Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[vetrade]

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.

Never flown Dragonair , Chesty, and have never seen them come up on QF when searching for awards but they are a OW affiliate. Suggest you ring QF and quiz them about availability.

 

[Daver6]

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

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.

Thanks for that. North America is most likely going to be PHX and New Orleans. Happy to mess around with seperate ticketed flights in the US to reduce mileage.

So in theory the back tracking isn't the problem, its just the limit on 35k miles?

I suppose I could potentially save some miles too by ticketing the PER <-> SYD (or MEL) sectors separately and free up some miles there too.

 

[vetrade]

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

Thanks for that. North America is most likely going to be PHX and New Orleans. Happy to mess around with seperate ticketed flights in the US to reduce mileage.

So in theory the back tracking isn't the problem, its just the limit on 35k miles?

I suppose I could potentially save some miles too by ticketing the PER <-> SYD (or MEL) sectors separately and free up some miles there too.

Agree with Danger that total miles of your itinerary will be your biggest problem - IME once you exit Oz and start trying to do long hauls in both directions across the Atlantic before returning to Oz the same way you departed, it's going to push you above the 35K miles.

I think you should focus on trying to get your long hauls in F and be prepared to do shorter hops in J. Alternatives to flying BA from US to Tel Aviv via LHR might be AA (who fly PHL - Tel Aviv direct) and IB (who fly via MAD).

I would definitely try to avoid flying back to LHR from JNB because that burns a lot of miles you don't have. If you were prepared to fly J on QR from JNB - DOH (or DOH - JNB if you reversed your direction) you would then have good QR options to fly east in F from DOH back to Oz. Maybe flying F from DOH - MEL on QR and then J from MEL - PER on QF would be a feasible option if you couldn't get F options flying more directly between DOH and PER (I don't know anything about F options in and out of PER).

 

[sergeyvzn]

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

Agree with Danger that total miles of your itinerary will be your biggest problem - IME once you exit Oz and start trying to do long hauls in both directions across the Atlantic before returning to Oz the same way you departed, it's going to push you above the 35K miles.

I think you should focus on trying to get your long hauls in F and be prepared to do shorter hops in J. Alternatives to flying BA from US to Tel Aviv via LHR might be AA (who fly PHL - Tel Aviv direct) and IB (who fly via MAD).

I would definitely try to avoid flying back to LHR from JNB because that burns a lot of miles you don't have. If you were prepared to fly J on QR from JNB - DOH (or DOH - JNB if you reversed your direction) you would then have good QR options to fly east in F from DOH back to Oz. Maybe flying F from DOH - MEL on QR and then J from MEL - PER on QF would be a feasible option if you couldn't get F options flying more directly between DOH and PER (I don't know anything about F options in and out of PER).

Qatar does not offer F to/from Australia

 

[Daver6]

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

Thanks for the ideas

I believe PHL -> Tel Aviv is actually US Air?

Also, I think the only F out of Perth is Emirates which doesn't help at all. Realistically the only OW carrier into PER is Cathay if I'm not mistaken (and again no F).

The alternatives are leave out either Southern Africa or the US. The problem I see with leaving out the US is making up the required three OW carriers, but I'm sure there is an easier enough solution there.

Thanks all for the pointers

Agree with Danger that total miles of your itinerary will be your biggest problem - IME once you exit Oz and start trying to do long hauls in both directions across the Atlantic before returning to Oz the same way you departed, it's going to push you above the 35K miles.

I think you should focus on trying to get your long hauls in F and be prepared to do shorter hops in J. Alternatives to flying BA from US to Tel Aviv via LHR might be AA (who fly PHL - Tel Aviv direct) and IB (who fly via MAD).

I would definitely try to avoid flying back to LHR from JNB because that burns a lot of miles you don't have. If you were prepared to fly J on QR from JNB - DOH (or DOH - JNB if you reversed your direction) you would then have good QR options to fly east in F from DOH back to Oz. Maybe flying F from DOH - MEL on QR and then J from MEL - PER on QF would be a feasible option if you couldn't get F options flying more directly between DOH and PER (I don't know anything about F options in and out of PER).

 

[vetrade]

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

Thanks for the ideas

I believe PHL -> Tel Aviv is actually US Air?

Also, I think the only F out of Perth is Emirates which doesn't help at all. Realistically the only OW carrier into PER is Cathay if I'm not mistaken (and again no F).

The alternatives are leave out either Southern Africa or the US. The problem I see with leaving out the US is making up the required three OW carriers, but I'm sure there is an easier enough solution there.

Thanks all for the pointers

US Air and AA amalgamated at the start of this year so all US Air flights are now included in OW.
Sorry to mislead you about DOH - MEL (as Sergeyvzn correctly pointed out QR doesn't have F on that route - which I was really surprised to find out).
Maybe you could take the short hop to DXB from DOH and then get an F flight back to Oz from DXB???

 

[Cynicor]

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

Thanks for the ideas

I believe PHL -> Tel Aviv is actually US Air?

Also, I think the only F out of Perth is Emirates which doesn't help at all. Realistically the only OW carrier into PER is Cathay if I'm not mistaken (and again no F).

The alternatives are leave out either Southern Africa or the US. The problem I see with leaving out the US is making up the required three OW carriers, but I'm sure there is an easier enough solution there.

Thanks all for the pointers

MH also fly out of PER. No F either.

 

[Daver6]

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

US Air and AA amalgamated at the start of this year so all US Air flights are now included in OW.
Sorry to mislead you about DOH - MEL (as Sergeyvzn correctly pointed out QR doesn't have F on that route - which I was really surprised to find out).
Maybe you could take the short hop to DXB from DOH and then get an F flight back to Oz from DXB???

Can you fly between DOH and DXB? I wonder how ground transport would go in UAE with recently having an Israeli stamp in my Australian passport?

 

[vetrade]

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

Can you fly between DOH and DXB? I wonder how ground transport would go in UAE with recently having an Israeli stamp in my Australian passport?

There's ready availability between DXB and DOH with QR - and you can even get F!

If you have an Aussie passport the Israeli stamp shouldn't be any problem at all (assuming that they will stamp your passport in Israel)

 

[dalereardon]

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

When you are looking at options to get out of Australia really do consider CX J class. It is a fantastic seat and truly comfortable and easy to sleep on. I have flown BA F, and frankly their service was very ordinary and the seat was worse than CX J. CX also has good F availability on the routes that offer it.

BA's service was comparable to the service I had from QF J going from SYD-BKK and that was very ordinary indeed.

Dale.

 

[vetrade]

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

Good point dalereardon - not all F's are created equal. I've never flown CX F but have flown their J product numerous times and never been disappointed.

 

[ozflier]

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

Hi,
Still sweating over my OWA booking.
Have basically stopped as the missing segment SCL-AKL stops the booking being a One World Award so restricts other additions I can make.
i have found that the BA award booking website handy for getting an idea of when award seats are coming up.
A problem the past has been that a computer re configuration or whatever spilled a lot of small destinations out of the system and this may have carried onto QF.
In anycase, a lot more South American destinations are now viewable on the BA award booking engine eg Ushuaia ( USH) and Rio Gallegos .
Unfortunately , this is not the case yet with Qantas FF online or thru their phone agents- it would make itineraries easier to plan and book if it comes thru.

 

[mrdctau]

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

Wow-wee.... I have 2 BA J flights (ORY-LHR & LHR-IST) and BA want $81.70 from me to select seats. Pardon my ignorance, I did not know that BA charge Business class passengers to select a seat. I'm gobsmacked.:shock:

I'm not sure if it works for BA, but I've successfully done seat selections in both J & Y for QF, AA, IB, MH, CX and QR via the QR website by going to "Manage Booking" with my OneWorld PNR and surname - even on itineraries that don't involve QR.

 

[robd]

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

I'm not sure if it works for BA, but I've successfully done seat selections in both J & Y for QF, AA, IB, MH, CX and QR via the QR website by going to "Manage Booking" with my OneWorld PNR and surname - even on itineraries that don't involve QR.

Without OW status - you have to pay for BA

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

I've been able to book my seats also using the QR website for seat bookings on CX,QF and QR seats without any charges. I was then able to print out the itinerary with the confirmed seat numbers on all the carriers

 

[mrdctau]

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

Without OW status - you have to pay for BA

We'll I've got no way of checking that as I don't have any upcoming itineraries with BA involved as I tend to avoid them due to higher taxes when routing through the UK, but I find it moderately surprising.

When I've done seat selection on the QR site for bookings made via the QF website and/or call centre, I have had pop up warnings for some airlines along the lines that the seat selection was not able to be confirmed, but when I go back into the booking on QF the seat selections all show up as "confirmed". All I can suggest is to give it a try.

 

[sergeyvzn]

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

We'll I've got no way of checking that as I don't have any upcoming itineraries with BA involved as I tend to avoid them due to higher taxes when routing through the UK, but I find it moderately surprising.

When I've done seat selection on the QR site for bookings made via the QF website and/or call centre, I have had pop up warnings for some airlines along the lines that the seat selection was not able to be confirmed, but when I go back into the booking on QF the seat selections all show up as "confirmed". All I can suggest is to give it a try.

No, you won't be able to do it with BA. Neither via Qatar nor via Finnair nor via anything else unless you've got a OW status

 

[robd]

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

We'll I've got no way of checking that as I don't have any upcoming itineraries with BA involved as I tend to avoid them due to higher taxes when routing through the UK, but I find it moderately surprising.

When I've done seat selection on the QR site for bookings made via the QF website and/or call centre, I have had pop up warnings for some airlines along the lines that the seat selection was not able to be confirmed, but when I go back into the booking on QF the seat selections all show up as "confirmed". All I can suggest is to give it a try.

Refer post #1870.

 

[vetrade]

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

We'll I've got no way of checking that as I don't have any upcoming itineraries with BA involved as I tend to avoid them due to higher taxes when routing through the UK, but I find it moderately surprising.

When I've done seat selection on the QR site for bookings made via the QF website and/or call centre, I have had pop up warnings for some airlines along the lines that the seat selection was not able to be confirmed, but when I go back into the booking on QF the seat selections all show up as "confirmed". All I can suggest is to give it a try.

If you try to select seats on BA flights through the QR MMB you get an error message "Seat map not available for this flight"

 

[mrdctau]

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

No, you won't be able to do it with BA. Neither via Qatar nor via Finnair nor via anything else unless you've got a OW status

Good to know and one more reason to never fly BA.