Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[adenda]

Lately I’ve used Twitter to request changes. It’s quite apparent that he team handling these messages are very experienced and likely locally based as they’ve managed to achieve all the changes I’ve requested without much trouble.
Having said that it’s usually several hours between sending a message and getting a response and the response will often be from a different person. (The agents append each response with their initials)
Getting my changes made and ticketed took almost 3 days.

 

[cambriamarsh]

I always say that I want to add some flights to an existing booking and give the details of the flights. Then the agents can get the computer to price it up.

I'm ygoing

 

[Mr H]

I'm ygoing

Good for you!

 

[yaksha98]

Lately I’ve used Twitter to request changes. It’s quite apparent that he team handling these messages are very experienced and likely locally based as they’ve managed to achieve all the changes I’ve requested without much trouble.
Having said that it’s usually several hours between sending a message and getting a response and the response will often be from a different person. (The agents append each response with their initials)
Getting my changes made and ticketed took almost 3 days.

Out of curiosity, what sort of changes were you requesting through twitter?

 

[adenda]

Out of curiosity, what sort of changes were you requesting through twitter?

Two separate issues:
1. Changed the time of an existing flight in a OWA to 1 hour later - initially called to try and do this and was told on a couple of occasions it couldn’t be done (“too many sectors”). The Twitter team initially came back with the same advice but took the initiative to refer it to their OneWorld team - as they called them. I think they also couldn’t understand why there was a problem. Eventually they came back to advise the change had been made and ticketed! Taking this initiative is what makes me think they’re locally based as I’ve rarely seen that from the call centres.
2. Based on the outcome of 1. decided later on to convert a surface sector in our OWA to a flight after availability surprisingly appeared. Took a few days of long waits for responses but eventually done. Importantly they acknowledge the risk of partner airlines cancelling bookings if not ticketed in time.

 

[Phoenix-1]

I'm sure I've read this somewhere but wanted to confirm, can you book a OWCA in reverse? i.e. return legs first and then add the outgoing flight some time later?

 

[cjd600]

I'm sure I've read this somewhere but wanted to confirm, can you book a OWCA in reverse? i.e. return legs first and then add the outgoing flight some time later?

yes.

 

[djkelly69]

can you book a OWCA in reverse?

Sure. Realistically you are just booking a series of award flights, which once all together on one PNR will (hopefully) become an OWA.

But if you book your first flight from an O/S origin, I believe it gets priced in that currency, and then repriced in that currency when you add flights. Am guessing this doesn't help things with QF award ticketing.

Not actually sure if you eventually get repriced in AUD if you add in an earlier starting flight from here.

 

[Phoenix-1]

Thanks.

 

[cjd600]

Not actually sure if you eventually get repriced in AUD if you add in an earlier starting flight from here.

Yes, you'll be repriced in currency of departing country whenever you add a new first flight, be it Australia or elsewhere

 

[SYD]

Can anyone get (direct) AA flights to show up via Qantas's search? There were dozens of AKL-DFW direct seats which all disappeared a few days ago. Was looking at some internal US flights today and no direct AA options are shown, despite flying that route.

There's a thread about that

Australian Frequent Flyer

Tips, Tricks & Chat for the Australian Frequent Flyer

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Had a look on the BA site and it seems to match ExpertFlyer so I'm assuming the issue is at the QF end (unsurprisingly)

I asked in the other thread the same question, but has anyone been able to call up a book an AA reward since about Wed/Thu last week?

It’s currently still broken and who knows how long the interns will take to fix it. If it’s possible to book over the phone, then that should discount any more nefarious enhancements.

 

[Phoenix-1]

It's hearsay but someone on one of the Facebook groups did they saw called up and were able to book AA flights.

 

[DC3]

I'm sure I've read this somewhere but wanted to confirm, can you book a OWCA in reverse? i.e. return legs first and then add the outgoing flight some time later?

Flights may be booked in any order.

 

[Captain Halliday]

But if you book your first flight from an O/S origin, I believe it gets priced in that currency, and then repriced in that currency when you add flights. Am guessing this doesn't help things with QF award ticketing.

I can confirm that O/S point of origin does complicate things in several ways:
1. When adding flights, not all agents know they need to go into the (virtual) overseas office of the departure port to add the additional flights.
2. Cash component for addition flights remains in original currency and some agents struggle with this.
3. But the big one is that ticketing is done in the office of the first port booked. So if not AU this means even if you get an agent in HBA, they still have to email the offshore office for ticketing.

YMMV

 

[Phoenix-1]

I can confirm that O/S point of origin does complicate things in several ways:
1. When adding flights, not all agents know they need to go into the (virtual) overseas office of the departure port to add the additional flights.
2. Cash component for addition flights remains in original currency and some agents struggle with this.
3. But the big one is that ticketing is done in the office of the first port booked. So if not AU this means even if you get an agent in HBA, they still have to email the offshore office for ticketing.

YMMV

That's interesting, thanks. Does the office for ticketing change to the origin of the earliest segment? Say you book KUL-NRT and then later add MEL-KUL, does the ticketing office revert to AU?

 

[Captain Halliday]

That's interesting, thanks. Does the office for ticketing change to the origin of the earliest segment? Say you book KUL-NRT and then later add MEL-KUL, does the ticketing office revert to AU?

Not sure about that one I’m sorry.

My OWAs have all started O/S, so my data points include SIN, HND and MNL departures.

 

[ellen10]

I can confirm that O/S point of origin does complicate things in several ways:
1. When adding flights, not all agents know they need to go into the (virtual) overseas office of the departure port to add the additional flights.
2. Cash component for addition flights remains in original currency and some agents struggle with this.
3. But the big one is that ticketing is done in the office of the first port booked. So if not AU this means even if you get an agent in HBA, they still have to email the offshore office for ticketing.

YMMV

As a lowly Bronze flyer I feel that adding more flights the agents I would get when adding these flights, could possibly be confused and it could create many headaches,

 

[adenda]

As a lowly Bronze flyer I feel that adding more flights the agents I would get when adding these flights, could possibly be confused and it could create many headaches,

To be honest that has been my experience - but persistence pays off. There are some overseas agents who are reasonably competent. Best advice if it's not working - HUACA. Or try social media channels.

 

[gda380]

Lately I’ve used Twitter to request changes. It’s quite apparent that he team handling these messages are very experienced and likely locally based as they’ve managed to achieve all the changes I’ve requested without much trouble.
Having said that it’s usually several hours between sending a message and getting a response and the response will often be from a different person. (The agents append each response with their initials)
Getting my changes made and ticketed took almost 3 days.

I agree with this, I had an issue with a cancelled UL flight in a OWCA (see previous post). I emailed the new escalation team and also called qantas few times over the last 8 days nothing happened. Yesterday I sent a message via twitter and few hours later I was booked on the replacement UL flight (in J) and e-ticket generated for 3 pax. Everything is showing ok on CMT. Hope this will help others in a similar situation.

 

[Rich]

3. But the big one is that ticketing is done in the office of the first port booked. So if not AU this means even if you get an agent in HBA, they still have to email the offshore office for ticketing.

Surely Qantas doesn't have an office in every country in which your booking could originate. If not, then would it be that, for example, Manila handles anything originating in The Philippines and some nearby countries?