Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[DC3]

I looked at May, June and July 2020, just as examples, on AA.com, but none were showing Business/First MileSAAver availability VCE-PHL that I could see.

For example, Business/First MileSAAver is greyed-out, in the attachment:



You may be looking at closer dates. What month are you looking at?

Edit: For content, at 10.15pm

 

[travellerqff]

I looked at May, June and July 2020, just as examples, on AA.com, but none were showing Business/First MileSAAver availability VCE-PHL that I could see.

For example, Business/First MileSAAver is greyed-out, in the attachment:

View attachment 185233

You may be looking at closer dates. What month are you looking at?

Edit: For content, at 10.15pm

I now see what you mean, didn't realize MileSAAver had been greyed out... So what is the difference and why isn't 'Anytime' bookable through QF?

 

[DC3]

I now see what you mean, didn't realize MileSAAver had been greyed out... So what is the difference and why isn't 'Anytime' bookable through QF?

I'm no expert on the rules. However, what is shown on AA.com is availability for booking with AA miles. For Business awards on the OneWorld Award you will need MileSAAver availability. AA hasn't released award availability for those periods (May/June/July) for your routing as yet. The availability on that screen is for other AA booking classes. It is after all, an AA award tool.

Even when they show up on AA.com, there is no guarantee that you will get them via the QF site. I noticed that for some earlier dates, VCE-PHL-MIA, the QF site seems to heavily favour BA, IB and QR for VCE-xx_-PHL, even though AA award seats are bookable on AA.com (using AA miles).

I haven't looked into the MIA bit, but you get the drift? You may need to be quite flexible on your routing, and using other OneWorld carriers.

 

[travellerqff]

I'm no expert on the rules. However, what is shown on AA.com is availability for booking with AA miles. For Business awards on the OneWorld Award you will need MileSAAver availability. AA hasn't released award availability for those periods (May/June/July) for your routing as yet. The availability on that screen is for other AA booking classes. It is after all, an AA award tool.

Even when they show up on AA.com, there is no guarantee that you will get them via the QF site. I noticed that for some earlier dates, VCE-PHL-MIA, the QF site seems to heavily favour BA, IB and QR for VCE-xx_-PHL, even though AA award seats are bookable on AA.com (using AA miles).

I haven't looked into the MIA bit, but you get the drift? You may need to be quite flexible on your routing, and using other OneWorld carriers.

Yes I understand. I feel the seats may never be released for July travel until at least last minute. I'm fairly flexible except would like to avoid BA due to London taxes ($750~) total to pass through LON?! And there is no IB J across the Atlantic that I can see. I'll look into back tracking with QR.

 

[zoom&boom]

Looking to book my next couple of flights on my “RTW” award. Searching for CPH-LHR-EDI flights. There is very little availability when searching the QF site but lots available when searching the BA site. Does anyone know if QF agents can see this “BA” availability or can they only see what we can see?

Thanks in advance
Zoom

So is the general consensus that even when availability is available on other sites, BA CX AA for example, then if we can’t see it on QF then the QF agents can’t see it either?

Zoom

 

[Danger]

Yes I understand. I feel the seats may never be released for July travel until at least last minute. I'm fairly flexible except would like to avoid BA due to London taxes ($750~) total to pass through LON?! And there is no IB J across the Atlantic that I can see. I'll look into back tracking with QR.

Iberia flies some TATL routes. Chicago, New York and Miami are just some. Also, don't forget AY.

So is the general consensus that even when availability is available on other sites, BA CX AA for example, then if we can’t see it on QF then the QF agents can’t see it either?

Zoom

American's award engine is notorious for showing phantom QF availability (and maybe for other carriers too). Equally, though, award seats are not uniform across carriers. It's definitely worth phoning QF to see what the agents can see and I'm sure there's reports in this thread of people being successful this way where otherwise unsuccessful with the QF engine. That said, telling a QF agent 'But BA's site shows seats so they must be available' or similar won't help.

 

[zoom&boom]

Iberia flies some TATL routes. Chicago, New York and Miami are just some. Also, don't forget AY.



American's award engine is notorious for showing phantom QF availability (and maybe for other carriers too). Equally, though, award seats are not uniform across carriers. It's definitely worth phoning QF to see what the agents can see and I'm sure there's reports in this thread of people being successful this way where otherwise unsuccessful with the QF engine. That said, telling a QF agent 'But BA's site shows seats so they must be available' or similar won't help.

I appreciate one has to be delicate with phone agents. I am sort of astounded that as an example searching HEL-LHR on BA shows availability for this sector for every flight over an almost three week period. I think for the same QF search there were only two trips available.

Guess I’ll have to call QF and ask. I was only trying to find out before hand if QF agents have access before hand before I called.

Zoom

 

[motef]

I appreciate one has to be delicate with phone agents. I am sort of astounded that as an example searching HEL-LHR on BA shows availability for this sector for every flight over an almost three week period. I think for the same QF search there were only two trips available.

Guess I’ll have to call QF and ask. I was only trying to find out before hand if QF agents have access before hand before I called.

Zoom

Many airlines release award inventory internally only that they do not release to partners.

 

[Fly2Spain]

New to this thread. Is it worth reading from the beginning, or has the fine print changed too much since 2006 and I should start say 100 (or 200?) pages in? Currently saving up for a solo J RTW.

 

[motef]

New to this thread. Is it worth reading from the beginning, or has the fine print changed too much since 2006 and I should start say 100 (or 200?) pages in? Currently saving up for a solo J RTW.

You don’t have to read from 2006.

Maybe start with one of the great articles on this on AFF.

And btw it’s not RTW.

 

[Fly2Spain]

You don’t have to read from 2006.

Maybe start with one of the great articles on this on AFF.

And btw it’s not RTW.

You're right, OneWorld, sorry. I've read a couple of the articles about the award. More interested in some of the nuances. e.g. if I want to try to get two EU trips from one Award, suggestions for the best Asian hub to start/end my trip, where I can get cheap return flights from Sydney (e.g. Bangkok vs HK vs KL).

 

[LA10]

I've just started putting together a J itinerary for 1 pax. I'm going to Europe for a wedding mid next year, but as the place/dates haven't been finalised, I'm going to take a gamble I think and book a J trip to Europe.

Any thoughts/comments on this route? I'm hoping to do 2 trips - one to Europe and one to the US later in 2020. I'm based in MEL.

SIN - NRT - FRA - LHR (stop)

AMS - DOH (transit) - HKG or SIN or BKK (transit) - MEL - (stop)

MEL - LAX or SFO or DFW - PHI (stop) - JFK (stop) - HGK or SIN - MEL.

I'm fairly flexible with my Asian ports.

Thanks in advance for any feedback. Much appreciated.

 

[Azusa]

Just wondering if anyone seen this before? so i just saw some CX flights available to Japan on 27th Aug 2020, i was putting it in cart and putting my cc details in and the check out just froze.
Had no choice but start over, and then the seats are now gone! it was so quick that i am not sure if the seats really gone that quickly or its just the flights i ordered just now got stuck.

I checked the day before and there are plenty available. Should i call or just book another day?

 

[motef]

Just wondering if anyone seen this before? so i just saw some CX flights available to Japan on 27th Aug 2020, i was putting it in cart and putting my cc details in and the check out just froze.
Had no choice but start over, and then the seats are now gone! it was so quick that i am not sure if the seats really gone that quickly or its just the flights i ordered just now got stuck.

I checked the day before and there are plenty available. Should i call or just book another day?

Time to get on the phone with QF

 

[Azusa]

Thanks Motef, got on live chat (phone line wait is 2hours) and the agent said the flights actually has not been released yet that’s why the check out froze. He said that he couldn’t book it so I will have to wait until 353 days out. I am not sure why qantas is showing it when it’s not available. Ugh.

 

[aikman]

I've just started putting together a J itinerary for 1 pax. I'm going to Europe for a wedding mid next year, but as the place/dates haven't been finalised, I'm going to take a gamble I think and book a J trip to Europe.

Any thoughts/comments on this route? I'm hoping to do 2 trips - one to Europe and one to the US later in 2020. I'm based in MEL.

SIN - NRT - FRA - LHR (stop)

AMS - DOH (transit) - HKG or SIN or BKK (transit) - MEL - (stop)

MEL - LAX or SFO or DFW - PHI (stop) - JFK (stop) - HGK or SIN - MEL.

I'm fairly flexible with my Asian ports.

Thanks in advance for any feedback. Much appreciated.

Way too much mileage by my count.

 

[exceladdict]

Thanks Motef, got on live chat (phone line wait is 2hours) and the agent said the flights actually has not been released yet that’s why the check out froze. He said that he couldn’t book it so I will have to wait until 353 days out. I am not sure why qantas is showing it when it’s not available. Ugh.

My understanding is that when you get through to the booking page (credit card entry), the flights are 'held' for some extent for you. This explains why after an errored booking I couldn't jump straight back in and see some flights I had previously selected. I had some messaging from QF that seemed to back this up, but that could have just been that operator's opinion.

Check again every 2 hours and let us know if they reappear. Also suggest checking on BA or another oneworld airline.

You're right, OneWorld, sorry. I've read a couple of the articles about the award. More interested in some of the nuances. e.g. if I want to try to get two EU trips from one Award, suggestions for the best Asian hub to start/end my trip, where I can get cheap return flights from Sydney (e.g. Bangkok vs HK vs KL).

This is where dredging the thread will benefit you. Depends where you want to go, what hubs have cheap seats on LCCs, and most importantly, on availability.
Departing MNL is cheapest, but your options to get there directly on LCCs are limited (5J?). All up to you - the most difficult part is usually that you can only transit HKG twice.

You could try something like MNL-HKG-HEL-DOH-SYD-HKG-FRA-HEL-KULSIN-MNL which comes in a handful over 34,000. Leave KULSIN-MNL as a dead leag (mileage still counts but you can effectively end the itinerary in KULSIN).

(Edit: KUL becomes SIN).

 

[flapper]

Thanks Motef, got on live chat (phone line wait is 2hours) and the agent said the flights actually has not been released yet that’s why the check out froze. He said that he couldn’t book it so I will have to wait until 353 days out. I am not sure why qantas is showing it when it’s not available. Ugh.

It’s not true you can only book seats 353 days out but is quoted often QF operators. They are available when released by the airlines. Some 361 days out like AY and IB and some 360 days out like CX and QR. You need to try another operator. I find SMS best after NZ or Hobart call centre.

 

[Azusa]

Thank you so much exceladdict and flapper! i would have waited as the agent suggested and now i tried again and its working! i now have a booking reference and the first leg is booked!
so whatever the agent said its actually not true. Now i dread the next couple of changes where i have to phone in and try to find someone competent enough.

 

[Azusa]

Forgot to ask, how do I know if a flight booked is ticketed? Is the eticket itinernary means it’s the ticket ? And would I get the same when an agent book on my behalf? Thanks!