[TanyaB]

Will be brief as typed long question before and it got deleted cos I quoted a website address (oops!).

Am looking for a fare under $7,000 that gets me on favoured route - Melb-Singapore-CDG or LHR - Hong Kong - MEL. Will consdier other fares that get me home through major Asian shopping hub.

On Air France website I found the above route - flying Business with Qantas to Singapore, Air France Business to CDG and then AF Business back to Hong Kong, and home to Melb on Qantas economy. Fare was $6,700. Sounds OK to me?? (As long as the AF business are the new seats). What do you FF's think?

Have seen quite a few mixed class fares on bestflights and am thinking this may be the way to go. Otherwise Qantas does my preferred route in PE for about $5,500. Do Travel Agents offer mixed class/airline fares? With thanks.

[Anna]

The cost seems about right but if earning FF points and status credits is important to you then you should check out what you would get on Air France before purchasing. Air France is not a Oneworld member.

Are you sure the fare is QF business from Australia to Singapore and not economy?

Finnair and SAS both do combination economy/business fares to Europe that you could check out for a comparison. There are probably others.

I recently paid the QF Y+ fare on this route and scored free upgrades to business both ways so that turned out to be a great investment. QF does not have Y+ on all planes and with the recent mechanical problems, if a Y+ plane is out of action they seem to be upgrading the Y+ passengers.

[Travel Guru]

I think you'll find the AU-SIN on QF is in Y for AF J fares.

Not one world, but id look at the LH fare with TG, very good value.

TG

[TanyaB]

OK - am trying to copy and paste fare from air france on to this forum but I got booted off. I'll try just to c & p the bit that is in question....AF80913:30 PMMelbourne, Tullamarine (MEL) - Australia9:05 PMSingapore, Changi (SIN) - Singapore22h50mn direct flight,
B 747l'Espace Affaires
D
Flight operated by Qantas Airways

Isn't D Business??

[v8Statesman]

Originally Posted by TanyaB

OK - am trying to copy and paste fare from air france on to this forum but I got booted off. I'll try just to c & p the bit that is in question....AF80913:30 PMMelbourne, Tullamarine (MEL) - Australia9:05 PMSingapore, Changi (SIN) - Singapore22h50mn direct flight,
B 747l'Espace Affaires
D
Flight operated by Qantas Airways

Isn't D Business??

Possibly, what sirte are you getting this from? (Message me)

[maninblack]

I think you will find that the MEL-SIN-MEL legs are meant to be in economy on these mixed fares and sometimes the Air France website sells MEL-SIN as "D Economy", on some flights, which makes no sense. Z is their discounted business class SIN-CDG. Aircraft is 777-300er angled flat sleeper seat in biz. I would ring a TA or Air France on the phone to check the fares. Still the $5500 mixed fare is a reasonable deal.

[TanyaB]

Hey guys - just tried to do same dummy booking (which was in May 2009)as per my quote above and suddenly the prices have changed and now same thing is up to $7,500 ish. Can this sort of deal change overnight? A fare that was bookable yesterday for May 2009 is now not available? Or could this be an issue with the Air France website? It's all a bit perplexing!

[v8Statesman]

Originally Posted by TanyaB

Hey guys - just tried to do same dummy booking (which was in May 2009)as per my quote above and suddenly the prices have changed and now same thing is up to $7,500 ish. Can this sort of deal change overnight? A fare that was bookable yesterday for May 2009 is now not available? Or could this be an issue with the Air France website? It's all a bit perplexing!

Tanya provided me some details in a PM. I have been able to replicate her booking. for AUD 6,712.47. I Got MEL-SIN in QF D, SIN-CDG in AF Z, CDG-SIN in AF Z and SIN-MEL in QF H.

They way I read it is 3 of the 4 sectors are in Business and the final leg SIN-MEL in Economy.

[TanyaB]

Me again guys - and many thanks V8 for confirming my "messing about"! I have just used a couple of different dates - late May until early June this time - and got the $6,700 fare back again as per my original post.

I can see the "Economy D" on another day that someone mentioned earlier but the one I see now is flight AF8091 operated by Qantas out of Melbourne to Singapore in "l'Espace Affaires D" on Wed May 20.

Can we agree that this is a Qantas Business seat? And if you FF's think it's dodgy...how does one go booking this flight? Will it suddenly become economy on the day? If I were to book now and pay on line with credit card, does the booking actually exist as Qantas Business Class to Singapore if I have it on a confirmed itinerary from Air France?? Maybe this is asking you to check out your crystal balls...or are changes to a class after booking and payment likely when it's a discounted D fare? With thanks!

[v8Statesman]

Originally Posted by TanyaB

Can we agree that this is a Qantas Business seat?

I am afraid it is fence sitting time. The web page is showing what apears to be a J seat on QF, however the farerules clearly state that this fare should be booked in H class