DONE4 Booking on QFF Points Possible?

[ozscot]

Hi Guys,

I've been lurking and enjoying the site for a while but had the time to register this morning. My name's Steve and I'm based in Melbourne with my wife and 3 kids. I run an IT based business and on average do 3 DONE4 trips each year to see our partners in North America, Europe and Asia.

After much haggling about the places I'm visiting which the family don't get to, I'm looking at bringing them along with me on a trip I'm just planning now for the later part of the year. I figure as I usually stay in Embassy Suites or other serviced apartments anyway, I'm not going to get hit too much for extra accommodation costs so may not be too hard on the pocket.

I've got more QFF points than I know what to do with and was wondering if it's possible to purchase a DONE4 ticket for the wife using points? I've seen a number of 180k points mentioned but I don't know if that's current?

I'm then thinking of getting two LONE4 tickets for the older kids either paid or on points if possible. (Youngest is a babe in arms) This would put mum and dad upstairs and the kids down the back somewhere! Has anyone tried that arrangement with any success? Do the airlines mind the kids booking into a different cabin on their own?

Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Dave Noble]

If the kids are old enough to be able to be on their own, then I can't see that being an issue at all

There is no DONE4 FF award. The QF scheme does allow ATW type trips but they have more restrictions than a DONE4; a key issue will be finding availability when you want to go; do note that if using QF points, when travelling domestically in the US, the DONE4 will provide for travel in 1st class on 2 class services , whilst the QF award will only provide economy travel

Dave

 

[moa999]

For points see
Frequent Flyer - Using Points - Award Flights - Points Tables

The 35k mile award is the most likely one to match with a ONE at 282,500 points a pop for business and 142,500 for economy
Must include two oneworld airlines apart from Qantas (fairly easy)

Other notes from the T&C's below
- main restriction is the five stopovers point
Also surface segments count, and as Dave mentioned the biz class awards book into coach on AA 2-class, whereas a DONE books into first

Hardest part for business class however is going to be getting seats on the Kangaroo and Pacific legs at the moment. If you are QF Plat, QF may try and get yield management to open some up. The economy seats for the kids should be slightly easier.

Also consider some slightly different routings. eg via AKL or NRT on Pacific legs, via HKG on Kanagaroo legs where you get the additional capacity on CX and JL, although I understand CX recently has also been hard to get seats on

Re the kids. With mum and dad up the front it is at least better for the airline than them being totally unacompanied.

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.

 

[Reggie]

Regarding the children, if they are not old enough to travel alone, then they fly as unaccompanied minors. My boss flew around the world in J, and his daughter flew to LHR on sma eflight in Y. He wanted to fly Y, but the company would not let him. So basically he had to drop his daughter off with QF, and they let him see her during the flight, and then handed her over to him at the gate.

Hope this helps, but bear in ming it was QF, so dont know how the other OQ carriers do it.

 

[Dave Noble]

Also be aware if travelling on AA that for AA the min age at which they can travel without an escort is 15 rather than 12 on QF . Also, if booking in as an Unaccompanied Minor AA has restrictions plus charges $75 a go ... see "+titleText+"

Dave

 

[ozscot]

Thanks for the replies.

I think I'll need to book my wife and the kids together in Y on a 5 stop itinerary which intersects mine at the more interesting places. This will let me book them all on points subject to availability and avoid hassles as the kids are technically too young to travel unaccompanied.

Where we happen to be on the same flight I'm going to have to swap with my wife and let her have the more comfy seat up front. I know this will be at the discretion of the crew -
I wonder if they'll object as she'd need to take the baby on her lap though?

Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Dave Noble]

Where we happen to be on the same flight I'm going to have to swap with my wife and let her have the more comfy seat up front. I know this will be at the discretion of the crew -
I wonder if they'll object as she'd need to take the baby on her lap though?
.

If you just wanted to swap with your wife, I would think that your chance would be pretty decent, but with it involving the baby move, I think that the odds would be against it

Dave