Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[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

 

[Wolf creek]

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

Update…2 overseas qantas operators have said there are 2 different tickets which aren’t connected and I will have to collect bags and recheck at RJ in Doha,I have 95 minutes
Hope for no delay and I am flying business which should give me an early exit from plane,bags first on carousel, and quick check in at Doha.
Do you get priority security check in?

 

[Mr H]

Update…2 overseas qantas operators have said there are 2 different tickets which aren’t connected and I will have to collect bags and recheck at RJ in Doha,I have 95 minutes
Hope for no delay and I am flying business which should give me an early exit from plane,bags first on carousel, and quick check in at Doha.
Do you get priority security check in?

Please try to check bags al the way through in Brisbane and if that fails, please ask for them to be checked only to Sydney and try again there. The people you spoke to on the Qantas switchboard do not know that this should be possible.

 

[Warragul]

You could ask the QF call centre to put a comment in the bookings referring to each other- along the lines of 'pax is travelling on reloc ABC123 QR456 arr DOH at 2300 15APR '. It won't provide the protection a single ticket does, but it does give informaation the airline staff of why you may not be where you are meant to be. From personal experience, they may make allowance for this in any action taken by them.

 

[Wolf creek]

What am I doing wrong forum?
My partner and I want full value out of next overseas trip in November.business 318k,35,000 miles.
We have booked our trip over,Syd-LHR,and our trip back home
HEL-DEL,DEL-HKG(transit)BNE with CX,different ref numbers.

After London,we are looking to book,LHR-REF,REF-HELtransit)OSL,CPH-HEL(transit less than 24 hrs)continue home with our 5 th stop in DEL.

I T seems to be within rules,how do I get them to ticket this?

 

[Mr H]

What am I doing wrong forum?
My partner and I want full value out of next overseas trip in November.business 318k,35,000 miles.
We have booked our trip over,Syd-LHR,and our trip back home
HEL-DEL,DEL-HKG(transit)BNE with CX,different ref numbers.

After London,we are looking to book,LHR-REF,REF-HELtransit)OSL,CPH-HEL(transit less than 24 hrs)continue home with our 5 th stop in DEL.

I T seems to be within rules,how do I get them to ticket this?

You have already made separate bookings that will never link. In order to do a OWA, all the flights need to be on the same booking. When you make changes, you need to add flights to an existing booking, not make a new booking.

 

[Wolf creek]

Hmmm so when I did the SYD -LHR booking I should have booked a return from LHR to SYD in the intention o f changing it when my suitable return itinerary becomes available ?

I am feeling pretty dumb here… I thought the idea was book anything that is available,make it work than ring qantas and get them to link it and finalise it

 

[Wolf creek]

Hope I can help someone out there…..I had 2 BA business class tickets for Nov 8 th I cancelled them this morning( I was lucky enough to get qantas tickets to lhr instead) hope they put them back in the system.

 

[Mr H]

Hmmm so when I did the SYD -LHR booking I should have booked a return from LHR to SYD in the intention o f changing it when my suitable return itinerary becomes available ?

You do not need to book all your flights at once - you can add flights to an existing booking. This has to be done by phone, and the conversation should go: "I would like to add flights to an existing booking". You will then give your PNR and they will open your existing booking.

I thought the idea was book anything that is available,make it work than ring qantas and get them to link it and finalise it

No - that is definitely the wrong way. Qantas cannot and will not link separate bookings. You will not get the protection of through tickets and your booking will not cap out at 318,000 points.

I am feeling pretty dumb here…

Not dumb, just inexperienced. You are trying to do the grand-daddy of difficult redemption bookings without really understanding what you are doing. You would be well advised to read the guide on the first page of this very long thread. People here are helpful but with almost zero knowledge of the scheme, you are likely to seek the wrong advice or misinterpret the answers.

 

[Lynda2475]

Typically you book your first leg (or all legs that are available) online yourself - this may or may not reach the 318k limit. Then when you find additional/return flights that fit within the OWA rules, you call up Qantas and say you want to add additional flights to your booking - quote the dates and flight numbers.

No need to mention OWA, the system will recalculate any points gap (capping at 318k pp) and any taxes gap. If the booking is in Business or First then there is no telephone assistance fee charged for the changes, but you will be charged a change fee per person each time they have to reticket because of a chnge you request.

You can not link separate bookings to make a OWA, you have to keep modifying the booking you already have.

For example, I originally booked a CR SYD-LAX-SYD, but then when SYD-DFW flights were released I called up and asked then to change flight #1 to SYD-DFW, add DFW-LHR, LHR-DUB, DUB-HEL, HEL-JFK and keep LAX-SYD. I just had to pay a chnage fee of 6k points, the extra points (they capped out at 318k) and the extra taxes.

 

[Wolf creek]

What am I doing wrong forum?
My partner and I want full value out of next overseas trip in November.business 318k,35,000 miles.
We have booked our trip over,Syd-LHR,and our trip back home
HEL-DEL,DEL-HKG(transit)BNE with CX,different ref numbers.

After London,we are looking to book,LHR-REF,REF-HELtransit)OSL,CPH-HEL(transit less than 24 hrs)continue home with our 5 th stop in DEL.

I T seems to be within rules,how do I get them to ticket this?

See If I get this right,
Step 1 BookSYD-LHR
Step 2 Should have linked LHR To HEL to DEL to BNE when it came available
Step 3 Then can change or add internal flights

 

[Mr H]

See If I get this right,
Step 1 BookSYD-LHR
Step 2 Should have linked LHR To HEL to DEL to BNE when it came available
Step 3 Then can change or add internal flights

Yes

 

[cambriamarsh]

See If I get this right,
Step 1 BookSYD-LHR
Step 2 Should have linked LHR To HEL to DEL to BNE when it came available
Step 3 Then can change or add internal flights

Not booked the new flights and linked, amended by adding the new flights

 

[Mr H]

See If I get this right,
Step 1 BookSYD-LHR
Step 2 Should have linked LHR To HEL to DEL to BNE when it came available
Step 3 Then can change or add internal flights

Not booked the new flights and linked, amended by adding the new flights

This is a good example of why it is really important to get the terminology right - to avoid thinking you are asking one thing and actually asking another - or misunderstanding answers. There is a potential for mis-steps to be very expensive to fix.

 

[PointsTraveller!]

Just had a time change on one of my flights on my OWA booking which has been brought forward just over an hour. I can’t accept online or via app and it’s telling me to call up.

Why can’t I just accept the change online or view alternatives ? Really can’t be bothered dealing with the call centers….

 

[Mr H]

I can’t accept online or via app and it’s telling me to call up.

Really can’t be bothered dealing with the call centers….

Your choice. Let us know how it works out for you.

 

[PointsTraveller!]

Your choice. Let us know how it works out for you.

Even more confused now.

Called and had the issue addressed within 4 minutes, said he has sent the new e-tickets.

Reviewed after getting off the phone and I received 3 emails. 1 e-ticket for each passenger and a "Travel Document" Email.

Both e-tickets don't have updated times, but the travel document does. Should I be concerned?

JAL still says ticketed and reflected the new time, Qantas manage my booking shows new time (But when sending email itinerary shows old time on e-ticket), RJ and MH shows ticket number (same numbers as before time change) and updated time.

 

[yaksha98]

Even more confused now.

Called and had the issue addressed within 4 minutes, said he has sent the new e-tickets.

Reviewed after getting off the phone and I received 3 emails. 1 e-ticket for each passenger and a "Travel Document" Email.

Both e-tickets don't have updated times, but the travel document does. Should I be concerned?

JAL still says ticketed and reflected the new time, Qantas manage my booking shows new time (But when sending email itinerary shows old time on e-ticket), RJ and MH shows ticket number (same numbers as before time change) and updated time.

Pretty sure you are fine. The QF email itinerary function is known to resend old etickets even though new ones have been reissued. This is the case for me currently - the MH / RJ app/website shows me the current eticket numbers (and issue date on MH app) and flights which is in the Qantas MMB, but not via the email eticket function (which shows the old itinerary).