. I ended up looking at some many options out of Mel, Ade, Bne, Perth and very little. I think Qantas has changed the whole landscape on FF Reward Flights. I ended up getting Business on BA to Sing, then Qatar Business to Athens (via Doha) mid Sept which is a little later than we planned but ok. I now I have the same problem returning from Rome. My dates have not come up yet (late Oct) but no EK from Dubai to Syd. I keep testing the system for options each day to see what gives..Even with Qatar from Doha to Syd is blank.
The only "direct flight" home I get from Rome to Sydney is China Eastern via Shanghai...it is frustrating. But I think we are all having similar problems...just keep trying different options using the multi city link...it will come up with some stupid options as well...

 

[CaptJCool]

Since I used my points recently I can’t get beyond “you don’t have enough points”

But sharing what I garnered this year searching from April onwards before snagging mid Sept at very late notice.

Three issues
Status level appears to affect what & when you may see...
I travel solo so I’m not lookin for 2 seats
Repositioning. Both at origin and arrival points, one needs to consider ways and means with this. And to some degree accept some costs associated with repositioning from your home port to the origin point. I know this is a pain, (It is an issue for Perth or Adelaide based members who must spend more points to reposition more than say Melbourne or Sydney based who are charged the higher points anyway so repositioning for them is free). See info below about how you might get this repositioning flight for free.

The other biggie
There are 10 million members vying for very limited supply ex Australia

AFF wrote a couple of articles in mid-July about availability.

Qatar Airways First Class Award Availability

Finding First Class award availability to Europe can be difficult at the best of times.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

There was better availability ex Perth noting I suspect most QFF members live in Sydney and Melbourne

Save Hundreds on Emirates First Class Awards to Europe using the Auckland option, and you can use the multi-city to fly from say Sydney to Auckland transit in less than 24 hours and you spend no more points and still save cash. There aren’t as many Kiwis vying for rewards flights..

Example for 2 PAX today

 

[gazza48]

ant o travel

It seems like we are all travelling to similar places and at same time. My wife and I have been looking for Sydney to Athens in leave late Aug/Early Sept 2020. Up to around Aug 20th you could get some Emirates flights in Business but then they stopped. First class appeared and then disappeared and appeared etc. I ended up looking at some many options out of Mel, Ade, Bne, Perth and very little. I think Qantas has changed the whole landscape on FF Reward Flights. I ended up getting Business on BA to Sing, then Qatar Business to Athens (via Doha) mid Sept which is a little later than we planned but ok. I now I have the same problem returning from Rome. My dates have not come up yet (late Oct) but no EK from Dubai to Syd. I keep testing the system for options each day to see what gives..Even with Qatar from Doha to Syd is blank.
The only "direct flight" home I get from Rome to Sydney is China Eastern via Shanghai...it is frustrating. But I think we are all having similar problems...just keep trying different options using the multi city link...it will come up with some stupid options as well...

China Eastern and CX were the other airlines that came up in my search for flights ex SIN as ex Australia was hopeless. I decided to just find those seats later on if necessary and if not I would just buy a commercial tkt. QR was actually my airline of choice having flown EK and QR in premium cabins in the past. Unfortunately if you are a QF FF then they do not have access for flights out of DOH which is annoying. You can get flights if travel originates in another city in Europe and you go via DOH. Multi City is unreliable at times. I try sectors with the airline, i.e ROMDXB then DXBSIN or wherever to at least get a better idea if there is anything as the MultiCity will just at times spit your itinerary out and give you an error message! Again in the past I have just booked a flight and then when away kept checking and both times have had total success in getting the flight and departure city I wanted. I book that and refund the original tkt. You just need to have the points or you can of course try and wait on the phone and get QF to amend the original bkg but believe me having worked in Reservations, this can get totally stuffed up with trying to get the reissue done to the satisfaction of the partner airline and in time!!lol I have to wonder if EK is now operating like QF under Gold and above Status availability. Maybe things will be better when the other new airlines come online!

 

[TAK]

Can anyone find any economy or business award seats on Emirates to anywhere or anytime? Only first class seats seem to be appearing.

If only!

 

[Danielb56]

If only!

Nothing comes up...Whenever I type in Europe to Sydney as a multicity it comes up error...I can get bookings to Dubai but not from Dubai to Syd...same the other way around as well...

 

[JohnM]

Nothing comes up...Whenever I type in Europe to Sydney as a multicity it comes up error...I can get bookings to Dubai but not from Dubai to Syd...same the other way around as well...

Whenever an error comes up (frequently), just phone.

 

[Danielb56]

Whenever an error comes up (frequently), just phone.

Hi John M....I have been thinking of phoning but my dates of travel have not come up yet...Oct 20th (thereabouts)

 

[BriarFlyer]

I've not seen J availability into Sydney for yonks. Have you checked other cities? Brisbane seems to be the most reliable.