Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[kelpie]

Note that this is not exclusively a "Round The World" Award. While it can be so used, it can also be used for "Round Trips", "Circle" Trips or even "one-way trips" without actually going "Round The World".

Also note the following from the T&C review that comes up on Qantas.com if you have successfully selected flights and reach the Review "Check" page:

...
A oneworld® Reward contains:

• a Qantas flight and at least two other oneworld® carrier flights, or
• if there is no Qantas flight, two other oneworld® carrier flights.

...

Please keep that in mind in discussions.

---

If you're new to the Qantas Oneworld Classic Flight Reward (often referred to as the Qantas Oneworld Award), have a read of AFF's mega guide:

How to Fly Around the World with a Qantas Oneworld Classic Flight Reward [Mega Guide]

Book a Qantas Oneworld Classic Flight Reward to fly around the world with up to 5 stopovers from just 132,400 Qantas Frequent Flyer points!

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

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JL Z class has been re-purposed into an economy class now.

Here's the current list of classes in use for each QF partner in order of highest to lowest cabin:

QF P/U/Z/X
AA Z/U/X/T
BA Z/U/P/X
JL A/U/P/T
AS E/T
AT U/X
QR Z/U/X
CX Z/U/T/X
IB U/X
AY U/X
MH U/X
RJ U/X
S7 U/E
UL U/X
WS V
LA U/R/T
KL O/X
AF O/X
MU A/O/X
FJ U/X
NZ X
JQ U/X
LY X/P/E
EK Z/D/N

---

There's plenty of material on this site about the One World Explorer RTW fare, and many on this site who have used it.

But I've searched yet cannot find any info on the equivalent flight award that allows you to skip around the globe on points.

Qantas certainly don't have anything on their website.

But it does exist - a mate of mine has used slightly above the normal 128,000 pts that a return trip to JFK or Europe would involve, but has been able to do a RTW itinerary on One World airlines using points.

Can anyone help me out here?

 

[NM]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

The Qantas Award product they have named the Qantas OneWorld Award has nothing to do with the OneWorld Explorer product.

From the QF FF Terms and Conditions from their web site:

13.5 oneworld TM Award Booking Conditions

13.5.1 A oneworld Award is an Award Flight Itinerary that includes travel on at least two oneworld Alliance Airlines other than Qantas and does not include any travel on any airline that is not a oneworld Alliance Airline. Jetstar Airways is not a oneworld Alliance Airline.

13.5.2 Award Flights using the oneworld Award table must be no more than a distance of 56,315 kilometres (35,000 miles). Longer journeys must be broken into separate Itineraries.

13.5.3 A one way oneworld Award Itinerary will be charged as a return Itinerary. oneworld Award Itineraries finishing in a port other than the port of origin must include the distance to return directly to the port of origin when calculating the number of Points required to redeem the Flight Award and the maximum distance for the Itinerary.

13.5.4 The following Stopover conditions apply:
(a) up to five free Stopovers are permitted;
(b) additional Stopovers are not permitted;
(c) only one Stopover is permitted in any one city in the Itinerary; and
(d) only two Transfers may be taken at any one city in the Itinerary.

13.5.5 Surface Segments are permitted as part of oneworld Award Itineraries, but the distance between the disembarkation point and the next embarkation point will be included in the Award Point zone calculation for that Itinerary.

13.5.6 Where mixed-class travel is booked, the whole Itinerary will be calculated using the Points level for the highest class booked.

 

[kelpie]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Thanks NM.

I tried to read those terms and conditions but they gave me a headache. Is there a cap on the number of points required for the OneWorld award fare, eg. 140,000? Or does it depend totally on the number of miles you travel?

 

[serfty]

Frequent Flyer - Using Points - Award Flights - Points Tables

The oneWORLD award gives generally better value for points than most other means of burning them.

 

[straitman]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Thanks NM.

I tried to read those terms and conditions but they gave me a headache. Is there a cap on the number of points required for the OneWorld award fare, eg. 140,000? Or does it depend totally on the number of miles you travel?

I've been working out an ATW in 'J' for my wife and the conditions as spelt out by QF were:
1. 285000 points,
2. Must use 3 (or more) carriers,
3. Only allowed 5 stop overs,
4. Doesn't actually have to be ATW just a combination that fits the above conditions.

I hope that helps.

 

[kelpie]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

And from what I can tell, this fare is impossible to book over the net so you can automatically add the 2500 pt phone booking fee too.

 

[straitman]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

And from what I can tell, this fare is impossible to book over the net so you can automatically add the 2500 pt phone booking fee too.

Correct, it can't be booked over the net. Not sure if the 2500 is waived for higher status levels though I'm sure someone will tell us soon enough.

 

[NM]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

1. 285000 points,

That is for 19,201 to 35,000 total miles in the itinerary. Less points required for shorter awards.

2. Must use 3 (or more) carriers,

Can do it with only two OneWorld airlines if you want. The restriction is that you must use 2 carriers other than Qantas. So if Qantas is included, then its a minimum of 3 carriers. If no Qantas flights in the itinerary, then only two OneWorld carriers required.

 

[straitman]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

That is for 19,201 to 35,000 total miles in the itinerary. Less points required for shorter awards.

Can do it with only two OneWorld airlines if you want. The restriction is that you must use 2 carriers other than Qantas. So if Qantas is included, then its a minimum of 3 carriers. If no Qantas flights in the itinerary, then only two OneWorld carriers required.

Thanks NM.

 

[serfty]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

And from what I can tell, this fare is impossible to book over the net so you can automatically add the 2500 pt phone booking fee too.

As a matter of fact this is true; to the point that the table I linked to above actually includes the 2500 point penalty.

 

[madmat777]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

What is the availability like for an RTW on points? I'd like to take my family (6 of us) RTW in J next Christmas.

 

[serfty]

What is the availability like for an RTW on points? I'd like to take my family (6 of us) RTW in J next Christmas.

These use the same award fare buckets as any QFF award.

If you wish for 6 in J I suggest you (1) Book at the 350 day window & (2) even then be prepared to separate travel on flights.

 

[NM]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

What is the availability like for an RTW on points? I'd like to take my family (6 of us) RTW in J next Christmas.

Six business class award seats on the same flights are going to be very hard to find, especially for a ATW trip where you need lots of flights and connections etc.

But if you have Gold or Platinum FF status, getting 6 seats in economy will be much easier. I would not both with trying for business class and just accept that for 6 people its going to economy travel. If looking for 1 or 2 seats or possibly even 3, then business class would be worth chasing.

 

[chevalier]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Just like to add my two bits worth to the topic..

You can book the oneworld award on the net. I booked two J tickets from PER-DUB-LHR-HKG-PER for this Christmas on the net flying QF, BA & CX. I did have to book it at the beginning of the year when the seats were just released. Even then it was quite difficult to locate J seats.

I've also recently booked 4 economy oneworld awards for next year (July) from PER-HKG-DUB-LHR-CDG-JFK-PER on the net. Plenty of economy seats available then (two months ago) but very slim in J. You select the multi destination on the award flight window and as soon as you've got three different carriers or two (without QF) on a few of your different segments, the points adjust to 140k for economy or 280k for business. It'll also let you know if you go over the 5 maximum stopovers allowed.

Moral of the story is to book as early as possible for rtw award seats !!

Cheers

 

[kelpie]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

I gave the QFF site a dummy run this evening and you are spot on - 140,000 is the cap and it is possible if you are creative with your route and you book out far enough.

Thanks to those who have contributed to the thread.

 

[Skyring]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

I gave the QFF site a dummy run this evening and you are spot on - 140,000 is the cap and it is possible if you are creative with your route and you book out far enough.

I did one in June. Booked about a month out and got flights I was happy with. It took a bit of hunting down sectors, with several windows open, but I managed to join up all the dots.

Getting in and out of Australia is the tricky bit. My Cathay Pacific flight out of Melbourne was chockers to Honkers. I didn't get QF LAX-SYD, instead I went JFK to Narita (a delightful daylight flight the whole way with the bonus a birds eye view of midsummer Alaska) and then got the red-eye kangaroo home. The jumbo was about a third full, so as soon as the seatbelt sign came off, we all swapped around. I had a row to myself, but unfortunately it was a bulkhead row with fixed armrests. Even though I couldn't stretch out across the row, it was a pleasure having plenty of room for my gear, and unfettered access to the aisle.

Once you are out of Australia, there are generally lots of choices available, especially in Europe. Just be creative about routing. And times.

One highlight of the trip was the Frankfurt-London leg. I flew in a little Avro across the Channel, we came in along the Thames, turned over Buckingham Palace, and then flew low over the City to land at London City airport, a sweet little one-runway place where it is a short walk to the Docklands Light Railway into town.

Something to note about these long award flights. With a oneWorld Explorer, after you take the first flight, everything is flexible. But with an award flight, if you miss one departure, the rest of the itinerary is wiped.

 

[acampbel]

This one is going to meander a bit so try to keep up!

The bi-annual Blighty trip is a mere 14 months away and if I want to score a couple of award tickets I need to get organised soon. The previous 2 incarnations have involved a simple SYD-LHR return with a stopover in Singapore on the way back, and a slightly more complex SYD-GLA, LHR-HKG-SYD routing. In both cases me and the missus were on Award tix and the kids were paid for.

There were also side trips to France - the first to Paris using the chunnel from Waterloo to Gare du Nord, and the second was a Stansted to Perpignon return with Ryanair. Both were successful and good value, but we would like to milk things a bit more if possible.

So this time we are aiming for something a bit more complex and I am having trouble with trying to book it (well - a trial run at booking it) on the Qantas website. The last few attempts have actually crashed the booking engine so maybe its me. Anyway, here is what I would like to achieve :-

Flight 1 - Sydney to Glasgow, QF & BA, 64000 points, easy as.
Land 1 - Hire car around Scotland and take ferry to Orkneys
Flights 2 & 3 - Kirkwell (Orney Is.) to Sumburgh (Shetland Is.) return, Loganair, No idea of points or even if it is possible on an Award. About 170 squid in total if we have to pay.
Land 2 - Ferry back from Orneys and drive to Edinburgh
Flight 4 - Edinburgh to Toulouse, BA (via LHR), 12000 points
Flight 5 - Toulouse to LHR, BA, 8000 points
Flight 6 - LHR to HKG, CX or QF (see note below), 42000 pts
Flight 7 - HKG to SYD, QF, 30000 pts

Forgetting the Loganair bit for now (as I am very dubious) this is 156000 points, but from my reading of things if I use CX it turns into a Oneworld Award and will be 142,500 points (if I have the mileage right). The strange thing was that when I simulated something similar by picking Finnair for the LHR-HKG leg the points came out as 140000.

Also it is all very well to book 2 awards in this fashion, but what will it do to the kids airfares? We have been paying around $2K for them previously, but will they need to now purchase a Global Explorer (or similar) for $3K? The QF/BA fares used to often include a free side-trip to Europe but would the open jaw of Scotand/France/England comply?


AS I side note I find it very hard to track down the various rules for award and fare types, so what chance does an uneducated user have? (Hang on - I may have just outed myself!).



Any opinions gratefully recieved.


Andrew

 

[serfty]

Firstly, when booked online, a Qantas FF oneworld award booking of this distance is 14KQFF points +++ pp for WHY. If you book it over the 'phone an additional 2½K pp is payable.

Here's the rules for award flights: Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Terms & Conditions

Specifically the following applies for oneworld awards:

13.5 oneworld TM Award Booking Conditions

13.5.1 A oneworld Award is an Award Flight Itinerary that includes travel on at least two oneworld Alliance Airlines other than Qantas and does not include any travel on any airline that is not a oneworld Alliance Airline. Jetstar Airways is not a member of the oneworld alliance.

13.5.2 Award Flights using the oneworld Award table must be no more than a distance of 56,315 kilometres (35,000 miles). Longer journeys must be broken into separate Itineraries.

13.5.3 A one way oneworld Award Itinerary will be charged as a return Itinerary. oneworld Award Itineraries finishing in a port other than the port of origin must include the distance to return directly to the port of origin when calculating the number of Points required to redeem the Flight Award and the maximum distance for the Itinerary.

13.5.4 The following Stopover conditions apply:
(a) up to five free Stopovers are permitted;
(b) additional Stopovers are not permitted;
(c) only one Stopover is permitted in any one city in the Itinerary; and
(d) only two Transfers may be taken at any one city in the Itinerary.

13.5.5 Surface Segments are permitted as part of oneworld Award Itineraries, but the distance between the disembarkation point and the next embarkation point will be included in the Award Point zone calculation for that Itinerary.

13.5.6 Where mixed-class travel is booked, the whole Itinerary will be calculated using the Points level for the highest class booked.

 

[GCS]

Re: Oneworld award planning

The strange thing was that when I simulated something similar by picking Finnair for the LHR-HKG leg the points came out as 140000.

The 2500 points differential is the assisted booking fee if you use a consultant. You should be able to do it for 140,000 online.

 

[serfty]

JohnK reported similar issues using the online booking engine for a complex itinerary.

He too was able to crash the system.

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/qantas-frequent-flyer/award-booking-issues-9426.html?