Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Mr H]

Great. Thanks for the advice! Peace of mind to know costs are refundable with a points hit on cancel.
Booking in two phases to secure early flights so will need to ring anyhow so the extra slot isn’t too much of an issue. Sounds like phoning is Russian roulette but is what it is.
RTW123

Also bear in mind that if the schedules change any flight in the itinerary by more than an hour, you can cancel some or all of the itinerary for no charge. So if you know you will not travel, there is no advantage to cancelling immediately unless you need the points for something else - just wait and hope for a schedule change.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Hi All. Just trying to book my RTW flights. Had two questions.
1. If you book your flights and then need to cancel before you fly, in the terms it says that if you need to cancel you will pay 5000 points per person. I have 4 people so thats 20,000.

It's 5,000 points for a change, 6,000 for cancellation. So that's 24,000 points all up.

 

[Roundtheworld123]

Great. Thanks for the advice! Peace of mind to know costs are refundable with a points hit on cancel.
Booking in two phases to secure early flights so will need to ring anyhow so the extra slot isn’t too much of an issue. Sounds like tuning is Russian roulette but is what it is.
RTW123

Also bear in mind that if the schedules change any flight in the itinerary by more than an hour, you can cancel some or all of the itinerary for no charge. So if you know you will not travel, there is no advantage to cancelling immediately unless you need the points for something else - just wait and hope for a schedule change.

That is gold advice! Thanks

 

[kingzac]

So after the hell that was trying to sort my booking the last two months I finally got someone in the call centre who acknowledged that they can't fix the mess they made and cancelled to restart.
I got a lovely lady last night who booked everything in and promised me it would be ticketed because she didn't want the issues again. Checking today and it appears that the ticket number is against all flights in CMT.
This is it right, we're ticketed?
Also does anyone have any creative routes back in J or PE from Japan to Brisbane? In all the stuff around all the options have disappeared between Sept 21-23

 

[Mr H]

So after the hell that was trying to sort my booking the last two months I finally got someone in the call centre who acknowledged that they can't fix the mess they made and cancelled to restart.
I got a lovely lady last night who booked everything in and promised me it would be ticketed because she didn't want the issues again. Checking today and it appears that the ticket number is against all flights in CMT.
This is it right, we're ticketed?
Also does anyone have any creative routes back in J or PE from Japan to Brisbane? In all the stuff around all the options have disappeared between Sept 21-23

You are ticketed - congratulations.

Finding routes can be a pain. I am currently trying to figure out how to get from Jeddah to Melbourne in less than 9,700 miles.

 

[SimonR32]

You are ticketed - congratulations.

Finding routes can be a pain. I am currently trying to figure out how to get from Jeddah to Melbourne in less than 9,700 miles.

Surely Malaysian through KL best bet?

 

[Mr H]

Surely Malaysian through KL best bet?

No MH flights from JED and MH flights between KUL and MEL seem to have vanished. I have a route in mind but need availability across multiple flights to line up,

 

[billbro]

Apologies, as I haven't trawled through the extensive thread, but I was hoping someone more well versed might have a quick answer to the final piece of the puzzle for our J redemption.

I've managed to find availability for pretty much all the flights I need for a J RTW. With one crucial missing link, which is a flight home - I see availability for the flight (when searching just for that sector), but I can't see the flight when I plug it into the multi-trip/RTW booking. It's also the only flight that isn't J - but just want to lock something in for now, the current flight that I can't seem to locate is Y, TKO to SYD (via HKG).

While I'm typing this, I realise I may as well just book it and call up and pay for the change fee rather than lose the flights since most of the key pieces are there.

Would be great if there was a way to cull these annoying Jetstar reward flights as well.

Had a quick look through for issues around phantom availability - not sure if the above is considered a phantom? (i.e. shows up if you just search for the one way but not in the multi-trip).

 

[algae]

While I'm typing this, I realise I may as well just book it and call up and pay for the change fee rather than lose the flights since most of the key pieces are there.

100% do this.
Call them once it's ticketed and ask for the change fee to be waived as the website wouldn't let you book it and you had no other option.

That being said, it might be very well be phantom and the phone operator won't be able to find it. So have backup options in place potentially

 

[Mr H]

100% do this.
Call them once it's ticketed and ask for the change fee to be waived as the website wouldn't let you book it and you had no other option.

That being said, it might be very well be phantom and the phone operator won't be able to find it. So have backup options in place potentially

Wouldn't it be better to do the entire booking by phone and ask for the phone booking fee to be waived because it can't be done on line? If the majority of the itinerary is booked online and a flight then added, it is actually a change - and since changes cannot be made online there may be no case for waiving the fee.

 

[billbro]

Well booking won't work anyway - given, which has come up in this thread but without a definitive answer.

Error: 15012 - 1009

 

[SimonR32]

No MH flights from JED and MH flights between KUL and MEL seem to have vanished. I have a route in mind but need availability across multiple flights to line up,

MH definitely fly that route but maybe don't release seats. Are you looking during Ramadan or something when they are going to be super busy?

Sri Lankan airlines would be another possibility... or through India I seemed to have a fair bit of luck recently. Even HKG is in range?

 

[Mr H]

MH definitely fly that route but maybe don't release seats. Are you looking during Ramadan or something when they are going to be super busy?

Sri Lankan airlines would be another possibility... or through India I seemed to have a fair bit of luck recently. Even HKG is in range?

Not Ramadan.

Neither MH nor UL fly from Jeddah. I have verified this on their own websites with dummy revenue bookings on dates as close as April. MH will put you on a Saudia plane with an MH flight number. UL draws a blank.

I can't see how to route through India and keep the mileage within limits - plus QF on DEL-MEL release seats so late that I would have flown my first flight on the OWA.

I have a route worked out but reserve options would be good in case flights are not released as expected. Plan B at the moment would be not return to Australia with Velocity or KrisFlyer options. I wasn't so much asking for help as illustrating to Kingzac that it is not straightforward to find routes.

 

[SimonR32]

Not Ramadan.

Neither MH nor UL fly from Jeddah. I have verified this on their own websites with dummy revenue bookings on dates as close as April. MH will put you on a Saudia plane with an MH flight number. UL draws a blank.

I can't see how to route through India and keep the mileage within limits - plus QF on DEL-MEL release seats so late that I would have flown my first flight on the OWA.

I have a route worked out but reserve options would be good in case flights are not released as expected. Plan B at the moment would be not return to Australia with Velocity or KrisFlyer options. I wasn't so much asking for help as illustrating to Kingzac that it is not straightforward to find routes.

Wierd, flightconnections is showing UL to Jeddah starting March and yes you are correct, MH is Saudia.

 

[algae]

Wouldn't it be better to do the entire booking by phone and ask for the phone booking fee to be waived because it can't be done on line? If the majority of the itinerary is booked online and a flight then added, it is actually a change - and since changes cannot be made online there may be no case for waiving the fee.

I'd disagree personally.

I've had many cases where flights visible online won't be visible by phone operators, even though I can book it online.
Depending on how complicated the itinerary is, I can't imagine spending an hour or two on the phone spelling out each individual flight will be much fun (Ive had to do it before and would avoid it if I can).

Worst case, if they don't waive the fee, it's only 6000 points for peace of mind and convenience.

 

[Port Power]

I have read this thread on and off over the years. I am now ready to book a RTW ticket for November, returning in early January 2024. It is pretty simple, and I have my flight numbers noted. I am pretty flexible apart from the arrival date in BCN. All QF. The RTW in J costs less than one of the return or multicity routes. Two questions, if anyone can help please.

The route is: PER - BCN / FLL (or MIA if necessary) - SCL / SCL - PER.

1. How early can you book RTW? When I look at return fares, I can book SCL to PER in early January, but RTW only shows a few months ahead.
2. When I try to dummy book this route on QF as a OWA, "there seems to be a problem".

 

[Guvner]

RTW and OWA are two different beasts.
Also, if all your flights are QF metal (I assume they aren't given the routing, but your post states "all QF") the OWA rules don't apply.
Additionally, if you are checking "return fares", I'm not sure this is the correct forum.

 

[Port Power]

RTW and OWA are two different beasts.
Also, if all your flights are QF metal (I assume they aren't given the routing, but your post states "all QF") the OWA rules don't apply.
Additionally, if you are checking "return fares", I'm not sure this is the correct forum.

I am looking at RTW instead of two return itineraries. Hence "return fares". Just one of those return fares costs more than the RTW.
RTW on the Qantas website does include one leg with BA, and another with AA.
As an alternative to paying the big bucks for RTW, I am hoping to book a OWA instead. I thought BA and AA could be included in award itineraries? Unless I am mistaken that OWA does not mean "One World Awards", which is quite likely!

 

[Captain Halliday]

I am looking at RTW instead of two return itineraries. Hence "return fares". Just one of those return fares costs more than the RTW.
RTW on the Qantas website does include one leg with BA, and another with AA.
As an alternative to paying the big bucks for RTW, I am hoping to book a OWA instead. I thought BA and AA could be included in award itineraries? Unless I am mistaken that OWA does not mean "One World Awards", which is quite likely!

As @Guvner has noted, you’re talking about two very different products in the one thread.

This thread is about the Qantas Oneworld Classic flight reward. There is no requirement to go RTW.*

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

If it’s a Oneworld Classic Flight Reward you’re talking about, then yes, both AA and BA are valid.

 

[billbro]

So I'm about to have had spent 4 hours with the phone with Qantas (after the first operator bailed 90mins in) - currently on hold while she prices it up.

The only issue now is all flights have been booked, but after having to manually book a sector myself, shuffling around with multiple booking refs that the first operator made... I think we might have 1 too many transits.

I don't want to risk the bookings that have been made, so is it possible to just book/ticket the flight. Then cancel a sector and have the points returned? This isn't cancelling the rest of the itinerary, only 1 sector of the trip.

I.e. there is a Sydney to Melbourne transit and we could easily fly ourselves.
Apparently they are having issues pricing the ticket. On the upside, the transfers don't look like an issue if I read the QR rules:
14.5.4 The following Stopover conditions apply to oneworld Classic Flight Rewards:

(a) up to five free Stopovers are permitted;
(b) additional Stopovers are not permitted;
(c) only one Stopover is permitted in any one city in the Itinerary; and
(d) only two Transfers may be taken at any one city in the Itinerary.

I have 3 transfers (once between Syd to Melb and twice between Japan to Hong Kong) - but looks like I'm fine!