Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Mr H]

Hi I have a follow up question related I have a OWA booked for June 2023 and coming home AY73 connecting with JL773 with transit time of 80 mins - currently AY73 avoiding Russia so it is 3 hours longer landing at 12.30 and would then not connect to JL773. If that is still happening next year could you advise what JL would do at all? Kate

From: Helsinki departs at 17.45
To: Tokyo (Narita) (terminal 2) arrives at 09.10
Flight: AY73

From: Tokyo (Narita) (terminal 2) departs at 10.30
To: Melbourne (terminal 2) arrives at 21.55
Flight: JL773

Hi Kate

If it goes as you say, then JL would have to re-accommodate you on a later flight. But there is a long time between now and June 2023. The current arrangement of AY adding 3 hours to a flight to bypass Russia can't be sustainable. I would predict that if they cannot fly over Russia on an ongoing basis, either they will cancel the flights to Japan or they will re-timetable them - both of which could land the problem on your plate, not JL's.

The basic rule of thumb seems to be: changes before the day of the flight are your problem, changes or issues on the day of the flight need to be dealt with by the airline. Either way it seems it can have undesirable outcomes for passengers.

 

[melbkate]

Hi Kate

If it goes as you say, then JL would have to re-accommodate you on a later flight. But there is a long time between now and June 2023. The current arrangement of AY adding 3 hours to a flight to bypass Russia can't be sustainable. I would predict that if they cannot fly over Russia on an ongoing basis, either they will cancel the flights to Japan or they will re-timetable them - both of which could land the problem on your plate, not JL's.

The basic rule of thumb seems to be: changes before the day of the flight are your problem, changes or issues on the day of the flight need to be dealt with by the airline. Either way it seems it can have undesirable outcomes for passengers.

Ok that is good to know thanks so much Fingers crossed for peace in the air.

 

[squid01]

Have been having real troubles with some cancellations on my OWCA for the past two months. Tried to sort it out on Friday, advised the agent what I wanted to be done. Put me on hold to get their manager, on hold for half an hour then disconnected.
Saw later on someone making some changes to the booking in the background. Then got an email today saying there was a flight change, for a flight which was a replacement flight Qantas put on which was physically impossible to make given the other flight dates.

Checked CMT and now none of the flights have ticket numbers. Been on the phone for three hours to multiple agents trying to get this sorted but cannot get anywhere. The Qatar flights will no doubt disappear off the booking in the next 12 hours. No matter who I speak to in the offshore call centres they just put me on hold then hang up. I am meant to fly out in three weeks, on a 15 week trip. This has not been worth the stress. Going to try and get some sleep now and call back at 7am, but the flights will probably drop off by then. I can’t mentally sort this out right now. cough the Qantas call centre.

 

[squid01]

Just woke up and the MH flight has disappeared. Going to be a lovely day on the phone getting absolutely nowhere.

 

[Mr H]

Just woke up and the MH flight has disappeared. Going to be a lovely day on the phone getting absolutely nowhere.

Sorry to hear that.

Has the flight gone back into award availability? If so, you can get it added back in to your itinerary. If not, then my experience is that MH (as with QR) does not reinstate cancelled flights and you might need to find alternative availability.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Sorry to hear that.

Has the flight gone back into award availability? If so, you can get it added back in to your itinerary. If not, then my experience is that MH (as with QR) does not reinstate cancelled flights and you might need to find alternative availability.

https://www.malaysiaairlines.com/content/dam/mas/pdf/MAB_general_conditions_of_carriage.pdf

MH’s conditions of carriage are a bit more fluid than QF’s. While QF says they ‘will’ work with the passenger to find an alternative flight in the event of cancellation, MH says they will elect which option, after taking reasonable consideration of the passenger’s needs. The options include a new flight, or a refund.

But this brings us back to the whole antiquated notion of having to speak to the ‘agent’ when booking these types of tickets. The passenger is effectively left powerless because MH doesn’t talk to the passenger to ask their needs, they simply cancel.

In 2022 it’s time airlines got rid of restrictions on talking directly to passengers where an agent is involved, especially for simple things like deciding a flight change or replacement flight.

I get QF has award rules, which MH doesn’t necessarily know. But IATA has so many rules in place already that they could draft new ones for these cases.

 

[DC3]

If I start a booking in SYD and later on wish to add a domestic leg (MEL-SYD) to the start of the booking is this possible? I know you can add onto the end just not sure if you can add flights at the beginning?

Flights may be added in any order, including at the beginning.

 

[sarvowinner]

I have booked BNE-HKG-LAX-PVR PVR-DFW-HND-BKK SIN-SYD leaving March 1 - long haul flights are in PE.

1. My CX flight ex-BNE has been cancelled, I have been rebooked on CX dep March 2 meaning I can’t connect with my Mar 1 AA LAX-PVR. No connecting AA flights are available, QF call centre told me it would cost a change fee to put me on a Mar 4th flt as it was more than 24 hours after we arrive in LAX? She suggested leaving the booking alone until the new year as there will be lots more changes. Any advice on what I should do? I feel very uncomfortable leaving the changes unconfirmed.

2. Can I add SYD-BME BME-BNE leaving a few months later? According to Great Circle Map, this bring my total miles up to ~32k miles but not sure how many domestic Australian flights I can do under the rules?
I calculated that there are 9 flights, 4 stop overs and one surface connection.

 

[Captain Halliday]

QF call centre told me it would cost a change fee to put me on a Mar 4th flt as it was more than 24 hours after we arrive in LAX?

Incorrect. It’s an involuntary charge. There should be no charge for this, especially with the current fee waiver.

2. Can I add SYD-BME BME-BNE leaving a few months later?

Yes, assuming you calculations of stopovers is correct.

 

[flapper]

Have been having real troubles with some cancellations on my OWCA for the past two months. Tried to sort it out on Friday, advised the agent what I wanted to be done. Put me on hold to get their manager, on hold for half an hour then disconnected.
Saw later on someone making some changes to the booking in the background. Then got an email today saying there was a flight change, for a flight which was a replacement flight Qantas put on which was physically impossible to make given the other flight dates.

Checked CMT and now none of the flights have ticket numbers. Been on the phone for three hours to multiple agents trying to get this sorted but cannot get anywhere. The Qatar flights will no doubt disappear off the booking in the next 12 hours. No matter who I speak to in the offshore call centres they just put me on hold then hang up. I am meant to fly out in three weeks, on a 15 week trip. This has not been worth the stress. Going to try and get some sleep now and call back at 7am, but the flights will probably drop off by then. I can’t mentally sort this out right now. cough the Qantas call centre.

I feel your pain Squid. I had great difficulties with my booking too. I recommend that you email Stephanie Tully today, not likely be action until tommorrow. I emailed her my booking ref and listed all the phone calls I had made and listed all the wrong information, fails to call back, lies told to me and how I couldn't get anywhere with the OS call centres. I would ask for someome from the premium call centre to call you. Send it today and keep calling the call centre as well. If you don't hear back by mid-afternoon tommorrow email an update adding all the new failures with the call centre. I initially had a complaints officer assigned to me but after a week of not getting far with her I asked for someone from the premium call centre and somome called me that afternoon. Good Luck.

 

[squid01]

Sorry to hear that.

Has the flight gone back into award availability? If so, you can get it added back in to your itinerary. If not, then my experience is that MH (as with QR) does not reinstate cancelled flights and you might need to find alternative availability.

I think I love you. For some reason I didn’t even think about it going back into the availability pool, I checked and it had!

So I phoned up at about 7:30am. Got onto Fiji. This girl seemed competent so I went ahead going through the itinery flight by flight to remove all the trash flights with other agents had incorrectly put on there, and re-add the MH Perth to KUL flight.

I had asked her to call me back if the line dropped out. Sure enough it dropped. But she called back. She then sent it to the ticketing team. Put on hold and she checked in every five minutes.

She eventually came back and said it was ticketed with no change in points or taxes (I was scared from dropping this one other flight it may then count as an extra stop), and that the e-ticket would be emailed to me within 24hours. I said no I need to get this emailed to me now so I can see it has been ticketed. She sent me the plain text itinery which had the ticket numbers. All flights displaying correctly in CMT with ticket numbers.

So it seems it has actually been sorted. However I now have the gap in my path from ADL to LHR and will have to make my own way for one of the flights in that route. Also had to accept the proposed flight change on an AA flight where I had actually put in a request for them to open up seats on a later flight which was pending and one of those segments was on the booking. But the last moron who touches the booking deleted those ones I wanted so stuck with the early flight. But oh well better than nothing!

I told the agent to put me through to the survey at the end as she was amazing but unfortunately it didn’t go to the survey at the end. Her name was Lai, from the Fiji call centre. She was excellent.

Approx three weeks till I fly out. Hoping I never have to phone that call centre again.

 

[squid01]

Also, there are two pax on the booking. Does each pax get their own individual ticket number? Or should they both be on the same ticket number?

 

[Mr H]

I think I love you. For some reason I didn’t even think about it going back into the availability pool, I checked and it had!

Glad it worked out for you.

 

[Ktan89]

Also, there are two pax on the booking. Does each pax get their own individual ticket number? Or should they both be on the same ticket number?

Each pax should have a ticket number

 

[acinod]

One of my Qatar legs was suddenly removed a few weeks back when the QR seats started being withheld. Qantas said the best they can do is request Qatar to get the seats back. After waiting a week, I called 2 days ago and the agent said they were able to get the seats back and just waiting to get ticketed but when I called again today to follow up on the ticketing, they said the seats were still on request as there has been no response from Qatar.

Is there anything I can do to escalate this?

 

[flapper]

This week I'm off on my 6th OWA after having to cancel 3 in recent years. With all the difficulties I've had with the cancelled flights and time changes and the terrible service provided by the CCs I feel I've earned this one. I must've made over 50 calls over the past 3 months trying to sort things out. I'm still rather anxious that they'll be more cancellations or even minor time changes and I'll be left trying to sort it out with the OS CCs. Anyway thanks to all those who contribute to this thread as I've learned many things from your advice.

 

[ellen10]

This week I'm off on my 6th OWA after having to cancel 3 in recent years. With all the difficulties I've had with the cancelled flights and time changes and the terrible service provided by the CCs I feel I've earned this one. I must've made over 50 calls over the past 3 months trying to sort things out. I'm still rather anxious that they'll be more cancellations or even minor time changes and I'll be left trying to sort it out with the OS CCs. Anyway thanks to all those who contribute to this thread as I've learned many things from your advice.

Have great trip @flapper , I hope everything goes smoothly, you have earned it!

 

[Thetravelbyte]

Hope you have a smooth trip @flapper!

Now with Qatar out of the picture for the time being, has anyone been game enough to add Cathay to their itinerary?

 

[Phoenix-1]

I'm booking a RTW trip from SIN - SYD - LAX - JFK - ICN - KUL -ADL for May 2023.

Theoretically, if Japan opens up travel could I later on amend the last leg to ICN - HND - ADL?

 

[encryptededdy]

I'm booking a RTW trip from SIN - SYD - LAX - JFK - ICN - KUL -ADL for May 2023.

Theoretically, if Japan opens up travel could I later on amend the last leg to ICN - HND - ADL?

Yes, but if you make the change after 31 Dec or book after 31 Sept, you'll have to pay the 5000 pts change fee assuming Qantas doesn't amend fly flexible for Classic Rewards.

Also, this change is only doable over the phone. It isn't a hard request but I will warn that I suspect some of the less well trained Qantas Call Center agents will not be able to make this change without messing up your booking.