Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[jaseb]

QR124 05.09.2022 - still shows bookable on QR website
QR844 05.09.2022 - still shows bookable on QR website
MH129 06.09.2022 - still shows bookable on MH website

I'm thinking (hoping!) the finnair 'cancelation' message is just the default behaviour when a schedule change occurs

I've spent a good while searching various alternatives using different routes and dates.
I can't find any alternate routes home from MXP or surrounds (ZRH, FCO, AMS, FRA, CDG) +/- 3 days that match up with an ongoing flight from DOH - MEL (via connections in/around Asia).

It seems all of the availability ex Europe - DOH is on the Monday, all arriving in DOH very late Monday night/very early Tuesday night. From there the only very scarce availability I found was DOH-CMB, DOH-BKK and DOH-KUL (also checked SIN, NRT etc). Unfortunately all 3 of these connections don't have any onward connections to MEL in J.

I called QF this morning and spoke to a great agent who confirmed that the flights have definitely not been cancelled even if the finnair site does make mention of a cancelation. The agent suggested given we aren't flying til Sept I keep the booking as is and continue searching for availability over the coming months as more routes and seats (hopefully) open up.

edit: and to your question, @jase05 - I slept on it and our priority is to get those QSuite flights, no matter the route (within reason). We had originally booked QSuites MEL-Europe return for 2020 but got cancelled, then again in 2021; cancelled so we've really been hanging out for it!

 

[ozflier]

Unfortunately travel insurance is useless for wiped itineraries paid for through frequent flyer points. They may repatriate you directly (do not pass Go, do not collect $200) or they may give you a single ticket to recommence your journey, but they won't reinstate forfeited flights on a multi-sector award.

I have never been in a position where remaining award flights are cancelled thru illness and then having to claim thru insurance.
Has anyone had this experience - ie claiming on travel insurance at least to get home after a broken journey on frequent flier points .
I am wondering if the insurer would pay a business class fare if the award was in J or would they just default to economy because the original is not a revenue fare?

 

[Jacques Vert]

I have never been in a position where remaining award flights are cancelled thru illness and then having to claim thru insurance.
Has anyone had this experience - ie claiming on travel insurance at least to get home after a broken journey on frequent flier points .
I am wondering if the insurer would pay a business class fare if the award was in J or would they just default to economy because the original is not a revenue fare?

I've been in this situation when +1 came down with pneumonia in Peru in 2018. After 6 nights in hospital, the decision was made to abandon the rest of the trip and return home. Our travel insurance company arranged flights on a "like for like" basis and as we were on a OWA in J, then the flights back to Aus were to be in J. Unfortunately, most LIM-SCL flights on LA are all-Y birds while those with J seats didn't have acceptable connection times so we were in Y for that leg. However, the rest of the trip was in J and were given restaurant vouchers at LIM (no lounge there).

The travel insurance company arranged for our points to be reinstated on a pro-rata basis and we received points and status credits for the flights as they were revenue fares. The insurance company was excellent and although the paper work on return was a bit tedious, I could not fault them and it all worked out well in the end.

Of course the terms and conditions of your policy are critical and you need to read them carefully and seek clarification, if necessary. The time to check the details is BEFORE you take out the policy, not when you are in a hospital bed on the other side of the world.

You can read more about our experience here: Canyons, Mountains & Vineyards

 

[Muppet501st]

Well done you!

You have now potentially used four of your five stops: DUB-FCO-LHR-CVG. If you add a fifth stop in the US, you would not be able to stop in LAX, so you'd have to travel from CVG to your fifth stop - or from your fifth stop to LAX - as a land sector or spend less than 24 hours connecting in LAX. I reckon you're getting pretty fair value from your OWA.

This had me thinking, since we have paid flights from CVG-LAX, which got in the night before our 9am QF flight back to BNE, ( so just a stopover less than 24hrs. I just got off the phone, and now have J flights for us, from CVG-LAX included in the reward booking!! so a total of 10 flights

 

[ozflier]

I've been in this situation when +1 came down with pneumonia in Peru in 2018. After 6 nights in hospital, the decision was made to abandon the rest of hte trip and return home. Our travel insurance company arranged flights on a "like for like" basis and as we were on a OWA in J, then the flights back to Aus were to be in J. Unfortunately, most LIM-SCL flights on LA are all-Y birds while those with J seats didn't have acceptable connection times so we were in Y for that leg. However, the rest of the trip was in J and were given restaurant vouchers at LIM (no lounge there).

The travel insurance company arragned for our points to be reinstated on a pro-rata basis and we received points and status credits for the flights as they were revenue fares. The insurance company was excellent and although the paper work on return was a bit tedious, I could not fault them and it all worked out well in the end.

Of course the terms and conditions of your policy are critical and you need to read them carefully and seek clarification, if necessary. The time to check the details is BEFORE you take out the policy, not when you are in a hospital bed on the other side of the world.

You can read more about our experience here: Canyons, Mountains & Vineyards

Thank you - that is very impressive - are you prepared to divulge the name of the insurer ?

 

[Mr H]

This had me thinking, since we have paid flights from CVG-LAX, which got in the night before our 9am QF flight back to BNE, ( so just a stopover less than 24hrs. I just got off the phone, and now have J flights for us, from CVG-LAX included in the reward booking!! so a total of 10 flights

Glad we could help. I still remember several months ago looking at return reward flights from Melbourne to Tehran and someone suggested for very few extra points I could do a OWA - which I had never even thought of. It has transformed the way I see reward flights .

 

[Jacques Vert]

Thank you - that is very impressive - are you prepared to divulge the name of the insurer ?

Sure; it was QBE purchased through Qantas Assure. Unfortunately, QBE sold their Travel Insurance business to NIB a while back and I can't comment of the new product.. There are a couple of threads on travel insurance & Covid that may be of assistance to you.

Whatever you decide, read the Terms and Conditions carefully before you purchase.

 

[Muppet501st]

Glad we could help. I still remember several months ago looking at return reward flights from Melbourne to Tehran and someone suggested for very few extra points I could do a OWA - which I had never even thought of. It has transformed the way I see reward flights .

Id read thru this thread a while ago, and it didnt make a lot of sense to me. Now its all come together and fallen in place, its not that difficult. Just need to be prepared for long calls to QF

 

[ozflier]

Sure; it was QBE purchased through Qantas Assure. Unfortunately, QBE sold their Travel Insurance business to NIB a while back and I can't comment of the new product.. There are a couple of threads on travel insurance & Covid that may be of assistance to you.

Whatever you decide, read the Terms and Conditions carefully before you purchase.

Good advice ,thank you.

 

[ozflier]

I've had flights on QF BNE to NRT cancelled . I was transiting there to get to JFK .
No other ways of getting to JFK on points.
I'm hoping that QFF will convert revenue seats on their metal for me to get there another way.
Any idea what revenue fare classes are used for a conversion revenue to award seats - eg some of the options say via LHR on QF have no 'I' seats available.

 

[EestiTiger]

I have never been in a position where remaining award flights are cancelled thru illness and then having to claim thru insurance.
Has anyone had this experience - ie claiming on travel insurance at least to get home after a broken journey on frequent flier points .
I am wondering if the insurer would pay a business class fare if the award was in J or would they just default to economy because the original is not a revenue fare?

Hey Ozflier - this happened to me two years ago. I had taken a few flights to get to Europe and was only there a couple of days, in Sofia, before my step-mother suddenly died
It was on a weekend and it was tough trying to get onto QF.
I liased with my TI provider and they said we will cover flight home in same class (J). I was very lucky that one of my best mates is a travel agent and was able to find me J ticket on QR that same day to Adelaide then a domestic connection to BNE.
I didn't try to claim points back but was reimbursed for anything I was unable to get a refund for including Euro internal flights in J and accommodation.
There might be an incomplete Trip Review somewhere on here of Eurotrash 2019. Backing that into a couple of years of Covid makes Eurotrash 2022 one hell of a trip! #fingerscrossed

Edit: Insurer was Holiday Rescue underwritten by Holland Insurance Group. They were really good but there was a lot of doco I needed to dig out / provide.

 

[ozflier]

I've had flights on QF BNE to NRT cancelled . I was transiting there to get to JFK .
No other ways of getting to JFK on points.
I'm hoping that QFF will convert revenue seats on their metal for me to get there another way.
Any idea what revenue fare classes are used for a conversion revenue to award seats - eg some of the options say via LHR on QF have no 'I' seats available.

Just to be a bit clearer re my post .
Re my flight BNE-HND late august 2022, I received an email from from Qantas Customer Services telling me to contact QFF and organise to change to alternate flights as the service had been cancelled .
I also subscribe to "Executive Traveller" and it notes there that Australia to Japan flights will now be delayed until at least september 2022. Qantas delays restart of flights to Tokyo
Weirdly, my QFF online booking page says that the BNE-HND flight is still going 29 august.
I rang 131313 and, despite the Agent being aware of QF press release coming out early today announcing the cancellations, she checked my booking and said there were no notations re cancellations of my flight !!! So she can't do anything until it is officially noted in my booking .
So I am just waiting !

 

[Fil-Ski]

I've had flights on QF BNE to NRT cancelled . I was transiting there to get to JFK .
No other ways of getting to JFK on points.
I'm hoping that QFF will convert revenue seats on their metal for me to get there another way.
Any idea what revenue fare classes are used for a conversion revenue to award seats - eg some of the options say via LHR on QF have no 'I' seats available.

I had the same flights. Qantas put me on a SYD-LAX flight. However they couldn’t get a LAX to NYC flight with AA.

In the end I’m going ADL-KUL-DOH-JFK

I had the same situation with a canceled QF HKG-SYD leg. It was LHR-HKG-SYD. The lovely lady put me on the LHR-PER flight without asking once she released the seats from full fare.

So yes QF will release paid seats. In some cases you need to push them and ask. Other times you need to call back.

 

[gourmet333]

Hi Everyone, I was just on the QF FF website kicking tyres and looking to see if I could get a more direct flight to Milan than I have already (I used the multi city search function). Got very excited to see an EK fight that would get me there with 1 stop and I had the choice of choosing First/ Business or economy in various combinations and permutations over the 2 legs. Jumped in to book it but just after I've put all my information in it keeps coming up with an error. I've tried numerous times but no success. Has anyone struck this before? Do I have to ring and wait 5 hours on the phone! Any idea's gratefully received. Thanks

 

[vetrade]

Hi Everyone, I was just on the QF FF website kicking tyres and looking to see if I could get a more direct flight to Milan than I have already (I used the multi city search function). Got very excited to see an EK fight that would get me there with 1 stop and I had the choice of choosing First/ Business or economy in various combinations and permutations over the 2 legs. Jumped in to book it but just after I've put all my information in it keeps coming up with an error. I've tried numerous times but no success. Has anyone struck this before? Do I have to ring and wait 5 hours on the phone! Any idea's gratefully received. Thanks

EK is a QF partner but not a OneWorld airline so you can't use them for a OWA.

 

[Mr H]

Hi Everyone, I was just on the QF FF website kicking tyres and looking to see if I could get a more direct flight to Milan than I have already (I used the multi city search function). Got very excited to see an EK fight that would get me there with 1 stop and I had the choice of choosing First/ Business or economy in various combinations and permutations over the 2 legs. Jumped in to book it but just after I've put all my information in it keeps coming up with an error. I've tried numerous times but no success. Has anyone struck this before? Do I have to ring and wait 5 hours on the phone! Any idea's gratefully received. Thanks

As well as not being eligible for a OWA, this looks like terrible value. One flight is in economy, and with the high fees it looks like you would effectively be paying the full economy fare plus 144k points just to upgrade a single flight to business class.

 

[ozflier]

I ha

Just to be a bit clearer re my post .
Re my flight BNE-HND late august 2022, I received an email from from Qantas Customer Services telling me to contact QFF and organise to change to alternate flights as the service had been cancelled .
I also subscribe to "Executive Traveller" and it notes there that Australia to Japan flights will now be delayed until at least september 2022. Qantas delays restart of flights to Tokyo
Weirdly, my QFF online booking page says that the BNE-HND flight is still going 29 august.
I rang 131313 and, despite the Agent being aware of QF press release coming out early today announcing the cancellations, she checked my booking and said there were no notations re cancellations of my flight !!! So she can't do anything until it is officially noted in my booking .
So I am just waiting !

I had another attempt last night and it did take a while but the agent finally agreed that the BNE-HND flight no longer exists on that date.
He suggested that i wait until some one contact me who was doing the flight re assignments .
QF will not be flying Australia to Japan until september at the earliest so another OW airline would be needed.
I said i was not so much concerned about QF sectors being fixed but more about other OW airlines which did not have the capacity to convert revenue seats to award.
I told him that i could see QF BNE-SIN ( no award seats in J) on that day connecting with a JAL service SIN-HND which had J award seats available.
The agent was not too happy re this unilateral change but I was concerned that not acting quickly , the JAL "u" seats might disappear.
So he agreed to speak to superiors and he rang back in 60 minutes saying my suggested reroute had been agreed to and "u" seats created in the BNE-SIN sector.
Overall happy with the eventual outcome .
I hope other posters in this forum are just as lucky.

 

[Wolf creek]

Hello brains trust looking to book Sydney to Milan on Qatar Is it an advantage to have qantas platinum or that advantage only applies to QF flights

 

[Wolf creek]

Looking at May 2023 ty

 

[levelnine]

only applies to QF flights

Only QF flights. No early access to or ability to request release of partner awards.