Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[HECL]

Where in Europe are you flying from? Your options to Cairo are to go via:

• London with BA
• Madrid with IB
• Amman with RJ
• Casablanca with AT

Depending on where you're coming from, I would look at connecting through London or Amman as they generally have the shortest total travel time. Iberia has quite a few European destinations as well, but they only fly once daily (as opposed to 2x from London and 4x from Amman).

AY doesn't fly direct from HEL, so you're out of luck there. You could do something like HEL-LHR-CAI if you can only find a flight into HEL.

Thank you

I had looked at those options and wondered if I was on the right track so thanks for confirming this.

I’ll either be coming from FCO, CDG or LHR. I also have to factor in getting home to Sydney!

 

[DC3]

Does anyone have any experience with adding a Finnair flight to an existing booking via the call centre? Apparently Qantas is saying this isn’t possible with Finnair specifically, I’m not sure if this is fact or inexperienced staff.

HUACA

 

[sap1l]

I’ll either be coming from FCO, CDG or LHR.

I think your options will depend on availability, but roughly speaking:

• RJ only has night flights to AMM from FCO and CDG, so you're looking at a 1.30am arrival into CAI.
• BA's later flight from LHR also gets you in at around 1.15am. You can't make the earlier flight from FCO, but you might be able to make it from CDG.
• IB lands earlier at 2200, and you can make it from either FCO or CDG.

I also have to factor in getting home to Sydney!

If you have the mileage to trek back up north, then I think going via LHR or HEL is the easiest. If you want to stopover as close to the direct route as possible, I think you can look to go via AMM.

CAI-AMM-BKK-SYD is the shortest path I can find, although I didn't check if you can make connection times.

You can also do CAI-AMM-DXB-HKG-SYD.

RJ also flies to JFK and ORD from AMM to connect onto AA - again, not sure if you have the miles.

The other option is to buy a cash ticket from Cairo to somewhere in Europe. I believe one way cash tickets ex-CAI are relatively cheap.

 

[HECL]

I think your options will depend on availability, but roughly speaking:

• RJ only has night flights to AMM from FCO and CDG, so you're looking at a 1.30am arrival into CAI.
• BA's later flight from LHR also gets you in at around 1.15am. You can't make the earlier flight from FCO, but you might be able to make it from CDG.
• IB lands earlier at 2200, and you can make it from either FCO or CDG.

If you have the mileage to trek back up north, then I think going via LHR or HEL is the easiest. If you want to stopover as close to the direct route as possible, I think you can look to go via AMM.

CAI-AMM-BKK-SYD is the shortest path I can find, although I didn't check if you can make connection times.

You can also do CAI-AMM-DXB-HKG-SYD.

RJ also flies to JFK and ORD from AMM to connect onto AA - again, not sure if you have the miles.

The other option is to buy a cash ticket from Cairo to somewhere in Europe. I believe one way cash tickets ex-CAI are relatively cheap.

Thank you so much for taking the time to put this info together. Very helpful and insightful! I’m going to try a few different combinations to see what will work best based on availability.

Thanks again

 

[Jenny1979]

Hi, I am a family of 5. We have finally managed to save up enough frequent flyer points with qantas to take our 3 kids on rtw trip hoping on business class in July next year to Europe and USA. This is all new to me and was hoping some help with some questions:
1 - how easy or hard to be able to find 5 business class tickets on rewards? Is it better to separate the booking, for example book for 3 and then 2?

2 - as different oneworld airlines release their tickets at different times, I was reading the legs can be booked separately as they become available. How does this work ? How do we book and only the max points say 318000 for business will be allocated.

Thank you in advance. Any advice will be appreciated. Having been reading lots and getting confused.

 

[ozflier]

My end of year OWA includes AY flights that were added on to an existing booking.

Same with mine early 2025!

 

[icecream]

Hi, I am a family of 5. We have finally managed to save up enough frequent flyer points with qantas to take our 3 kids on rtw trip hoping on business class in July next year to Europe and USA. This is all new to me and was hoping some help with some questions:
1 - how easy or hard to be able to find 5 business class tickets on rewards? Is it better to separate the booking, for example book for 3 and then 2?

2 - as different oneworld airlines release their tickets at different times, I was reading the legs can be booked separately as they become available. How does this work ? How do we book and only the max points say 318000 for business will be allocated.

Thank you in advance. Any advice will be appreciated. Having been reading lots and getting confused.

1 - From my research and reading forums etc. it is usually 'impossible' to grab more than 2 business classic rewards on the one flight, so you would need to split it into multiple flights

2 - If your starting legs are available you can book this yourself online and when future legs that you want become available you will need to call and ask Qantas to book the additional legs. If you have satisfied the criteria of OWA you won't be charged more than the 318k (but each call will cost 5k pp for the change fee)

 

[ShelleyB]

Hi, I am a family of 5. We have finally managed to save up enough frequent flyer points with qantas to take our 3 kids on rtw trip hoping on business class in July next year to Europe and USA. This is all new to me and was hoping some help with some questions:
1 - how easy or hard to be able to find 5 business class tickets on rewards? Is it better to separate the booking, for example book for 3 and then 2?

2 - as different oneworld airlines release their tickets at different times, I was reading the legs can be booked separately as they become available. How does this work ? How do we book and only the max points say 318000 for business will be allocated.

Thank you in advance. Any advice will be appreciated. Having been reading lots and getting confused.

Just to add my two cents. I think you will find more than 2 challenging, but it may be possible. In the last 12 months I have booked (for a family of 3) JAL/Malaysia (MEL-NRT-DPS), Emirates J (MEL-DXB), BA J (DXB-ARN) and and upcoming CI (MEL-TPE-KIX) and a separate CI (NRT-TPE-BNE). However, in all cases I booked the day bookings became available (up to 1 year in advance) and although we originally had ambitions of combining some of the above into an OWA, we did find availability on Oneworld carriers quite limiting. Unless you are super flexible with dates and destinations I think 5 may be very challenging. In addition to considering splitting your party into 3 and 2, you may need to consider flying different classes on the same flight or even across different days.

 

[sqrt()]

Thank you so much for taking the time to put this info together. Very helpful and insightful! I’m going to try a few different combinations to see what will work best based on availability.

Thank again

For what it's worth, I've done LHR-CAI a couple of times and it's not particularly nice in BA eurobizconomy. Recliner J seats in RJ would definitely be preferable. AT would be cool too. If you're booking cash flights to connect through CAI, make sure you give plenty of time (or a few days) to transfer.

 

[Mr H]

For what it's worth, I've done LHR-CAI a couple of times and it's not particularly nice in BA eurobizconomy. Recliner J seats in RJ would definitely be preferable. AT would be cool too. If you're booking cash flights to connect through CAI, make sure you give plenty of time (or a few days) to transfer.

BA used to run 747s on that route - but I guess that's a thing of the past. BA also charge for seat reservations unless you have OW status.

RJ has huge surcharges, but their J is a proper regional J and not just Y seats with the middle seat empty. They also serve their meals from a platter which is cute. AMM J lounge is pretty ordinary - an upstairs gallery overlooking the main concourse - and if you go landside you will discover that Jordan is surprisingly expensive.

Never done AT in J but have seen some pretty discouraging reviews.

It might be worth looking at IB.

 

[ozflier]

BA used to run 747s on that route - but I guess that's a thing of the past. BA also charge for seat reservations unless you have OW status.

RJ has huge surcharges, but their J is a proper regional J and not just Y seats with the middle seat empty. They also serve their meals from a platter which is cute. AMM J lounge is pretty ordinary - an upstairs gallery overlooking the main concourse - and if you go landside you will discover that Jordan is surprisingly expensive.

Never done AT in J but have seen some pretty discouraging reviews.

It might be worth looking at IB.

I've done Royal Air Maroc on one inter national light anf two to/from Europe in the last 12 months.
Food wine and seating were fine certainly better than BA -really pretty well equivalent to RJ.

 

[sqrt()]

BA used to run 747s on that route - but I guess that's a thing of the past. BA also charge for seat reservations unless you have OW status.

RJ has huge surcharges, but their J is a proper regional J and not just Y seats with the middle seat empty. They also serve their meals from a platter which is cute. AMM J lounge is pretty ordinary - an upstairs gallery overlooking the main concourse - and if you go landside you will discover that Jordan is surprisingly expensive.

Never done AT in J but have seen some pretty discouraging reviews.

It might be worth looking at IB.

BA even had a 321 with lie-flat J at one point! BA Airbus A321 ceo type M1A (withdrawn 2017) - aeroLOPA | Detailed aircraft seat plans

 

[blu]

1 - how easy or hard to be able to find 5 business class tickets on rewards?

Easier if you are Platinum. Be flexible - have a window for travel, each way. Wanting a particular date may not happen in periods of peak travel. Getting in and out of Aus can be hard. Check flights to all ports for a transit (eg: in India, Asia, Middle East). You will eventually need to contact the offshore call centres (unless Platinum). That can bring it's own problems.

 

[Hydra911]

Hi everyone I hope you are well.

I'm having some real trouble with Qantas that resulted in some flights being cancelled on my booking.

The OneWorld Global Explorer guide says that Qantas flights operated by Qantas on a JQ code are allowed for purposes of Round The World and this was the only flight back into the country at the time. I got quoted the 318,000 points per person but then when the took the points they quoted it differently at ~440,000 points per person which I did not have enough, so the flights would not ticket.

As a result, I have had some legs get cancelled, and other issues and now I currently have no way of finishing the flights back into Australia. despite the fact that I got quoted by multiple different operators that it was going to work and Qantas have taken my money for the fees and taxes. This has taken about 4 weeks to get to this point whereby they've changed the price.

Putting aside that maybe it was a mistake with Jetstar, what are my options here? Qantas have put my entire trip in jeopardy by mis-quoting me and there are no flights into Australia on Classic Reward on any dates close to when I need to get back.

 

[JohnM]

Hi everyone I hope you are well.

I'm having some real trouble with Qantas that resulted in some flights being cancelled on my booking.

The OneWorld Global Explorer guide says that Qantas flights operated by Qantas on a JQ code are allowed for purposes of Round The World and this was the only flight back into the country at the time. I got quoted the 318,000 points per person but then when the took the points they quoted it differently at ~440,000 points per person which I did not have enough, so the flights would not ticket.

As a result, I have had some legs get cancelled, and other issues and now I currently have no way of finishing the flights back into Australia. despite the fact that I got quoted by multiple different operators that it was going to work and Qantas have taken my money for the fees and taxes. This has taken about 4 weeks to get to this point whereby they've changed the price.

Putting aside that maybe it was a mistake with Jetstar, what are my options here? Qantas have put my entire trip in jeopardy by mis-quoting me and there are no flights into Australia on Classic Reward on any dates close to when I need to get back.

You appear to be mixing up a OW Global Explorer (a paid fare) with a OW Award (points award).

 

[Captain Halliday]

Hi everyone I hope you are well.

I'm having some real trouble with Qantas that resulted in some flights being unticketed.

The OneWorld Global Explorer guide says that Qantas flights operated by Qantas on a JQ code are allowed for purposes of Round The World and this was the only flight back into the country at the time. I got quoted the 318,000 points per person but then when the took the points they quoted it differently at ~440,000 points per person which I did not have enough, so the flights would not ticket.

As a result, I have had some legs get cancelled, and other issues and now I currently have no way of finishing the flights back into Australia. despite the fact that I got quoted by multiple different operators that it was going to work and Qantas have taken my money for the fees and taxes. This has taken about 4 weeks to get to this point whereby they've changed the price.

Putting aside that maybe it was a mistake with Jetstar, what are my options here? Qantas have put my entire trip in jeopardy by mis-quoting me and there are no flights into Australia on Classic Reward on any dates close to when I need to get back.

This thread is about the Qantas Oneworld Classic flight reward. There is no requirement to go RTW.* A summary of the conditions can be found here: Qantas Oneworld Award Not Just for Round-the-World Trips



Oneworld’s round-the-world product is very different. It’s called the Oneworld Explorer. Details of which can be found here: Guide to the Oneworld Explorer Round-The-World Ticket

You’ve conflated these two products in your post.

Assuming you are referring to the Oneworld Classic Flight Award, Jetstar is not allowed because it’s not a Oneworld member airline.

If that’s the product you are trying to use, your only option is to keep searching for availability on eligible flights and call to have them added.

 

[Hydra911]

Thanks all. Understand how I've made that mistake and my terminology is incorrect. To clarify, I have tried to book the Oneworld Classic Award, and I agree I have made a mistake using Jetstar potentially.

To clarify my issue, Qantas quoted me certain fees and prices but have reneged, changed the price, and cancelled some of my legs that were booked. Is this something that can happens after a price has been agreed, and what are my options.

 

[HECL]

Thanks all. Understand how I've made that mistake and my terminology is incorrect. To clarify, I have tried to book the Oneworld Classic Award, and I agree I have made a mistake using Jetstar potentially.

To clarify my issue, Qantas quoted me certain fees and prices but have reneged, changed the price, and cancelled some of my legs that were booked. Is this something that can happens after a price has been agreed, and what are my options.

Did you make this whole booking over the phone with the help of call centre team member? If they have provided you with the wrong advice and info (JQ being allowed on OWA booking), then perhaps you have some leverage there.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks all. Understand how I've made that mistake and my terminology is incorrect. To clarify, I have tried to book the Oneworld Classic Award, and I agree I have made a mistake using Jetstar potentially.

To clarify my issue, Qantas quoted me certain fees and prices but have reneged, changed the price, and cancelled some of my legs that were booked. Is this something that can happens after a price has been agreed, and what are my options.

The system auto prices. They may have included flights and generated a price, but once you change flights or routes, the price can also change. If it doesn’t meet the expected cap in points, something’s gone wrong.

The call centre agent may not know why, but it’s usually evident if you have a good knowledge of the rules.

it is known that for some airlines you must ticket within a specified period of time, which could be as little as 24 hours. If you have not completed ticketing in that time they will auto cancel the flights. depending on how far in advance you are travelling you may be able to get those seats back either when they go back into ordinary inventory, or if Qantas contacts the operating airline to request the seats are returned. But there is no guarantee.

 

[elanshin]

Hi everyone I hope you are well.

I'm having some real trouble with Qantas that resulted in some flights being cancelled on my booking.

The OneWorld Global Explorer guide says that Qantas flights operated by Qantas on a JQ code are allowed for purposes of Round The World and this was the only flight back into the country at the time. I got quoted the 318,000 points per person but then when the took the points they quoted it differently at ~440,000 points per person which I did not have enough, so the flights would not ticket.

As a result, I have had some legs get cancelled, and other issues and now I currently have no way of finishing the flights back into Australia. despite the fact that I got quoted by multiple different operators that it was going to work and Qantas have taken my money for the fees and taxes. This has taken about 4 weeks to get to this point whereby they've changed the price.

Putting aside that maybe it was a mistake with Jetstar, what are my options here? Qantas have put my entire trip in jeopardy by mis-quoting me and there are no flights into Australia on Classic Reward on any dates close to when I need to get back.

So as others have mentioned about JQ, I'll skip this part.

Firstly get back in contact with QF (and be prepared to play phone whack a mole with a consultant that knows what they're doing). Also whilst it'll be frustrating, try not to take it out on the operators, it reduces the odds of them trying to help you. Politely hang up and decline if you find they don't know what they're doing although give them a chance yo understand your request as it'll be off script for them.

Firstly, ask for them to try and pull your itinerary back (they should have a copy of what you asked for). Explain the situation and sre if they can reinstate some of the flights. You don't need thr final leg (one with JQ) to ticket and secure the others first. You can pay a 5k change fee per person later if you can't immediately figure out your options.

Also if you're willing to share what you've done here route wise, we can also double check if there are any other problematic segments as well as suggest potential alternatives. Sometimes it just takes a bit of out of the box thinking and routing.