Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Radio8tiv]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

I've had the same issue also with my OWA trip bookings, saying I couldn't get it ticketed because I had too many stopovers, due to the surface sector and also due to some longish transfers (I'm having three 20 hour plus transfers), but after reading out the rules to them they seem to be able to do it, was even told once they could only allow it because my surface sector was in the same country. HUCA is sometimes all that works and I found the online chat to have the most inexperienced CSR with getting a positive result only once out of three chats, was even told that I could not book an economy flight because it was on a business booking, even though it was an economy only flight. It's frustrating sometimes, but I'm enjoying the game/challenge, just try and try again.
Good luck holding onto your QR flights I've already lost mine twice and had them reinstated luckily, only one more change to go to finalise my trip.

 

[tandlj]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

....because I had too many stopovers, due to the surface sector....

So, can each stopover also be a surface segment, making five altogether? Or, as I recall reading somewhere, are only two surface segments permitted in a 35,000 miles ticket?

 

[Radio8tiv]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

So, can each stopover also be a surface segment, making five altogether? Or, as I recall reading somewhere, are only two surface segments permitted in a 35,000 miles ticket?

Yes I think they can be,
I'm only having the one surface sector so not too sure on the rules, but as far as I know you can have five stopovers, and each surface sector counts as a segment of which you can have sixteen (obviously not sixteen surface sectors), I have not seen any rules on the number of surface segments, but am happy to be corrected.
for instance I'm going from XRY-SVQ-MAD-BCN with train travel but will only count as XRY-BCN as a surface sector, the problem I was describing earlier was an error on the part of Qantas not knowing their own rules.

 

[ozflier]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

Its "Groundhog Day"
BAEC website is showing business award seat availability for 1 seat NRT - SYD 11 July.
Can QFF see it?
NO!
Exactly the same senario as 3 days ago when availability was recognised and my partner got her seat.
Now I thought, its my turn.
The call centre is clearly NZ so I'll wait an hour and hope for Hobart.
When I had a similar problem with a TAM OWA booking last year, similar happened until I discovered the fare class for their seats was not"U". I think it was "T" or maybe not. Once QFF checked that letter, the seats were ours.
Anyone any idea if similar applies to JAL?
Maybe also, there is some delay in QFF system scanning JAL award availability.
In any case, this is so frustrating.

 

[Danger]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

Its "Groundhog Day"
BAEC website is showing business award seat availability for 1 seat NRT - SYD 11 July.
Can QFF see it?
NO!
Exactly the same senario as 3 days ago when availability was recognised and my partner got her seat.
Now I thought, its my turn.
The call centre is clearly NZ so I'll wait an hour and hope for Hobart.
When I had a similar problem with a TAM OWA booking last year, similar happened until I discovered the fare class for their seats was not"U". I think it was "T" or maybe not. Once QFF checked that letter, the seats were ours.
Anyone any idea if similar applies to JAL?
Maybe also, there is some delay in QFF system scanning JAL award availability.
In any case, this is so frustrating.

As much as it should be, award availability across an alliance is not equal. I can certainly understand an airline holding more seats for its own passengers, but beyond that every partner airline should have access to the exact same number of seats. Sadly, that's not the case.

 

[yld200]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

So I added one of my final flights - NRT>SYD>MEL - on the 4th which hadn't sent the tickets to my email yet but I wasn't too worried since I don't fly til September next yr, my itinerary was correct on my bookings and I also use the myflightsapp to monitor my bookings all looked good. This morning I received a notification that my booking had changed, when I took a closer look all of my Qatar flights had dropped off my itinerary. Straight on the phone to QF - no wait time at 6.30am - and spoke to an agent who put me on hold for 20 minutes and came back saying that he needed to add our passport details to the booking. Strange I thought, I mentioned the Qatar ticketing issues and he said no it's just your details weren't in there and they rejected the booking, weird I thought since I had my Qatar flights ticketed previously. Anyway, he's added my details and I've left it with him to sort out, said he just needs to request seats get released on one of my flights and it would be sorted. I'll keep an eye on it over the next few days and will call if I don't hear anything within 24 hrs.

Flights are
ADL-DOH-DXB
DXB-DOH-ESB

PS - For those interested, MyFlightsApp does the job for me and sends me an email along with a notification every time my booking changes.

 

[ozflier]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

Well, I could still see the J award seat on JL 771 to SYDNEY in July 2017 next year on BAEC this morning.
I rang QFF again.
They could not see anything.
I told them the story as, how last weekend , another agent did something other than the usual click and check on "u" class availability and found a seat for my spouse which i could see its availability on BAEC.
God bless her, she had another go and ,after 15 minutes , hey presto found another J award seat for me. She suggested that JAL visibility not always the best and needs a special kind of search.
All our seats on our next OWA are now in J.
I am very grateful for the agents who have gone the extra mile to find availability for us and to the posters on this forum for their advice.

 

[Ultan Lankford]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

For those who add segments to a PNR with the likes of QR on there, I would advise bugging Qantas about ticketing it ASAP.
I had to ring up 3 more times for it to be done. OK, this is a bit of a hassle, but if you get someone half decent, they will do it for it there and then after putting you on hold for about 20 minutes.
Its better to bug them each day if necessary to see that its done.

 

[yld200]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

For those who add segments to a PNR with the likes of QR on there, I would advise bugging Qantas about ticketing it ASAP.
I had to ring up 3 more times for it to be done. OK, this is a bit of a hassle, but if you get someone half decent, they will do it for it there and then after putting you on hold for about 20 minutes.
Its better to bug them each day if necessary to see that its done.

Agree - It's a PITA and surely after the known ongoing issues, a fix would or an agreement should be in place by now

MyFlightsApp has updated to show the flights, but the ADL-DOH flight status is 'Ghost Segment - Confirmed'

The QF/QR issue is a PITA...

 

[fairbasa]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

Have a read through the last 20 or so pages of this thread, the QR issue is well documented. Unfortunately it's a lottery as to what CSR you get, some know about it in intimate detail, some deny there's any such issue with QR and ticketing and try to fob you off.

I wish QF would put out a memo to their CSRs or something about it.

 

[Danger]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

For those who add segments to a PNR with the likes of QR on there, I would advise bugging Qantas about ticketing it ASAP.
I had to ring up 3 more times for it to be done. OK, this is a bit of a hassle, but if you get someone half decent, they will do it for it there and then after putting you on hold for about 20 minutes.
Its better to bug them each day if necessary to see that its done.

Agree - It's a PITA and surely after the known ongoing issues, a fix would or an agreement should be in place by now

MyFlightsApp has updated to show the flights, but the ADL-DOH flight status is 'Ghost Segment - Confirmed'

The QF/QR issue is a PITA...

Have a read through the last 20 or so pages of this thread, the QR issue is well documented. Unfortunately it's a lottery as to what CSR you get, some know about it in intimate detail, some deny there's any such issue with QR and ticketing and try to fob you off.

I wish QF would put out a memo to their CSRs or something about it.

I, too, have encountered this QF issue with QR more than once, most recently just a few days ago. Reviewing my oneworld Explorer (paid) 16 stop fare online I noticed two QR segments missing. Going back over previous confirmation emails (after routine date and time changes) it turns out the two flights dropped off two months ago! I called QF. The agent said QR cancelled the flights out (not cancelled the flights from operating) because a ticket number hadn't been attached after I made a date change. I found that strange as I have six QR flights and only two dropped off. Anyway, the agent acknowledged it was QF's error and was able to put the flights back in. If there hadn't have been availability in the correct bucket, though, it may have got messy.

 

[travelislife]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

Its "Groundhog Day"
BAEC website is showing business award seat availability for 1 seat NRT - SYD 11 July.
Can QFF see it?
NO!
Exactly the same senario as 3 days ago when availability was recognised and my partner got her seat.
Now I thought, its my turn.
The call centre is clearly NZ so I'll wait an hour and hope for Hobart.
When I had a similar problem with a TAM OWA booking last year, similar happened until I discovered the fare class for their seats was not"U". I think it was "T" or maybe not. Once QFF checked that letter, the seats were ours.
Anyone any idea if similar applies to JAL?
Maybe also, there is some delay in QFF system scanning JAL award availability.
In any case, this is so frustrating.

Common problem with JL flights. Need to ask agent to open another window as they use a different system. BAEC is usually accurate.

 

[yld200]

Re: One world Round The World Business booking using Qantas points.

Anyone have experience selecting seats on JL?

I logged into my reservation through the JL site and have selected some seats which is good. However, when I log into my booking on the QR website, my seats do not appear as being selected.

 

[fairbasa]

When you log back in to JL's site do the selections still appear? If so I wouldn't be worried.

When I selected seats on JL I just rang them.

 

[melbkate]

Thanks so much to all the people and info on this thread plus the Credit Card thread as have now book this fab itinerary for next May June for me and my partner all on Business Class yay for 6 weeks! 280,000 points plus $1572 taxes all up

MEL-HKG-CDG CX STOP
surface Paris to Bordeaux
BDO-MAD-LIS IB STOP
surface Lisbon to Madrid
MAD-CTA IB STOP
surface Catania to Milan
MXP-HEL AY STOP
HEL-NRT JL STOP
NRT-MEL QF

So thrilled. Did not even know I could do this until reading this thread earlier this year. Thought you had to go around the world and no interest in Americas. So thanks for the intel guys! Kate

 

[blu]

Been looking for a while at a J itinerary (going RTW) for early 2018.
Have some questions for the US sectors:

For DUB/LHR-DFW: would AA 773 be better choice than BA's 744?

DFW-SLC and then SLC-LAX (or SFO): do you have to use AA metal, & not Compass-American Eagle?

 

[flapper]

I have a basic question about starting a rtw award booking.
If I book the first flight J to Europe my booking will be a standard one way booking.
Can I then add flights to this booking as the become available and when I meet the other criteria will it convert to the 280K J rtw?
I read this thread often but haven't seen this question asked before though I'm sure it has.

 

[ozflier]

I have a basic question about starting a rtw award booking.
If I book the first flight J to Europe my booking will be a standard one way booking.
Can I then add flights to this booking as the become available and when I meet the other criteria will it convert to the 280K J rtw?
I read this thread often but haven't seen this question asked before though I'm sure it has.

That's correct.
You can add flights to this booking as they become available and, as long as you meet all the other rules and restrictions, the total points needed will get to 280,000 and stay there - no matter how many extra flights you add.
You will be up for extra points however each time you alter your booking.

 

[blu]

If I book the first flight J to Europe my booking will be a standard one way booking.
Can I then add flights to this booking as the become available and when I meet the other criteria will it convert to the 280K J rtw?

Book either single city or multi-city award online. With one or more flights. This will be a normal Classic Award until the OW Award conditions are met.
More flights can be added later, but not online. You need to ring the QF call centre and will be charged a service fee per passenger. Cost used to be 3,000 points, may have recently increased to 5,000 per pax/per call?
Itinerary doesn't need to be RTW, but can be.
Don't expect to see much availability on Qantas aircraft unless QFF Gold+ (particularly if after two awards). You may have to select seats on Qatar, Cathay or BA which will have better availability, but may involve a transit with a longer route (eg: DOH, HKG, SIN or BKK).
You can change flights if QF becomes available later (maybe around T-330 to 320 days). However, QR A380 to the UK is very good (maybe available earlier around T-360).
Fuel penalties (costs) vary with each airline. QF & BA are the worst, then possibly QR. And LHR departure taxes are best avoided.

 

[blu]

forgot to add - do not make a QF codeshared booking on Emirates (not OW) & can't become a OW award.
Familiarise yourself with the OW partners. Most will not show on QF and require extra work to find before booking (like Japan Airlines, Malaysian).