Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[vetrade]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

I'll ask on the day I try to book it and see what they show as available. If a combination of flights can be added to the booking by the QF operator does that mean it should be okay or can it still be knocked back later when the ticket is actually re-issued?

If the QF operator can see the flights and books them CX sometimes blocks them later and if they do those flights could just suddenly disappear from your booking. The good news is that CX are quick to block the flights if they decide to, so you would know within a few days - i.e. if the CX flights are still in the booking after 4 or 5 days then you shouldn't have to worry that they might be blocked some time later on.

 

[adelee]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Personally I've never had any luck getting a transit through HKG with 2 CX flights (but admittedly the combos I've tried for have been on major routes from Europe or Nth America). Other AFFers (as they have stated in this thread) have apparently been successful though. .

Just jumping in with my experience, and to demonstrate that it is possible to transit through HKG with CX. I covered this a few months back, but can confirm I have CX MEL-HKG-JFK (transit through HKG) and FRA-HKG-AKL (again, transit through HKG) booked for December / Jan. Yes, the availability was lean, but it was a matter of watching with eagle eyes and trying different combinations through the QF multi city booking tool.

From what I can gather, I believe there are a limited number of seats available to those transiting, vs those stopping over. To book two CX segments transiting through HKG, you must book both segments together, not individually. There appears to be much confusion about this amongst QF call centre staff.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

A dummy booking just means you enter a series of flights online to see if the system allows it. You can try various combinations without completing the booking so there's no cost.

So not actually a booking at all.
I have done a few RTW tests myself, I thought the phrase "dummy booking" implied something more.

 

[landl]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

I have CX BRIS-HKG-LHR (HKG transit) in late November. When I booked it, I actually tried to get an earlier flight to HKG that would have given us 14 hours in HKG (thought we could duck out and see something/shop) but was told by QF operator that CX wouldn't allow her to book it. She seemed to think it was to make the distinction between a stop over and transit. I would have thought encouraging any sort of spending/tourism would have been good. We now have a transit time of 5 hours.
Would like to say thank you to everyone on this forum, too, for all the help I got late last year when I started planning this trip. Daughter and I are off late November in J - BRIS-HKG-LHR-FCO\LYS-LHR\ORY-MAD-BCN\BCN-JFK-BOS\JFK-LAX\LAX-BRIS. Total taxes $2145. Have a few train trips in Europe and some domestic airfares in the US - picked up 2 x first-class BUF-JFK (20K Velocity points) for the baggage!
I now advise anyone planning a OW trip to check this forum. Quite a few times, I found that some QF operators didn't fully understand the rules. If I hadn't been really clear about them, our trip would not be what it is now.
Already have enough points for another J OW trip and daughter is well on her way to having enough points for a Y OW at the end of Year 12.

 

[vetrade]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Looks like a great trip, landl. You have a lucky daughter!
The comments you got about the transit time in HKG don't make sense - obviously 5 hrs or 14 hrs shouldn't make any difference as they are both transits rather than stopovers. Sounds like you have so much more to look forward to on the trip that missing HKG will soon be forgotten.

 

[paul_5666]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Looking to book SYD-HKG in J for late November 2015. It's a bit late for award flights but I found a potential route via SIN with SYD-SIN in Y and J the rest of the way. Expert flyer tells me that J has plenty of seats left. Would it be likely that a couple more reward seats will pop up for me to grab? Esp this late?

 

[vetrade]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Looking to book SYD-HKG in J for late November 2015. It's a bit late for award flights but I found a potential route via SIN with SYD-SIN in Y and J the rest of the way. Expert flyer tells me that J has plenty of seats left. Would it be likely that a couple more reward seats will pop up for me to grab? Esp this late?[/QUOTE

Probably the wrong thread for your question paul_5666 - you are after a standard classic award rather than a multi-segment OW RTW award. You don't specify what airline/s (or what type of FF points / miles you intend to use) you were thinking of travelling but FWIW you might be able to get late J award seats on SQ (which is not a OW airline). I doubt you would have any luck this late with another airline.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

With CX transfers, they have to be available as an indirect routing. So if you wanted SYD-HKG-JFK for example, you'd need to find availability for SYD-JFK on CX. You can't create your own connection based on two separate flights being available within 24 hours at HKG - their system will kill it.
In the latest news however, I just booked a 280k J award that include FCO-DOH-SYD on the new QR route! Happy days!

 

[paul_5666]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Probably the wrong thread for your question paul_5666 - you are after a standard classic award rather than a multi-segment OW RTW award. You don't specify what airline/s (or what type of FF points / miles you intend to use) you were thinking of travelling but FWIW you might be able to get late J award seats on SQ (which is not a OW airline). I doubt you would have any luck this late with another airline.

My mistake and sorry for confusion, this is part of a OW RTW award booking which has been made. I was hoping that the flight with Qantas (QF5) would release more business seats closer to departure.

 

[vetrade]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

My mistake and sorry for confusion, this is part of a OW RTW award booking which has been made. I was hoping that the flight with Qantas (QF5) would release more business seats closer to departure.

Chances of QF releasing more award seats are negligible, paul_5666, so you'll have to rely on what's on offer now.

 

[blacknwhite]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hi All!
I posted my first thread a month ago expressing doing a OW RTW J 280,000 for next year but it was so confusing!I took everyone advise(especially VETRADE) and read thru the posts and then began the task of putting it all together.
Well I am days off completing it(waiting for 2 stops to be released) and will I be glad!
Our iternary is from july-sep 2016 and is as follows
MELB-HKG-DOH-LHR(STOP 1)CX/BA
FCO-LHR-JFK(STOP2)BA
LAS-MIA(STOP3)Y class(no other options) AA
MIA-LIM(STOP4)LAN
SCL-SYD-MEL(STOP5)QF
I rang Qantas several times and could not believe some of the answers I received from consultants that were not able to give me right information.Reading the forums,I learnt to hung up and talk to someone else.On Sunday,I spoke to a lovely gentleman named David who really gave good advise.Thanks David and thanks to all Your posts_ a great help!
I will post when its finished and wait for our RTW(literally) to begin.....
Kind regards

 

[fastferret]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

With CX transfers, they have to be available as an indirect routing. So if you wanted SYD-HKG-JFK for example, you'd need to find availability for SYD-JFK on CX. You can't create your own connection based on two separate flights being available within 24 hours at HKG - their system will kill it.

Don't know why, but this wasn't the case with me.

I saw CX J flights BOS-HKG & HKG-SYD and tried to book them to complete my 2 x 280k. I was told I could do this but HKG-SYD would be Y but I could try a booking change a week later when the QF flight might be available in J. I called the next week and was then able to get the CX HKG-SYD in J. All good and with an 18 hour layover to explore HK!

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Don't know why, but this wasn't the case with me.

I saw CX J flights BOS-HKG & HKG-SYD and tried to book them to complete my 2 x 280k. I was told I could do this but HKG-SYD would be Y but I could try a booking change a week later when the QF flight might be available in J. I called the next week and was then able to get the CX HKG-SYD in J. All good and with an 18 hour layover to explore HK!

There may have been BOS-SYD availability?

There may also be city pairs where this is permitted and where it is not. The QF rep mentioned a number of times that she has had sectors cancelled by CX after booking, leaving the member high and dry.

 

[coles525]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Grrrr,

Today is to be the day I start booking future flights. The actual flight option(s) for AU haven't yet released seats (business), but only have economy. A 3rd option is Melb / Syd / Sing / destination, but economy as the final flight.

Customer service (after looking online) offered to start building an itinery (ie: book future flights as of today, but change to the flights I'm after), but for every additional leg, there is a change fee of 3,500 points per person!

Tine to keep on keeping on, will be checking online all day, otherwise might decide to take option 3 via Syd & Singapore for nearly 19hr's.

 

[hutch]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Grrrr,

Today is to be the day I start booking future flights. The actual flight option(s) for AU haven't yet released seats (business), but only have economy. A 3rd option is Melb / Syd / Sing / destination, but economy as the final flight.

Customer service (after looking online) offered to start building an itinery (ie: book future flights as of today, but change to the flights I'm after), but for every additional leg, there is a change fee of 3,500 points per person!

Tine to keep on keeping on, will be checking online all day, otherwise might decide to take option 3 via Syd & Singapore for nearly 19hr's.

Sorry, I don't follow... generally with the 280k OneWorld award you book the first flight (online) and then ring QF to add additional flights. Yes this costs 3,500 pts, but is the best way to lock in the business class seats. What have you booked thus far?

 

[coles525]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Sorry, I don't follow... generally with the 280k OneWorld award you book the first flight (online) and then ring QF to add additional flights. Yes this costs 3,500 pts, but is the best way to lock in the business class seats. What have you booked thus far?

Ended up booking online a different flight (s), spending 12 hrs in Singapore.

I wasn't happy my original selections were either not available, or already sold out.

 

[hutch]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Ended up booking online a different flight (s), spending 12 hrs in Singapore.

I wasn't happy my original selections were either not available, or already sold out.

Can be a problem with award bookings, hence why its important to book as far in advance as possible (ie the day they are released) and be relatively flexible.

I'm currently booking my own 280J ticket. Booked SYD>HKG online for next August. Later on I rung to add HKG>JFK and then JFK-MAD. Have found the QF staff to be more helpful than I anticipated.

 

[madrooster]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Something interesting I've noticed is...

I'm currently building a 280k and have the following already:

SYD QF X/SIN MH KUL (1)
KUL MH X/SIN QR X/DOH QR JNB (2)
JNB QR X/DOH QR EDI (3)
//
MAD IB JFK

Total was $1060 per pax ticketed early August. To ticket the same routing today, with the same dates, would cost $1328 per pax. The exchange rate hasn't moved all that much... so I'm left wondering why such a large increase (in mostly YQ).

 

[blacknwhite]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hi!I have a question-how long after completing a RTW ticket does it take for Qantas to issue your ticket.
When I completed it,the consultant said it would take a few hours and that was yesterday morning.Could there be issues?

 

[adelee]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hi!I have a question-how long after completing a RTW ticket does it take for Qantas to issue your ticket.
When I completed it,the consultant said it would take a few hours and that was yesterday morning.Could there be issues?

A couple of hours sounds quite ambitious. It depends on a number of factors, including how busy they are. I've been told that they prioritise based on how soon the travel is. If you've booked for 11 months down the track, you might be lower down in the queue. I would give it a week, then follow up with a phone call if still not ticketted - if you are concerned (i.e. with partner airlines holding flights), you can then ask them to put it in a priority queue.