Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[shankoz]

Update to this.

So I checked my Qantas app yesterday for the first time in a couple months, and turns out some of my flight have been 'cancelled'. No update to itinery was sent to me, so I have no idea when this happend.
After talking to a few different agents, it turns out one of the flights was cancelled, and the other flights were sold to people willing to pay money.
I already had my tickets for these flights, and have already booked accomadation and trips in each of the places.

The qantas reps only answer for this was basically, pay, or get stuffed.
Im at a loss as to how they can do this to people, this trip has been booked for months, and with no word, refund, or offer to re-book, just cancelled it on me.

I feel your pain. This happened to me last week - logged on to the Qantas app and found that 3 out of my 8 flights on the itinerary (all QR long haul flights in business) had just vanished off my itinerary - despite being ticketed. Absolutely no communication about this from Qantas.

Made 9 or 10 calls (all to call centres in Fiji/SA/Philippines - for reference I'm Qantas Gold) - got told so many different, totally absurd things. One lady even said it was MY JOB to ring Qatar to get it reinstated...out of desperation I even tried this - and was told, expectedly, that it was a Qantas ticketing issue. Tried FB Messenger and Twitter to no avail. Was starting to become super depressed that the holiday I booked a year ago was looking like it would be off due to no fault of my own......

As a last resort, after trawling these forums, I tried the "email the execs" option. Lo and behold, within 48 hours, I got a call back from a real human in Hobart, explaining that a QR flight time change on my very first leg (which I knew about but was so minor I'd ignored it...literally the flight was scheduled to land 5 minutes earlier and had a different flight number) led to that initial flight being reticketed by Qantas on a different ticket number.....but without any of the remaining flights. For some reason Qatar Airways picked up on this, and ??assumed the other 3 long haul segments were not needed and cancelled them.

After a further 48 hours, I got a second call back from the guy and now all my flights are there again, all ticketed (under one new, unifying ticket number). While I perhaps don't fully understand the exact nature of the stuff up, he even said to me my case would be used as a 'reference' if this happens again (who knows if he's making that up hahaha).

All I can say is that this was an incredibly stressful experience and I'm at the point of expecting another stuff up before the itinerary begins in May

 

[Easy Tiger]

I feel your pain. This happened to me last week - logged on to the Qantas app and found that 3 out of my 8 flights on the itinerary (all QR long haul flights in business) had just vanished off my itinerary - despite being ticketed. Absolutely no communication about this from Qantas.

Made 9 or 10 calls (all to call centres in Fiji/SA/Philippines - for reference I'm Qantas Gold) - got told so many different, totally absurd things. One lady even said it was MY JOB to ring Qatar to get it reinstated...out of desperation I even tried this - and was told, expectedly, that it was a Qantas ticketing issue. Tried FB Messenger and Twitter to no avail. Was starting to become super depressed that the holiday I booked a year ago was looking like it would be off due to no fault of my own......

As a last resort, after trawling these forums, I tried the "email the execs" option. Lo and behold, within 48 hours, I got a call back from a real human in Hobart, explaining that a QR flight time change on my very first leg (which I knew about but was so minor I'd ignored it...literally the flight was scheduled to land 5 minutes earlier and had a different flight number) led to that initial flight being reticketed by Qantas on a different ticket number.....but without any of the remaining flights. For some reason Qatar Airways picked up on this, and ??assumed the other 3 long haul segments were not needed and cancelled them.

After a further 48 hours, I got a second call back from the guy and now all my flights are there again, all ticketed (under one new, unifying ticket number). While I perhaps don't fully understand the exact nature of the stuff up, he even said to me my case would be used as a 'reference' if this happens again (who knows if he's making that up hahaha).

All I can say is that this was an incredibly stressful experience and I'm at the point of expecting another stuff up before the itinerary begins in May

Please, please share the email address you used to 'email the execs".

 

[k_sheep]

Are they even available in Y? I understand that for all practical purposes QR is no longer available on Qantas points.

If someone is part way through a OWA itinerary and needs to change dates for a QR flight then it’s not going to happen.

Whelp I'm boned then. I guess ... hopefully I can change them to surface sectors? And not lose the rest.

 

[shankoz]

Please, please share the email address you used to 'email the execs".

I will take no credit at all for knowing the emails! I am forever grateful to this forum in general but particularly for the post below by @levelnine on another thread:

In terms of the practical steps that you can take at this stage, there appears to be only one that I've seen that has actually helped people.

That is to write emails to members of the Qantas Executive Team, particularly Markus Svensson, the Chief Customer Officer. You can probably find his email online, but they typically follow the format [email protected]

Calmly and carefully explain the issue, the problems you've encountered in getting an outcome from Qantas customer service representatives, and ask to be contacted by someone at Qantas who will be able to assist.

If you're lucky, someone from the Hobart call centre will contact you, offering to place you on a Qantas flight to/from London.

You have no chance of getting on that Qatar flight. Those seats are gone and Qantas can do nothing to help you get them back.

While it may be purely coincidence, the fact that after a week of head-banging, someone from an Australian office called me back within 48 hours of sending the email makes me think at least someone is monitoring that account

 

[levelnine]

Glad to hear you got a successful resolution.

Interestingly, it shows that QF are still able to attain reward seats on QR, but only in exceptional circumstances (ie to recover lost tickets), not for new bookings.

 

[Mr H]

Whelp I'm boned then. I guess ... hopefully I can change them to surface sectors? And not lose the rest.

You may be able to try special pleading, but the basic rule with redemptions is that once the first sector has been flown, the rest of the itinerary is locked. Use it or lose it.

 

[Jacques Vert]

This might be my only hope - how would this work? Do they pretend to be me? Wouldn't the number of ID questions agents ask these days - which is getting a bit excessive - torpedo this?

No need for the friend to tell fibs. They should just ring and, presuming they get through to HBA, just advise the agent that they are trying to help a friend sort out an issue with a booking.

Your friend explains the situation and then asks the agent if it is OK to put the agent on speaker or to hand the phone over to you.

I've helped friends this way on a number of occasions.

Good luck.

 

[Jacques Vert]

I'm partway through my 318k OWA and again need to change some dates due to call centre issues. But I can't see any J availability on QR now, even 119 days out. Are they gone entirely?

And if QR is now totally out of the picture, can I use a different airline for my remaining flights? It would have to be indirect (currently have WAW-DOH stop, DOH-DEL stop) because no one else flies these routes direct besides QR. I've found this rule which says you can change flight number and date, but would it matter if there were more flights added (but 'destination' stays the same)? I have miles to spare luckily.



14.7.6 Subject to this clause 14.7, the following changes are permitted to a Classic Flight Reward 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.

You don't explain what the "call centre issues" are but if your problem(s) are caused by QR cancelling or amending a flight, or QF stuffing something up, then call QF and insist that it is their problem and they need to fix it. (You will probably need to get through to HBA to have any success with this approach.)

Generally, if the date change is your choice, the problem belongs to you; if the date change is caused by the airline(s), then they are allowed to break their own rules.

If you can't get through to HBA on the phone, try the "email an executive approach" that others have had success with.

Good luck.

 

[Phoenix-1]

Yes, I believe all J seats from QR are now unbookable using Qantas, no matter how close the flight is to departure.

I see some QR J availability very close to departure (3 days out).

I was going to comment here asking if asking QF to add a MEL-ADL flight to the end of my booking was a reasonable idea. Reading through the last page of ticketing nightmares quickly sobered me up on that idea though.

 

[levelnine]

I see some QR J availability very close to departure (3 days out).

Interesting. Does seem like they are happy to throw the scraps QF's way.

 

[yaksha98]

All flights were confirmed, paid for and ticketed (with the 081 number).

4/9 flights were cancelled with no notification.

I have been booked back on one of the original flights, but now in economy.

I'm gonna try for the Hobart team today.

goodluck! let us know how you go...!

 

[Youfah Mizzum]

New query for those thread trawlers in the know...
I have a very simple itinerary,

SYD - TLV - LHR - SYD

Depart SYD on 6/9/2023 on EF EK413 (not negotiable) in PE.
All other legs are flexible dates but ideally TLV to LHR on 24/9. PE or J
Then LHR home to SYD around the 13/10/2023. PE or J. Happy to extend up until 17/10/23.

1. Is this trip eligible for OWA? I don't think so, but if it helps the leg home could have a night or 2 in HKG, so maybe flying CX?

2. I can pay revenue fares SYD - TLV on EF in PE, then another revenue fare on BA in PE TLV-LHR
so just get a reward flight LHR-SYD but the QF website doesn't give me any availability around the 13/10/23.
Am I just out of luck?
If I ring (heaven forbid, I'm only Bronze) QF will they show different availability around the 13/10? There seems to be a few reward seats on Y, but not PE.

I know LHR-SYD is a high demand route so maybe I'm just too late with my booking but would be grateful for any insight other AFF members can give.

 

[Warragul]

1. Is this trip eligible for OWA? I don't think so, but if it helps the leg home could have a night or 2 in HKG, so maybe flying CX?

Correct. EK is not a OW carrier so the itinerary as a whole is not eligible.

 

[levelnine]

LHR-SYD but the QF website doesn't give me any availability around the 13/10/23.

Very little chance of getting a reward seat on LHR-SYD in a cabin other than economy as a Bronze. Need to get lucky with a batch release of seats. Call centre will have no more availability than what you can see online.

 

[Youfah Mizzum]

Correct. EK is not a OW carrier so the itinerary as a whole is not eligible.

Righto.

Very little chance of getting a reward seat on LHR-SYD in a cabin other than economy

Guess I'm outta luck then. Revenue fares all the way then. Bit of a bugger as I'm loaded with points, want to use them, but can't. Not on this trip anyway.
Another option...If I were to book Y on points, I wonder what the chances are of an upgrade to PE or J? Thing is, I don't want to risk it if there's no upgrade availability, possibility or certainty.
And I have heard multiple stories like @shankoz and @BWKopite where reward bookings just go missing. I'd prefer to avoid that stress.
So maybe just paying is the wise thing to do anyway? (That's rhetorical, no need to answer).

Need to get lucky with a batch release of seats.

And by lucky, I guess there's no way of knowing in advance when and if this batch release may happen.

 

[levelnine]

And by lucky, I guess there's no way of knowing in advance when and if this batch release may happen.

That's correct. They happen at random, often without any announcement.

In terms of upgrade chances, I would say it is relatively low. If you choose the right day of week (eg Tues, Wed, Thurs), you might have somewhat of a chance, especially to PE, but it still isn't going to be great as a Bronze as you have a lot of people ahead of you wanting upgrades on a premium route. No harm in trying if you were already going to buy an upgradeable fare with QF.

You may be best saving your points for another trip.

 

[yaziyo]

SYD - TLV - LHR - SYD

It's not an OWA but a quick one you can use Qantas points for is the TLV to London leg. QF partners with El Al who flies that route, tends to have good availability and has very low $ charges on top of the points, even in business.

 

[adenda]

I know LHR-SYD is a high demand route so maybe I'm just too late with my booking but would be grateful for any insight other AFF members can give.

Just had a look using multi-city tool and a couple of intermediate cities and found this - assume you were after one seat only. Requires 10 hours in Delhi but it's an option.

 

[Mr H]

Just had a look using multi-city tool and a couple of intermediate cities and found this - assume you were after one seat only. Requires 10 hours in Delhi but it's an option.

There will be multiple options. Danster has simply not searched for them.

 

[adenda]

Also many options via CMB