Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[p--and--t]

Since ownership of Seat Guru transferred (to TripAdvisor) no updates have occurred and becoming pretty much useless for any new additions or updates to fleets

 

[itsjackson]

Hi ya'll, I'm in the process of trying to book my first OWA, I just need one more sector added to my itinerary, but when I called CS they were unable to add it and said they would get IT to help and call me back (surprise, they did not). The flight has now disappeared, and my itinerary is starting next week.

I think I've seen before it's possible to add flights after I have started my trip, I'm wondering if this is still the case and if it follows same process as making a change?

Thanks

 

[MelbFlyer]

I think I've seen before it's possible to add flights after I have started my trip, I'm wondering if this is still the case and if it follows same process as making a change?

Thanks

Unless you're Platinum and/or very lucky to get the Hobart call centre or a consultant that can see award flights in which you and I can see online, it will be difficult to add an award flight to your existing booking either before or during your OWA.

I noted some EK First Class award seats from LHR to SIN via DXB and wanted to change my BA leg in PE to this as it was showing online, but no luck even after 5-10 phone calls - I was told any of the following :
- There are no award seats on the date and route you're looking at (even despite them showing online)
- You cannot change your flights as your trip has already started

I'm a Bronze member and hardly ever would get through to Hobart or a competent consultant.

 

[Warragul]

Hi ya'll, I'm in the process of trying to book my first OWA, I just need one more sector added to my itinerary, but when I called CS they were unable to add it and said they would get IT to help and call me back (surprise, they did not). The flight has now disappeared, and my itinerary is starting next week.

I think I've seen before it's possible to add flights after I have started my trip, I'm wondering if this is still the case and if it follows same process as making a change?

Thanks

I don't believe that is the case after starting the trip. The relevant section is 14.7 of the T&C's

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/freque...ms-and-conditions.html#classic-flight-rewards

Post automatically merged: Dec 14, 2023

Hi ya'll, I'm in the process of trying to book my first OWA, I just need one more sector added to my itinerary, but when I called CS they were unable to add it and said they would get IT to help and call me back (surprise, they did not). The flight has now disappeared, and my itinerary is starting next week.

I think I've seen before it's possible to add flights after I have started my trip, I'm wondering if this is still the case and if it follows same process as making a change?

Thanks

I don't believe that is the case after starting the trip. The relevant section is 14.7 of the T&C's

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/freque...ms-and-conditions.html#classic-flight-rewards

 

[Jacques Vert]

It's not possible to add flights once you have started your trip. If it's an international trip the only changes allowed are:
(a) change to flight number; and
(b) change to date of travel.

As @Warragul noted above, the relevant clause is 14.7.6 of the T&Cs.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I noted some EK First Class award seats from LHR to SIN via DXB and wanted to change my BA leg in PE to this as it was showing online, but no luck even after 5-10 phone calls

EK is not a member of Oneworld and therefore can not be included in a Oneworld Classic Flight Award.

 

[FlyingFiona]

I noted some EK First Class award seats from LHR to SIN via DXB and wanted to change my BA leg in PE to this as it was showing online, but no luck even after 5-10 phone calls - I was told any of the following :
- There are no award seats on the date and route you're looking at (even despite them showing online)
- You cannot change your flights as your trip has already started

I'm a Bronze member and hardly ever would get through to Hobart or a competent consultant.

EK is not a member of Oneworld and therefore can not be included in a Oneworld Classic Flight Award.

I'm floored that not one of those 5-10 operators knew that EK isn't a Oneworld partner and therefore your request wasn't possible for that reason (and not the ones they gave you.) Absolutely FLOORED.

 

[Cynicor]

I'm floored that not one of those 5-10 operators knew that EK isn't a Oneworld partner and therefore your request wasn't possible for that reason (and not the ones they gave you.) Absolutely FLOORED.

That would only have come up during the points calculation. It’s a perfectly allowable thing otherwise, so there’s no reason to reject a change based on that.
The used should know (and I assume they are) that it will no longer price as a OWA

 

[DC3]

I'm floored that not one of those 5-10 operators knew that EK isn't a Oneworld partner and therefore your request wasn't possible for that reason (and not the ones they gave you.) Absolutely FLOORED.

Talking to the wrong people?

 

[Phoenix-1]

Hi ya'll, I'm in the process of trying to book my first OWA, I just need one more sector added to my itinerary, but when I called CS they were unable to add it and said they would get IT to help and call me back (surprise, they did not). The flight has now disappeared, and my itinerary is starting next week.

It's not possible to add a leg after commencing, but you can change the date. Why not book a date in advance and then try and change closer to the date when last minute award seats might pop up?

You can also post your itinerary here and see if we can provide some advice.

 

[MelbFlyer]

EK is not a member of Oneworld and therefore can not be included in a Oneworld Classic Flight Award.

Yes, I'm aware and never suggested otherwise.

I'm floored that not one of those 5-10 operators knew that EK isn't a Oneworld partner and therefore your request wasn't possible for that reason (and not the ones they gave you.) Absolutely FLOORED.

I'm more floored because operators aren't able to see award flights which are showing online, prompting myself and many others to HUACA multiple times.

That would only have come up during the points calculation. It’s a perfectly allowable thing otherwise, so there’s no reason to reject a change based on that.
The used should know (and I assume they are) that it will no longer price as a OWA

Yes, I would have been prepared to pay more than the 318k pts cap had I been able to get the EK first class seats.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Yes, I'm aware and never suggested otherwise.

The post to which you replied was specifically about a Oneworld Classic Flight Award. You quoted this bit then stated you’d tried unsuccessfully to add EK sectors:

I think I've seen before it's possible to add flights after I have started my trip, I'm wondering if this is still the case and if it follows same process as making a change?

These awards are complex to put together and difficult to understand especially for less experienced AFFers.

By all means complain about not being able to add EK flights to a QF PNR, but IMHO this isn’t the place because it’s off-topic.

 

[MelbFlyer]

The post to which you replied was specifically about a Oneworld Classic Flight Award. You quoted this bit then stated you’d tried unsuccessfully to add EK sectors:

To clarify the nitpicking of my post / quote - it was moreso my experience of trying to change award flights for an existing booking and how difficult it is / will be unless you're Platinum.

 

[Mr H]

To clarify the nitpicking of my post / quote - it was moreso my experience of trying to change award flights for an existing booking and how difficult it is / will be unless you're Platinum.

I am NB and have added flights to existing awards many times, always before commencing travel on the first sector. I have had difficulties with getting bookings priced and ticketed but not with getting extra flights added. I do wonder whether part of the problem is the way people ask, making the request seem more complicated than it really is.

 

[MelbFlyer]

I am NB and have added flights to existing awards many times, always before commencing travel on the first sector. I have had difficulties with getting bookings priced and ticketed but not with getting extra flights added. I do wonder whether part of the problem is the way people ask, making the request seem more complicated than it really is.

What would you recommend as the most ideal way to change / add flights to an existing rewards (OWA or not) booking?

Surely just asking to add / change flights is enough rather than having to use specific wording?

Ie. If you have a seat in economy on QF on your existing booking and then notice a business reward seat, you can just say that you'd like to change the economy seat to a business seat?

 

[elanshin]

What would you recommend as the most ideal way to change / add flights to an existing rewards (OWA or not) booking?

Surely just asking to add / change flights is enough rather than having to use specific wording?

Ie. If you have a seat in economy on QF on your existing booking and then notice a business reward seat, you can just say that you'd like to change the economy seat to a business seat?

The problem isn't the requesting part, its getting them ticketed. In my situation getting my flights added took 1 call and 20mins (adding 7 flights). Getting it ticketed was 6 calls (each over 30mins long) before i got the right email who then forwarded onto the correct hobart team before getting back to me.

 

[DC3]

The problem isn't the requesting part ..

Although plenty of reports upthread about this, perhaps contrary to your successful experience

 

[MelbFlyer]

The problem isn't the requesting part, its getting them ticketed. In my situation getting my flights added took 1 call and 20mins (adding 7 flights). Getting it ticketed was 6 calls (each over 30mins long) before i got the right email who then forwarded onto the correct hobart team before getting back to me.

You're lucky - most of us can't even get a consultant who can :

1. See the award flights (hardest step it seems) and then;
2. Add them to your existing itinerary

Just to complete #1, I had to go through at least 15-20 consultants minimum before I was able to get through to one who was "suddenly" able to see the award seats I was looking at online.

From there, once the taxes were paid I then re-called back 1hr later (if not yet re-ticketed) to get it re-ticketed / emailed the [email protected] team.

 

[DC3]

You're lucky - most of us can't even get a consultant who can :

1. See the award flights (hardest step it seems) and then;
2. Add them to your existing itinerary

Just to complete #1, I had to go through at least 15-20 consultants minimum …

Well, that sounds more like it

 

[itsjackson]

It's not possible to add a leg after commencing, but you can change the date. Why not book a date in advance and then try and change closer to the date when last minute award seats might pop up?

You can also post your itinerary here and see if we can provide some advice.

Thanks heaps all for the replies! Looks like I have a week to sort something out then oops.

This is my current itinerary:
25/12/23: SYD-JFK - booked QF
27/1/24: LHR-HND - booked JL
28/1/24: HND-HKG - not booked, trying to have added with JL
28/1/24: HKG-SIN - booked CX
29/1/24: SIN-SYD - booked BA

I know it's a bit of a trek to get back to Syd this way, but it was the only itinerary that I had found for those dates and I wanted to do one last First lounge run before my status drops.

The connection is pretty tight from HND-HKG so I can only fly JL29 on 28/1/24, I have considered moving some flights around and skipping HKG, but I'm worried it might make it more complicated.

I can see there is availability for JL29 on the 29/1/24, I'm wondering if I should book that for now and when a seat comes available for 28/1/24, change the date later. The problem with this is that it would be out of sequence, and would the ground sectors break the OWA rules?