Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[ellen10]

Would hopping back to Sydney via Perth or Adelaide work? My QR flight on an A380 is scheduled to arrive in Perth at 1825hrs & you may be able to pick up a QF A330 back to Sydney the following day ex Perth.

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Hmmm, now thats a thought coming back to Aus via Perth or Adelaide. Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[ellen10]

I prefer to regard it as a challenge, rather than stressful.
I should have added I had to search BNE-HKG-LHR as separate legs via the multi city tool as there was nothing showing in J for BNE-LHR.
Intra Europe travel seems to have good availability on BA and IB - I'm expecting we will have to do at least 1 IB flight to meet the requirement for 2 non QF carriers - assuming it will be some combination of BA and QF for the return to Aus. Mrs Aus ATC is not so keen on "adventurous routings" so I generally have to keep things simple......

I did look at SYD-HKG-LHR as separate legs but it never gave me a QF option, only Cathay.

I will have to sit on my booking until late October before I book the other legs and return trip to Aus, so that I will only have to pay one lot of points to add the flights. But I keep looking to see what pops up to get an indication on my best routing.

 

[melbkate]

Hello

I was under the belief you had to have at least one international sector on QF for OWR conditions. Am I wrong? Hope so.

 

[Aus ATC]

Hello

I was under the belief you had to have at least one international sector on QF for OWR conditions. Am I wrong? Hope so.

No requirement for any QF flight segments. Just need at least 2 non QF carriers. We did one a couple of years ago flying only Cathay and Iberia.

 

[cjd600]

Hello

I was under the belief you had to have at least one international sector on QF for OWR conditions. Am I wrong? Hope so.

Wrong. Only need minimum 2 Oneworld Airlines other than Qantas - don’t even need Qantas in the award at all.

 

[melbkate]

No requirement for any QF flight segments. Just need at least 2 non QF carriers. We did one a couple of years ago flying only Cathay and Iberia.

oh wow thank you can't believe I got it wrong! Already made 2 J trips thinking this. Duh!

 

[k_sheep]

Am looking at starting one of these out of Japan next year; is there still less in taxes from there (compared to ex-Australia) or is it worth jumping to HKG or MNL?

 

[jetpack]

Is anyone able to get MH award flights from KUL to Australia to show up as single individual flights on the QF website? I can only get some of them to show up if linked to a connecting QF domestic flight.

 

[exceladdict]

Am looking at starting one of these out of Japan next year; is there still less in taxes from there (compared to ex-Australia) or is it worth jumping to HKG or MNL?

I have not compared pricing ex-Japan recently, but based on comparisons to many other ports in Asia I think you will save hundreds by departing MNL.

 

[Aussiejosh]

In regards to transit time frame for Oneworld Award. Is it 24 hours or 23 hours and 59 minutes without it counting as a stopover?

 

[rock86]

In regards to transit time frame for Oneworld Award. Is it 24 hours or 23 hours and 59 minutes without it counting as a stopover?

Yes

 

[Aussiejosh]

Yes

Is that yes to both? Just looking at a flight arriving at 15:10 and another one departing 15:10 the next day

 

[rock86]

Is that yes to both? Just looking at a flight arriving at 15:10 and another one departing 15:10 the next day

Oops, sorry. Leaving exactly 24 hours after would not be 'within 24 hours' and would constitute a Stopover, as per the Qantas T&C's definition below:

'Stopover' in relation to:

(a) an Australian domestic Itinerary, means a break of journey at an intermediate point when onward travel does not take place on the same calendar day; and
(b) for all other Itineraries, including those containing a domestic to international connecting flight, means when a passenger arrives at an intermediate point and is not scheduled to depart within 24 hours of arrival;

 

[Aussiejosh]

what a cough around I just had with Qantas. Thankfully I had a nice guy to help me.

So got advised that no flights were showing for my requested booking Tokyo - Vancouver. Upon further investigation it was showing as avilable on the website as a one way ticket but not when including it in the multicity booking (Phone operator could find no availability).

So ended up booking it online myself, then getting all the other flights changed over to the new booking reference.

Plus its now showing an addition 3 Tokyo to Vancouver Flights on my Booking with all difference reference numbers?

 

[coles525]

I'm thinking of booking a trip next year for 3 people (2 adults, 1 child).

Option 1) MEL - SIN - HKG - MEL
Option 2) As above, but HKG as 1st stop

MEL - SIN - HKG = 98k QFF each showing on my dummy test.

MEL - SIN - HKG - Narita = 136k QFF per person showing.

What would the "trip home" cost per person? ie: HKG - MEL, or Narita / Haneda - MEL?

Option 3) MEL - SIN - HKG - HND - MEL
Option 4) MEL - HND - HKG - SIN - MEL

Am I correct that no matter what I choose, it should come to 280k per person, including child?

Right now, no flight back to Melb from any location is showing in U class for most of the month of arrival into AU (July 2019). Just means seats not opened yet I expect.

Out total current combined points balance is 589,142 QFF. Excluding monthly future cc spend.

 

[cjd600]

Unless the child is under 2 (infant on lap), they'll be 280k as well

 

[Aussiejosh]

I'm thinking of booking a trip next year for 3 people (2 adults, 1 child).

Option 1) MEL - SIN - HKG - MEL
Option 2) As above, but HKG as 1st stop

MEL - SIN - HKG = 98k QFF each showing on my dummy test.

MEL - SIN - HKG - Narita = 136k QFF per person showing.

What would the "trip home" cost per person? ie: HKG - MEL, or Narita / Haneda - MEL?

Option 3) MEL - SIN - HKG - HND - MEL
Option 4) MEL - HND - HKG - SIN - MEL

Am I correct that no matter what I choose, it should come to 280k per person, including child?

Right now, no flight back to Melb from any location is showing in U class for most of the month of arrival into AU (July 2019). Just means seats not opened yet I expect.

Out total current combined points balance is 589,142 QFF. Excluding monthly future cc spend.

I've found most the time JAL only have 2 business class reward seats available. Cathay usually have more, so might be worthwhile going Japan - Hong Kong - Melbourne otherwise go on separate flights.

Some of these are popular routes so you need to get in when they are first released.

In terms for trip home just look at individual legs to see points. Doubt all up it will even hit 280k. May aswell add a short trip to the states and see Disneyland for a couple of days.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I'm thinking of booking a trip next year for 3 people (2 adults, 1 child).

Option 1) MEL - SIN - HKG - MEL
Option 2) As above, but HKG as 1st stop

MEL - SIN - HKG = 98k QFF each showing on my dummy test.

MEL - SIN - HKG - Narita = 136k QFF per person showing.

What would the "trip home" cost per person? ie: HKG - MEL, or Narita / Haneda - MEL?

Option 3) MEL - SIN - HKG - HND - MEL
Option 4) MEL - HND - HKG - SIN - MEL

Am I correct that no matter what I choose, it should come to 280k per person, including child?

Right now, no flight back to Melb from any location is showing in U class for most of the month of arrival into AU (July 2019). Just means seats not opened yet I expect.

Out total current combined points balance is 589,142 QFF. Excluding monthly future cc spend.

Regardless of the combination you choose, all the options above leave you with stops and miles to play with. If time and budget allow you could add other destinations either to visit, or create other options getting home. Options include KIX, PVG, KUL, BKK, DPS, to name but a few.

 

[ellen10]

I have booked my first award leg in J - SYD to DUB with CX

I will be booking the following flights to add to my itinerary in about a months time:

DUB - LON BA stop
LON - INNS BA stop
INNS - VEN land sector
VEN - MAD BA or IB stop
BCN - SYD (at the moment doing dummy bookings there is no direct bookings, but if I break it up into a multi there seems to be a few options. > AY via Helsinki to Hong Kong, the flight arrives at 7.25am and the next CX offer for HKG - SYD on CX departs 21.35pm (transit time of 14 hours) arriving Sydney 8.45am.
> Another option is BA BCN - HKG via London and then pick up the CX flight back to SYD this flight would only have a Hong Kong transit of 5 hours.
> Final option is QR BCN to HKG via DOH transit in HKG 1 hour and then CX home. (QR J flights does not seem to pop up often)

Does this look ok? A few questions?
My first and biggest concern is that I will have to phone up Qantas to add these flights to the original award flight. If I am on hold for a long time ( I am silver) then the flights may disappear. The internal European flights have several options each day so I think they will be ok. It is the return flights back from BCN that I am worrying about. I have been looking most days to see what pops up and not all of the 3 options do and then some disappear quite quickly. Any suggestions or strategies?

Also if I booked the BA option to Hong Kong via London am I able to transit through London even though I have had a stopover there previously?

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

Also if I booked the BA option to Hong Kong via London am I able to transit through London even though I have had a stopover there previously?

Yes, you are allowed 1 stop PLUS 2 transits. I have done so on previous itineraries.

I don’t have much to offer as to booking strategies, other than to call early and call often. Perseverance usually pays off (but not always... )