How to book a Classic Reward over a few months

[tomasp]

Hi All,

I was hoping to get your collective knowledge on how best to book a Qantas Classic Rewards business class fare to USA, Asia and return, for mid May/June 2023. We would like to go for about 4-5 weeks, but I know reward seats (especially on some of the USA routes) fill up pretty darn quick. So waiting for the return flights to open to then book the entire trip in 1 hit may not be possible as the flights earlier in the trip may be snapped up by the time the return flights open up?

So quick question is how does it work making a booking for outbound flights and then adding more and more segments to the booking as they become available? Will it still only cost up to the maximum of ~318k for the classic rewards fare, or because I split it up it will go past this upper cap on point costs? I'm just eager to book us this trip as a classic business rewards fare and not miss the boat (as it's our belated due to COVID honeymoon).

Thanks

 

[DC3]

… how does it work making a booking for outbound flights and then adding more and more segments to the booking as they become available? Will it still only cost up to the maximum of ~318k …

Book the flights in what ever order you wish. I take them as they become available, and try to be flexible with routing and dates.

It will max out at 318,000 points so long as you stay within the rules.

This has been discussed in the appropriate thread, by the way.

See here: "oneworld" award (132.4K/249.6K/318K/455K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Edited

 

[tomasp]

Book the flights in what ever order you wish. I take them as they become available, and try to be flexible with routing and dates.

So say I book a Syd>JFK flight now (one way) which is approx 200k points, I can then add a JFK>SFO later at no additional cost? and SFO>Asia later and then only be charged the max 318k for the total trip?

Or then each time I add a leg, is there an additional fee payable? And will each fare be treated individually in points for that leg, or will the whole thing be considered under the max 318k cap for a RTW Classic Oneworld Rewards?

 

[cjd600]

So say I book a Syd>JFK flight now (one way) which is approx 200k points, I can then add a JFK>SFO later at no additional cost? and SFO>Asia later and then only be charged the max 318k for the total trip?

Or then each time I add a leg, is there an additional fee payable? And will each fare be treated individually in points for that leg, or will the whole thing be considered under the max 318k cap for a RTW Classic Oneworld Rewards?

Each leg will require the extra points to be paid (and $ surcharges). Until the points cap at 318k, if all requirements of the award have been satisfied (2 x non-QF airlines etc). Adding more flights after that will only result in the $$, not the extra points,
There's a really big thread on this award.

Post automatically merged: May 19, 2022

OneWorld Award

 

[DC3]

So say I book a Syd>JFK flight now (one way) which is approx 200k points, I can then add a JFK>SFO later at no additional cost? and SFO>Asia later and then only be charged the max 318k for the total trip?

Or then each time I add a leg, is there an additional fee payable? And will each fare be treated individually in points for that leg, or will the whole thing be considered under the max 318k cap for a RTW Classic Oneworld Rewards?

Time spent on research will pay dividends. Would you have spent much time researching the thread that’s linked in Post 2? You are best trying to get your head around the rules, etc, for the OWA, first. It took me months, by the way.

Just make the bookings in any order. If you change your mind, changes/cancellations are currently at no charge.

Edit: And try to book as soon as availability opens up, or someone else will snap up those seats.

 

[andye]

I read the original post as asking about the practicality of adding a segment when you have already booked initial ones

i.e Say I book SYD-DOH-IST as its available then later I want to add on IST-LHR then LHR-JFK when they are released

I always assumed this would require a call to QF and pay the 5000 points/passenger each time you added flights. Is that true....or is there an online way?

 

[tomasp]

This is

I read the original post as asking about the practicality of adding a segment when you have already booked initial ones

i.e Say I book SYD-DOH-IST as its available then later I want to add on IST-LHR then LHR-JFK when they are released

I always assumed this would require a call to QF and pay the 5000 points/passenger each time you added flights. Is that true....or is there an online way?

This is what I was getting at (maybe not described as well). Then also when you add IST-LHR later and LHR-JFK later will there be additional points over and above the maximum 318k cap (excluding any 5000 point change fees) or will it recognise it is becoming a OWA Classic Reward and limit it to the 318k points maximum charge (i.e. It won't be SYD-DOH-IST for 200k + IST-LHR say 100k + LHR-JFK another 100k for a fee of 400k)

 

[levelnine]

You have to call up each time to add new segments to a OWA and pay the change fee (currently being waived).

The booking will max out at the 318K cap if you meet all the OWA rules.

 

[DC3]

I always assumed this would require a call to QF and pay the 5000 points/passenger each time you added flights. Is that true....or is there an online way?

No, no, no. There is currently no fee for changes.

 

[DC3]

This is what I was getting at (maybe not described as well). Then also when you add IST-LHR later and LHR-JFK later will there be additional points over and above the maximum 318k cap (excluding any 5000 point change fees) or will it recognise it is becoming a OWA Classic Reward and limit it to the 318k points maximum charge (i.e. It won't be SYD-DOH-IST for 200k + IST-LHR say 100k + LHR-JFK another 100k for a fee of 400k)

The OWA will max out at 318,00 points, as long as it is within the rules.

Hang on. I’ve already mentioned this, above.

Edit: Also, I see that I’m not the only one who has provided this advice, above. This sort of information is already available in the main OWA thread, as per Post # 2.

 

[andye]

The OWA will max out at 318,00 points, as long as it is within the rules.

Hang on. I’ve already mentioned this, above.

Edit: Also, I see that I’m not the only one who has provided this advice, above. This sort of information is already available in the main OWA thread, as per Post # 2.

To be fair you have to get a looong way into that thread to confirm the change fee waiver...and @tomasp has a honeymoon to book

 

[DC3]

To be fair you have to get a looong way into that thread to confirm the change fee waiver...and @tomasp has a honeymoon to book

These such things, including honeymoons, should not always be rushed.

 

[jeza]

Main issue with adding flights to an existing OWA is that if they don't issue the ticket quick enough you risk losing the already booked flights. If you have status & can get through to Hobart it shouldn't be an issue but the other call centres can be a bit hit & miss, more miss with SA.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

One thing to consider also is what frequent flyer status you current hold with Qantas as that determines how far out you can book awards in advance. Also realize too that booking 6 months out is often sufficient to secure business class awards, particularly if you have flexibility on routing and destination. Lastly, it's a common misconception that all classic award availability is released 353 days in advance of travel. Classic award space can magically appear as airline's revenue management departments add/remove seats from classic awards (or those who booked a classic award cancel their flight). Hence, it's always prudent to be on the hunt for awards.

-RooFlyer88

 

[ChrisFlyer]

I've had great difficulty in getting phone agents to add segments into existing bookings lately, as they repeatedly say that the can't find availability. And this is just for something that should be simple: adding a Qantas-operated domestic flight into an existing reward ticket with an international segment. Even when the availability shows both on the Qantas website and on ExpertFlyer, agents keep saying there's "no availability" to make the change. I wonder whether this is just agents not knowing what to do, or whether there may be something else at play with Qantas tightening up these times where we should be able to add a flight for 'free' to an existing reward ticket. Anyone else had similar issues?

 

[DC3]

I've had great difficulty in getting phone agents to add segments into existing bookings lately, as they repeatedly say that the can't find availability …

Only with CapeTown, for me. At some point I ask them to read to me what they are looking for. Sometimes it turns out to be the wrong date. When one started yawning I gave up and let her go back to sleep.

 

[tomasp]

thanks for the help and advice guys. Seems there are a bit more things to consider to get this over the line. I'm also considering using the Award Flight Assist service AFF offer, but for the two of us, it'll cost around $500 which isn't all that cheap.

Also to answer a previous question, I don't have any status with Qantas (bronze) but I do have status with Qatar (Gold) ... Don't think that'll help in this instance though - wish it did.

 

[levelnine]

I don't have any status with Qantas (bronze) but I do have status with Qatar (Gold) ... Don't think that'll help in this instance though - wish it did.

Your Qatar status won't help with booking. In that case, you should read the last 50-100 pages of the thread linked in previous posts. There are a lot of potential traps with booking a OWA, particularly as a Bronze where you have basically no chance of getting a competent call centre agent when you come to add additional segments to the ticket. The most prominent is that you'll lose your bookings on many airlines if they are not ticketed within 24-48 hours, and most incompetent call centre agents don't know how to do that. Plenty of information about it in the other thread.

 

[tomasp]

and seems that just points me more and more toward the AFF service ...

 

[DC3]

and seems that just points me more and more toward the AFF service ...

But Cape Town is waiting for your call.