Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[peachy3333]

re: Qantas "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Discussion

Hello all,

Thanks for the great thread. But I am just so lost over booking this fare

Booking on the qantas site is a nightmare for me - I've just spend over 2 hours without being able to get a single flight!

Does the site support JAL and Cathay Pacific flights?

I'm trying to book something like:

PER - NRT(tokyo)
NRT - cough(fukuoka)
cough - HKG
HKG - FCO(rome)
FCO - LHR
LHR - PER

or similar. I know that definitely the japan routes will be only JAL and the cough to hkg route is only CX...

I'm happy to add sectors in the middle to fulfill requirements etc... but i can't seem to find any jal or cx flights!

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Flashback]

re: Qantas "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Discussion

Hello all,

Thanks for the great thread. But I am just so lost over booking this fare

Booking on the qantas site is a nightmare for me - I've just spend over 2 hours without being able to get a single flight!

Does the site support JAL and Cathay Pacific flights?

I'm trying to book something like:

PER - NRT(tokyo)
NRT - cough(fukuoka)
cough - HKG
HKG - FCO(rome)
FCO - LHR
LHR - PER

or similar. I know that definitely the japan routes will be only JAL and the cough to hkg route is only CX...

I'm happy to add sectors in the middle to fulfill requirements etc... but i can't seem to find any jal or cx flights!

Any help would be appreciated!

CX flights aren't available online currently, you'll need to call the call centre and cop the 2,500 points booking fee unfortunately.

 

[OzziTravellers]

Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

Hi fellow FF's....

I know from searching there are a lot of posts about this award so a lot of people have taken them before. I am currently thinking of taking my family on one of these trips and looking at destination options to utilise the fare to it's best advantage within the restrictions.

If I can please ask anyone who's booked one of these fares can post their itinerary (including notes of stopovers/transits/open jaw legs) that would be hugely appreciated for some ideas...

Thanks.

 

[samh004]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

It’ll most likely end up costing 142,500 points as I believe it’s hard to do it online, so you’ll need to call… as far as I’ve read!

 

[JohnK]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

I have done 2 of these in the past few years

In 2007

SYD-MEL-AKL-LAX-DCA-STL-{ORD)-LHR-(ATH)-(LHR)-(FRA)-HEL-GVA-(HEL)-BRU-LHR-HKG-SYD

GVA, HEL, BRU were overnight transits (<24 hours), used 4 airlines QF, AA, BA, AY. AKL was also only a transit and not counted as a sector but my SYD-MEL international sat on the taxiway for 2-3 hours and QF moved me to QF011 the direct SYD-LAX flight. :-| I would have preferred to travel around the block.

In 2009 for 2 people

SYD-LAX-DFW-ORD-(YYZ)-ORD-IAD-LHR-(ATH)-LHR-HKG-PER-SYD

Much simpler itinerary as I had my father with me. HKG was a same day transit of ~16 hours. Used 3 airlines QF, AA, BA. The last legs LHR-HKG-PER-SYD were difficult to book, and changed many times, due to returning at the begnning of school holidays.

I booked both over the phone and used 140,000 QFF points for each one. I was not able to book either online, even though I could complete the itinerary, and some QF consultants wanted to still charge the 2,500 assisted booking fee but I simply called back until I got a consultant that would waive the assisted booking fee.

Looking forward to the next one.

 

[Maggs]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

I booked my 140k trip on line: Mel-LA-NY, stopover,
NY to Paris via London. Barcelona to Madrid.
Madrid to Bangkok via London (damn Heathrow again)
BKK to Melbourne via Sydney. $581 in taxes, think going through London killed me tax wise, but I couldn't swing that NY - Paris flight no matter how hard I tried. Got all the dates I wanted, though BA back to AU. It was quite easy, but maybe I just got lucky. All up 9 flights and presuming all flights go to plan, longest connection is about 6 hours, but that is OK as I have QC access.

 

[Febs]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

Have done two of these in the past two years, and will be booking another one in the next month or so. Brilliant use of QFF points.

My trips were (memory's a bit fuzzy here so some of the routings might be a bit off, and I do remember we needed to include one or two additional fares, but generally we didn't spend more than around 155,000pts all up. Should give you a rough idea anyway):

2009: SYD-PVG-DXB-LHR-MUC-MAD-BCN-HEL-JFK-LAX-SYD (2 people - both on points)
and
2010: SYD-SIN-LHR / DUB-MAD-BCN-FCO / FRA-JFK-MIA-LAS-LAX-AKL-SYD (2 people - one on the 140k fare, one as a paid LONE4).

Not sure on the routing on the upcoming one, but we're planning to visit KL, Vietnam, Maldives and NY. If you're a little bit flexible with dates and book at least 8 months out, you usually don't have too many problems (being Platinum definitely helps with availability too). Biggest problems for me are always coming home from the US - managed to get some seats opened up on LAX-SYD in 2009, but had to fly LAX-AKL-SYD in 2010 (which worked out very nicely, as we were op-upped LAX-AKL and AKL-SYD! )

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[dajop]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

Likewise have done two of these (first one in J for 240K pts as it was back then). Both excellent value.

2006: MEL-SIN-FRA/ORY-BCN-GIG-SCL-EZE-LIM-CUZ-LIM-LAX-MEL with stopovers at FRA, GIG, SCL, EZE & CUZ (and 23 hours at BCN) (QF+IB+LA)

2009/10: KUL-NRT-JFK-HKG-SIN-ADL-MEL-SYD-CGK-SYD-SIN-KUL, with stopovers at JFK, SIN, MEL, CGK & SYD. (JL+CX+QF)

Important to note that there is no need to move in a continuous direction, and as such it is not a RTW fare just a distance based fare, so for example you can travel to Europe via Asia in both directions if you so desire.

You will be able to book AA, BA, QF & some CX sectors online, but definitely not JL. Not sure about other carriers though. If booked offline service charge is 3.5K up until 1 May, then 6K after that (or $60). I just booked a JL redemption over the phone, and it seems now impossible to get a service fee waiver, and I was read a well prepared script when I asked.

 

[SimonM]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

Mine was 17 days in September 2010, booked in J, but the same basics.

BNE-MEL-HKG-PVG-HEL-OSL-HEL-JFK-LAX-NRT-SYD-BNE

I stopped for 5 days in Norway and went up to Tromso. In the US, I flew down to Florida and did a bit of a road trip there and then back to New York. I might have been able to get the Florida in the RTW, but got pretty cheap flights anyway so wasn't too bothered. The journey to OSL required a night in Shanghai.

All booked online.

 

[Danger]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

For those booking online with QF, do you simply use the international multi-stop tool once you're logged into your QFF account?

Do any changes to flights after booking incur the 2.5k points fee (or whatever it's increasing to)?

Where can I find the award codes for the other oneworld airlines in each class?

 

[gumpy]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

how many continents do you get for 140k and this is in economy right?

 

[Danger]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

how many continents do you get for 140k and this is in economy right?

I don't believe it's continent-limited. JohnK has previously posted the basic limitations in post two, here.

The 140k gets you an Economy award; 280k gets you a Business award and 420k gets you a First award.

 

[gumpy]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

I don't believe it's continent-limited. JohnK has previously posted the basic limitations in post two, here.

The 140k gets you an Economy award; 280k gets you a Business award and 420k gets you a First award.

280k is J RTW!#?@?!?#?!?

well that's my new target before my honeymoon... 560k points.... it's gonna be tough,,,

is it like a ASA where you earn points on the flights?

 

[straitman]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

280k is J RTW!#?@?!?#?!?

well that's my new target before my honeymoon... 560k points.... it's gonna be tough,,,

is it like a ASA where you earn points on the flights?

The short answer is NO :!:

It's (like) a classic award.

 

[gumpy]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

The short answer is NO :!:

It's (like) a classic award.

dang... oh well seriously for 280k I say it's a good deal... well a decent deal...

 

[JohnK]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

is it like a ASA where you earn points on the flights?

Not quite but it is possible to combine part classic awards, part any seat award and come up with a simple RTW.

A outing ike this is possible for ~140,000 QFF points nett.

SYD-LAX-(JFK) Any Seat Award
LAX-LHR-(ATH)-LHR Partner award
LAX-(HKG)-SYD Any Seat Award and some specials allow a stopover in HKG

Note that SCs and QFF points will be earned for part of the way to offset the higher QFF point cost. It is still work in progress and I am trying to optimise it's use to get more destinations out of it.

• From JFK one can get some cheap KUP/YUP aifares and visit other cities or use a Partner award
• From ATH one can use A3 for cheap airfares to get to CAI, FRA, MXP other destinations for some variety. A3 is a classy LCC, no doubt about it.

 

[casanovawa]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

hmmm, would like to know exactly how the mechanics of getting SC's and any points could be worked into these RTW fares if you have any tips John???

 

[Alanslegal]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

well that's my new target before my honeymoon... 560k points.... it's gonna be tough,,,

And finding 2 award J seats is going to be tougher.

We really might end up in economy but do 2 of these trips

 

[NM]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

Back in 2003 I redeemed around 910,000 QF FF points for seven OneWorld awards. Five of us travelled:

BNE-AKL-LAX (stop-1 for 3 weeks driving around US west coast)
LAS-DFW-MCO (stop-2 for 3 weeks driving, trains etc along US East Coast)
YYZ-LHR-KBP (stop-3 for a weekend)
KBP-LHR-NCL (stop-4 for 3 weeks driving in UK, then 2 weeks train through Europe)
TXL-HEL (stop-5 for a few days in Finland and Estonia)
HEL-FRA-HKG-SYD-BNE

The other two did YYZ-LHR-OSL (Stop-3), and met us back in LHR on their OSL-LHR-NCL for Stop-4.

All up it was 84 days to get around the world.

I know I posted a Trip Report on FT but I can't locate it. If I can find the original text I may post to the TR forum here along with some photos.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Oneworld RTW 140,000 point fare

hmmm, would like to know exactly how the mechanics of getting SC's and any points could be worked into these RTW fares if you have any tips John???

Unfortunately Any Seat Awards can only work effectively on QF flights.

So what we need to do is come up with an itinerary, which I have highlighted in the post above, and include the 2 longest QF flights possible as an Any Seat Award.

Then add on a partner award to anywhere in Europe within reason. If you include more stopovers then the partner award requires more QFF points.

The example I have given in the post above costs ~180,000 QFF points and as a Platinum I would earn ~40,000 QFF points + ~125 SCs which brings back the cost down ~140,000 QFF points.

Not as good value as a Onewolrd but is OK. Realistically only 3 stopovers are possible if wanting to keep the QFF point cost down but I hardly ever need more than 1 stopover in the USA and Asia. As I said pick a city like ATH and cheap flights to anywhere in Europe are possible.