Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[martindagun]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

You can't pay more points to exceed 35,000 miles but what you can do is turn one of your stopovers into a sidetrip on a separate ticket. You can for instance drop YVR and instead fly LHR-MEX-BOG-DFW-SYD-MEL. Stop in DFW and buy a separate roundtrip ticket or award ticket to YVR.

Thanks. I'm looking into a few options like this.

You might have too many stopovers too as I think for the overland sectors you have to count both ends as stopovers, so you appear to have stops in EBB, DAR, IST, LHR, VCR, MEX, & BOG which is above the limit of five.

You might also be able to shave some miles with some different routings, for example BOG-MEL will be a bit shorter if you stay in the southern hemisphere and go via SCL.

Wow, what's the point of doing it overland if it counts as a stop.

I tried doing that initially, but for some reason I can't get any of the LAN flights in South America to show up.

 

[sergeyvzn]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Both ends of a surface sector count as 1 stop

 

[mrdctau]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

A couple of stops are going to need to be taken out, but you can always cough-up for some local paid flights or separate redemptions.

Something like: mel-doh(T1)-dar(S1)-doh(T2)-ist(S2)-overland-mad(S3)-bog(S4)-dfw(T1)-yvr(S5)-nrt(T1)-syd(T1)-mel comes to 34741 miles.

 

[vetrade]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

A couple of stops are going to need to be taken out, but you can always cough-up for some local paid flights or separate redemptions.

Something like: mel-doh(T1)-dar(S1)-doh(T2)-ist(S2)-overland-mad(S3)-bog(S4)-dfw(T1)-yvr(S5)-nrt(T1)-syd(T1)-mel comes to 34741 miles.

Your information is not correct mrdctau - as sergeyvzn said the 2 cities of a surface sector only count as one stop so martindagun doesn't have too many stopovers at all and therefore doesn't need to delete any of them.

 

[martindagun]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Thanks for all the help guys.
Really appreciate it.

 

[benz]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Wow, what's the point of doing it overland if it counts as a stop.

I tried doing that initially, but for some reason I can't get any of the LAN flights in South America to show up.

Try searching on Awardnexus or BA executive club sites, IME LAN flights within South America never show up if you search through QFF

 

[martindagun]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Try searching on Awardnexus or BA executive club sites, IME LAN flights within South America never show up if you search through QFF

Life saver! Will look into it this weekend.

 

[Isochronous]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

For anyone who might be interested in a challenge and some extra cash: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....rch-assistance/win-50-help-me-book-59832.html

I'd also appreciate some clarification on routing rules. I can't find a definitive statement on the QF website.

 

[redbaron]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hi Everyone! I'm new here

I've read about first 60 pages of this thread (mostly. on and off) and I can't figure out what (140K/280K/420K) means.

And I think I've gathered that you have to use the world map at the OW site to decide which flights you want to take, but do you then have to call Qantas to see if it can be an award booking?

I'm trying to get to Bergen and back for a mate's wedding.

Thanks in advance !

Marty

 

[coles525]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hi Everyone! I'm new here

I've read about first 60 pages of this thread (mostly. on and off) and I can't figure out what (140K/280K/420K) means.

And I think I've gathered that you have to use the world map at the OW site to decide which flights you want to take, but do you then have to call Qantas to see if it can be an award booking?

I'm trying to get to Bergen and back for a mate's wedding.

Thanks in advance !

Marty

Evening Marty,

To answer your question on what (140K/280K/420K) means; is it relates to (Economy/Business/First Class) for the amount of points you may need to fly a RTW trip.

These points shown are per person, being in zone 10 (if I remember correctly! ), which is the max flight segments/distance for a world trip.

 

[mrdctau]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Evening Marty,

To answer your question on what (140K/280K/420K) means; is it relates to (Economy/Business/First Class) for the amount of points you may need to fly a RTW trip.

These points shown are per person, being in zone 10 (if I remember correctly! ), which is the max flight segments/distance for a world trip.

"RTW" as a bit misleading though as the trip doesn't necessarily need to be "round-the-world". You need to keep the miles under 35K, no more than five stopovers, can't transit through the same city more than twice and once you return to the country of your city of departure the trip is over. Unlike paid OW RTW trips, you aren't restricted in terms on crossing certain oceans twice, etc.

 

[sergeyvzn]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

The whole point of the 140/280/420k type of trip is to extract the maximum value for money out of Qantas. Redeeming your points for a simple return trip to Europe makes little sense unless you plan to return via North America/Africa/South America, there are far better ways to do it

 

[redbaron]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Thanks for your replies - yes the OW award seems to be better value than most other uses for QFF points. So what's the catch, does it have to be booked one year in advance?

And does it have to be booked with Qantas over the phone?

 

[Jacques Vert]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Thanks for your replies - yes the OW award seems to be better value than most other uses for QFF points. So what's the catch, does it have to be booked one year in advance?

And does it have to be booked with Qantas over the phone?

Q1: No. Although availability of the seats you want is usually better the earlier you book. Also depends on how flexible you are in date and route.

Q2: No. Some itineraries can be booked online but not all; some partners do not show on the QF site. I try to book what I want online and if it says something like "this fare cannot be priced" then I ring up, tell them the error message, ask that they book for me and waive the booking fee. Succeeded with this last time as I had all the flight numbers, dates and times.

JV

 

[Danger]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

. . . and once you return to the country of your city of departure the trip is over. Unlike paid OW RTW trips, you aren't restricted in terms on crossing certain oceans twice, etc.

Really? I've never heard of that one before. That would create a number of problems for passengers, particularly those using the award as a RTW trip. For example, PER-DOH. . .LAX-SYD-PER would mean the SYD-PER would not be possible.

 

[burnt]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Really? I've never heard of that one before. That would create a number of problems for passengers, particularly those using the award as a RTW trip. For example, PER-DOH. . .LAX-SYD-PER would mean the SYD-PER would not be possible.

I think what MRDCTAU meant to say was that "you can not leave your country of departure TWICE", not that you could not do any flights within the country of departure, on return from OS.

 

[Danger]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

I think what MRDCTAU meant to say was that "you can not leave your country of departure TWICE", not that you could not do any flights within the country of departure, on return from OS.

Gotchya. That makes more sense.

 

[redbaron]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hey gang thanks for your help! I called Qantas and found their agent very helpful in trying to set up a 280K OW award fare for me. Unfortunately after spending 40 minutes searching, she wasn't able to find me an award seat out of Australia except to NRT, which would've been great, but there was no award Business class seat on the NRT-LHR leg, and she said the rule for a 280K OW business class award is that every leg has to be in Business class.

It was always going to be a long shot trying to book an award fare six weeks out from the departure date during peak season..

I'm glad for the experience all the same. I'd considered blowing my 291892 QFF points on an ASA fare to CPH, then flying home from FRA, which would've still cost me about $600 cash (points plus pay). Now I know that I can potentially get a RTW business class fare for 280K, I'll hang onto those points and next time plan a proper journey well in advance.

Thanks again for your tips and advice!

Cheers,
Marty

 

[Kangol]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

she said the rule for a 280K OW business class award is that every leg has to be in Business class.

That is not the case... they can be in lower classes but you still pay the 280k. If you have at least one F segment, the 420k applies.

 

[sergeyvzn]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hey gang thanks for your help! I called Qantas and found their agent very helpful in trying to set up a 280K OW award fare for me. Unfortunately after spending 40 minutes searching, she wasn't able to find me an award seat out of Australia except to NRT, which would've been great, but there was no award Business class seat on the NRT-LHR leg, and she said the rule for a 280K OW business class award is that every leg has to be in Business class.

It was always going to be a long shot trying to book an award fare six weeks out from the departure date during peak season..

I'm glad for the experience all the same. I'd considered blowing my 291892 QFF points on an ASA fare to CPH, then flying home from FRA, which would've still cost me about $600 cash (points plus pay). Now I know that I can potentially get a RTW business class fare for 280K, I'll hang onto those points and next time plan a proper journey well in advance.

Thanks again for your tips and advice!

Cheers,
Marty

Marty, have you considered ALL departure points out of Australia? between SYD, MEL, BNE, Perth and Cairns there must be something else other than a flight to Narita (presumably it's a SYD-NRT flight). MH fly to many ports in Oz and they normally have a good availability,

an alternative might be to go via Auckland

also, NRT-LHR does not have to be direct (BA and JL). There are multiple options on OneWorld airlines - CX, MH, AY, QR just to name some.

You need to check availability for each individual segment go your trip (on Qantas, BA, AA and JAL, the latter to exclude any phantom CX availability) first, then ring Qantas and they will book it for you. It takes time and patience but it's doable