Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[acinod]

I'm looking for a flight from MEL-CMB (Business) on 16 December 2020.

Unforutnately, it looks like there's no seats available on this date. This seems very odd given that the MEL-CMB has award availability every day of Dec2020 except for 3 days (Fri 11, Wed 16, Fri 18). On these days, the only route available is via Shanghai or KL.

Should I wait a few more weeks to see if this changes or should I book for Thu 17 and shift my holiday by a day?

 

[squid01]

That CSO sounds totally useless. They are probably talking about a paid Explorer fare. You are booking an award on points. With a Qantas OneWorld Award, you can zig-zag all over the place in any direction whatsoever.

I should have hung up and tried again. But I have spent a total of like 6 hours on the phone today either on hold or talking to morons.

They are sending the 'shell ticket' to ticketing who will get back to me within 24 hours with an exact amount on the taxes. She searched each leg individually and advised it would be around AU$1300 per passenger which is a touch over the figure I was estimating from my searches but not far off.

I'm just going to wait and see what they come back with, cant deal with this anymore today lol. It was a supervisor I ended up speaking with too. At least she agreed to waiving the phone fee.

I am just very confused as to what has happened really.

 

[DC3]

... I should have hung up and tried again. But I I ended up speaking with too. At least she agreed to waiving the phone fee.

I am just very confused as to what has happened really.

Laziness/incompetence at that Call Centre would be the reason.

Edit: I understand your frustration. However, not sure why you are putting yourself through the wringer like this, trying to book the lot by phone. Is there anything stopping you doing some/most of it on-line? Then follow-up the rest for the almost insignificant fee. Still amazing value I think.

 

[BriarFlyer]

I'm looking for a flight from MEL-CMB (Business) on 16 December 2020.

Unforutnately, it looks like there's no seats available on this date. This seems very odd given that the MEL-CMB has award availability every day of Dec2020 except for 3 days (Fri 11, Wed 16, Fri 18). On these days, the only route available is via Shanghai or KL.

Should I wait a few more weeks to see if this changes or should I book for Thu 17 and shift my holiday by a day?

I believe there is just the one Business award seat per day on this route. Someone has likely already booked it on those 3 days. If it was me, I'd choose another day.

 

[markus2578]

That CSO sounds totally useless. They are probably talking about a paid Explorer fare. You are booking an award on points. With a Qantas OneWorld Award, you can zig-zag all over the place in any direction whatsoever.

Edit: I’ve lost track on whether you plan to do all your bookings over the phone. What I did was to start on the QF website and get as far as I could. With those flights booked, I had the PNR. So then just a matter of seeing availability and call to book remaining flights. Far less painful than doing it all from scratch over the phone.

Thanks for the tip - I was wondering if you could do part of it online and then do the rest via the phone. Assuming its part of the same trip, the points cap will still apply even if booked at different times?

 

[acinod]

I believe there is just the one Business award seat per day on this route. Someone has likely already booked it on those 3 days. If it was me, I'd choose another day.

I was hoping to travel with my partner. Does that mean no days have 2 available business award seats?

 

[BriarFlyer]

I was hoping to travel with my partner. Does that mean no days have 2 available business award seats?

I've not seen 2 x J released on that route.

 

[DC3]

... I was wondering if you could do part of it online and then do the rest via the phone. Assuming its part of the same trip, the points cap will still apply even if booked at different times?

I book as much online as possible. Then I have the PNR, and then an an e-ticket shortly after.

Then, when phoning, you can book the rest, based on what you see as available, quoting the PNR.

Until I have an e-ticket, I have nothing.

Points will max out (at 132.4/249.6/318/455K) so it will be okay.

Edit: Book whatever you can, online, may make things easier. When phoning to add/change flights, the sequence of the flights does not matter. It all sorts itself out.

 

[onetonnerodeo]

The only thing I might caution as far as booking half or there abouts online and adding in the rest later, is from my own account the other day - dealing with NZ too, on a couple occasions. This was where I had a LATAM flight on the itinerary and basically, due to their OW departure, their systems were or have been screwing up and not recognising changes to itineraries as points adjustments, rather repricing them as full fare. I instead cancelled the lot, got everything refunded instantly within minutes thanks to the very helpful CSO (including cancellation waiver), and felt I could only book the lot by phone.

So if your itinerary has LATAM on it, hope you have better luck than I did! But if it doesn't have LATAM on the itinerary, definitely easier to book what you can online and amend after.

 

[squid01]

Laziness/incompetence at that Call Centre would be the reason.

Edit: I understand your frustration. However, not sure why you are putting yourself through the wringer like this, trying to book the lot by phone. Is there anything stopping you doing some/most of it on-line? Then follow-up the rest for the almost insignificant fee. Still amazing value I think.

Just wanted to avoid the phone fee really. And thought if I could get onto someone who knows what they are doing it wouldn't be so hard. But was difficult to get onto anyone other than an incompetent CSO from South Africa. Went through a few of them today and then bit the bullet on the last one and took the chance.

They phoned back and priced it up properly. I booked and gave card details, confirmed points capping out. Said I would hold until it is ticketed, they said can take up to 24 hours, couldn't be bothered pushing it anymore. So will wait and see if it gets ticketed in the next 24 hours. She said she will call me when she is back on shift again within 24 hours regardless if it is ticketed or not, and said she will try and push it through ASAP.

If all this fails then I will book the six legs online I can and then add the last one to the booking. In hindsight I probably should have done that from the start, but hey. I'll report back when ticketed (or not ticketed).

EDIT - Also the recent information from onetonnerodeo about the LATAM thing pushed me towards the phone, as I have a LATAM flight in my itinerary.

 

[acinod]

I've not seen 2 x J released on that route.

Oh that's really unfortunate

Technically I'm only using CMB as a stopover to get me to AMM (via DOH).

Are there any routes with 2 x J that can get me from MEL to AMM leaving between 16-19 Dec 2020?

Here is my complete RTW itinerary. Looks like the MEL-CMB route is the only one with 1x J ticket so I just need another way to get to AMM.

1. MEL-CMB (Business SriLankan Airlines)
2. CMB-DOH-AMM (Business Qatar/Royal Jordanian)
3. AMM-CAI (Business Royal Jordanian)
4. HEL-ZRH (Economy Finnair)
5. ZRH-MAD-EZE (Business Iberia)
6. SCL-SYD-MEL (Business Qantas)

 

[AndyQB]

So will wait and see if it gets ticketed in the next 24 hours.

I hope you don't have any CX flights! I added some this morning and was refused the chance to wait on the phone for ticketing but promised it would be pushed through. Six hours later still no ticket and the CX flights have dropped from the itinerary. It is so frustrating trying to book these tickets as a bronze. First call this morning was terminated at their end just as we were retrieving the PNR at the start of the call (but I still got the satisfaction survey). Then another hour's wait for a callback. Now there's no callbacks being offered.

I've had repeated problems with changes to my ticket which I think have been due to an IB leg being included and it doesn't price automatically.

 

[DC3]

... was refused the chance to wait on the phone for ticketing but promised it would be pushed through. Six hours later still no ticket and the CX flights have dropped from the itinerary ...

Very frustrating. Poor Call Centre experience.

The ticketing can be ‘walked-through’, as I have had it done several times, but only in Oz, once I explained earlier issues. Then you could expect the eticket within minutes.

No eticket = nothing.

 

[AndyQB]

The ticketing can be ‘walked-through’, as I have had it done several times, but only in Oz

Thanks for the sympathy, @DC3 .

I have had a very helpful NZ consultant sort out problems and get a ticket reissued within minutes (without me holding on for it), but I never seem to get any call centre other than SA recently.

 

[squid01]

Just got my e-ticket and credit card has been charged, so looks like I am all good now! Only took about an hour to properly ticketed.

Here is the itinerary (all in lowly economy):
- ADL > SYD (transit) on QF
- SYD > LAX on AA
- ONT > DFW (transit) on AA
- DFW > MEX
- Surface sector to SCL
- SCL > JFK on Latam
- JFK > FCO on AA
- FCO > DOH (transit) on Qatar
- DOH > KUL on Qatar
- KUL > ADL on MH

Total taxes = $1,218.26 per person (Qatar flight really inflated this).

Total trip duration is 8 months. Leaving in March.

Thanks to this thread I was able to even contemplate booking this award. Has been pretty complicated but should all be worth it soon!

 

[DC3]

... I have had a very helpful NZ consultant sort out problems and get a ticket reissued within minutes (without me holding on for it), but I never seem to get any call centre other than SA recently.

SA and the Phillipines never seem to sleep.

 

[Oubline]

It took me 6 goes to finally get a hold of Australia, and it was through a callback a couple days ago when their phone systems went down. They actually called from a private number instead (which isn't the norm) and the guy was truly, truly magnificent. Went above and beyond, was personable taking interest in my itinerary and destinations, knowledgeable and forward-thinking about the ticket and all the rules, covered off on some other general travel suggestions, and gave me every assurance he'd personally see to it that the booking was locked away while he had to wait for his colleague to process the payment, fees and all. All sorted in a short time. As others have always said, night and day difference, you'll believe it when you have an experience chatting with a good local operator.

edit - also, he was even sending me an email while doing it all to double check and verify all the dates, flights, etc. Not once in the prior 5 attempts did any CSO even bring that notion up

I completely agree! The CSOs can be so good when they’re good, it just makes dealing with the others so much more disappointing once you know the good ones exist.

 

[Oubline]

Just got my e-ticket and credit card has been charged, so looks like I am all good now! Only took about an hour to properly ticketed.

Here is the itinerary (all in lowly economy):
- ADL > SYD (transit) on QF
- SYD > LAX on AA
- ONT > DFW (transit) on AA
- DFW > MEX
- Surface sector to SCL
- SCL > JFK on Latam
- JFK > FCO on AA
- FCO > DOH (transit) on Qatar
- DOH > KUL on Qatar
- KUL > ADL on MH

Total taxes = $1,218.26 per person (Qatar flight really inflated this).

Total trip duration is 8 months. Leaving in March.

Thanks to this thread I was able to even contemplate booking this award. Has been pretty complicated but should all be worth it soon!

That’s awesome! Even with the taxes you’re getting great value really. Hope you have a great trip.

 

[BriarFlyer]

Are there any routes with 2 x J that can get me from MEL to AMM leaving between 16-19 Dec 2020?

Here is my complete RTW itinerary. Looks like the MEL-CMB route is the only one with 1x J ticket so I just need another way to get to AMM.

1. MEL-CMB (Business SriLankan Airlines)
2. CMB-DOH-AMM (Business Qatar/Royal Jordanian)
3. AMM-CAI (Business Royal Jordanian)
4. HEL-ZRH (Economy Finnair)
5. ZRH-MAD-EZE (Business Iberia)
6. SCL-SYD-MEL (Business Qantas)

Have a look at SIN to AMM. Perhaps you can add MEL-SIN at a later date, although that week in December could be problematic (school holidays?)

 

[dryath]

Hi all, would love some advice on the following which will become my first OWA trip:

BNE-SIN(stop)
SIN-DOH-VIE (stop)
VIE-MAD (surface)
MAD-LHR-JFK (stop)
JFK-LAX (surface)
LAX-NRT(stop)

We have booked BNE through to VIE currently. And we are now attempting to add on Vanuatu (for a wedding) at the end of this trip. I've toyed with Narita through to Fiji (stop) and take a separate return flight from Fiji to Vanuatu. Only problem is the Fiji flight has rather limited availability and the connections are less than ideal for the following flight which is separate from the OWA. Can anyone advise of a better way to do this, or should i be simply looking to use JFK-LAX as a stop instead of a surface, and simply return home slightly earlier to simply fly BNE - VLI return instead?

Would love for any feedback or suggestions anyone has as we have quite a bit of room to play around with any of the unbooked segments.

Thanks guys