Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[MelbFlyer]

And they had Australian call centres back then, the overseas ones are terrible when trying to add a flight or get reticketed.

+100 to this unfortunately, especially considering my recent experience.

85%+ of my calls made to Qantas were failed attempts to amend my rewards booking with seats that are showing online but agents were either unable to see it (most common response), or they were unable to add for some unknown reason.

It should be consistent across the board - either you can or you can't amend / change - it shouldn't vary because of the agent you get.

If only Qantas implemented a system where you can amend reward bookings online - that would be a godsend.

 

[sap1l]

Ignoring the highly ambitious 34,997 miles (QF don't use GCM to calculate miles).
Rule 14.3.5 A Classic Flight Reward Itinerary must contain no more than one departure from the city or country of first departure on that Itinerary.

Thanks for that.

I guess the “surface sectors count as stopovers from the start” is overridden by this rule.

I suppose with the ambitious mile count, I’d just have to try and see if the system accepts it

 

[Mr H]

I suppose with the ambitious mile count, I’d just have to try and see if the system accepts it

My experience is that if you get within a couple of hundred GC miles of the 35,000, the QF computer says no.

 

[Tonkatough]

Thought I would share my recent experience with adding three flights to a previously ticketed OWA J ticket over the course of two days.

Call 1 (Fiji): Flights confirmed as available and added to itinerary. Unable to calculate taxes. Call back promised.
Call 2 (Fiji): Call back advised having difficulty with calculating taxes.
Call 3 (Fiji): New operator messaged operator from call 1 - and was advised there were difficulties in calculating taxes
Call 4 (Fiji): Operator advised when trying to press the button to ticket the flights, it wouldn't work. Reason: you can't finish the ticket in a different place to the start!
Call 5 (Hobart): Advised that the previous operators really had not done anything. All was tidied up, taxes calculated and ticketed within 30 minutes.

To their credit, the Fiji staff were trying their hardest but just did not seem to understand how to get the job done.

 

[flapper]

Thought I would share my recent experience with adding three flights to a previously ticketed OWA J ticket over the course of two days.

Call 1 (Fiji): Flights confirmed as available and added to itinerary. Unable to calculate taxes. Call back promised.
Call 2 (Fiji): Call back advised having difficulty with calculating taxes.
Call 3 (Fiji): New operator messaged operator from call 1 - and was advised there were difficulties in calculating taxes
Call 4 (Fiji): Operator advised when trying to press the button to ticket the flights, it wouldn't work. Reason: you can't finish the ticket in a different place to the start!
Call 5 (Hobart): Advised that the previous operators really had not done anything. All was tidied up, taxes calculated and ticketed within 30 minutes.

Imagine the trouble us mere mortals, who can't get through to HBA, have to go through.

 

[MelbFlyer]

Thought I would share my recent experience with adding three flights to a previously ticketed OWA J ticket over the course of two days.

Call 1 (Fiji): Flights confirmed as available and added to itinerary. Unable to calculate taxes. Call back promised.
Call 2 (Fiji): Call back advised having difficulty with calculating taxes.
Call 3 (Fiji): New operator messaged operator from call 1 - and was advised there were difficulties in calculating taxes
Call 4 (Fiji): Operator advised when trying to press the button to ticket the flights, it wouldn't work. Reason: you can't finish the ticket in a different place to the start!
Call 5 (Hobart): Advised that the previous operators really had not done anything. All was tidied up, taxes calculated and ticketed within 30 minutes.

To their credit, the Fiji staff were trying their hardest but just did not seem to understand how to get the job done.

You had it easy!

Had I documented my entire experience with my recently finished OWA, my post would be the equivalent of 1 page of this thread!

 

[Phoenix-1]

I cancelled a OWCA booking with 3 AY flights and none of them came back into inventory. It's been a few days now and they still haven't returned - a word of warning.

I cancelled (and re-booked) one in September which also had 3 AY flights and they call came back into inventory.

Anyway, back for another sanity check on routing:

Stop 1: MEL-SIN QF
Surface sector: SIN-DEL SQ
Stop 2: DEL-HEL AY
Stop 3: HEL-LHR-JFK AY/AA
Stop 4: LAX-HEL-BRU AY
Stop 5: BRU-HEL-KIX AY
Return: NRT-BNE QF

Total miles is 34,716 (MEL-SIN-DEL-HEL-LHR-JFK-LAX-HEL-BRU-HEL-KIX-NRT-BNE-MEL)

It's pretty close to 35000 miles and I'm going to have to add the last leg over the phone as I can't book more than 2 open jaws online.

 

[DC3]

I cancelled a OWCA booking with 3 AY flights and none of them came back into inventory. It's been a few days now and they still haven't returned - a word of warning.

Yes, some seats may never come back into inventory. There’s no telling whether they will or won’t

 

[cambriamarsh]

I cancelled a OWCA booking with 3 AY flights and none of them came back into inventory. It's been a few days now and they still haven't returned - a word of warning.

I cancelled (and re-booked) one in September which also had 3 AY flights and they call came back into inventory.

Anyway, back for another sanity check on routing:

Stop 1: MEL-SIN QF
Surface sector: SIN-DEL SQ
Stop 2: DEL-HEL AY
Stop 3: HEL-LHR-JFK AY/AA
Stop 4: LAX-HEL-BRU AY
Stop 5: BRU-HEL-KIX AY
Return: NRT-BNE QF

Total miles is 34,716 (MEL-SIN-DEL-HEL-LHR-JFK-LAX-HEL-BRU-HEL-KIX-NRT-BNE-MEL)

It's pretty close to 35000 miles and I'm going to have to add the last leg over the phone as I can't book more than 2 open jaws online.

SQ? Not allowed in OWA

 

[Mr H]

I cancelled a OWCA booking with 3 AY flights and none of them came back into inventory. It's been a few days now and they still haven't returned - a word of warning.

I cancelled (and re-booked) one in September which also had 3 AY flights and they call came back into inventory.

Anyway, back for another sanity check on routing:

Stop 1: MEL-SIN QF
Surface sector: SIN-DEL SQ
Stop 2: DEL-HEL AY
Stop 3: HEL-LHR-JFK AY/AA
Stop 4: LAX-HEL-BRU AY
Stop 5: BRU-HEL-KIX AY
Return: NRT-BNE QF

Total miles is 34,716 (MEL-SIN-DEL-HEL-LHR-JFK-LAX-HEL-BRU-HEL-KIX-NRT-BNE-MEL)

It's pretty close to 35000 miles and I'm going to have to add the last leg over the phone as I can't book more than 2 open jaws online.

Looks fine to me - as long as they let the mileage through. The AA flight is necessary to make it OWA compliant. Of that OS not available then one or two of your sectors could be done on BA.

 

[FlyingFiona]

SQ? Not allowed in OWA

Listed in itinerary as a surface sector.

 

[cambriamarsh]

Listed in itinerary as a surface sector.

Good point, must remember that approach.

 

[Phoenix-1]

Looks fine to me - as long as they let the mileage through. The AA flight is necessary to make it OWA compliant. Of that OS not available then one or two of your sectors could be done on BA.

Thanks for the heads up

 

[elanshin]

Just want to double check itinerary again. Hobart called me back and said their system claims it's invalid (470k+ points instead).

CGK > HKG (ticketed). 0810 -1420 (transit 20h) CX
HKG > TPE (add). +1, 1020 - 1220 (Stop 1) CX
TPE > HKG (add). 1055 - 1255 (Transit 4.5h) CX
HKG > PVG (ticketed). 1725 - 2015 (Stop 2) CX
PVG > SYD (ticketed). 1950 - +1, 0825 (Transit 9.5h) QF
SYD > MEL (add). 1800 - 1935 (Stop 3) QF
MEL > SYD (ticketed). 1100 - 1225 (transit 3.5h) QF
SYD > DFW (ticketed). 1540 - 1600 (transit 21.5h). QF
DFW> IAD (ticketed). +1, 1425 -1830 (Stop 4, surface). AA
BUF > ORD (add). 0650 - 0740 (Transit 12.5h) AA
ORD > SEA (add). 2015 - 2245 (Transit 10h) AA
SEA > LAX (add). 0900 - 1157 (transit 10.5h) AA - operated by skywest for American Eagle.
LAX > SYD (ticketed) 2230 - +2, 0635. (END) QF

GCM says 33641 miles including last leg to CGK.

With only the ticketed flights it was a valid booking, but hobart is now saying the additional makes it invalid.

Update today.
HBA agent called back (I requested today as I was busy most of last week). They checked themselves as well and mentioned that dropping SYD > MEL solved it.

Flights are now ticketed (waiting on email, but CX MMB shows all confirmed now instead of waiting to issue). 5000 pts for flight change and a ~$50 per pax refund on taxes.

All flights now confirmed.
Itinerary now

CGK > HKG > TPE (stop)
TPE > HKG > PVG (stop)
PVG > SYD (stop)
MEL > SYD > DFW > IAD (stop)
BUF > ORD > SEA > LAX > SYD

I'm also on the side seeing if i could potentially tweak the ending to go to SIN later in the year and end the booking there, but I'll deal with that after after getting WP and having better call access
Thanks to those that helped sanity check .

 

[bookworm]

Good Evening,

Currently booked in Economy for 3 . Found availability for 2 of us in Premium Economy (these are on different airlines - though same destinations). How do I make changes?
- New booking for 2 of us?
- Another new booking for the economy passenger?
- After which cancel the previous?

OR

Horror of horrors..... call Qantas & ask them to do this?

Which will be the most cost effective in terms of points paid for changes / cancellations?

Thank you so much

 

[MelbFlyer]

Good Evening,

Currently booked in Economy for 3 . Found availability for 2 of us in Premium Economy (these are on different airlines - though same destinations). How do I make changes?
- New booking for 2 of us?
- Another new booking for the economy passenger?
- After which cancel the previous?

OR

Horror of horrors..... call Qantas & ask them to do this?

Which will be the most cost effective in terms of points paid for changes / cancellations?

Thank you so much

If you're okay being on different flights but still to the same destination and you have enough points outright, I'd cancel via the portal (rather than calling) and then re-book the new seat(s).

That way you won't have to listen to the BS from consultants that you can't change seats because there's no availability of the PE seats that you can see online (as for some reason, the majority of the time they cannot see what you can see online, or make up an excuse that seats showing online are only available for new bookings).

Anything to avoid the call centre regarding rewards bookings - do it!

You'll pay a 6k pts cancellation fee rather than a 5k pts change fee, but it'll be much quicker if you self-serve.

If only Qantas implemented (in addition to only being able to cancel) - the ability to change reward seats / flights online.

 

[Mr H]

Good Evening,

Currently booked in Economy for 3 . Found availability for 2 of us in Premium Economy (these are on different airlines - though same destinations). How do I make changes?
- New booking for 2 of us?
- Another new booking for the economy passenger?
- After which cancel the previous?

OR

Horror of horrors..... call Qantas & ask them to do this?

Which will be the most cost effective in terms of points paid for changes / cancellations?

Thank you so much

If this is a OWA (I suspect it isn't and you are in the wrong thread) then you risk losing all the other flights on the booking if you cancel and rebook - if the flights do not go back in to the award pool. But if all the flights are still available for new award bookings and you have enough points to book anew and then cancel the old one then go for it. You would avoid the telephone assistance fee.

 

[sap1l]

Hey guys,

Apologies if this has been asked before - I've tried searching this thread but no luck.

Can I please get some suggestions for creative routings between London and Sydney? I've booked the first half of my OWA, but the return part is just under a year from now, so I suspect that award seats on many partners haven't been released yet.

For now, I've set up alerts for the following:
- LHR-HEL-SYD
- LHR-HND-SYD
- LHR-HKG-SYD
- LHR-CMB-SYD
- LHR-KUL-SYD
- LHR-JFK-LAX-SYD
- LHR-DFW-SYD

I know that RJ via AMM is an option, but I can't for the life of me figure out a viable routing. Maybe something like LHR-AMM-DOH-KUL-SYD (but BA flies LHR-DOH direct)? I thought of LHR-AMM-BKK-SYD, but RJ doesn't fly AMM-BKK everyday.

The airline doesn't matter - I've already fulfilled the requirement of 2 other OW airlines.

Also, the length doesn't matter that much - I can spare around 15k miles to get from London to Sydney (LHR-SIN-SYD is 10k).

I'm flying in J, so I would like to try to avoid euro-business and older J cabins (e.g. old BA, old AA), but beggars can't be choosers - I rather have a flight than none at all!

Thank you!

 

[MelbFlyer]

- LHR-JFK-LAX-SYD
- LHR-DFW-SYD

I understand that people want to maximise their 318k points for a business OWA, but literally going the other way around the world is next level

Not just that, but you'll have to apply for an ESTA even if transitting only.

I'm flying in J, so I would like to try to avoid euro-business and older J cabins (e.g. old BA, old AA), but beggars can't be choosers - I rather have a flight than none at all!

Not many options then, maybe try via DEL / BLR or SIN via BA.

 

[djkelly69]

Looks like you have covered most of the OW routes from LHR (maybe chuck DOH and SIN in as well in case miracles happens), but just wondering how necessary is it to actually fly from LHR? Not sure on the specifics myself, but I believe taxes are quite high from there on J redemptions.

You seem to have plenty of miles left, so could maybe position to somewhere else with more/better availability (eg. HEL, MAD, probably many others)?