Award booking and which way RTW?

[Postcode]

I'm trying to put together an award booking in J using the QF website to travel via Asia, Europe and North America.

I've tried booking westward and eastward itineraries and was wondering what experiences those who have gone both ways prefer and why. I am thinking jetlag which knocks me around, time spent, not wasting time and so on. In the past I've done a few RTW journeys and have always gone westwards.

Tips on using the QF award booking engine? Flights suddenly appear and then disappear then others appear out of nowhere. I'm only planning on five stops then travel at my own expense onward to the next award booking. Points needed on different attempts vary from 280 000 to over 500 000 points and taxes/fines vary widely as well. It is so frustrating.

Should I just call QF to book it for me?

 

[Jacques Vert]

Should I just call QF to book it for me?

Mrs JV & I booked an RTW earlier this year; my advice is to use the interactive OW map and get a pretty good idea of where and what you wish to do, then put your itinery on this site for ideas/feedback.

Once you have a good idea of your trip, book by ringing Qantas; you have better access to other OW carriers, etc. but if you decide to change you get charged 2,500 points each (due to increase soon), so you need to get it right the first or second time. (I wouldn't try to book it on-line unless it is a very simple itinery.)

I you are flexible (both route and timing) you should get something you can live with.

As for west v east, I try to go west as it tends to result in less overnight flights (but this is personal preference as some prefer to go overnight so they can sleep - I can't/don't sleep well on aircraft).

JV

 

[JohnK]

The Qantas award booking engine can be difficult to use at times but practice and understanding your itinerary help get around that restriction.

I have noticed that when I am checking itineraries I "lock" access to the seats on the flights I have chosen and sometimes these do not become available again for some length of time. Obviously there are limited seats available on most flights and these can easily be "locked" by other users playing around with intineraries.

I have booked 2 Oneworld awards in the last few years and I have not been able to book either online although I have been able to research the flights online. Call the service centre to do the booking and they have waived the 2,500 QFF point booking fee. Some agents want to charge the amount but I keep trying until I get someone whi will waive the fee. It is not my fault the booking engine is not able to complete my valid request.

In regards to which direction to travel personally I prefer to travel eastward as it would appear that I am not affected by "jetlag" at the beginning of the trip, I prefer to travel during the night which saves on accommodation costs and not waste too much daylight hours travelling and it is handy to have the extra day crossing the dateline at the beginning of the trip and lose a little bit with each flight on the way back home.

 

[Postcode]

To both of the above a big thanks. It's what this forum is all about.

The Qantas award booking engine can be difficult to use at times but practice and understanding your itinerary help get around that restriction.

I have noticed that when I am checking itineraries I "lock" access to the seats on the flights I have chosen and sometimes these do not become available again for some length of time. Obviously there are limited seats available on most flights and these can easily be "locked" by other users playing around with intineraries.

Excellent advice. I had been playing with the QF site for days getting nowhere with flights appearing then going AWOL or wanting to charge insane amounts in points. Business class availability resulted in Y class seats offered. It often even said connection was lost during the booking process and dropped out.

QF assisted bookings now cost 3,500 points per passenger per booking and I think I saw something like $60!!!

I got up early this morning with my dates for travel in hand and was amazed that all requested flights came in as hoped for 280 000 points.

I booked, received an email to say ticket would be emailed after filling out personal details for those in the LOTFAP which I did. Nothing happened so I phoned QF late this afternoon and got a very helpful guy who fixed things up and even allocated good seats for me. Good to deal with someone at QF like that. Makes a bit of a change.

Am going eastwards. Still not sure if that's the way to go but most arrivals/departures are OK. A travel day here and there are actually a respite at times.

Booking as many AA flights as I could brought the tax/charges payable right down.

Anyway RTW here I come.

 

[straitman]

Postcode,

Would you like to post details of the trip at some point :?:

 

[Postcode]

Postcode,

Would you like to post details of the trip at some point :?:

No worries. As it is - BNE-LAX-MIA-LHR-NCE / CDG-HKG-MNL-BNE

U class booking all the way.

 

[straitman]

No worries. As it is - BNE-LAX-MIA-LHR-NCE / CDG-HKG-MNL-BNE

U class booking all the way.

It's good that you managed to avoid the 2 class a/c across the US so you have avoided the dreaded coach class.

 

[Postcode]

It's good that you managed to avoid the 2 class a/c across the US so you have avoided the dreaded coach class.

For sure. The main thing that swayed me going eastwards instead of westwards was that the only offering out of LAX to BNE was on FJ. That and avoiding BA across the Atlantic with their high fees.

 

[Jacques Vert]

I got up early this morning with my dates for travel in hand and was amazed that all requested flights came in as hoped for 280 000 points.

I booked, received an email to say ticket would be emailed after filling out personal details for those in the LOTFAP which I did. Nothing happened so I phoned QF late this afternoon and got a very helpful guy who fixed things up and even allocated good seats for me. Good to deal with someone at QF like that. Makes a bit of a change.

Anyway RTW here I come.

Be sure to print out the e-ticket and take that with you (rather than the e-mailed itinerary). You may not be allowed on the plane without the actual e-ticket as it is the document that has the ticket number, etc. on it.

The itinerary (which looks quite similar) may not be accepted.

Now sit back, enjoy the cabin service and we hope you enjoy your flight....

 

[Postcode]

When I phoned QF, as I said above I managed to talk to a very helpful guy. He was able to allocate good seats, even on CX which in my experience only allocate seats six months in advance.

I was impressed. If only I had dealt with more people like that over recent years I wouldn't be burning points before I move on to another airline loyalty scheme.

He was unable to get into the BA site to obtain seat allocation. But he managed to email my e-ticket within minutes.

I tried using my booking number to get a decent seat on BA and to allocate a seat cost something like AUD 35. PFFT!

I filled in my passenger identification for security on BA and went back to seat selection and was able to get my preferred seat and costing nothing. I presume because of OW status.

 

[howiesue]

G'day! I recently did a RTW in J with Qantas using FF points. Having done this a few times I have found that travelling East is better because you can finish up in say HK with the last sector back to Australia causing the minimum disruption to the body clock. I tried to do the booking on-line but because you cannot use Qantas only (have to use at least AA or BA) I called Qantas as I could not do the whole RTW thing in non-continuous sectors (eg, I took surface transportation from W to E Coast of USA). The FF desk booking girl was really helpful and as I took 3 months to do the whole trip she even called me back as sectors became available. This became necessary as I booked "Classic" and needed the maximum possible months booking leadtime to secure the seats. As the first booking (BNE to LAX) was 2 months before I could book other sectors on FF points, she locked each sector in as they became available and then added them to the itinerary. New CEO at Qantas since then (did it last year) so good luck.

 

[Boris spatsky]

I try to always travel Westerly on RTW - the days are longer and it is easier to stay up longer than go to bed really early.

If you travel Easterly, the days are shorter, and you constantly have to try to go to bed early which is very hard.

I find jet lag 50 times worse after an easterly trip!

 

[lmere12]

When I phoned QF, as I said above I managed to talk to a very helpful guy. He was able to allocate good seats, even on CX which in my experience only allocate seats six months in advance.

travelled on CX this year with QFF and allocated good seats, however when there is a flight time change I instantly lost those seats and had to call back to allocate again - and missed out on the good seats that I had originally. QFF said this was common with CX. I hope you enjoy CX business as much as I did

 

[Postcode]

I hope you enjoy CX business as much as I did

I have had the pleasure of J class on CX many times and I really enjoy it. I was lucky a week or so ago when a QF booked flight ex HKG was changed to CX metal and crew due to a QF shortage of aircraft due to the A380 probs. The flight was even on the newer A330 layout.

My RTW will have two CX sectors and based on past experiences should be enjoyable.

 

[gilly]

Postcode - just out of interest can I ask how far ahead you have booked this and approximately how long the itinerary runs for?
Cheers

 

[Postcode]

Postcode - just out of interest can I ask how far ahead you have booked this and approximately how long the itinerary runs for?
Cheers

Hi. I leave early June and return August. I have other travel commitments until then. And I'm so looking forward to it.

I think the key to getting desirable flights is as above, try booking when other people are not trying, to avoid flights being locked in by people trying to book award flights. Attempts at booking online just wore me down with the inconsistency of the site but then I was dealing with QF.

Good luck and let us know if you plan a trip and how you went about it.