Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[DC3]

… likely that any ambiguity would be decided in favour of the consumer anyway.

Is that how insurance companies actually work?

 

[Mr H]

Is that how insurance companies actually work?

I have used ANZ Credit Card insurance three times. Once was a trip cancelled due to serious ill health of a close relative - they wanted evidence, could have quibbled but paid in full. Once was a trip cancelled because of Covid travel bans - paid in full. And once was a potential claim for rabies treatment following a dog bite - the insurers researched medical advice for me and were willing to evacuate me to Singapore but this was not necessary as I was able to source local treatment for no charge. I have found them more than fair to deal with.

 

[Danger]

I have used ANZ Credit Card insurance three times. Once was a trip cancelled due to serious ill health of a close relative - they wanted evidence, could have quibbled but paid in full. Once was a trip cancelled because of Covid travel bans - paid in full. And once was a potential claim for rabies treatment following a dog bite - the insurers researched medical advice for me and were willing to evacuate me to Singapore but this was not necessary as I was able to source local treatment for no charge. I have found them more than fair to deal with.

Were these all with Allianz as the underwriter?

 

[Mr H]

Were these all with Allianz as the underwriter?

Yes

 

[jaseb]

Tried that. Because MXP-DOH-KUL is a 'through' flight they confirmed I can't alter DOH-KUL only, the whole journey would need to be cancelled and rebooked


That's probably what we will need to do. Just adds an extra ~day to our travel time to get home is all. Not the end of the world though!

Just on this, the agent initially "attempted" to add a QR F reward flight to our booking on Saturday (~5 days ago) - whilst on the phone the agent realised she couldn't fully add the flight onto our booking without canceling some other flights of which we have no intention of canceling. She apologised, explained why it wasn't possible and we hung up.

Fast forward today and that flight is still showing in MMB and CMT albeit without an e-ticket attached to it. All other flights appear in tact.

2 questions:

1. Will this non-ticketed flight automatically drop out from our itinerary after a number of days? (It's a QR reward flight if that makes a difference)
2. If and when the flight drops out, are the other, currently properly ticketed flights at risk?

 

[Captain Halliday]

2 questions:

1. Will this non-ticketed flight automatically drop out from our itinerary after a number of days? (It's a QR reward flight if that makes a difference)
2. If and when the flight drops out, are the other, currently properly ticketed flights at risk?

1. Yes. I would expect it to drop within 48 hours, though it may be as soon as 24 hours.
2. Potentially if you can’t find an alternate to the QR sector.

But the bigger issue is that if the QR sector isn’t ticketed, what makes you think the rest of your flights are? They should all be on the one ticket to be a valid One World Classic Flight Award.

 

[Aristotle9]

I was thinking of making one more change but given its 2.5 weeks to go and I have QR from JNB-LHR am worried. Anyone recently managed to get ticketed while on the call?

 

[Mr H]

But the bigger issue is that if the QR sector isn’t ticketed, what makes you think the rest of your flights are? They should all be on the one ticket to be a valid One World Classic Flight Award.

If you have an existing booking that is ticketed and they add a new flight in, CMT will show the old flights still there with ticket numbers and the new flight will not have a ticket number until the ticket is redone. I have assumed that the old flights remain ticketed throughout the process since CMT shows things in real time.

 

[jaseb]

If you have an existing booking that is ticketed and they add a new flight in, CMT will show the old flights still there with ticket numbers and the new flight will not have a ticket number until the ticket is redone. I have assumed that the old flights remain ticketed throughout the process since CMT shows things in real time.

Yes this is what's happened. Existing flights are ticketed, the new flight I tried to have added (which I now know isn't possible without canceling one of the other ticketed flights, which I'm not willing to do) remains attached to the booking in MMB and CMT albeit with no ticket number - whereas the existing flights still have ticket numbers showing

 

[vetrade]

I was thinking of making one more change but given its 2.5 weeks to go and I have QR from JNB-LHR am worried. Anyone recently managed to get ticketed while on the call?

Getting ticketed while on the call seems to be near impossible these days. Presumably it's the JNB-DOH-LHR sector you are considering changing, but I'd be wary of doing that because QR can be unpredictable when it comes to changes. They resheduled one of our flights 2 weeks ago and QF has been chasing them for us since then to make something workable available, but they (QF) tell me that QR won't even respond to their contacts.
Another point is that you may get hit with big increases in taxes which both QR and BA have imposed since the Ukraine war started.

 

[levelnine]

Another point is that you may get hit with big increases in taxes which both QR and BA have imposed since the Ukraine war started.

Is there any information on how much these surcharges have increased by? Is it as bad as EK?

 

[vetrade]

Is there any information on how much these surcharges have increased by? Is it as bad as EK?

I changed HEL - HND - SYD - MEL to BRU - DOH - KUL - MEL and the extra taxes were $1100 for 2 pax.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Is that how insurance companies actually work?

I think consumer law and maybe insurance law too operate to make it favourable to the consumer.

 

[flapper]

I was thinking of making one more change but given its 2.5 weeks to go and I have QR from JNB-LHR am worried. Anyone recently managed to get ticketed while on the call?

I think that will depend on your status and if you can get through to HBA or AKL call centre. I have had them reticket whilst I wait. I am NB and haven't got through to them for ages though. As QR flights get deleted if not ticketed in 24 hours I wouldn't take the risk. I have a J OWA in Aug. I could add a Euro flight but don't want to take the risk of losing my long haul flights. The last change I made took 5 calls all to Fiji and Cape Town to get reticketed.
Another story, last year I added a flight to a OWA that included QR flights. Cape Town told me it would be ticketed in an hour or 2. When that didn't happen I called back that night. After a 2 hour+ wait, I was told it had again gone to ticketing and would take 1 to 2 hours. I checked first thing in the morning, still no e-ticket. I called again. During my 8 hours on hold 24 hours ticked over and my QR flights disappeared. Luckily I got through to HBA, I nearly cried in relief when I heard the Aussie accent. The seats had gone back into rewards inventory and they added them back and reticketed while on the phone.

 

[NamarrgonFlyer]

I saw some absurd taxes and charges before trying to get an award seat from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam for late December with MH... they were quoting something like A$1100.00 extra on top of the 61,500 Qantas points.

So instead have gone with BA from Singapore.

 

[Aristotle9]

Getting ticketed while on the call seems to be near impossible these days. Presumably it's the JNB-DOH-LHR sector you are considering changing

Another point is that you may get hit with big increases in taxes which both QR and BA have imposed since the Ukraine war started.

Thanks, that's what I thought. I wasn't changing the JNB-DOH-LHR but MAD-JFK to ARN-JFK but have decided to hold off. Maybe after I get to London then might try it as QR would be done and over and only AA/QF to negotiate.

The last change I made took 5 calls all to Fiji and Cape Town to get reticketed

Yeah took me 8 calls and all Fiji / SA to change and it went through all sorts of trouble with taxes n then points etc.

 

[vetrade]

Thanks, that's what I thought. I wasn't changing the JNB-DOH-LHR but MAD-JFK to ARN-JFK but have decided to hold off. Maybe after I get to London then might try it as QR would be done and over and only AA/QF to negotiate.

After your trip has commenced you cannot change a route - can only change date or flight number

14.7.6 Subject to this clause 14.7, the following changes are permitted to a Classic Award flight before departure of that flight, provided the booking contains one or more Flight Segments that are not within Australia, and the Flight Segment(s) being changed do not include a partner airline that requires a ticket to be reissued for the change. Any such change will incur a Change Fee (see the Fee Schedule) per passenger:
(a) change to flight number; and
(b) change to date of travel.

 

[squid01]

I'm still planning my OWA currently. There is extremely limited availability on the return leg home (even being very flexible with dates). Only really one flight option feasible and has 2 award seats left. If they disappear then the itinery is done.

I was thinking of booking that flight now as a place holder. If I did that and then added on all my other flights (to complete the OWA) in say a months time, is there any chance that original booked flight can drop off? It is a QF flight if that makes any difference. Or is it pretty straight forward to just add on a bunch of flights to that original single ticket without much risk?

 

[cjd600]

I'm still planning my OWA currently. There is extremely limited availability on the return leg home (even being very flexible with dates). Only really one flight option feasible and has 2 award seats left. If they disappear then the itinery is done.

I was thinking of booking that flight now as a place holder. If I did that and then added on all my other flights (to complete the OWA) in say a months time, is there any chance that original booked flight can drop off? It is a QF flight if that makes any difference. Or is it pretty straight forward to just add on a bunch of flights to that original single ticket without much risk?

The whole idea is generally to add a bunch of flights to the original first booking. Unless you are lucky enough to have all flights available and released when you start your booking. Grab that last leg now, and add the earlier flights as you go. Makes no difference if your first booking is actually the final leg

 

[Mr H]

I'm still planning my OWA currently. There is extremely limited availability on the return leg home (even being very flexible with dates). Only really one flight option feasible and has 2 award seats left. If they disappear then the itinery is done.

I was thinking of booking that flight now as a place holder. If I did that and then added on all my other flights (to complete the OWA) in say a months time, is there any chance that original booked flight can drop off? It is a QF flight if that makes any difference. Or is it pretty straight forward to just add on a bunch of flights to that original single ticket without much risk?

You should book immediately and it is easy (at least in theory) to add flights onto the booking.