Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[roomer]

CX opened up at least 10 days ago and it's the end of the school holidays. Fridays ex-north america are also traditionally no good for CX award availability.

There's nothing +/- 3 days of 06/10/2017 for through-connecting availability for LAX to ADL.

Any of the below I can guarantee will be visible to QF as I'm searching under QF's availability. Sometimes they may need to put in the HKG-AU flight first, then the LAX-HKG. Other times they need to put in the LAX-HKG first then the HKG-AU.

Wow ! Thanks very much madrooster - I'll take that away and digest !

 

[madrooster]

Wow ! Thanks very much madrooster - I'll take that away and digest !

There's nothing for SFO-ADL either +/- 3 days.

 

[roomer]

CX opened up at least 10 days ago and it's the end of the school holidays. Fridays ex-north america are also traditionally no good for CX award availability.

There's nothing +/- 3 days of 06/10/2017 for through-connecting availability for LAX to ADL.

Any of the below I can guarantee will be visible to QF as I'm searching under QF's availability. Sometimes they may need to put in the HKG-AU flight first, then the LAX-HKG. Other times they need to put in the LAX-HKG first then the HKG-AU.

The closest I can find for you for LAX-SYD:

** AMADEUS AVAILABILITY - AN ** SYD SYDNEY.AUNS                    352 SU 08OCT 0000
 1   CX 885  U2                   /LAX B HKG 1  1255    1855+1E0/77W
     CX 161  U2                   /HKG 1 SYD 1  2130+1  0945+2E0/333      26:50
 2   CX 885  U4                   /LAX B HKG 1  1255    1855+1E0/77W
     CX 101  U4                   /HKG 1 SYD 1  2355+1  1155+2E0/77W      29:00
 3   CX 897  U2                   /LAX B HKG 1  0930    1525+1E0/77W
     CX 161  U2                   /HKG 1 SYD 1  2130+1  0945+2E0/333      30:15
 4   CX 897  U4 T2                /LAX B HKG 1  0930    1525+1E0/77W
     CX 101  U4 T2                /HKG 1 SYD 1  2355+1  1155+2E0/77W      32:25

Another option for LAX-MEL (overnight needed in HKG):

** AMADEUS AVAILABILITY - AN ** MEL MELBOURNE.AUVI                 350 FR 06OCT 0000
 1   CX 897  U2                   /LAX B HKG 1  0930    1525+1E0/77W
     CX 163  U2                   /HKG 1 MEL 2  1035+2  2255+2E0/77W      43:25

Another option for LAX-MEL:

** AMADEUS AVAILABILITY - AN ** MEL MELBOURNE.AUVI                 351 SA 07OCT 0000
 1   CX 897  U1                   /LAX B HKG 1  0930    1525+1E0/77W
     CX 105  U1                   /HKG 1 MEL 2  0010+2  1225+2E0/359      32:55

Another option for LAX-MEL (overnight needed for #2 and #3 below):

** AMADEUS AVAILABILITY - AN ** MEL MELBOURNE.AUVI                 352 SU 08OCT 0000
 1   CX 897  U2                   /LAX B HKG 1  0930    1525+1E0/77W
     CX 135  U2                   /HKG 1 MEL 2  1910+1  0725+2E0/333      27:55
 2   CX 885  U2                   /LAX B HKG 1  1255    1855+1E0/77W
     CX 163  U2                   /HKG 1 MEL 2  1035+2  2255+2E0/77W      40:00
 3   CX 897  U2 X9                /LAX B HKG 1  0930    1525+1E0/77W
     CX 163  U2 X9                /HKG 1 MEL 2  1035+2  2255+2E0/77W      43:25

I was hold to Qantas but in the interim I looked on the Qantas site and the HKG-SYD or HKG-MELB werent available in J for the first and third options you mentioned ( cant have a overnight in HKG as we will be doing a stopover there on the way over). My intention was to ask Qantas to relook at my ADL one as you had suggested but unfortunately , its still no go.

This chap did say they are there but not for the likes of me who have a booking already - they are prime seats for first time bookers or those with platinum.

He did say not to worry too much , there will be seats available at some point. His parting words were not to worry too much but " be patient and but vigilant", so that is what I shall do

 

[madrooster]

I was hold to Qantas but in the interim I looked on the Qantas site and the HKG-SYD or HKG-MELB werent available in J for the first and third options you mentioned ( cant have a overnight in HKG as we will be doing a stopover there on the way over). My intention was to ask Qantas to relook at my ADL one as you had suggested but unfortunately , its still no go.

This chap did say they are there but not for the likes of me who have a booking already - they are prime seats for first time bookers or those with platinum.

He did say not to worry too much , there will be seats available at some point. His parting words were not to worry too much but " be patient and but vigilant", so that is what I shall do

No - you cannot look at each leg separately. You will not find the availability this way.

You can overnight in HKG even if you have a previous stopover (> 24 hours) there. As long as the stay is < 24 hours, it counts as a transit and is OK. All of the options that I posted previously are visible to QF. Just feed them one flight at a time for whichever option you would like.

 

[roomer]

No - you cannot look at each leg separately. You will not find the availability this way.

You can overnight in HKG even if you have a previous stopover (> 24 hours) there. As long as the stay is < 24 hours, it counts as a transit and is OK. All of the options that I posted previously are visible to QF. Just feed them one flight at a time for whichever option you would like.

Understood madrooster, Qantas can see them, they just can't give them to me as a business class oneworld award ie280k point thing. I was told I'd have to do them under a separate booking which means I can't get it within the 280 point cap

 

[madrooster]

Understood madrooster, Qantas can see them, they just can't give them to me as a business class oneworld award ie280k point thing. I was told I'd have to do them under a separate booking which means I can't get it within the 280 point cap

What was their reason for that? The only reason would be if you were over the 35000 miles limit.

 

[roomer]

What was their reason for that? The only reason would be if you were over the 35000 miles limit.

No nothing like that at all. Apparently the seats are only available for new bookings or those with platinum status. I was told that because mine was not a new booking I could not get it ie I wanted as part of my 280k cap but could only get it if I did a separate booking ( which clearly I do not) . Don't know anymore than that. Damn annoying to have finally found something that is available but because of some obscure reason, I cannot book it

 

[madrooster]

No nothing like that at all. Apparently the seats are only available for new bookings or those with platinum status. I was told that because mine was not a new booking I could not get it ie I wanted as part of my 280k cap but could only get it if I did a separate booking ( which clearly I do not) . Don't know anymore than that. Damn annoying to have finally found something that is available but because of some obscure reason, I cannot book it

PM me which option you want and your booking reference/one of the names in the booking and I'll see if I can see what's wrong with it.

 

[roomer]

PM me which option you want and your booking reference/one of the names in the booking and I'll see if I can see what's wrong with it.

Many, many thanks to madrooster for his advice and assistance! Finally got the journey home organised, albeit a week later than anticipated, thankfully the extra accom costs will be heavily subsidised by the savings in taxes and charges flying home with Cathay compared to Qantas. Now just to get internal flight IHG-LAX...

 

[EestiTiger]

Hi team - quick question...

I am about to drop status from PS to NB and curious to know if this will affect what award seats I can see when I use the QF search engine, for AA flights?

I have one last flight to book to complete my OW Award booking so a little excited

 

[Radio8tiv]

i have been planning a trip for quite a while now and am almost ready to book, I keep checking daily at the new releases and am getting pretty excited. However I have noticed a flight that was available seems to have disappeared completely and has been replaced with something different. I was originally looking at IB3954 MAD-SVQ for a hopeful early-mid November filght next year it is operated by Iberia Express but being an oneworld affiliate this should not have been an issue and could see availability on baec for the flight, now the closest flight is IB8522 MAD-SVQ operated by Air Nostrum which is also an oneworld affiliate so again should be no issue, but I cant see the flight on qantas or baec for an award booking. should i be worried and look at alternatives, or just wait till I'm ready to book and ring Qantas to add it to my trip

 

[madrooster]

U2 X4 on all 3 flights each day at the end of the schedule (mid Oct 2017) so you should be fine going into Nov 2017. Do you have a specific date to look at?

 

[Radio8tiv]

U2 X4 on all 3 flights each day at the end of the schedule (mid Oct 2017) so you should be fine going into Nov 2017. Do you have a specific date to look at?

thanks for the quick reply

no date as yet pretty flexible just depends on when i go with the previous flights to that one, which will be QR909 SYD-DOH on a Monday,Wed,Fri followed by QR147 DOH-MAD which only flies on Wed,Fri,Sun then onto SVQ hoping for a <24hours stopover in Doha, if not then Ill go with QR149. like I said im pretty flexible as you have to be to book one of these

 

[madrooster]

thanks for the quick reply


no date as yet pretty flexible just depends on when i go with the previous flights to that one, which will be QR909 SYD-DOH on a Monday,Wed,Fri followed by QR147 DOH-MAD which only flies on Wed,Fri,Sun then onto SVQ hoping for a <24hours stopover in Doha, if not then Ill go with QR149. like I said im pretty flexible as you have to be to book one of these

You'll be fine for MAD-SVQ then. Plenty of availability.

 

[wokstar]

Called up Qantas again today to try and add some JAL flights to my 280k J award booking, but was unable to get any seats... this was despite there being available award seats shown on both BA Executive Club & JAL Mileage Bank.

Does anyone have any suggestions that I could pass onto the Qantas rep next time I call?

I don't want to wait too much longer as I'm trying to get seats from NRT > SYD on JL771 in Sep 2017 and going by JAL mileage bank, there are typically only 2 J seats available (and I need 2 for the missus & myself) and those 2 seats are usually taken within days of being available.

Help please?!
TIA!

 

[flychrisfly]

many, many thanks to madrooster for his advice and assistance! Finally got the journey home organised, albeit a week later than anticipated, thankfully the extra accom costs will be heavily subsidised by the savings in taxes and charges flying home with cathay compared to qantas. Now just to get internal flight ihg-lax...

ihg?? ?

 

[madrooster]

ihg?? ?

Probably confused Intercontinental with Houston Intercontinental...

 

[fairbasa]

Called up Qantas again today to try and add some JAL flights to my 280k J award booking, but was unable to get any seats... this was despite there being available award seats shown on both BA Executive Club & JAL Mileage Bank.

Does anyone have any suggestions that I could pass onto the Qantas rep next time I call?

I don't want to wait too much longer as I'm trying to get seats from NRT > SYD on JL771 in Sep 2017 and going by JAL mileage bank, there are typically only 2 J seats available (and I need 2 for the missus & myself) and those 2 seats are usually taken within days of being available.

Help please?!
TIA!

I had the same issue a couple of days back, except I was booking JL017. First rep I spoke to swore black and blue there was no availability on the date I was looking at (despite it being available on BA Exec Club site). I HUCA, got a different operator...boom...booked no problems at all!

Just try ringing again.

 

[wokstar]

I did call back later that day and did manage to get seats "booked". However taxes couldn't get calculated and payment from a previous change a week earlier also didn't process fully so it's gone to be 'manually processed'.

So I'm still a bit unsure whether or not I've got the seats or not. Like last time, the changes are shown if I look through the 'manage my booking' thing in my QFF account, however I haven't had any points deducted or have a new e-ticket issued.

Does anyone have any experience in how long it would normally take for taxes to be manually calculated? It has been >24hours already.

Also does anyone have any experience in booking domestic flights in Japan? Again, the operator that successfully booked the international flight but couldn't get any seats on a connecting domestic flight.

 

[fairbasa]

I did call back later that day and did manage to get seats "booked". However taxes couldn't get calculated and payment from a previous change a week earlier also didn't process fully so it's gone to be 'manually processed'.

So I'm still a bit unsure whether or not I've got the seats or not. Like last time, the changes are shown if I look through the 'manage my booking' thing in my QFF account, however I haven't had any points deducted or have a new e-ticket issued.

Does anyone have any experience in how long it would normally take for taxes to be manually calculated? It has been >24hours already.

Also does anyone have any experience in booking domestic flights in Japan? Again, the operator that successfully booked the international flight but couldn't get any seats on a connecting domestic flight.

Which airlines do you have in your booking? If QR then I would be straight on the phone and hassling them to ticket the booking immediately.

Did you specify you want it to be sent to the "priority ticketing queue"? Whilst still manual, it shouldn't take more than 2 days or so. If not, they often won't ticket the booking for months if the flights are a long way off still.