Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[JohnK]

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

Anyone know a way to get to NRT from somewhere in Oz on a full Oneworld flight? I'm keen to go there & then pick up the daytime flight across to NYC. My other option would be to purchase the Jetstar leg & just include it in my sector count, which would be fine as not planning many other stops but would rather save the cash...

I think QF21 SYD-NRT is your best bet.

If you do not want this flight then you may have to think about connecting in SIN/BKK/HKG with a combination of QF/JL or QF/CX. The connection QF/JL in BKK is ~3 hours getting into NRT ~9:30am. I know CX has some late flights from HKG going via TPE to NRT.

Of course you are going to need find award availability on these flights.

 

[garybatz]

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

I think QF21 SYD-NRT is your best bet.

If you do not want this flight then you may have to think about connecting in SIN/BKK/HKG with a combination of QF/JL or QF/CX. The connection QF/JL in BKK is ~3 hours getting into NRT ~9:30am. I know CX has some late flights from HKG going via TPE to NRT.

Of course you are going to need find award availability on these flights.

Thanks JohnK.

Agree with you about availability being an issue. From Tokyo I'd hope to pick up the JAL NRT-JFK daylight flight - have been doing test searches via Qantas.com.au but cannot get that flight to come up at all, at any time throughout the year. I can only get the AA flight which is overnight so not my preference.

Does anyone have info on getting hold of the JAL flight? Perhaps it would need to be done over the phone?

 

[Batesy]

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

Looking to go SYD-YVR-any NYC airport-ZIH Mexico-SYD Depart around 14 Dec 2013. Want to do oneworld award in J for 280K for two.
Ideas folks? Points not an issue.

Thanks to all who have provided feedback.
Ended up buying two J tickets on sale last week SYD-LAX-YVR and the LAX-SYD on QF for just over $6200 per pax. Just gotta sort out internal flights in USA/Mexico.

 

[Grooba]

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

I've never seen a JL flight come up using the QF award page, not sure they allow access to their award inventory online.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Thanks JohnK.

Agree with you about availability being an issue. From Tokyo I'd hope to pick up the JAL NRT-JFK daylight flight - have been doing test searches via Qantas.com.au but cannot get that flight to come up at all, at any time throughout the year. I can only get the AA flight which is overnight so not my preference.

Does anyone have info on getting hold of the JAL flight? Perhaps it would need to be done over the phone?

Award Nexus has JAL ( and multiple other) awards inventory. It is available via a paid subscription. It is also possible ( I think) to sign up to JAL Mileage Bank free of charge and search that way.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I completed my booking by phone today as the return flights were available, booking was added onto existing Classic Awards SYD-LAX
Managed to get 2 x J seats on JFK-YVR-HKG-SYD all flights CX
Boys are happy as they will finally get to Whistler
Haven't quite maxed out the mileage or stopovers in the US but working on that
Thanks to everyone for their help

 

[aikman]

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

Does anyone have info on getting hold of the JAL flight? Perhaps it would need to be done over the phone?

The call centre should be able to give you availability. I just did a quick check and only three days in July had a seat available on the NRT-JFK flight. I used ba.com to check availability. It's free and it shows availability on ALL oneworld airlines including how many award seats are left on the flight.

 

[flychrisfly]

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

I used ba.com to check availability. It's free and it shows availability on ALL oneworld airlines including how many award seats are left on the flight.

Ooooooo! This would be very useful, can you please explain where in ba.com this is available as I couldn't find anything. Thanks!

 

[Princess Fiona]

Ooooooo! This would be very useful, can you please explain where in ba.com this is available as I couldn't find anything. Thanks!

Need to join Executive Club and search for Avios redemptions

 

[garybatz]

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

Ooooooo! This would be very useful, can you please explain where in ba.com this is available as I couldn't find anything. Thanks!

I've registered with BA & can access the FF pages but can't seem to use the search function. When I click on the check availability link I get this error message:

"Application is about to restart

This has to be updated by a message resource label."

Anyone know what this means? Thanks

 

[aikman]

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

You might be in the wrong section. Go to "Book flights with Avios", not "Explore and check availability".

 

[Ken1]

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

Need to join Executive Club and search for Avios redemptions

Did you use a UK address to join the BA Executive Club? When I tried to join when going to ba.com with Australia as the country it tells you to join QFF. I then changed the country to UK but after filling out all my details it wouldn't let me join - I got the following message:

"Error
We apologise, you cannot enrol in the British Airways Executive Club in your proposed country of residence. click here for details."

 

[Princess Fiona]

Did you use a UK address to join the BA Executive Club? When I tried to join when going to ba.com with Australia as the country it tells you to join QFF. I then changed the country to UK but after filling out all my details it wouldn't let me join - I got the following message:

"Error
We apologise, you cannot enrol in the British Airways Executive Club in your proposed country of residence. click here for details."

Yes I did, I still have a UK mailing address.

 

[serfty]

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

I often get emails to my BAEC account email showing BA flight specials from Vienna, Salzburg & Innsbruk ...

 

[Ken1]

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

Yes I did, I still have a UK mailing address.

Thanks Princess Fiona. I've signed up with a U.S. mailing address as we have a cousin living there. We're doing a J One World Award 280K trip to South America and then through to Europe early next year and being able to see LAN flights on the BA website is very useful for our planning rather than having to rely on Qantas staff to tell me different options when I call. I've already booked SYD-LAX in January and will soon book the next sector, flying down to South America.

 

[Knid]

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

Does arriving & departing from different airports in the same city (e.g. LGA->JFK) count towards the flight/mileage count?

Kind

 

[Danger]

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

Does arriving & departing from different airports in the same city (e.g. LGA->JFK) count towards the flight/mileage count?

Kind

Apparently not. I booked a five stop Economy award for my parents last year. It included an arrival into New York JFK and a departure from New York La Guardia. It counted as if it was one airport.

 

[bryanjones]

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

WOW - what an awesome thread, have just spent the past few weeks reading it over and over so I make sure I understand. I'm so excited as I have saved (and begged and borrowed) enough points for 2xJ awards. I have long service leave coming up in January next year and am planning on taking 10 weeks off to go and travel.

I'd love to hear any advice anyone has on itineraries. SWMBO has listed an extensive list of countries and I know I wont get to all of them on the one ticket. I noticed this particularly good routing in a previous post SYD-SCL-MEX-ORD-xJFK-BCN-xHEL-BKK-SYD, i.e. get to see South America, North America, Europe & Asia. I guess my question is - how could we optimise this under the rules?

SWMBO is keen to see:
- Machu Pichu
- Ski somewhere in Canada
- Go sailing in Croatia
- Historical "stuff" in Europe
- A bit of a beach holiday in Asia

Thanks for any assistance!

 

[aikman]

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

Seat availability is always a challenge with these things and availability will most likely dictate what your final itinerary will look like. I'd be shocked if you got seats on your first preferred itinerary and dates. Have a look at seat availability on various routes and build your itinerary that way. Your checklist is doable though. Machu Picchu I think is especially good value for these awards since it would otherwise be so expensive to go there. Reminds me of my first redemption where I visited Machu Picchu, the Pyramids and Petra in the one trip.

 

[vetrade]

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

WOW - what an awesome thread, have just spent the past few weeks reading it over and over so I make sure I understand. I'm so excited as I have saved (and begged and borrowed) enough points for 2xJ awards. I have long service leave coming up in January next year and am planning on taking 10 weeks off to go and travel.

I'd love to hear any advice anyone has on itineraries. SWMBO has listed an extensive list of countries and I know I wont get to all of them on the one ticket. I noticed this particularly good routing in a previous post SYD-SCL-MEX-ORD-xJFK-BCN-xHEL-BKK-SYD, i.e. get to see South America, North America, Europe & Asia. I guess my question is - how could we optimise this under the rules?

SWMBO is keen to see:
- Machu Pichu
- Ski somewhere in Canada
- Go sailing in Croatia
- Historical "stuff" in Europe
- A bit of a beach holiday in Asia

Thanks for any assistance!

Gee Bryan that's a pretty broad/vague wish list -eg there's historical "stuff" all over Europe and many great beaches in Asia etc. You really do need to be more specific. Look up tripadvisor and read up on the trip reports there to get some ideas. Sounds like you need to first decide where your 5 stopovers are going to be based in large part on the accessibility they will give you to other places you want to see by road or train. Then you need to consider what the climate is going to be like in the various places you want to visit in january when you intend to make the trip. Even with 10 weeks you won't see everything in 1 trip so you should pace yourself and consider whether you want to be constantly on the move for 10 weeks just because you want to see everything - it can be very tiring no matter how exciting it is.