Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[madrooster]

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

I posted my original question about QR and how far ahead different OWA airlines open redemptions here because I felt it was something that many posters to this thread would have experience of.

Here you go:

QF 353
CX 360
BA 354
QR 361
AA 330
JL 330
RJ 362
AB 359
AY 361
LA 331
JJ 329
UL 361
IB 361
MH 330

Unsure about S7.

Other useful info:

Carriers visible on QFF: QF, CX, BA, AA, QR, IB, RJ, AB, AY, UL, LA, JJ, EK
Carriers NOT visible on QFF: JL, MH, S7
Carriers visible on BAEC: QF, CX, BA, AA, QR, JL, IB, MH, AB, AY, LA, JJ, UL, S7
Carriers NOT visible on BAEC: RJ

 

[Tonkatough]

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

Wouldn't it just be nice if they were all the same, but that wouldn't be interesting, right?

 

[JohnM]

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

Here you go:

QF 353
CX 360
BA 354
QR 361
AA 330
JL 330
RJ 362
AB 359
AY 361
LA 331
JJ 329
UL 361
IB 361
MH 330

Unsure about S7.

Other useful info:

Carriers visible on QFF: QF, CX, BA, AA, QR, IB, RJ, AB, AY, UL, LA, JJ, EK
Carriers NOT visible on QFF: JL, MH, S7
Carriers visible on BAEC: QF, CX, BA, AA, QR, JL, IB, MH, AB, AY, LA, JJ, UL, S7
Carriers NOT visible on BAEC: RJ

Perfect! Thank you very much .

 

[Daver6]

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

Firstly, not 100% sure this is the right thread for my question, so admins, please move to its own thread if more appropriate.

My question is this. Starting to look at options heading from from the east coast (or New Orleans). Home being PER. The three obvious airline choices are QF via SYD. JAL via Tokyo and HKG (unless JAL commence direct to PER which would be awesome!) or CX via HKG. In terms of J class products, which would you choose and why? The only one I have experience with is QF.

I might have the miles free to actually come home on QR via DOH. That could potentially be another option.

 

[Pablo]

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

Thanks everyone for the incredible amount of info in this thread. I've been following for some time and today I can finally start to book for a trip next year. I feel like I pretty much know what I need to do, but now it's come to crunch time, I'm wonder a few things.

I'm looking at the following for April 2017:

SYD-DOH-BUD - QR
BUD-HEL - AY
HEL-CDG - AY
CDG-MAD-GIG - IB
GIG-MIA - AA
MIA-LAX-SYD - AA

My big questions which I can't find answers for here:

On AY and AA, I can only see Y fares. No J fares. Is this normal, and do I just have to call QF to book this class?

And, does Expert Flyer correctly show availability? I can see 9 J seats on EF, however on QF bookings, it's only allowing me to book 4 seats in J. (I'm only needing 2 seats, but wanting to see how far I can push my luck by delaying my booking so I can book more segments as they become available.) If there are at least 9 seats available, I'll just set an alert to tell me if it drops to maybe 5 seats left, and then book as I might be able to add in more segments then and minimise the amount of phone bookings I need to make.

And with booking online, when I try and do the whole list of flights (on earlier dates) I keep getting a message from QF that this booking cannot be ticketed online and i have to call up. Would that be because the itinerary doesn't work, or because some segments can't be booked online? Just confusing when it shows you the flights online.

Thanks heaps

 

[Jacques Vert]

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

Thanks everyone for the incredible amount of info in this thread. I've been following for some time and today I can finally start to book for a trip next year. I feel like I pretty much know what I need to do, but now it's come to crunch time, I'm wonder a few things.

I'm looking at the following for April 2017:

SYD-DOH-BUD - QR
BUD-HEL - AY
HEL-CDG - AY
CDG-MAD-GIG - IB
GIG-MIA - AA
MIA-LAX-SYD - AA

My big questions which I can't find answers for here:

On AY and AA, I can only see Y fares. No J fares. Is this normal, and do I just have to call QF to book this class?

And, does Expert Flyer correctly show availability? I can see 9 J seats on EF, however on QF bookings, it's only allowing me to book 4 seats in J. (I'm only needing 2 seats, but wanting to see how far I can push my luck by delaying my booking so I can book more segments as they become available.) If there are at least 9 seats available, I'll just set an alert to tell me if it drops to maybe 5 seats left, and then book as I might be able to add in more segments then and minimise the amount of phone bookings I need to make.

And with booking online, when I try and do the whole list of flights (on earlier dates) I keep getting a message from QF that this booking cannot be ticketed online and i have to call up. Would that be because the itinerary doesn't work, or because some segments can't be booked online? Just confusing when it shows you the flights online.

Thanks heaps

QR J doesn't normally show on-line on QF. You can see it on BA Exec club if you have access.

This can be a positive; if you tell the phone operator you couldn't/weren't allowed to book on-line you have a good chance of having the service fee waived.

However, my recent experience is that the SYD-DOH is often not bookable through QF points, despite seats being available on some sites. Even if bookable, the taxes will likely have to be calculated manually.

It may pay you to have an alternative in mind. You have quite a few miles up your sleave.

 

[Pablo]

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

QR J doesn't normally show on-line on QF. You can see it on BA Exec club if you have access.

This can be a positive; if you tell the phone operator you couldn't/weren't allowed to book on-line you have a good chance of having the service fee waived.

However, my recent experience is that the SYD-DOH is often not bookable through QF points, despite seats being available on some sites. Even if bookable, the taxes will likely have to be calculated manually.

It may pay you to have an alternative in mind. You have quite a few miles up your sleave.

QR J is showing up, it's AA and AY that aren't showing. Plenty of availability on QR next year.

 

[Jacques Vert]

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

QR J is showing up, it's AA and AY that aren't showing. Plenty of availability on QR next year.

If you are saying that QR J is showing on the QF site, then it is likely to be an issue with the taxes: I've found on more than one occasion that longer/more complex itineraries need the taxes to be calculated manually (or at least that is what the call centre agent has told me).

JV

 

[Doctore1003]

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

I thought the QR J seats not showing up on QF was recently resolved? I have seen QR J availability on many routes in recent weeks for early 2017.

Pablo, others have reported difficulties with trying to do multicity award bookings. I think you should book the first leg or two if you can online, and then add the rest by calling Qantas.

It doesn't sound right that you are seeing 9 business award seats available on flights on EF. If you are looking at fare buckets and seeing 9xJ, it is the paid business class fare.

There is extremely little award availability on the AA LAX-SYD flight at most times of the year - in fact usually none. As QF WP, you should be able to get access to QF award seats on this route - as per the other thread on AFF about Qantas giving elite members preferential access to premium award seats for next year.

I don't have experience with AY sorry.

 

[madrooster]

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

There is extremely little award availability on the AA LAX-SYD flight at most times of the year - in fact usually none.

Which is annoying given that I was on the AA LAX/SYD flight recently in Y and there were no upgrade requests, and the standby list was entirely full of people on D1/D2/D3 travel who then subsequently cleared into F/J for peanuts!

 

[Pablo]

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

I thought the QR J seats not showing up on QF was recently resolved? I have seen QR J availability on many routes in recent weeks for early 2017.

just to confirm for all, QR J seats are showing on QF now. This is March 2017.

 

[vetrade]

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

Pablo, I presume (hope) you have not been looking for AA J seats for GIG - MIA for April next year because AA doesn't release reward seats till 330 days out (and sometimes that can be around 300 days). But more likely you haven't found availability because AA often only releases one J reward seat per flight (AA seems intent on only catering to their corporate travellers who normally travel solo). You may well find that your only option on that route is Y, but even getting 2 Y rewards can be very difficult. I know it's out of your way but maybe look at GIG - JFK with AA or TAM (TAM also fly to MIA). Then you'd have to get a Y seat from JFK back down to MIA. Not ideal but you don't have many options from GIG to the US.

Only selected flights from MIA - LAX have 3 classes (most only have Y & F) so getting J rewards can be near impossible on that route too; and many times you won't even be able to get 2 Y rewards for the direct route - if you search for milesaver seats on AA's US website you might find the only reward options on offer involve indirect flights via DFW or PHX etc. If you can find 2 x Y seats on the dates you want to travel I'd grab them ASAP.

I don't have personal experience with AY so maybe a chat to QF will be your best bet for info on them.

 

[Jacques Vert]

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

just to confirm for all, QR J seats are showing on QF now. This is March 2017.

Good to see that QR J are now showing on the QF site; last time I searched on QF I didn't see any (and that was only a few weeks ago).

 

[Pablo]

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

Pablo, I presume (hope) you have not been looking for AA J seats for GIG - MIA for April next year because AA doesn't release reward seats till 330 days out (and sometimes that can be around 300 days). But more likely you haven't found availability because AA often only releases one J reward seat per flight (AA seems intent on only catering to their corporate travellers who normally travel solo). You may well find that your only option on that route is Y, but even getting 2 Y rewards can be very difficult. I know it's out of your way but maybe look at GIG - JFK with AA or TAM (TAM also fly to MIA). Then you'd have to get a Y seat from JFK back down to MIA. Not ideal but you don't have many options from GIG to the US.

Hi Vetrade, no, I realise that AA seats won't be made available just yet - I'm only at the timeline of having my flights to Europe become available - I think I'm waiting until June almost to book the AA sectors. However, when I've looked at Jan and Feb dates, there's a fair amount of AA J seats for 2 pax available through the QF website. So hoping it keeps up like that as time ticks along.

Only selected flights from MIA - LAX have 3 classes (most only have Y & F) so getting J rewards can be near impossible on that route too; and many times you won't even be able to get 2 Y rewards for the direct route - if you search for milesaver seats on AA's US website you might find the only reward options on offer involve indirect flights via DFW or PHX etc. If you can find 2 x Y seats on the dates you want to travel I'd grab them ASAP.

yeh, I'm assuming we will end up flying Y to either LAX or DFW from MIA - not too hopeful of that being in J. I think my hardest flights will be from the USA back to Sydney and assuming I'll either try for a QF flight when it becomes available and add in the flights on AA from MIA later on. Hate the idea of all the 7,000 point penalties we have to pay to keep adding to the itinerary. We can always try to come home via HKG, but I really want to avoid that.

I don't have personal experience with AY so maybe a chat to QF will be your best bet for info on them.

im thinking of calling them tomorrow as the BUD-HEL flight I want should become available tomorrow or the next day

thanks for the help.

 

[Jacques Vert]

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

I don't have personal experience with AY so maybe a chat to QF will be your best bet for info on them.

I successfully included 2 AY flights in my award booking last year. I picked up their availability on BA Exec but remember they were rather scarce.

 

[travelislife]

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

Hi Vetrade, no, I realise that AA seats won't be made available just yet - I'm only at the timeline of having my flights to Europe become available - I think I'm waiting until June almost to book the AA sectors. However, when I've looked at Jan and Feb dates, there's a fair amount of AA J seats for 2 pax available through the QF website. So hoping it keeps up like that as time ticks along.



yeh, I'm assuming we will end up flying Y to either LAX or DFW from MIA - not too hopeful of that being in J. I think my hardest flights will be from the USA back to Sydney and assuming I'll either try for a QF flight when it becomes available and add in the flights on AA from MIA later on. Hate the idea of all the 7,000 point penalties we have to pay to keep adding to the itinerary. We can always try to come home via HKG, but I really want to avoid that.



im thinking of calling them tomorrow as the BUD-HEL flight I want should become available tomorrow or the next day

thanks for the help.

I would book your Europe flights as soon as they become available and then add the AA ones later.

 

[Pablo]

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

I would book your Europe flights as soon as they become available and then add the AA ones later.

Thanks Travelislife, will do. My big question: do I wait a week or 10 days to book all my Europe flights (that's SYD-BUD-HEL-CDG-GIG) as they will all be available in the next 10 days or so, or do I just start booking them as they come up to ensure I've got them? I'm just seeing so many 7,000 lots of points leaving my account each time I ring up to add to the original itinerary.

there seems to be plenty of availability for the few weeks before I'm wanting to travel although i am wanting to travel over Easter 2017.

 

[CJEMNMAC]

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

just to confirm for all, QR J seats are showing on QF now. This is March 2017.

Good to see that QR J are now showing on the QF site; last time I searched on QF I didn't see any (and that was only a few weeks ago).

QR has been available at least since mid Feb this year.

refer posts #3175 - #3177

I have seen quite a few different QR J SYD-JFK and SYD - MIA

 

[cjd600]

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

QR has been available at least since mid Feb this year.

refer posts #3175 - #3177

I have seen quite a few different QR J SYD-JFK and SYD - MIA

Indeed, has been showing on the SYD-DFW route for a while too

 

[CJEMNMAC]

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

Indeed, has been showing on the SYD-DFW route for a while too

It is actually quite good as I need a fair bit of award space to JFK, MIA, MCO

Incorporating it into the OW award is great. The points cost on QR J is around 200k to MIA so to add other side trips, even up via LHR etc back through Asia for the 280k is great value for me

Hoping to do larger trip next year as well