Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Inuniform]

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

I have been researching / planning a 280k RTW trip for quite sometime now and posted a proposed itinerary up here a couple weeks ago. We are hoping the first leg of our proposed trip in July next year to be from SYD - JRO on QR. When researching in the past, this leg has had reasonable availability. Recently though, availability has reduced considerably and in the past week looks like it has disappeared altogether. This is quite worrying considering we're only a few weeks away from booking our first leg. Is there any reason to believe that there is more availability than what I can see on the BA booking site or should I start making contingencies?

 

[vetrade]

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

I have been researching / planning a 280k RTW trip for quite sometime now and posted a proposed itinerary up here a couple weeks ago. We are hoping the first leg of our proposed trip in July next year to be from SYD - JRO on QR. When researching in the past, this leg has had reasonable availability. Recently though, availability has reduced considerably and in the past week looks like it has disappeared altogether. This is quite worrying considering we're only a few weeks away from booking our first leg. Is there any reason to believe that there is more availability than what I can see on the BA booking site or should I start making contingencies?

Always have contingencies but keep checking each day to try and get a handle on what pattern there may be to seat releases. Have you checked for Y availability between DOH and JRO because you might have to resort to this and hope J seats become available later on? Or are you not seeing awards on SYD - DOH too?
BA site is probably showing current availability so it's very risky to just wait and hope seats will be released that suit your plans. If you can't get DOH - JRO flights maybe look for DOH - DAR; it shouldn't be too expensive to get a separate paid fare from DAR - JRO.
Maybe check availability to DOH via MEL, ADE or even PER. Depends on whether you can't see availability both or only one of the flights through DOH.

 

[Inuniform]

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

Thanks for the tips. I'm not having much luck when trying the variations though. As much as I would have liked to ring Qantas with my first leg visible on an award search engine, is it still a viable option to call up with a particular destination in mind (in this case JRO) and see if the CSR can find a way to get there?

 

[JohnK]

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

Geeze they are massive fees, by far the highest I have seen. I thought mine were high at around $1300.

I have briefly researched an economy Oneworld award ex-BKK with 11 sectors only and was surprised when the taxes were quoted as ~THB34,000 or ~AUD1350.

 

[yoyo]

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

Well, landed up changing some other flights so in the end didn't need to worry about the changes to CX.

So the trip all flights in J commencing mid to late Sept.

PER - ADL (QF) - DOH (QR) - AMM - TLV (RJ) Stop
TLV - LHR (BA) Stop
ground travel to Paris and spend some time in a wine region TBD
ORY - LHR - IAD (BA) Stop
Will spend time in IAD, New Orleans and Boston. Still to book internal flights
BOS - DOH - SIN (QR) Stop
SIN - HKG - PER (CX)

Taxes and surcharges came in at roughly $2200 per pax. Ouch! Not sure where I've been stung exactly. I know the RJ flight from AMM to TLV last time I looked was a good few hundred in taxes. At some future point I might investigate each sector out of interest.

Finding most flights wasn't too difficult. The real struggle was just getting home and am incredibly lucky to have snagged that CX flight to Perth.

Thanks to all those who have helped in the last few days. Greatly appreciated.

Hi Daver, I'm interested in how you got those TLV-LHR flights, they don't show up for me on the Qantas website, did they agent find them for you on the phone and is that the only way to get them?

 

[travelislife]

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

Hi Daver, I'm interested in how you got those TLV-LHR flights, they don't show up for me on the Qantas website, did they agent find them for you on the phone and is that the only way to get them?

Easiest is to use the BA award search engine for pretty much all airlines that don't show on QF. I.e. BA, JAL, IB, etc.

 

[hutch]

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

Hi Daver, I'm interested in how you got those TLV-LHR flights, they don't show up for me on the Qantas website, did they agent find them for you on the phone and is that the only way to get them?

When I priced the taxes for these flights, I found TLV - LHR flights on the qantas site

 

[vetrade]

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

Thanks for the tips. I'm not having much luck when trying the variations though. As much as I would have liked to ring Qantas with my first leg visible on an award search engine, is it still a viable option to call up with a particular destination in mind (in this case JRO) and see if the CSR can find a way to get there?

Can't hurt, pweekes, if it means getting to JRO when you want then the assistance fee will be "money well spent". What about SYD - JNB on QF and then find your own way to JRO?

 

[Daver6]

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

Hi Daver, I'm interested in how you got those TLV-LHR flights, they don't show up for me on the Qantas website, did they agent find them for you on the phone and is that the only way to get them?

I used the BA site. For actual BA flights its great as you can search for an entire month and it will only show you the class of travel you request (unlike QF). There was decent enough availability for October which was impressive given that's high holiday time as I would have expected many to be travelling then.

To sign up for the BA site, you just need to give a UK address.

 

[Jacques Vert]

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

I have been researching / planning a 280k RTW trip for quite sometime now and posted a proposed itinerary up here a couple weeks ago. We are hoping the first leg of our proposed trip in July next year to be from SYD - JRO on QR. When researching in the past, this leg has had reasonable availability. Recently though, availability has reduced considerably and in the past week looks like it has disappeared altogether. This is quite worrying considering we're only a few weeks away from booking our first leg. Is there any reason to believe that there is more availability than what I can see on the BA booking site or should I start making contingencies?

Just had a look and there is reasonable availability DOH-JRO in early June 17; your problem is likely to be getting SYD-DOH and/or you are needing two or more seats (which of course always makes it more difficult). If you can get to DOH another way within your mileage restrictions you should be OK.

I would start looking at the contingenciy of alternative routing to DOH. For example: SYD-PER-DOH-JRO; SYD-SIN-DOH-JRO; SIN-MEL-DBX-DOH-JRO and so on.

Keep in mind that the BA site will only return connections with two sectors such that SYD-PER-DOH and DOH-JRO need to be searched separately.

Good luck,

JV

PS: SYD-PER-DOH on 6 June showing 3 seats (arrives DOH 0440 on 7th). DOH-JRO on 7th at 0835 also showing 3 seats. J on all flights.

 

[Inuniform]

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

Just had a look and there is reasonable availability DOH-JRO in early June 17; your problem is likely to be getting SYD-DOH and/or you are needing two or more seats (which of course always makes it more difficult). If you can get to DOH another way within your mileage restrictions you should be OK.

I would start looking at the contingenciy of alternative routing to DOH. For example: SYD-PER-DOH-JRO; SYD-SIN-DOH-JRO; SIN-MEL-DBX-DOH-JRO and so on.

Keep in mind that the BA site will only return connections with two sectors such that SYD-PER-DOH and DOH-JRO need to be searched separately.

Good luck,

JV

PS: SYD-PER-DOH on 6 June showing 3 seats (arrives DOH 0440 on 7th). DOH-JRO on 7th at 0835 also showing 3 seats. J on all flights.

Thanks for the suggestions. I've started looking for flights to JRO via ADL and PER and there is some availability around the dates you have mentioned. I'll have to keep this in mind when I am closer to booking and hope that there is availability. This at least opens up my options and should still be within my total mile range. Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

[Tonkatough]

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

After booking my trip back on page 288 (thanks again for the help) now I’m part way through this trip currently in Shanghai. Although this is not a trip report, I just thought it might be beneficial to share with you my first international J experiences, for those who might be taking a similar path with 280k OneWorld Award flights. I don’t have much to compare to, really only Qantas Y.

My first J long haul flights with CX were simply fantastic in all respects – product, service, food, comfort, privacy, sleep……..

Then came AA domestic ‘First Class’ – the complete opposite. The overall AA service, lounges (sometimes lack thereof), meals and general ‘first class’ airplane experience was lacking. It’s certainly an acquired taste. Made me think perhaps we have it good in Aus??

Then BA – somewhere in between CX and AA. The lie-flat bed that is not quite lie-flat, or long enough so there is a foot stool, but then still not quite long enough so you can't lie straight. But the front-back J seat configuration on the 747-400 and 777-300 is just plain weird. Good experience, just not in the same ballpark as CX.

Fortunately, I’m just about to finish off with CX. Don’t think I’ll be going back to Y again.

 

[yoyo]

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

I used the BA site. For actual BA flights its great as you can search for an entire month and it will only show you the class of travel you request (unlike QF). There was decent enough availability for October which was impressive given that's high holiday time as I would have expected many to be travelling then.

To sign up for the BA site, you just need to give a UK address.

I am putting together my J bookings for next year and I cannot see any availability for TLV-LHR around 18/4/17 when we wanted to travel. I looked at BA's website which keeps saying sorry our systems are down but even when it is working there is nothing. Qantas is showing flights via Helsinki which we will do as a last resort.

Here are our flights:

MEL-DOH-BCN Qatar
GRX-MAD-TLV Iberia
TLV-LHR BA or Finnair
TXL-JFK AirBerlin
JFK-YVR Cathay
YVR-HKG-MEL Cathay

It should still work if we have to add Helsinki

 

[vetrade]

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

Here are our flights:

MEL-DOH-BCN Qatar
GRX-MAD-TLV Iberia
TLV-LHR BA or Finnair
TXL-JFK AirBerlin
JFK-YVR Cathay
YVR-HKG-MEL Cathay

That JFK - YVR is a handy link to get from east to west coast but it's unfortunate that it gets into YVR at such an ungodly hour (I presume it's still the 6pm flight out of NY). We didn't get to our hotel until nearly 3.00am which wiped us out for that day.
Have you actually booked the YVR - HKG - MEL segments on CX yet? We were hoping for those but found it impossible because of CX's married segments. Well done if you have got them!

 

[yoyo]

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

Oh no, I haven't booked it yet, I just did a dummy booking and it seemed to work. If I can't get those CX segments, what will I do? I cannot see any QF J seats for lowly types like us from North America. Can someone explain this married segments to me. I don't fully understand what it is and how to get around it. I am trying to get them on the phone and the hold time is over an hour.

 

[travelislife]

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

Oh no, I haven't booked it yet, I just did a dummy booking and it seemed to work. If I can't get those CX segments, what will I do? I cannot see any QF J seats for lowly types like us from North America. Can someone explain this married segments to me. I don't fully understand what it is and how to get around it. I am trying to get them on the phone and the hold time is over an hour.

Did you do a search for YVR-MEL and the flights showed up on Cathay through HKG? If yes, then you should be ok. If No, and you only found them through searching each individual segment then you may have issues and need a stop of >24 hours to get those flights.

 

[yoyo]

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

I did a search for YVR-MEL and they showed up. The problem is that it is too early for me to book that part, only the JFK-YVR part. Do you think that if I manage to get to YVR, I will find my way home somehow in J? I don't want to book a segment now only to find out that I did something wrong and the final segment is not viable.

 

[Franky]

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

I am putting together my J bookings for next year and I cannot see any availability for TLV-LHR around 18/4/17 when we wanted to travel. I looked at BA's website which keeps saying sorry our systems are down but even when it is working there is nothing. Qantas is showing flights via Helsinki which we will do as a last resort.

Here are our flights:

MEL-DOH-BCN Qatar
GRX-MAD-TLV Iberia
TLV-LHR BA or Finnair
TXL-JFK AirBerlin
JFK-YVR Cathay
YVR-HKG-MEL Cathay

It should still work if we have to add Helsinki

yoyo - I had similar problems yesterday with the BA site earlier in the afternoon, however it fixed itself later and I was able to find the info I wanted. I just logged out, and then back in which seemed to help.
It has these issues from time to time.

 

[hutch]

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

I am putting together my J bookings for next year and I cannot see any availability for TLV-LHR around 18/4/17 when we wanted to travel. I looked at BA's website which keeps saying sorry our systems are down but even when it is working there is nothing. Qantas is showing flights via Helsinki which we will do as a last resort.

Here are our flights:

MEL-DOH-BCN Qatar
GRX-MAD-TLV Iberia
TLV-LHR BA or Finnair
TXL-JFK AirBerlin
JFK-YVR Cathay
YVR-HKG-MEL Cathay

It should still work if we have to add Helsinki

I'm not finding any dates around there with a direct BA service, which is odd.

On the positive, 1 stop options in J via Helsinki (as you've mentioned), Madrid and Amman exist.

I've seen that Finnair AY831 - HEL to LHR is usually an A350. But can only see J seats around your dates on the 20th. As another possible suggestion, if you are forced to do a one-stop to get to London, you might be able to fly into London City (LCY) instead of Heathrow.

 

[yoyo]

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

Thanks, I got through on the phone finally with a call back and managed to book some flights. A couple of interesting things happened I thought I would share with you. First of all the agent said I couldn't book a code share with Air Nostrum which was the GRX-MAD flight. I insisted that I could and finally got it booked. Then she told me the flights were not released for the dates in June I wanted. She said they only go up to 17 June now. I said that I thought that was true for Qantas flights but CX are showing on the Qantas website. She put me on hold for a while but came back and booked it for me in the end. Just goes to show you need to persevere with what you think is right.

In the end, I booked RJ via Amman for TLV-LHR as there was nothing showing available with BA.

I am still nervous about the final YVR-MEl on CX. It is still too early for me to do that one. The taxes were more than I hoped at $1182 so far without the last leg. Does that sound about right?