Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[redslert]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Any particular reasons why you don't just fly LAS-LAX-MEL?
They should be able to open up seats if there aren't any.

 

[Tommm]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Even in J class?

 

[redslert]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Yes, I was able to get flight from LAX-SYD... which I would guess be even more difficult with availability compared to MEL.
Plus you are asking for Nov?

 

[Tommm]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Yes, I was able to get flight from LAX-SYD... which I would guess be even more difficult with availability compared to MEL.
Plus you are asking for Nov?

That's right, early Nov. I didn't even try to get availability on those flights as I was having too many issues getting MAD-JFK.

 

[vetrade]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Long time lurker, appreciate everyone's input to date. It has helped me a lot in planning and partially booking my One World Award.

I have partially booked so far and I have spent way too much time on the phone with Qantas trying to get the rest of it booked to no avail. I'm booked between July and early Nov 2015.

Our Itinerary:
MEL-HKG-CDG (Stop) - Booked
MAD-JFK (Stop)
JFK-LIM (Stop) - Booked
LIM-CUN (Stop)
CUN-DFW-LAS (Stop)
LAS-LAX-HKG-MEL

I have called the call centre to book the MAD-JFK flight and despite it showing up online, the call centre are unable to see the availability and it can't be booked.

We have similar issues with our LAX-HKG-MEL flight with Cathay but there is some availability for that one.

Y or J ?
Dates ?
Airlines?

 

[Tommm]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Y or J ?
Dates ?
Airlines?

2 people in J

14/07/15 - CX - MEL-HKG-CDG (Stop) - Booked
22/09/15* - IB - MAD-JFK (Stop) -
08/10/15 - LAN - JFK-LIM (Stop) - Booked
20/10/15* - LAN - LIM-CUN (Stop)
27/10/15* - AA/US - CUN-DFW-LAS (Stop)
02/11/15* - AA/CX - LAS-LAX-HKG-MEL

* Flexible Dates

 

[vetrade]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

2 people in J

14/07/15 - CX - MEL-HKG-CDG (Stop) - Booked
22/09/15* - IB - MAD-JFK (Stop) -
08/10/15 - LAN - JFK-LIM (Stop) - Booked
20/10/15* - LAN - LIM-CUN (Stop)
27/10/15* - AA/US - CUN-DFW-LAS (Stop)
02/11/15* - AA/CX - LAS-LAX-HKG-MEL

* Flexible Dates

Well firstly, IB is a very good airline for J availability from MAD - JFK, even well after the release date IME, so I'd be trying another QF operator as the one you spoke to must have made a mistake.

I presume you know that most AA domestic services are 2 class - Y and F - so on a J award you get booked into Y and it's useless to be asking for J seats. There is J class on the CUN - DFW flight but, having flown it last year, I can tell you that the J on that route is pretty ordinary. AA is getting more difficult to get award seats on since the start of this year - although they are supposed to be released at 330 days, they frequently don't show up until about 300 days out. Maybe do a few dummy searches for dates about 300 days from now to see if you can get an idea of when AA are posting awards on that route nowadays.

DFW - LAS can be a problem now too - if you do get awards you can expect that AA will only give you indirect options through PHX. AA really have tightened up on award availability on direct flights between the major cities, unfortunately.

You very likely won't get award seats (it will be in Y) from LAS - LAX on either a Sunday or a Monday - I think AA don't release them because there is strong demand from paying customers wanting to get home after a weekend in Vegas. Tuesdays to Saturdays should be OK if you can modify your dates.

And finally, CX blocks some connecting flights through HKG i.e. you might be able to find J availability on each of the LAX - HKG and HKG - MEL legs but you usually won't be able to get them as connecting flights with a less than 24 hrs transit in HKG. At this stage you're unlikely to get any LAX - MEL direct flights as an alternative to going through HKG but I'd be looking at anything from LAX or DFW to MEL, BNE or SYD. In the end you might have to accept that you could have to pay for a couple of US domestic flights just because it might prove impossible to get any workable solution for awards.

 

[Tommm]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Well firstly, IB is a very good airline for J availability from MAD - JFK, even well after the release date IME, so I'd be trying another QF operator as the one you spoke to must have made a mistake.

I presume you know that most AA domestic services are 2 class - Y and F - so on a J award you get booked into Y and it's useless to be asking for J seats. There is J class on the CUN - DFW flight but, having flown it last year, I can tell you that the J on that route is pretty ordinary. AA is getting more difficult to get award seats on since the start of this year - although they are supposed to be released at 330 days, they frequently don't show up until about 300 days out. Maybe do a few dummy searches for dates about 300 days from now to see if you can get an idea of when AA are posting awards on that route nowadays.

DFW - LAS can be a problem now too - if you do get awards you can expect that AA will only give you indirect options through PHX. AA really have tightened up on award availability on direct flights between the major cities, unfortunately.

You very likely won't get award seats (it will be in Y) from LAS - LAX on either a Sunday or a Monday - I think AA don't release them because there is strong demand from paying customers wanting to get home after a weekend in Vegas. Tuesdays to Saturdays should be OK if you can modify your dates.

And finally, CX blocks some connecting flights through HKG i.e. you might be able to find J availability on each of the LAX - HKG and HKG - MEL legs but you usually won't be able to get them as connecting flights with a less than 24 hrs transit in HKG. At this stage you're unlikely to get any LAX - MEL direct flights as an alternative to going through HKG but I'd be looking at anything from LAX or DFW to MEL, BNE or SYD. In the end you might have to accept that you could have to pay for a couple of US domestic flights just because it might prove impossible to get any workable solution for awards.

It was the second agent I asked about it and they both gave me the same response that it was a bug in the online system and the flights dont actually exist. The agent even went through the QF Website and was adamant they didn't exist, despite being able to see them and input CC details. I came across this issue (google searching: "iberia reward flight availability online", I can't post links until I post more than 10 posts) through searching trying to understand the issue and appears to be a "country of sale" issue? But am at a loss as to what to do over and on top of keep calling them and trying to get it booked online or cancelling my current itinterary and rebooking all my flights online to bypass the issue?

Good to know about CUN-DFW as they had offered me a Y seat and I figured that being a <3hr flight, I didn't mind sitting in Y. I think we might end up flying to a central location around Mexico/LAS and pay for seperate Y seats as booking awards is painful on these routes.

 

[vetrade]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

It was the second agent I asked about it and they both gave me the same response that it was a bug in the online system and the flights dont actually exist. The agent even went through the QF Website and was adamant they didn't exist, despite being able to see them and input CC details......

I hear what you're saying Tommm but my own experience doesn't fit with what QF are telling you. As part of our upcoming RTW J award I booked four IB flights (ORY - MAD - MUC - MAD - JFK) over the phone with QF for May next year without any problems at all. I found the flights online and the operator had no problems finding them and adding them to our itinerary. In fact, I've booked awards in IB on previous trips flying from the US to Europe too and I've never had any problems getting J award seats. I can't understand why QF would be telling you the flights don't exist when obviously they do. One of our confirmed upcoming flights is IB6253 MAD - JFK (pretty sure IB have 2 flights a day on that route) which would be the same flight you're trying to book.

 

[Tommm]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

I hear what you're saying Tommm but my own experience doesn't fit with what QF are telling you. As part of our upcoming RTW J award I booked four IB flights (ORY - MAD - MUC - MAD - JFK) over the phone with QF for May next year without any problems at all. I found the flights online and the operator had no problems finding them and adding them to our itinerary. In fact, I've booked awards in IB on previous trips flying from the US to Europe too and I've never had any problems getting J award seats. I can't understand why QF would be telling you the flights don't exist when obviously they do. One of our confirmed upcoming flights is IB6253 MAD - JFK (pretty sure IB have 2 flights a day on that route) which would be the same flight you're trying to book.

That's enough proof for me. I will keep trying over the phone!

 

[robd]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

If everything was OK it should have been corrected by now. The only one who will be messed around if there is a problem will be you so I'd chase them up again.

My third attempt today to get the itinerary ticketed - and we have success! The agent agreed that it should have been ticketed by now, so put me on hold and processed it. It took 28 minutes, but it's done and with a refund of $24.95.

If it wasn't for the advice here (in particularly vetrade on this occassion)http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/members/vetrade.html, I'd hate to think what may have happened come check-in time. Everything certainly looked ok on CheckMyTrip and Manage My Booking, and I'm guessing the average punter wouldn't know to, or even how to, check for the ticket number.

Thank you vetrade and other contributors.

 

[robd]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

My third attempt today to get the itinerary ticketed - and we have success! The agent agreed that it should have been ticketed by now, so put me on hold and processed it. It took 28 minutes, but it's done and with a refund of $24.95.

If it wasn't for the advice here (in particularly vetrade on this occassion), I'd hate to think what may have happened come check-in time. Everything certainly looked ok on CheckMyTrip and Manage My Booking, and I'm guessing the average punter wouldn't know to, or even how to, check for the ticket number.

Thank you vetrade and other contributors.

Bugger :evil: I just checked my QFF account and realised that they deducted another 3500 FF points for the ticketing today. Should I dispute this or just let it slide?

 

[vetrade]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Bugger :evil: I just checked my QFF account and realised that they deducted another 3500 FF points for the ticketing today. Should I dispute this or just let it slide?

You can always ring and ask........the answer will depend on the disposition of whoever answers the phone. You could quite reasonably argue that the problem was entirely a technical system error at QF that you shouldn't be penalised for as it was entirely beyond your control.

 

[robd]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

You can always ring and ask........the answer will depend on the disposition of whoever answers the phone. You could quite reasonably argue that the problem was entirely a technical system error at QF that you shouldn't be penalised for as it was entirely beyond your control.

I'll give them a call on Monday. Can't be bothered at 5.23pm on a Friday.

 

[nickfromeastryde]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

My third attempt today to get the itinerary ticketed - and we have success! The agent agreed that it should have been ticketed by now, so put me on hold and processed it. It took 28 minutes, but it's done and with a refund of $24.95.

If it wasn't for the advice here (in particularly vetrade on this occassion), I'd hate to think what may have happened come check-in time. Everything certainly looked ok on CheckMyTrip and Manage My Booking, and I'm guessing the average punter wouldn't know to, or even how to, check for the ticket number.

Thank you vetrade and other contributors.

I think vetrade has helped many of us successfully book a oneworld RTW and from my perspective I always look forward to reading what he has to say. My trip and booking experience was fairly straight forward but still stressful and without his words of advice, might not have got over the line

 

[Chesty]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

If you wish to incorporate a Dragon Air flight in a RTW, it seems they are not bookable online. Would you need to ring Qantas to add that flight before booking the itinerary? I tried booking Siem Reap to Hong Kong online and no go.

 

[robd]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

You can always ring and ask........the answer will depend on the disposition of whoever answers the phone. You could quite reasonably argue that the problem was entirely a technical system error at QF that you shouldn't be penalised for as it was entirely beyond your control.

I phoned and have received 3,500 points back into my account. Glad I made the phone call from work, as it took a whopping 41+ minutes, so I had the call on hands free and was just working away.

 

[Daver6]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hi all,

Hopefully this isn't a thread hijack...

I'd like to know if this routing is possible under the RTW ticketing rules. I'd like to do this in F, hence the back and forth due to lack of F class on some routes and avoiding J except obviously for QFd flights.

Roughly, PER -> North America -> Tel Aviv -> JHB or Cape Town -> PER.

Now my understanding to do this in F would mean flying BA from USA to Tel Aviv via LHR. Again to get from Tel Aviv to South Africa would be BA again via LHR. And finally home from South Africa I'd imagine is again BA back to LHR and then QF back into SYD.

Now is all the back and forwarding via LHR going to be an issue? Is another stop off on Europe a possibility?

Is there a better way of doing all this flying in F? Happy to consider the reverse direction.

QF plat line where useless when SWMBO called to ask. She was told you can't fly from North America to Tel Aviv on OW airlines full stop!

 

[serfty]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Use this tool to get an idea of routes: http://onw.innosked.com/?show=MAP

 

[Danger]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hi all,

Hopefully this isn't a thread hijack...

I'd like to know if this routing is possible under the RTW ticketing rules. I'd like to do this in F, hence the back and forth due to lack of F class on some routes and avoiding J except obviously for QFd flights.

Roughly, PER -> North America -> Tel Aviv -> JHB or Cape Town -> PER.

Now my understanding to do this in F would mean flying BA from USA to Tel Aviv via LHR. Again to get from Tel Aviv to South Africa would be BA again via LHR. And finally home from South Africa I'd imagine is again BA back to LHR and then QF back into SYD.

Now is all the back and forwarding via LHR going to be an issue? Is another stop off on Europe a possibility?

Is there a better way of doing all this flying in F? Happy to consider the reverse direction.

QF plat line where useless when SWMBO called to ask. She was told you can't fly from North America to Tel Aviv on OW airlines full stop!

I think the biggest issue you'll face is running out of miles. You are limited to 35k. I've plugged a few itineraries into Great Circle Mapper and all are above that.

Do you know where in North America you want to go?

Qantas no longer offers F between JNB and SYD. The only oneworld F option into and out of is BA which would mean significant backtracking.

I think you'll need to slum it in J on one or two legs to free up some miles.