Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[MEL_Traveller]

I called them up and they said it was an issue with the website showing fake availability for a number of my sectors sadly. I cross-referenced with Expert Flyer as suggested elsewhere for those sectors in this forum and it also suggested this was an issue of phantom availability. I ended up changing my plans and the order of my flights.

Would appreciate some advice from someone re the questions below. My booked itinerary (woo!) is now as follows:

*SYD-ADL
(ADL-DPS on a separate classic rewards flight as I couldn't find non-Jetstar or Oneworld flights for SYD-DPS on my dates)
(DPS-TPE separately as no reasonable Oneworld options (maybe DPS-SIN-TPE could work but it's more work + more points than I have which makes a revenue fare DPS-TPE more sensible)
(TPE-SIN - I was going to do this on points separately but could also do this as part of my one world classic reward itinerary - I'm a bit confused about the best option here, see below)

*SIN-DBV
(DBV-BCN - revenue fare)
*BCN-EWR
*EWR-LAX
*LAX-SYD

I'm a bit confused about what changes I can make in future, if availability opens up on the SYD-DPS route, can I later change my first flight to SYD-DPS? As I understand it, I can then cancel by ADL-DPS flight for a cancellation fee of 6,000 points?

I am considering adding in a longer/more awkwardly timed/non-direct flight option but which is One World and so fits into my classic reward itinerary to get from TPE-SIN instead of buying a direct flight with points on China Airlines. The main reason for this would be because I'd like to fly back into Singapore 2-3 days before my SIN-DBV flight, but I'm worried about somehow not being able to get back to SIN in time because of typhoons etc. that sometimes happen in Taiwan at that time of year. If I add in a TPE-SIN to my current classic reward fare, would they help rebook me on the SIN-DBV if there are issues? I assume the rest of my fare wouldn't automatically cancel then if I missed a flight because an earlier classic reward flight on the same booking reference was canceled, right?

Or, as this is a worse flight option, for the more experienced travellers out there, is 2 and a half days enough leeway to get to my SIN-DBV sector if I choose the direct TPE-SIN China Airlines classic reward flight and need to get on a new flight/wait out a weather event? Would Qantas still cancel my other flights if the reason why I couldn't get there is a because a classic reward flight on a different booking reference got canceled or some type of force majeure?

Thanks again all!

If all your flights are on the one ticket and a typhoon hits, you will be protected through to your next stopping point on your ticket. If that DVB they will get you TOE-DVB. Now that may not be via singapore… could be via Hong Kong or Tokyo and London, etc.

Having separate tickets is probably more risky.

If you can get all these little side trips included in your ticket, go for it. Can save $$$.

I had a similar quandary for an upcoming trip to the US. I could have bought a separate ticket between two point for $550, or flown via a connecting point for free. I chose the latter!

 

[levelnine]

No, I am not.

You booked 4J at T-353? lol

The crossover between IATA winter & summer schedule is not a significant event for award release patterns for most airlines. AY, BA, QR, EK, JL etc etc are already releasing award seats beyond end of March 2024. QF are not releasing seats at the end of schedule anyway. A notable exception is SQ, where there can be a delay of a week or two at the crossover date. But you can't book them with QF points anyway.

See, eg, JL: business as usual on routes such as HND-JFK.

Or EK on SIN-DXB:


Or HKG-HEL on AY:


The reason airlines slow if not outright stop releasing seats into and out of Australia in April is because it is a peak period, your attempts to point out that Christmas is in a different month notwithstanding lol.

That doesn't mean there won't be random batches of releases that cover holiday periods in the future. Indeed, that's exactly what QF has been doing since the reopening of borders.

 

[Steph123]

Hi @levelnine and @cjd600, thank you both for your insights! I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my OWA booking now as we do probably need to come home at some point. I guess I'll wait a bit and hope that there is just a delay of releasing rewards seats due to the seasonal change. Otherwise looks like I'll be purchasing revenue tickets to get home. Ah well, the name of the game I guess! Still got some good business flights from MEL-JFK and LAX-KIX

 

[Steph123]

Also, another question that I can't figure out the answer to (even after reading all the T+Cs for OWA bookings). Does anyone know if the departure airport after a surface segment counts as a 'transit' for that city?

We are transiting Tokyo on the way to New York, and then later in the trip traveling (via train) from Osaka back to Tokyo and flying out to (probably) Singapore. To get back to Aus, some flights from Singapore transit through Tokyo. But I'm not sure whether this is allowed or not as I know you can only have 2 transits through each city, but I can't figure out if the flight from Tokyo-Singapore would count as a transit through Tokyo?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Also, another question that I can't figure out the answer to (even after reading all the T+Cs for OWA bookings). Does anyone know if the departure airport after a surface segment counts as a 'transit' for that city?

We are transiting Tokyo on the way to New York, and then later in the trip traveling (via train) from Osaka back to Tokyo and flying out to (probably) Singapore. To get back to Aus, some flights from Singapore transit through Tokyo. But I'm not sure whether this is allowed or not as I know you can only have 2 transits through each city, but I can't figure out if the flight from Tokyo-Singapore would count as a transit through Tokyo?

The arrival city is counted for the transit, not the departure city.

 

[levelnine]

. Otherwise looks like I'll be purchasing revenue tickets to get home.

I wouldn't give up yet. It is certainly possible to get award flights over the school holidays, but you need to be vigilant. Keep checking for QF batch releases. They will do one for the first half of next year at some point. If it covers your routes and dates, you'll have a couple of days to get something before they disappear.

 

[Steph123]

The arrival city is counted for the transit, not the departure city.

Perfect, thanks heaps!

Post automatically merged: Apr 14, 2023

I wouldn't give up yet. It is certainly possible to get award flights over the school holidays, but you need to be vigilant. Keep checking for QF batch releases. They will do one for the first half of next year at some point. If it covers your routes and dates, you'll have a couple of days to get something before they disappear.

Okay, great. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for any batch releases. I'm just stressing about it as it's for a honeymoon trip

 

[Kiwiash]

Are there any circumstances where agents can override the max 5 stopovers on a OWA for example if there is a flight schedule change which would require a breech in the 24 hour transit rule? Assessing my options because of the ongoing issues with the restart of QF29 now requiring a transit in Sydney. Wanting a change to a direct flight on the prior day but this would push me over the 5 stops.

 

[Mr H]

Are there any circumstances where agents can override the max 5 stopovers on a OWA for example if there is a flight schedule change which would require a breech in the 24 hour transit rule? Assessing my options because of the ongoing issues with the restart of QF29 now requiring a transit in Sydney. Wanting a change to a direct flight on the prior day but this would push me over the 5 stops.

You might be able to get a sixth stop in the case of an involuntary reroute (even then I have my doubts) but not for anything you initiate. Plus, if by some miracle you did get a sixth stop for a reroute you would never be able to make another change on that itinerary because you’d have to reprosecute the case for the additional stop every time.

 

[Wolf creek]

I am flying out BNE SYD,3hr transit,SYD-DOH,with QR,90 minute transit,DoH-CDG with RJ.This coming Thursda.
A little concerned different ticket REFs,if Qatar is delayed and we miss the RJ flight am I screwed ?will we get allocated another flight?I read on this forum about PNR should i have my OWA different ticket REFs on one PNR as a guarantee for missed connection.
ty

 

[Mr H]

I am flying out BNE SYD,3hr transit,SYD-DOH,with QR,90 minute transit,DoH-CDG with RJ.This coming Thursda.
A little concerned different ticket REFs,if Qatar is delayed and we miss the RJ flight am I screwed ?will we get allocated another flight?I read on this forum about PNR should i have my OWA different ticket REFs on one PNR as a guarantee for missed connection.
ty

What matters is whether you have one ticket or different tickets. If your flights are on different tickets then all the king’s horses and all the king’s men are not going to be able to put them together.

From memory, QF, QR and RJ all use the Amadeus reference so if you have different reference numbers it sounds like you have different tickets.

You could try through checking your luggage to try to make it look like a connection and if you do miss the connection you could always hope for goodwill, but the rules will not be on your side.

 

[Wolf creek]

What matters is whether you have one ticket or different tickets. If your flights are on different tickets then all the king’s horses and all the king’s men are not going to be able to put them together.

From memory, QF, QR and RJ all use the Amadeus reference so if you have different reference numbers it sounds like you have different tickets.

You could try through checking your luggage to try to make it look like a connection and if you do miss the connection you could always hope for goodwill, but the rules will not be on your side.

Yes Mr H different tickets different booking ref numbers….so I will praying for QR to be on time.At the time I was thinking One World partners would look after each other and their passengers.
What Will happen with bags if we are on time.We don’t have to go to carousel to pick up do we?

 

[Mr H]

What Will happen with bags if we are on time.We don’t have to go to carousel to pick up do we?

Yes you will have to get them from the carousel unless you get them through checked in Brisbane. They should do this for you, but potential pain if they don’t.

 

[Mr H]

At the time I was thinking One World partners would look after each other and their passengers.

They may well do - they just don’t have to.

 

[Wolf creek]

Thanks for your input Mr H…we might pick our bags up in Sydney…..thinking of checking our bags through from Sydney with Qatar,what do you think?

 

[Mr H]

Thanks for your input Mr H…we might pick our bags up in Sydney…..thinking of checking our bags through from Sydney with Qatar,what do you think?

Do you need your bags in Sydney? Wouldn’t you have to lug them from domestic to international? I would try to through check them in Brisbane and if they say no, ask for them to be checked only to Sydney and then try again there.

 

[Wolf creek]

Ty….so it’s impossible to get these 2 booking reference numbers merged into one, all the way from BNE to CDG.This is a first leg to Europe with a quick transit.

A bit confused sorry….I thought when you did OWA 318k you had to do a PNR so it’s all on one ticket.

 

[Mr H]

Ty….so it’s impossible to get these 2 booking reference numbers merged into one, all the way from BNE to CDG.This is a first leg to Europe with a quick transit.

A bit confused sorry….I thought when you did OWA 318k you had to do a PNR so it’s all on one ticket.

If you have two different tickets they are not linked and are not part of the same 318k OWA.

 

[Mr H]

Ty….so it’s impossible to get these 2 booking reference numbers merged into one, all the way from BNE to CDG.This is a first leg to Europe with a quick transit.

A bit confused sorry….I thought when you did OWA 318k you had to do a PNR so it’s all on one ticket.

Going back to basics.

A PNR is a passenger name record. When you make a booking, you will be given a PNR - which is usually a six letter/number code e.g. HY6T5R. This is used to find the booking in the system. Occasionally, an airline will not use the Amadeus booking system and this may lead to a multi-airline booking having a secondary booking reference code for that airline. But this should not be the case four Qantas, Qatar or Royal Jordanian.

At some point in the process, the booking is ticketed. This will generate a string of 13 numbers, and if Qantas issued the ticket, it will start with 081 - e.g. 081-4564564564

If you change a booking - e.g. to add flights onto a OWA booking, you need to say you are changing a booking and give the agent the original PNR. They will then open the existing booking and add or subtract flights. The PNR will not change, but any existing ticket is cancelled and a new ticket will be issued, also starting 081, and that will cover all the flights on the booking.

If you have multiple PNRs then you have multiple separate bookings and (hopefully) multiple tickets. They can never be joined. They will also never be combined for the 318,000 points cap.

When you check in with multiple tickets for different parts of the same journey, the check in agent will often be able to check the luggage through to the end destination if the airlines have a partnership agreement. This should be possible if your flights are all OWA and if check in is open for all the flights. This does not combine the tickets or protect you in the event of a missed connection, but it should save you the hassle of waiting for bags en route and having to check them in again.

I know it is complicated, but hopefully this steps it out for you. I am still not 100% convinced you have separate tickets.

 

[Wolf creek]

If you have two different tickets they are not linked and are not part of the same 318k OWA.

Ty for sharing your Saturday Mr H…..I need to read the rules closely,and hope I don’t learn the hard way