Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Mr H]

hi guys, since things are getting back to somewhat normal I think it's about time to pull the trigger.

I just came up with the plan below with a cost of $900. Did any guru here managed to do South America + South Africa + Asia + Europe all together in one?

Or in this one, do you know if we can get access to AA's flight?

I was thinking of Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil

It is certainly tricky to get South America into a booking as there are not many options any more - as you have dissevered in having a gap between Bogota and Rio. If you did it in Business Class it would be even trickier.

Just be a bit cautious about posting the dates and flights you are interested in until you have booked them - there's a risk you might alert others to good opportunities.

On edit - this is a theoretically possible route that would touch every continent (including your stipulation of South Africa) using OW flights:

 

[isaacskh]

It is certainly tricky to get South America into a booking as there are not many options any more - as you have dissevered in having a gap between Bogota and Rio. If you did it in Business Class it would be even trickier.

Just be a bit cautious about posting the dates and flights you are interested in until you have booked them - there's a risk you might alert others to good opportunities.

Thanks for the tips, already edited my post.
Tricky in the sense it's the entitlement I get or the baggage part?
I have not set the dates, just trying to wrap my head around the system and trying to see which combination is bookable from the website without having to call up the agents.

I have questions about surface sector and stopover.

For example, would it be a possibility to book the leg from NRT to MIA with a 72 hours stopover in DFW?

I've checked a few things before, it's fairly challenging to book these itinerary from QFF website, the brings up error codes just like that and I am also thinking of not using LHR as a stopvoer due to the expensive taxes and start from Australia (since it's eating up more miles). I rather start from SIN as it has pretty extensive connection to either side.

 

[levelnine]

For example, would it be a possibility to book the leg from NRT to MIA with a 72 hours stopover in DFW?

Yes, a stopover is anything longer than 24 hours.

Did any guru here managed to do South America + South Africa + Asia + Europe all together in one?

That would be quite rare here because almost everyone on this forum stops in Australia. If you're happy not to stop in Australia, it is very possible to do that routing. Indeed, probably easier than many other routings because the trickiest legs are often into and out of Australia.

 

[Mr H]

Thanks for the tips, already edited my post.
Tricky in the sense it's the entitlement I get or the baggage part?
I have not set the dates, just trying to wrap my head around the system and trying to see which combination is bookable from the website without having to call up the agents.

I have questions about surface sector and stopover.

For example, would it be a possibility to book the leg from NRT to MIA with a 72 hours stopover in DFW?

You are allowed up to five stops of more than 24 hours. It would be up to you where you take them, but you can't have a sixth stop. You can have multiple transits of less than 24 hours. You can make any of your stops open jaw (i.e. land sectors) and this will count as one of your five stops but anecdotally if you have more than two land sectors the computer will reject your route and it will have to be processed manually.

 

[isaacskh]

You are allowed up to five stops of more than 24 hours. It would be up to you where you take them, but you can't have a sixth stop. You can have multiple transits of less than 24 hours. You can make any of your stops open jaw (i.e. land sectors) and this will count as one of your five stops but anecdotally if you have more than two land sectors the computer will reject your route and it will have to be processed manually.

From what i read in the post,
5 stopovers (2 surface sectors take up this allocation)
16 total flight sectors - Does that mean I can book up to 16 flights? Obviously if I want to max it out, I will need to call them up and book manually?
1 Airport can only have one stopover and 2 transit?

For example
SIN-KUL-HKG (1 stopover)
HKG-TPE-NRT (1 stopover)
NRT-ORD-JFK
JFK-MIA
MIA-MEX
1 surface sector (1 stopover)
GIG-MAD
MAD-CMN-RAK
RAK-CMN-BCN
BCN-HEL
HEL-FRA
FRA-AMM
AMM-DXB-CMB (1 stopover)
CMB-BKK
BKK-KUL-SIN

14 flight sectors, 4 stopovers, 34000 miles.
It should be within the 132.4k mark right?

 

[Mr H]

From what i read in the post,
5 stopovers (2 surface sectors take up this allocation)
16 total flight sectors - Does that mean I can book up to 16 flights? Obviously if I want to max it out, I will need to call them up and book manually?

1 Airport can only have one stopover and 2 transit?

For example
SIN-KUL-HKG (Can I have a 72hr stopover in KUL?)
HKG-TPE-NRT (Can I have a 72hr stopover in TPE?)
NRT-ORD-JFK (1 transit in ORD)
JFK-MIA
MIA-MEX
1 surface sector
GIG-MAD
MAD-CMN-RAK (Can I have a 72hr stopover in CMN?)
RAK-CMN-BCN (1 transit in CMN)
BCN-HEL
HEL-FRA
FRA-AMM
AMM-DXB-CMB (Can I have a 72 hr stopover in DBX?)
CMB-SIN

5 stopovers, does short transit considered as stopovers?

No

16 flights max
35,000 miles max including land sectors
max 5 breaks (stopovers) of 24+ hours max including land sectors and return to origin
max 10 transits of less than 24 hours
only two transits and one stopover in any one city
only One World airlines, including two that are not QF
must not depart from country of origin twice.

 

[sqrt()]

On edit - this is a theoretically possible route that would touch every continent (including your stipulation of South Africa) using OW flights:

Missing one continent still. Suggest adding a stopover in YCSK or NZIR.

 

[levelnine]

It should be within the 132.4k mark right?

This is not a OWA compliant itinerary.

SIN-KUL-HKG is two sectors, not one. A sector is from one airport to another.

 

[aikman]

The maximum of 16 segments includes land segments.

You have 22 which is way too many.

 

[Mr H]

The maximum of 16 segments includes land segments.

You have 22 which is way too many.

I think @isaacskh is also misunderstanding the stopovers thing - of those 22 sectors, he would end up seeing only five of those cities (or six if one sector is a land sector). Mostly he'd be looking at airport duty free shops.

I suspect very few of us ever use all 16 sectors because we are likely to run up against the maximum mileage or use up our five stops before we get to a 16th sector.

 

[Captain Halliday]

PSA:

Welcome to all the new followers of the thread. There is a wealth of accumulated knowledge and members willing to help.

You might find it useful to read the AFF guide to the One World Classic Flight Award guide which is part of post #1 in this thread.

Doing this will:
1. Get you across the basics including the requirements for a valid route on this award.
2. Answer the most common questions and save you having to ask them again here (and save people having to repeat the answers)
3. Allow space in the thread for the more tricky questions or challenges with constructing a One World Classic Flight Award.

Good luck in your search for availability.

 

[kctt]

3rd call to Cape Town on Monday morning:
Agent has some experiences. My ticket has both old flights and new flights like yesterday. Checked on Qantas website and checkmytrip. She removed old flights, updated itinerary and sent to ticketing team. Ticket should be updated in 24-48 hours.
I asked her about what will happen tax update. She told me that's ticketing team.
I asked if i can wait until the ticket is processed. She told only her team can talk to ticketing team and ticket is in process queue. I have to wait 24-48 hours. Sometimes it can take longer.
Should I call again to talk to another agent straight away?

 

[cathalm8]

Hi guys, I am trying to book an infant on a Qatar Business class reward flight (no seat) through Qantas call centre. I think its the Philippines call centre we are through too. They are saying it will cost $650 i.e. 10% of a business class ticket. I have never heard this before? Does anyone have any experience with this? The flight departs in one week. Sydney to Dublin.

 

[Lynda2475]

No direct experience but I have always understood infants are free on domestic flights and charged at 10% of adult fare internationally and QF website would appear to confirm this for paid fares:

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/policy-and-guidelines/fares-and-ticketing/infant-fare-and-ticketing-guidelines.html#:~:text=Australian%20Domestic%20A%20ticket%20is%20not%20required%20to,10%25%20of%20the%20adult%20fare%20plus%20applicable%20taxes.

I would think that since it is an award flight you could pay the infant fare with extra points but imagine taxes need to be paid with cash.

 

[Mr H]

No direct experience but I have always understood infants are free on domestic flights and charged at 10% of adult fare internationally and WFF website would appear to confirm this:

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/policy-and-guidelines/fares-and-ticketing/infant-fare-and-ticketing-guidelines.html#:~:text=Australian%20Domestic%20A%20ticket%20is%20not%20required%20to,10%25%20of%20the%20adult%20fare%20plus%20applicable%20taxes.

It's complicated, though, because QR does not charge for lap children and this is QF issuing a ticket on a QR flight paid for with points. Maybe QF should be charging 10% more points.

 

[Lynda2475]

Well Qatar website mentions infant tickets and infant fares so doesn't sound like lap children are free https://www.qatarairways.com/en/family/child-fares-baggage.html

and Seat Maestro also states 10%



Of course someone who has flown from Australia on Qatar with an infant recently may be able to advise otherwise

 

[cathalm8]

It's complicated, though, because QR does not charge for lap children and this is QF issuing a ticket on a QR flight paid for with points. Maybe QF should be charging 10% more points.

Thanks for the replies. Ended up charging us 10% of the taxes we paid on the business rewards flight so ended up being around $70 or so.

 

[Mr H]

Thanks for the replies. Ended up charging us 10% of the taxes we paid on the business rewards flight so ended up being around $70 or so.

You got a result there.

 

[Mr H]

Well Qatar website mentions infant tickets and infant fares so doesn't sound like lap children are free https://www.qatarairways.com/en/family/child-fares-baggage.html

You are right - I misread Seat Maestro - somehow I mistook the "with an infant ticket" to read "with an adult ticket".

 

[flapper]

3rd call to Cape Town on Monday morning:
Agent has some experiences. My ticket has both old flights and new flights like yesterday. Checked on Qantas website and checkmytrip. She removed old flights, updated itinerary and sent to ticketing team. Ticket should be updated in 24-48 hours.
I asked her about what will happen tax update. She told me that's ticketing team.
I asked if i can wait until the ticket is processed. She told only her team can talk to ticketing team and ticket is in process queue. I have to wait 24-48 hours. Sometimes it can take longer.
Should I call again to talk to another agent straight away?

Some partner airlines will delete their flights if the whole booking is not ticketed within 24 hours. QR & CX are 2 that I know do. This is automatic. I don't know if any other airlines do it. (Does anyone know of other airlines that do this?) I understand the procedures are if a booking contains a flight with a partner airline the agent should do the ticketing before they take the next call. Most agents in the OS call centres will refuse to do it. You need to keep calling until you find one that will. This will likely take 5 or more calls. I understand that they need to call ticketing and that includes waiting on hold for 30 mins or more so they often refuse to do it. If they tell you it has been sent to ticketing and will take an hour or 2 don't take their word, keep calling until it is ticketed.