Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[motef]

OK. Thanks for the update. Certainly you can’t afford to drop your guard it seems.

I’ve been checking my 10 x August bookings (Oz-NRT-USA-CAN-USA-Oz) at least twice a week as it is. I thought that this was a bit over the top, but maybe not, in hindsight.

One of the airline/ff podcasts I listen to talks about “watering your bookings” ie just checking up on them everyone now and then and make sure they are doing ok.

If this sort of thing can happen then this is certainly good advice.

 

[abby-line]

I have just hung up from Qantas re: my OW Classic award booking departing in July. The agent was offering to cancel all segments and put a dummy booking in to 'hold' the ticket as I ultimately will push my trip to depart July 2021 and seats haven't been released yet.

Has anyone had this offered and what are your thoughts? Think this was the easiest/fastest way to get me off the phone instead of making a complex change with dummy dates. And also wasn't sure if I might be met with a surprise when trying to add seats later on such as a new price of 318k per person.

Also, good news, he confirmed what @pye1201 was advised, the ticket validity will be extended to 12 months from new departure dates. Made my day.

 

[cjd600]

I have just hung up from Qantas re: my OW Classic award booking departing in July. The agent was offering to cancel all segments and put a dummy booking in to 'hold' the ticket as I ultimately will push my trip to depart July 2021 and seats haven't been released yet.

Has anyone had this offered and what are your thoughts? Think this was the easiest/fastest way to get me off the phone instead of making a complex change with dummy dates. And also wasn't sure if I might be met with a surprise when trying to add seats later on such as a new price of 318k per person.

Also, good news, he confirmed what @pye1201 was advised, the ticket validity will be extended to 12 months from new departure dates. Made my day.

As long as you maintain the original PNR it "should" be fine.....

 

[Aristotle9]

I wonder if they will charge 5k/pp per change still?

 

[Danger]

I'm very jealous of you people being promised a new 12 month ticket validity.

 

[rosstqz]

HI guys - not sure if you'll find this helpful, but I've managed to move my itinerary from Jun/Jul 2020 to Mar/Apr 2021 via Twitter. Was a joy not having to talk to the call centre.

Snagged:

MEL-HKG-DOH-JNB-DOH-AMM-JFK-NRT-MEL (business), came in 180KM under the distance limit. They even refunded me $30 in taxes from my old itinerary, which was slightly different. Now includes 3 QSuite sectors - And done entirely over Twitter!

I can confirm there were no additional fees of any kind charged. If we still can't fly in Mar next year, I will repeat the dose.

Note: I originally booked @ 280k per pax.

 

[flapper]

I have just hung up from Qantas re: my OW Classic award booking departing in July. The agent was offering to cancel all segments and put a dummy booking in to 'hold' the ticket as I ultimately will push my trip to depart July 2021 and seats haven't been released yet.

Has anyone had this offered and what are your thoughts? Think this was the easiest/fastest way to get me off the phone instead of making a complex change with dummy dates. And also wasn't sure if I might be met with a surprise when trying to add seats later on such as a new price of 318k per person.

Also, good news, he confirmed what @pye1201 was advised, the ticket validity will be extended to 12 months from new departure dates. Made my day.

My OWA commences in June 2020. I've called QF twice now and on both occasions I was told I couldn't extend my booking past 12 months from the original first departure date and was advised to cancel my booking instead.
My concern would be if I did finally get an operative who said I would be able to extend the booking past 12 months; would I actually be able to do that when I tried to change the flights past 12 months?

 

[Kangol]

I also had a booking cancelled without notice. Had segments in Jan/Feb 2021 too. Looking into it now.

 

[pye1201]

My OWA commences in June 2020. I've called QF twice now and on both occasions I was told I couldn't extend my booking past 12 months from the original first departure date and was advised to cancel my booking instead.
My concern would be if I did finally get an operative who said I would be able to extend the booking past 12 months; would I actually be able to do that when I tried to change the flights past 12 months?

As both myself and @kleoline have had success in verifying that our new OWA departure dates for next year mean we have 12 months from the new departure date to complete our itinerary at the original 280k mile cost, I would persist until you get an agent who knows what they're doing. Rebook your itinerary at a new departure date next year with dummy dates for those flights not available, then ask for confirmation that when you change those dates that you do have 12 months from the new departure date to do that. If you're still worried, do what I did and ring back to verify again with a new agent. I was actually advised by two of the agents I spoke with that the grace period of not charging for changes will be extended after the end of May as the situation will still be somewhat unknown for quite a while yet.

 

[Danger]

HI guys - not sure if you'll find this helpful, but I've managed to move my itinerary from Jun/Jul 2020 to Mar/Apr 2021 via Twitter. Was a joy not having to talk to the call centre.

Snagged:

MEL-HKG-DOH-JNB-DOH-AMM-JFK-NRT-MEL (business), came in 180KM under the distance limit. They even refunded me $30 in taxes from my old itinerary, which was slightly different. Now includes 3 QSuite sectors - And done entirely over Twitter!

I can confirm there were no additional fees of any kind charged. If we still can't fly in Mar next year, I will repeat the dose.

Note: I originally booked @ 280k per pax.

I don't suppose you know what the validity of your ticket is now? To put it another way, is the date of any of your new flights (in 2021) after the date of your original first flight (in 2020)?

As both myself and @kleoline have had success in verifying that our new OWA departure dates for next year mean we have 12 months from the new departure date to complete our itinerary at the original 280k mile cost, I would persist until you get an agent who knows what they're doing. Rebook your itinerary at a new departure date next year with dummy dates for those flights not available, then ask for confirmation that when you change those dates that you do have 12 months from the new departure date to do that. If you're still worried, do what I did and ring back to verify again with a new agent. I was actually advised by two of the agents I spoke with that the grace period of not charging for changes will be extended after the end of May as the situation will still be somewhat unknown for quite a while yet.

I don't think it's a matter of finding an agent who knows what they're doing, though. The rule is 12 months from the date of the original first flight's departure. What you and kleoline have been promised is directly contradictory to that rule so the rest of us have to hope to find an agent (a) who doesn't know the rule and/or (b) is willing to offer something different. Given the two of you have been told something different, as long as it's been annotated in your PNR and you have a record of the agent you spoke with, I would be holding Qantas to it. For the rest of us, we have to hope for your luck.

 

[Aristotle9]

Just got an email for cancellation of my (2PX) July OWA. I can still see the booking with some legs in error.

I'm now in two minds whether to call up and put dummy dates for next year and save 78k points or to let it refund n cop the extra points but then have guaranteed dates and save multiple calls to get eventually workable dates.

Peeps in this boat what are your thoughts?

 

[flapper]

I just got an email cancelling my June OWA. The initial flight has now been cancelled which seems to trigger the cancelling of the whole booking. I'm going to try one more time to see if I can book some dummy dates for 2021 and see if I will be allowed to extend booking past the 12 months from original flight. I have tried twice this week and been told both times I can't do that.

 

[flapper]

I just got an email cancelling my June OWA. The initial flight has now been cancelled which seems to trigger the cancelling of the whole booking. I'm going to try one more time to see if I can book some dummy dates for 2021 and see if I will be allowed to extend booking past the 12 months from original flight. I have tried twice this week and been told both times I can't do that.

Well I didn't have any success in being able to get the ticket extended beyond the 12 months from the original flight as stated in the rules. The agent was very nice and spent a long time on the phone with me. I could have booked dummy dates for 2021 but as I don't want to travel before 12 months from my original flight I had no choice but to cancel. The good news is my points were refunded the same day but the taxes will take some time.

 

[DC3]

My OWA commences in June 2020. I've called QF twice now and on both occasions I was told I couldn't extend my booking past 12 months from the original first departure date and was advised to cancel my booking instead.
My concern would be if I did finally get an operative who said I would be able to extend the booking past 12 months; would I actually be able to do that when I tried to change the flights past 12 months?

Going by what has been reported recently with a 12 month validity from the new first flight date, and assuming that this is all kosher, I would say that you are talking with the wrong agents.

I would have kept trying until I got one who knows what they are talking about, if reporting has been correct.

Edit: The test is if the new flight(s) actually ticket. They can at least try, rather than just say what they think is the case. If computer says “No”, then that’s it.

 

[DC3]

.... What you and kleoline have been promised is directly contradictory to that rule so the rest of us have to hope to find an agent (a) who doesn't know the rule and/or (b) is willing to offer something different. Given the two of you have been told something different, as long as it's been annotated in your PNR and you have a record of the agent you spoke with, I would be holding Qantas to it. For the rest of us, we have to hope for your luck.

Yes. I’m keen to see someone report ticketing of new dates that are 12 months beyond the original flight dates.

 

[DC3]

I just got an email cancelling my June OWA. The initial flight has now been cancelled which seems to trigger the cancelling of the whole booking.
...

Would you be able to provide any details about the first flight for your cancelled OWA, please? Was it on QF? Was it international or domestic?

I have a OWA booked for August, which I assume will not happen. The first flight is on QF domestic and I have received nothing from QF as yet. I phoned the Call Centre in April but was told that they were not anywhere near cancelling August flights at that time.

Edited

 

[bookworm]

My first flights are in late August. They are still showing up. However , 2 flights were cancelled by Qatar airways. These were in late October. I called Qantas and am not convinced the agent knew his stuff. I asked if I could rebook my entire itinerary for August 2021 once flights opened up. He said to call in early August. He also suggested I could cancel my booking. As I did not want to lose my 280K booking , I declined. I think I'll call again soon.

 

[AndyGoodyear]

When did the amount of points for OWA's increase?

 

[cjd600]

When did the amount of points for OWA's increase?

Bookings created from 18 Sept 2019

 

[Danger]

My first flights are in late August. They are still showing up. However , 2 flights were cancelled by Qatar airways. These were in late October. I called Qantas and am not convinced the agent knew his stuff. I asked if I could rebook my entire itinerary for August 2021 once flights opened up. He said to call in early August. He also suggested I could cancel my booking. As I did not want to lose my 280K booking , I declined. I think I'll call again soon.

Is your current ticket due to expire before August 2021?