Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[azza_1992]

I've been on the look out for a while and finally - the stars have aligned - and award availability is there for a trip to Korea and Italy next year.

Couple of quick questions before I book:

- Can the call centre delete and change flights once initially booked, or only add additional segments?

- In June next year there's heaps of FCO to DOH availability on QR but no DOH to FCO availability showing on the website - it tries to route me through London on BA. Can this BA preference be worked around? Am I likely to have better luck with the call centre in getting a direct DOH to FCO award on QR?

 

[jaseb]

It’s comprehensive. I received three or four possible combinations of flights for my desired itinerary. It’s essentially a travel agent for award bookings. Though you still have to book yourself.

I’d recommend it for people who are time poor, have limited experience redeeming premium awards, or who will only redeem infrequently and can’t justify the cost of tools like award nexus.

I was a trial user, so it was free to me, so I can’t comment on the rate.

What is the platform called?

 

[wentworthmeister]

Question - if I book the overall OWA trip in Economy, am I able to use points to upgrade to Business on the Qantas flights at either end of the trip?

 

[ellen10]

I've been on the look out for a while and finally - the stars have aligned - and award availability is there for a trip to Korea and Italy next year.

Couple of quick questions before I book:

- Can the call centre delete and change flights once initially booked, or only add additional segments?

- In June next year there's heaps of FCO to DOH availability on QR but no DOH to FCO availability showing on the website - it tries to route me through London on BA. Can this BA preference be worked around? Am I likely to have better luck with the call centre in getting a direct DOH to FCO award on QR?

- Yes the call centre can delete and change flights, as well as add segments.

- I remembering reading somewhere further back that you cannot book QR reward flights departing DOH. I have QR flights from Madrid to Singapore via Doha but it was part of an all inclusive flight.

I am fairly new to these kind of bookings, so there may be other more experienced people with further knowledge.

 

[azza_1992]

Thanks Ellen.

I read this morning that you can't book trips starting in DOH due to the Qantas booking engine being unable to handle the local currency.

However, even when trying to view availability on ex-DOH segments (i.e. DOH-FCO) by searching for a trip starting somewhere eligible (i.e. with a dummy FCO-DOH or HKG-DOH a few days before), the Qantas site is unwilling to show me any ex-DOH segments.

Anyone else experienced this?

 

[cjd600]

I've been on the look out for a while and finally - the stars have aligned - and award availability is there for a trip to Korea and Italy next year.

Couple of quick questions before I book:

- Can the call centre delete and change flights once initially booked, or only add additional segments?

- In June next year there's heaps of FCO to DOH availability on QR but no DOH to FCO availability showing on the website - it tries to route me through London on BA. Can this BA preference be worked around? Am I likely to have better luck with the call centre in getting a direct DOH to FCO award on QR?

I can see plenty of DOH-FCO legs on QR searching FCO-DOH return.
You dont mention travel class or dates, but I was searching J for 2

 

[azza_1992]

I can see plenty of DOH-FCO legs on QR searching FCO-DOH return.
You dont mention travel class or dates, but I was searching J for 2

Yeah J for 2 in mid-June 2018.

A specific example:
- FCO-DOH on 18 June shows Y and J availability on all three direct flights
- DOH-FCO on 20 June show no QR flights at all

If guess if it's just a date thing, I'm out of luck and will have to work around it!

 

[cjd600]

Yeah J for 2 in mid-June 2018.

A specific example:
- FCO-DOH on 18 June shows Y and J availability on all three direct flights
- DOH-FCO on 20 June show no QR flights at all

If guess if it's just a date thing, I'm out of luck and will have to work around it!

Ah, ok, in June it'll most likely be purely an availability issue, as they would have been released 5 months ago, and likely snapped up...into the European summer

 

[Captain Halliday]

What is the platform called?

It’s an AFF service. See here:
Frequent Flyer Solutions Centre

 

[flychrisfly]

Question - if I book the overall OWA trip in Economy, am I able to use points to upgrade to Business on the Qantas flights at either end of the trip?

Nope. You can book them as separate flights though.

 

[flychrisfly]

Compiling a OneWorld Award and can't decide on my first leg from Sydney to Madrid. Options:
BA First SYD-SIN-LHR-MAD on B777 then A380 then A320 or
QR Business SYD-DOH-MAD on B777 both sectors.
Sector count is not an issue and I'm happy to stop over in more places. I was wondering about service and experience...

 

[wentworthmeister]

Nope. You can book them as separate flights though.

How would that work with the OWA requirement to start/end at the same port? And I'd assume that would negate most of the value of doing the OWA on points (the direct flights purchased on points separately would be a significant points hit).

 

[cjd600]

How would that work with the OWA requirement to start/end at the same port? And I'd assume that would negate most of the value of doing the OWA on points (the direct flights purchased on points separately would be a significant points hit).

Thats not a requirement....you can start/end where you like.
Mileage back to original port will count as part of the 35k though

 

[cambriamarsh]

Just booked our first 280k J OWA for the MD and me, so some data points in return for all the help I've had on this site

23/9/19 AKL SYD QF142 J

23/9/19 SYD HKG QF117 Y

24/9/19 HKG TLV CX675 J

2/10/19 TLV LHR BA166 J

7/10/19 LGW NAP BA2606 J

10/10/19 NAP LGW BA2607 Y (while J award available for some reason it blew the taxes out)

10/10/19 LHR IAD BA293 J

13/10/19 DCA LGA AA4333 Y

13/10/19 JFK LAX QF12 Y

13/10 19 LAX SYD QF12 Y

15/10/19 SYD AKL QF143 J

Total taxes $NZ2605

 

[blu]

Hi, will be planning 3rd OWA soon. Haven't done US before (& AA). Would I just use BAEC for checking availability or do I need to use AAdvantage? Is AA domestic First = J?

 

[Kangol]

Hi, will be planning 3rd OWA soon. Haven't done US before (& AA). Would I just use BAEC for checking availability or do I need to use AAdvantage? Is AA domestic First = J?

Just use QFF - AA award flights will show online.
On a 2 class flight, domestic F is coded as J, even though it's called F.
On a 3 class transcon, F is F and J is J (and Y is Y).

 

[Kangarucci]

Hi. I just wanted to share my experience booking my first Oneworld award J ticket. After reading through this thread and searching online, I finally bit the bullet and booked the first half of our trip online.

I phoned Qantas, to add the flights home from Europe, and after an hour was speaking to the customer service rep. The lovely CSR found seats on more convenient flights and booked these for us. All sweet.

Two days ago, I receive a text from QF stating that my departing flight from Aus, MEL to HKG via BNE, had changed and to contact them. They wanted to book us onto an earlier flight from MEL but I asked if there was a direct flight available, MEL/HKG, which she was happy to book us on. All sweet again.

When I checked my itinerary the next morning, the QR flights from FRA to NRT via DOH had disappeared! Panic sets in. I check online for availability on these flights and nothing is showing. I phone QF and after an hour wait, I am connected to Jessica who finds availability once again and books, although we are spread out in the cabin.

After searching online and possibly recall in actually reading it in this thread but forgotten, that others have had the same experience when altering their itinerary when having QR flights. Fortunately and surprisingly for me it worked out but others have not been as lucky.

So please if you have QR flights in your itinerary and change or add flights to it, check with the CSR then and there that the QR flights remain and don't vanish without any warning.

Thank you to all who have contributed to this thread. It has been a wealth of information and made a daunting task somewhat less so.

 

[ellen10]

Well done @Kangarucci It is a daunting experience doing your first booking. I did my first one a few weeks ago and it was quite stressful but a great feeling when it comes together. Such a wealth of information on this thread.
Thanks also for your hints on watching QR flights with booking changes.

 

[Warren Mason]

Thanks for the info. About 2 weeks till we start our first booking and the information from everyone has been a great help. I think I have the forward flights sorted but getting home is going to be harder than I originally thought. Any one have ideas on the best way to get home from Milan without going via London?

 

[Kangol]

Thanks for the info. About 2 weeks till we start our first booking and the information from everyone has been a great help. I think I have the forward flights sorted but getting home is going to be harder than I originally thought. Any one have ideas on the best way to get home from Milan without going via London?

Via HKG?