Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Captain Halliday]

@Jacques Vert has answered your specific questions, but on this...

I've got another couple of Noob questions (is there a faq somewhere?)

It’s not a FAQ as such, but here you will find an overview of the Qantas Oneworld Classic Flight Reward.

It answers most of the questions people new to this redemption have.

Just be aware it has not been updated to reflect the new points required for booking. These increased in 2019.

 

[Basaka]

I keep looking for reward seats on AA to South America. It seems that they never release any AAsaver fares for direct flights from LAX/DFW/MIA to EZE or GRU. Has anyone else had any luck in finding these reward seats?

 

[dryath]

Hi everyone, is anyone please able to advise if this should be a valid booking? Assuming all One World Alliance airlines. Distance is just under 35k miles, and i'm unsure on whether the sectors count the land-based parts? (e.g. I believe the following trip is 14 sectors?). Hopefully there are no other rules I have inadvertently broken.

BNE-SIN-DOH-VIE-MAD-LHR-JFK-DFW-YYC-SFO-HKG-NRT-HND-SYD-BNE

Actual flights are:
BNE-SIN (stop)
SIN-DOH-VIE (stop)
VIE-MAD (land sector)
MAD-LHR-JFK (stop)
JFK-DFW-YYC (stop)
YYC-SFO (land sector)
SFO-HKG-NRT (stop)
NRT-HND (land sector I think as we fly out of a different airport?)
HND-SYD-BNE

Thank you!!

 

[HarryHoudini]

Hello, I've been following this thread for a while now. Plenty of useful tips and tricks. This particular award still gives me a headache trying to get something booked. Usually after a couple of hours I give up. It would appear that trying to get 2 seats in Business Class (is that J?) in Dec 2020 with Qatar is like finding a unicorn? Best I can find is Adelaide via Hong Kong to Doha. I can do the same to return. I should note that I am only Bronze Status. Not sure if anyone has any ideas - Main goal for us is to do New York at Christmas, however we are quite flexible. Would travel between 12 December 2020 to mid Jan 2020, Max 3 weeks away (due to work commitments). We don't have any other interests in America so would also like to do London, Finland and Amsterdam (in not particular order). Ideally would love to fly in a Qsuite hence Doha would also be the preference. Am I asking for too much? Any feedback or advice re strategies to book would be appreciated. Happy Monday

 

[motef]

Hello, I've been following this thread for a while now. Plenty of useful tips and tricks. This particular award still gives me a headache trying to get something booked. Usually after a couple of hours I give up. It would appear that trying to get 2 seats in Business Class (is that J?) in Dec 2020 with Qatar is like finding a unicorn? Best I can find is Adelaide via Hong Kong to Doha. I can do the same to return. I should note that I am only Bronze Status. Not sure if anyone has any ideas - Main goal for us is to do New York at Christmas, however we are quite flexible. Would travel between 12 December 2020 to mid Jan 2020, Max 3 weeks away (due to work commitments). We don't have any other interests in America so would also like to do London, Finland and Amsterdam (in not particular order). Ideally would love to fly in a Qsuite hence Doha would also be the preference. Am I asking for too much? Any feedback or advice re strategies to book would be appreciated. Happy Monday

Yes business class is J

Between Australia and the US is difficult, especially difficult at the peak time of Xmas

Have a look at SYD-TOKYO(HND)-JFK on Japan Airlines (JAL)

Flights are released at different times dependant on your status

The first step is to put togther in order a rough itineray

In your case it may be

SYD-TOKYO-JFK (stop)
JFK-LHR (STOP)
LHR-AMS (STOP)
AMS-HEL (STOP)
HEL-DOH-SYD

 

[chocks]

Hi everyone - I am working on an itinerary to the UK for December 2020. I have most of the pieces in place but I cant see any availability for BA on the Qantas site from any European city. I have tried multiple cities, dates, one passenger etc but nothing is coming up.

The BA site shows plenty of availability. Can anyone assist with a work around or would I need to call?

 

[HarryHoudini]

Yes business class is J

Between Australia and the US is difficult, especially difficult at the peak time of Xmas

Have a look at SYD-TOKYO(HND)-JFK on Japan Airlines (JAL)

Flights are released at different times dependant on your status

The first step is to put togther in order a rough itineray

In your case it may be

SYD-TOKYO-JFK (stop)
JFK-LHR (STOP)
LHR-AMS (STOP)
AMS-HEL (STOP)
HEL-DOH-SYD

Thanks so much!! Didn't think of that! I'll have another crack at some point. Could someone also clarify how you might book one of these awards in parts? My understanding was that you got to the multi-city search and the website automatically knows when you have met the criteria and applies the max threshold. How would this work if you have only entered half the trip?

 

[motef]

Thanks so much!! Didn't think of that! I'll have another crack at some point. Could someone also clarify how you might book one of these awards in parts? My understanding was that you got to the multi-city search and the website automatically knows when you have met the criteria and applies the max threshold. How would this work if you have only entered half the trip?

Do a dummy booking for dates that are available now and see if it works using the multi city tool

 

[motef]

Thanks so much!! Didn't think of that! I'll have another crack at some point. Could someone also clarify how you might book one of these awards in parts? My understanding was that you got to the multi-city search and the website automatically knows when you have met the criteria and applies the max threshold. How would this work if you have only entered half the trip?

Brief dummy search for later in the year i found this for 2 people and tops out the max of 318k per person

 

[knightfall88]

Hi guys who are familiar with phantom availability.

I am looking a good 12 months ahead for flights from LHR-SYD on Qantas. I can see a weeks worth of availability in the Qantas Search. I've called up twice already and the consultant claims they can't see any of it, even the seat that got release on that very day. What's the deal here? Has the seats been taken and not updated in the Qantas engine or what? Cheers

 

[motef]

Hi guys who are familiar with phantom availability.

I am looking a good 12 months ahead for flights from LHR-SYD on Qantas. I can see a weeks worth of availability in the Qantas Search. I've called up twice already and the consultant claims they can't see any of it, even the seat that got release on that very day. What's the deal here? Has the seats been taken and not updated in the Qantas engine or what? Cheers

Are you looking on Qantas metal or another carrier?

Qantas metal is released in advance as per below

353days

Reduced to 297 days for Bronze & Silver
members in premium cabins on most Qantas long-haul flights
300 days for travel on Jetstar
330-339 days for travel on Emirates

 

[knightfall88]

Are you looking on Qantas metal or another carrier?

Qantas metal is released in advance as per below

353days

Reduced to 297 days for Bronze & Silver
members in premium cabins on most Qantas long-haul flights
300 days for travel on Jetstar
330-339 days for travel on Emirates

Yep I'm aware. I'm looking at Qantas metal and I'm Gold Status and see more Qantas flights been released at the 353 day mark everyday in the Qantas search. Issue is I call Qantas to add it to my itinerary and they claim they cannot see those flights. I've screenshot them for the consultant and they don't understand why they can't see it either. I'm going to keep trying...

 

[motef]

Yep I'm aware. I'm looking at Qantas metal and I'm Gold Status and see more Qantas flights been released at the 353 day mark everyday in the Qantas search. Issue is I call Qantas to add it to my itinerary and they claim they cannot see those flights. I've screenshot them for the consultant and they don't understand why they can't see it either. I'm going to keep trying...

Ok. Your original post said you were looking a good 12 mths in advance.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Yep I'm aware. I'm looking at Qantas metal and I'm Gold Status and see more Qantas flights been released at the 353 day mark everyday in the Qantas search. Issue is I call Qantas to add it to my itinerary and they claim they cannot see those flights. I've screenshot them for the consultant and they don't understand why they can't see it either. I'm going to keep trying...

Remind them that you are a Gold member and ask them to search accordingly; if they don't know what you are talking about, HUACA.

BTW: are you searching straight through or sector by sector?

 

[knightfall88]

Remind them that you are a Gold member and ask them to search accordingly; if they don't know what you are talking about, HUACA.

BTW: are you searching straight through or sector by sector?

Hi, I'm searching straight through so LHR to SYD

Cheers. Thanks for the help.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Hi, I'm searching straight through so LHR to SYD

Cheers. Thanks for the help.

That's very interesting. QF rarely releases J or F Award seats LHR-SYD but as you say, online is showing QF2 on many days in late December. And many of those days show 4 seats in J! It's either a computer glitch or bookings are way, way down.

 

[stirlo]

My experience over the last few days.

1. Finally searched through and made a spreadsheet with all flight details. This took forever as neither HAV or LIM are options to book on Qantas website and had to be searched with JAL.
2. Accept I'll have to pay the $77 fee just to spend another $3k on taxes...
3. Call up on Monday lunchtime. Spend 2 hours on hold and then get through to someone who clearly had no idea how to book award flights. Spend an extra 10 minutes on hold waiting to find availability on one leg MAD-HAV before being told she can't check right now. Says "system just crashed" She takes all my details and says she'll call back in 5-10 minutes once its restarted.
3. No call back
4. Call again at 4pm. "Wait time is 44-64 minutes" Wait for over 2 hours.. Speak to lady in South Africa "The system is broken you can text us, bye"
5. Call at 7:01am Tuesday, "Wait time is 2 hours" but mercifully they offered the callback service this time.
6. Get called back at 08:36am and actually speak to someone useful
7. Read out all the segments and agent confirmed availability. This took around 30-40 minutes. Do you want to proceed with booking? YES, finally YES!!! Go on hold. 10mins later, Oh that SYD-HND flight is no longer available even though it was just checked (and I thought at least reserved!). No other availability on nearby dates.
8. Brilliant now my 10+ hours of planning and 7 other segments are all useless. What a F#$king shambles of a company and process.

So with this in mind does anyone have any tips as to how to actually reserve these difficult/low availability flights to ensure that don't get snapped up from underneath you while you're planning less important legs?

Eg: I was going to do QF28 SCL to SYD on 5th of July. There's nothing else for many days either side so essentially all my plans revolve around being in those seats but as its the last leg of the One World Award I have to do all the planning before that and chances are by the time the planning is finished someone else doing something less complex snaps them up like the Tokyo ones above.

Also I assume as I'm lowly Bronze status thats why I get the cough treatment on the phone queue. Can you just avoid putting in your FF number to not be sent to the back of the queue?

 

[dryath]

Hi all,
I am trying to book SAN-HKG-HAN and the operator continually tells my partner there is no availability. But I can see two seats in J when I search. What advice do you have? Hang up and call back?

 

[stirlo]

Hi all,
I am trying to book SAN-HKG-HAN and the operator continually tells my partner there is no availability. But I can see two seats in J when I search. What advice do you have? Hang up and call back?

Maybe they're still having issues of some kind?

Can someone experienced please advise? I just tried and I'm able to get all the way to the pay screen on the website for the JL52 SYD-HND flight that when I called up this morning they said was no longer available. Is there a different pool for flights one world airlines (obs excludes Emitrate, KLM, Air France, Jetstar) in flight search screen and whats available for Oneworld Classic Reward?

 

[dryath]

Maybe they're still having issues of some kind?

Can someone experienced please advise? I just tried and I'm able to get all the way to the pay screen on the website for the JL52 SYD-HND flight that when I called up this morning they said was no longer available. Is there a different pool for flights one world airlines (obs excludes Emitrate, KLM, Air France, Jetstar) in flight search screen and whats available for Oneworld Classic Reward?

This is exactly what I am struggling with. I found numerous different flights on different dates, and my partner relayed them over the phone and the agent said she couldn't see any of them. I find this very confusing! Hope someone can please shed some light!