Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Familyman1]

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

I'm going to try to book Oneworld 140,000 awards for my family (5 people) to travel around the world this time next year. It will have to correspond to the 6 week school holidays so getting the flights will be challenging and I know I will need to be flexible. The plan is to leave to Europe on Friday December 13th 2013 and fly home from USA on about Jan 25th 2014. The qantas flights to Europe on that date are just starting to become available on the online booking tool. After doing some reading on this thread last night, I'm thinking I will book the flights to Europe within the next few days (online) and change (complete) the booking later when the later flights become available. I would ring a consultant to complete the bookings.

Can anyone just confirm that this idea of booking half the flights now and half the flights later is within the rules? And will I be charged just the 3,500 point Change Fee per passenger (if so, it's a nice way to get lots of help with a booking without paying the full 6,000 points for an assisted booking).

Apologies if this subject has been covered before. In my defence, I did spend 30 minutes looking for it.

 

[coyote25]

That's going to be quite a challenge Familyman1. As for the fees QF have always waived the booking fee for me when making a change and only charged the change fee and any increase in 'taxes'.

Your strategy is probably the only way to have a chance. You might need to make sure the ticket is priced as a OW award from the first booking. This will present some problems as if so you will need 2 non QF flights.

For what you are trying ring the booking line and see if what you are proposing is feasible (the multi changing of the booking). Play the once in a lifetime family trip line and hopefully you get someone willing to help.

 

[wafliron]

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

Your strategy is probably the only way to have a chance. You might need to make sure the ticket is priced as a OW award from the first booking. This will present some problems as if so you will need 2 non QF flights.

I don't think this I'd correct? No personal experience, but I'm pretty sure earlier in this thread the advice was that you can book the initial segments as a standard one-way (or multi-stop) and when you change the booking later to add the extra segments it will re-price as a OW aware (assuming your booking now meets the fare rules).

 

[Princess Fiona]

I don't think this I'd correct? No personal experience, but I'm pretty sure earlier in this thread the advice was that you can book the initial segments as a standard one-way (or multi-stop) and when you change the booking later to add the extra segments it will re-price as a OW aware (assuming your booking now meets the fare rules).

I hope so too, as I have booked two J seats to LAX as classic awards which I'm going to add AA and CX flights as OW awards when the seats are released

 

[serfty]

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

Each change generally comes at a 3.5K per person plus applicable service points cost.

 

[fersea]

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

Is that 3.5k plus $80?

 

[JohnK]

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

Your strategy is probably the only way to have a chance. You might need to make sure the ticket is priced as a OW award from the first booking. This will present some problems as if so you will need 2 non QF flights.

You start off as a Classic award and build on it from there but there is no guarantee the service fee will be waived.

That is not to say though you cannot call back over and over again until you get a customer service agent who is willing to waive the service fee.

 

[coyote25]

Stand corrected, thanks guy this will make it easier to book next time

 

[Familyman1]

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

Thanks for your help everyone. I managed to book the first part of our trip yesterday. The on-line booking engine was playing up (it was refusing to complete the booking at the last step - turned out to be a problem with a Cathay flight), so I rang a consultant and he also had problems due to this Cathay flight and waived the service fees. We wanted to get to Lapland in Finland to experience somewhere very different in the lead up to Christmas, with some snow fun and hopefully the Northern Lights. Then onto Germany for the Christmas markets and general Christmas atmosphere. So the flights so far are: Brisbane QF525 to Sydney; QF87 to Hong Kong (23hr25min transit, so enough time to look around); CX709 to Bangkok (11hr25min transit, so enough time for a decent sleep in an airport hotel); AY96 to Helsinki (18hr transit, so enough time to check out their Christmas markets); AY465 to Ivalo (in Lapland near Saariselka where we will stay for 4 night); AY466 to Helsinki (1hr 15min transit); AY807 to Munich. The HK/Bangkok transits were the only way I found to avoid using up one of my 5 stopovers and avoid a trip of over 30hrs to get to Lapland. The Qantas consultant confirmed that I will be able to complete this booking later by paying 3,500 points per person plus 8,000 points (or $80) per person service fee. The ticket did not need to be priced as a OW award from the first booking. Taxes so far are about $500 per person.

I haven't planned the rest of the trip but we will probably use trains to experience more European Christmas/New Year atmosphere (other places in Germany and Austria), and 1 or 2 Easyjet cheap flights around Europe after Christmas (UK, Italy) before heading over to the US for our last 3 stopovers which will include New York and LA (Anaheim).

 

[fersea]

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

Thabksforposting this so we have it confirmed that adding sectors is 3500 points plus $80.

 

[dalereardon]

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

Is there any way of subscribing to this, or other, threads to be notified of updates?

Dale.

 

[Jacques Vert]

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

Is there any way of subscribing to this, or other, threads to be notified of updates?

Dale.

Click on thread tools and then "subscribe to thread".

 

[Grooba]

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

Click "Thread Tools" at the top of this page, then "Subscribe to this Thread".

edit: covered by Jacques Vert above.

 

[Speedbird001]

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

Agree, a challenge.

What is more of a challenge is finding an agent that knows what they're doing, especially out of their comfort MELSYDMEL knowledge!

That's going to be quite a challenge Familyman1. As for the fees QF have always waived the booking fee for me when making a change and only charged the change fee and any increase in 'taxes'.

Your strategy is probably the only way to have a chance. You might need to make sure the ticket is priced as a OW award from the first booking. This will present some problems as if so you will need 2 non QF flights.

For what you are trying ring the booking line and see if what you are proposing is feasible (the multi changing of the booking). Play the once in a lifetime family trip line and hopefully you get someone willing to help.

 

[markham30]

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

Apologies if this has been previously covered. I have come up with an itinerary using the OW planner for 2 x economy ATW departing around the end of May as follows:-
HBA-(MEL)-HKG-ROM,(own arangements),VCE-LHR-BCN-(MAD)-ORY-JFK-LAX-(DFW)-GIG-(SCL)-(SYD)-HBA

I have attempted a dummy award booking on the Qantas website but have been unsuccessful. Not all flights seem to be available for award booking.
I suppose my questions are: - Is an itinerary, which was successfully generated with the OW planner, able to be booked as a multi-city award booking with Qantas? Do I need to book by phone?

Taxes are around $1500 for that OW itinerary. If I were able to book that itinerary with Qantas, is that how much I will pay(plus the 280,000 points)?

 

[dalereardon]

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

Hi,

Just because the OW flights exist doesn't mean you will be able to secure award flight seats unfortunately.

There are not award seats on all flights and different classes are available. You may be able to do your itinerary in terms of the stopovers but you might need to take a different route or try different dates.

Perhaps check out the expert flyer website for assistance - they have a 5 day free trial.

You will need to be flexible with dates and the route though.

Dale.

 

[serfty]

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

When you post "the oneworld planner", do you mean oneworld planner on the oneworld web site?

If so, that is a purchased fare that basically books into L lass for economy.

A Qantas economy oneworld awards books into different award fare buckets which are generally scarcer than L.

These bookings are accessed here: Frequent Flyer

 

[flychrisfly]

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

Apologies if this has been previously covered. I have come up with an itinerary using the OW planner for 2 x economy ATW departing around the end of May as follows:-
HBA-(MEL)-HKG-ROM,(own arangements),VCE-LHR-BCN-(MAD)-ORY-JFK-LAX-(DFW)-GIG-(SCL)-(SYD)-HBA

I have attempted a dummy award booking on the Qantas website but have been unsuccessful. Not all flights seem to be available for award booking.
I suppose my questions are: - Is an itinerary, which was successfully generated with the OW planner, able to be booked as a multi-city award booking with Qantas? Do I need to book by phone?

Taxes are around $1500 for that OW itinerary. If I were able to book that itinerary with Qantas, is that how much I will pay(plus the 280,000 points)?

It's hard to tell, where are you actually stopping? From the way it's been written above it appears as either one stop in Rome/Venice or > 5 stops which is not permitted as a OneWorld Award redemption.

Yes, I believe the taxes/fees will be the same.

 

[markham30]

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

> 5 stops which is not permitted as a OneWorld Award redemption.

I should have read the Terms and Conditions more carefully! That explains a lot.

 

[dalereardon]

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

Hi,

I am sure 5 stopovers is permitted. See page 1 of this thread where the terms and conditions are posted and it says you can have up to 5 stopovers.

Dale.