Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Danger]

I did a dummy run again. Experimented on other routings and quite excited to see that as long as I broke no rules (like what you said – watch the airlines, stops, mileage, etc) the points top at 280k.

Say, I’m now happy with the routing and airlines provided by Qantas multi-city search, except for one segment say NRT-SYD, where QF was provided, but I prefer JL. I go to BA and I could see JL is available.

My next question is the execution. Do I go ahead and book all the segments bookable online except the QF flight I don’t like, then call Qantas to book the JL. OR do I bypass the online booking and just call? Which way is better?
Thanks again for your feedback.

If you can book it all online then go for it. Booking over the phone will incur a fee.

With respect to the NRT-SYD flight, some disagree with me but I'm certain not all oneworld airlines always offer the same award seats to all members. This may be an example where JL has released seats to BA but not QF. Or it may be that BA is showing phantom availability. Or it may similar be a bug in the QF system in which case try calling QF first and ask if the agent can see availability. If so, tell the agent what you're trying to do and you may get lucky and have the fee waived. If the agent can't find the seat then it's not bookable (at least not at the moment) and I would advise securing what you can immediately. I think it's fair to say that often with these awards it's not possible to book everything in one hit due to varied releases of award seats. This means that people often incur the 5k change fee. So if you can otherwise get what you're chasing, grab it now.

 

[leer30]

If you can book it all online then go for it. Booking over the phone will incur a fee.

With respect to the NRT-SYD flight, some disagree with me but I'm certain not all oneworld airlines always offer the same award seats to all members. This may be an example where JL has released seats to BA but not QF. Or it may be that BA is showing phantom availability. Or it may similar be a bug in the QF system in which case try calling QF first and ask if the agent can see availability. If so, tell the agent what you're trying to do and you may get lucky and have the fee waived. If the agent can't find the seat then it's not bookable (at least not at the moment) and I would advise securing what you can immediately. I think it's fair to say that often with these awards it's not possible to book everything in one hit due to varied releases of award seats. This means that people often incur the 5k change fee. So if you can otherwise get what you're chasing, grab it now.

IIRC, JL and MH flights are not yet bookable online with Qantas multi city booking engine. I believe they will become available to be booked online in the next few months.

 

[exceladdict]

I believe they will become available to be booked online in the next few months.

That would be great news (although would also result in more seats being taken) - do you have a source?

 

[Guvner]

That would be great news (although would also result in more seats being taken) - do you have a source?

https://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-plans-online-reward-bookings-for-malaysia-airlines-jal

 

[RoseD]

If you can book it all online then go for it. Booking over the phone will incur a fee.

With respect to the NRT-SYD flight, some disagree with me but I'm certain not all oneworld airlines always offer the same award seats to all members. This may be an example where JL has released seats to BA but not QF. Or it may be that BA is showing phantom availability. Or it may similar be a bug in the QF system in which case try calling QF first and ask if the agent can see availability. If so, tell the agent what you're trying to do and you may get lucky and have the fee waived. If the agent can't find the seat then it's not bookable (at least not at the moment) and I would advise securing what you can immediately. I think it's fair to say that often with these awards it's not possible to book everything in one hit due to varied releases of award seats. This means that people often incur the 5k change fee. So if you can otherwise get what you're chasing, grab it now.

Further to the execution process, say I got lucky and managed to book all segments online.
Do I then call Qantas for ticketing or ticketing happens automatically and sent to me via email?

Sometime later (trip hasn’t started yet) I found a better routing for one segment which is also bookable online.
How do I cancel the old segment and book the replacement segment? Do I do that thru “Manage your Booking” or do I call?

 

[snabbu]

Further to the execution process, say I got lucky and managed to book all segments online.
Do I then call Qantas for ticketing or ticketing happens automatically and sent to me via email?

Happens automatically. Each time I've successfully booked online I call up the following day to check with QF that all is well and ask how long the e-ticket should take to be issued.

Sometime later (trip hasn’t started yet) I found a better routing for one segment which is also bookable online.
How do I cancel the old segment and book the replacement segment? Do I do that thru “Manage your Booking” or do I call?

I don't have any first hand experience with this scenario (have only ever changed a ticket booked originally through the call centre) but I think you will need to call and accept the change fee.

 

[Danger]

IIRC, JL and MH flights are not yet bookable online with Qantas multi city booking engine . . .

Welcome, leer30.

You're correct. I completely forgot about that.

 

[RoseD]

Ok, for risk management /loss mitigation, let’s say I’m now booked, ticketed and ready to go for my first ever 280pt jaunt. Then something unfortunate happened before the trip (sickness, divorce, heaven forbids death). What is allowed to happen?

1. I forgo the trip/cancel the trip, lose the points (be very unhappy) OR
2. I forgo the trip/cancel the trip, points are returned (very happy, feeling lucky) OR
3. I rebook for a different time?

If I don’t go and lose the points is the loss claimable against travel insurance provided by the CC? I could argue that I used the CC in paying for the Fees/Taxes/Fuel charges. This may sound absurd.

 

[snabbu]

Ok, for risk management /loss mitigation, let’s say I’m now booked, ticketed and ready to go for my first ever 280pt jaunt. Then something unfortunate happened before the trip (sickness, divorce, heaven forbids death). What is allowed to happen?

1. I forgo the trip/cancel the trip, lose the points (be very unhappy) OR
2. I forgo the trip/cancel the trip, points are returned (very happy, feeling lucky) OR
3. I rebook for a different time?

If I don’t go and lose the points is the loss claimable against travel insurance provided by the CC? I could argue that I used the CC in paying for the Fees/Taxes/Fuel charges. This may sound absurd.

A couple of years ago I began a 280k ticket. After the second sector touched down I switched on my phone (connecting from the first flight so no stop overs yet) and received notice of a family emergency. Got straight onto the phone with QF and explained what happened and I needed to get onto the next flight home. Paid for the one way ticket back and was refunded the entire 280k points plus taxes.

I'm not sure if this is a published benefit or I was lucky to get a sympathetic operator but as you can imagine I was very happy with the outcome.

Accomodation/other costs were covered by my travel insurance.

 

[RoseD]

A couple of years ago I began a 280k ticket. After the second sector touched down I switched on my phone (connecting from the first flight so no stop overs yet) and received notice of a family emergency. Got straight onto the phone with QF and explained what happened and I needed to get onto the next flight home. Paid for the one way ticket back and was refunded the entire 280k points plus taxes.

I'm not sure if this is a published benefit or I was lucky to get a sympathetic operator but as you can imagine I was very happy with the outcome.

Accomodation/other costs were covered by my travel insurance.

Sweet! Music to my ears.

 

[Daver6]

Ok, for risk management /loss mitigation, let’s say I’m now booked, ticketed and ready to go for my first ever 280pt jaunt. Then something unfortunate happened before the trip (sickness, divorce, heaven forbids death). What is allowed to happen?

1. I forgo the trip/cancel the trip, lose the points (be very unhappy) OR
2. I forgo the trip/cancel the trip, points are returned (very happy, feeling lucky) OR
3. I rebook for a different time?

If I don’t go and lose the points is the loss claimable against travel insurance provided by the CC? I could argue that I used the CC in paying for the Fees/Taxes/Fuel charges. This may sound absurd.

You cancel the trip and pay the cancellation fee. Get the rest of the points and taxes back.

 

[rock86]

Hi all,

I've been trying to search awards for the J 'oneworld' award using the QF multi-search tool, but it keeps throwing up an error and not searching the flights. I've individually searched each flight (apart from Doha to JFK due to the restriction of originating out of Qatar), and all are showing flights on the days being searched. The below route also scrapes in under the 35,000 miles by a whisker as well.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[cjd600]

Hi all,

I've been trying to search awards for the J 'oneworld' award using the QF multi-search tool, but it keeps throwing up an error and not searching the flights. I've individually searched each flight (apart from Doha to JFK due to the restriction of originating out of Qatar), and all are showing flights on the days being searched. The below route also scrapes in under the 35,000 miles by a whisker as well.

What am I doing wrong?

View attachment 102832

the website is a little temperamental with these searches, especially when the number of legs gets above a few.
If you have availability searching 1-2-3 legs at a time, separately, to compile the above (married segment issues not withstanding) you'll need to call and have them put it together for you.

 

[RoseD]

Agree website sometimes temperamental. Happened with me with recent experimentation of routings. I tried to replicate your routing, LAS seems to trigger the error message.

 

[rock86]

Agree website sometimes temperamental. Happened with me with recent experimentation of routings. I tried to replicate your routing, LAS seems to trigger the error message.

Thanks for that, yeah it seems the LAS flights are the issue, and I'm not quite sure why.

Just trying to figure out routings for a fortnight in the US, but then a few months later we'd like to head to Japan for a few days for an event. Really trying to fit it all in the 35,00 miles, especially wanting to have a go at the new Qatar QSuite to JFK.

 

[yld200]

The status of my DOH>DXB flight on QR changed a few days ago to 'unable to fly' tonight it changed to cancelled. Waiting on a call back from QF to see where to from here.

My flight is on the 17th of Sept.

 

[rock86]

Just a quick question after reading the T&C of the oneworld reward. It only mentions that you can't have a stopover or 2 x transits through the same city, but nothing about travelling through the same country again.Whereas, I was led to believe you couldn't travel through the same country twice even if it was through separate ports?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Just a quick question after reading the T&C of the oneworld reward. It only mentions that you can't have a stopover or 2 x transits through the same city, but nothing about travelling through the same country again.Whereas, I was led to believe you couldn't travel through the same country twice even if it was through separate ports?

Other than the "country of origin" rule, you can return to a country multiple times, within the limits of the other rules.

So if your award departs Australia, you could include LAX, JFK, the another overseas port and return to DFW for example.

 

[rock86]

Other than the "country of origin" rule, you can return to a country multiple times, within the limits of the other rules.

So if your award departs Australia, you could include LAX, JFK, the another overseas port and return to DFW for example.

Ah that's right, that rule applies for all classic rewards doesn't it, silly me was just looking solely at the oneworld reward section!!

 

[Danger]

The status of my DOH>DXB flight on QR changed a few days ago to 'unable to fly' tonight it changed to cancelled. Waiting on a call back from QF to see where to from here.

My flight is on the 17th of Sept.

This would suggest QR is moving up their flight changes for the routes impacted by the Gulf States issues.

I'd be interested to know if Qantas breaks its own rules and allows you to fly EK on the sector, or if you're re-routed via AMM or even somewhere further afield.