Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[madrooster]

And isn't Qantas the most significant carrier for the ICN-SYD part of the journey?

Yes and they applied their policy as per my previous post.

Due to the ticket involving the Americas, the piece allowance applies which is 1 piece as you cannot have a ticket involving a weight allowance.

 

[levelnine]

Due to the ticket involving the Americas, the piece allowance applies which is 1 piece as you cannot have a ticket involving a weight allowance.

Yes, I follow all that.

But in Qantas' own baggage policy, that 1 piece has a maximum weight of 30kg, not 23kg. That's what I'm wondering — where does the 23kg come from?

 

[ozflier]

Short answer is no. Qatar no longer release award seats to Qantas.

(Long answer is they sometimes release availability to Qantas 3 days prior to departure, but that isn't practical for a OWA or for most travellers.)

they sometimes release availability to Qantas 3 days prior to departure
I have heard that but s often as I look 3 days ahead of the proposed departure date , once i put the origin and destination(DOH) in and push enter - the screen just goes black !

 

[madrooster]

Yes, I follow all that.

But in Qantas' own baggage policy, that 1 piece has a maximum weight of 30kg, not 23kg. That's what I'm wondering — where does the 23kg come from?

There is no QF piece policy that allows 30kg. It's either 23kg or 32kg. The 30kg non-Americas policy is a weight limit, there is no piece limit when it's weight based.

The argument in this case is that the 1 piece at 32kg should've applied to the ICN-SYD given that's the Americas piece policy at QF, rather than an argument that it should be 30kg.

 

[levelnine]

There is no QF piece policy that allows 30kg. It's either 23kg or 32kg. The 30kg non-Americas policy is a weight limit, there is no piece limit when it's weight based.

The argument in this case is that the 1 piece at 32kg should've applied to the ICN-SYD given that's the Americas piece policy at QF, rather than an argument that it should be 30kg.

Okay, let me rephrase.

On what basis can Qantas claim that the piece is limited to 23kg? There is no where in Qantas' international checked baggage policy that refers to a piece being 23kg. Only 32kg.

 

[drofico]

I can't find info on Qantas webpage anymore re:OneWorld Award flights, has that option vanished leaving only RTW now?

 

[Captain Halliday]

I can't find info on Qantas webpage anymore re:OneWorld Award flights, has that option vanished leaving only RTW now?

It’s still there. See 14.4.

Thanks for giving us a fright.

Frequent Flyer Terms and Conditions | Qantas

These Terms and Conditions form the basis of Qantas Frequent Flyer, to protect both Members and the Qantas Group.

www.qantas.com

 

[csgo]

Quick question, do the tickets need to be in the same class all throughout?

 

[Warragul]

No, but the amount of points charged will be the rate for the highest class booked, even if it is only one flight out of many.

 

[csgo]

No, but the amount of points charged will be the rate for the highest class booked, even if it is only one flight out of many.

ohh i see, thank you

 

[Amanad78]

We have booked Part 1 of our trips.

April-May 2025:

SIN-HEL AY STOP 1.
Own way to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Finland.
HEL-BKK AY STOP 2.
Beach stop.
BKK-(KUL)-(SYD)-BNE STOP 3.
Home, back to work.

So far that was 288,600 in points in J.

The tricky part will be booking Part 2 as we want to go March-April 2026 so can only book shortly before we leave for the first trip, may have to make it Feb-March 2026.

BNE-ICN or HND or HKG STOP 4.
Depending on flight availability.
ICN or HND or HKG-(HEL)-LHR STOP 5.
LHR-(HEL)-SIN END.

Comes in under 35K miles and we've already used 2x O/W carriers. 1 stop and 2 transits in HEL. So the 2nd part of the trip will only be 30K additional points.

This is all assuming we can get Qantas to add the Part 2 flights to the booking without too many dramas, and flights dropping off!

We have booked repositioning flights from BNE to SIN with Singapore Aitlines via Velocity points, and will do the same coming back in 2026.

 

[flapper]

Quick question, do the tickets need to be in the same class all throughout?

The overseas call centres may tell you that you can't do it but you can, it's stated in the rules (CC operators don't know the rules). I had great trouble and made many calls 2 years ago trying to get it re-ticketed after a minor involuntary time change they kept saying they couldn't ticket because 1 flight was a different class even though it had previously been ticketed.

 

[DC3]

This is all assuming we can get Qantas to add the Part 2 flights to the booking without too many dramas …

As long as you talk to the right person it will be okay. If incompetent/lazy at the Call Centre, then HUACA and don’t waste any more time on the phone than necessary

 

[elanshin]

We have booked Part 1 of our trips.

April-May 2025:

SIN-HEL AY STOP 1.
Own way to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Finland.
HEL-BKK AY STOP 2.
Beach stop.
BKK-(KUL)-(SYD)-BNE STOP 3.
Home, back to work.

So far that was 288,600 in points in J.

The tricky part will be booking Part 2 as we want to go March-April 2026 so can only book shortly before we leave for the first trip, may have to make it Feb-March 2026.

BNE-ICN or HND or HKG STOP 4.
Depending on flight availability.
ICN or HND or HKG-(HEL)-LHR STOP 5.
LHR-(HEL)-SIN END.

Comes in under 35K miles and we've already used 2x O/W carriers. 1 stop and 2 transits in HEL. So the 2nd part of the trip will only be 30K additional points.

This is all assuming we can get Qantas to add the Part 2 flights to the booking without too many dramas, and flights dropping off!

We have booked repositioning flights from BNE to SIN with Singapore Aitlines via Velocity points, and will do the same coming back in 2026.

Be careful with 2 transit and 1 stop on the same city. Even if its theoretically ok, I could not get the computer to like 2 Sydney transits and 1 Sydney stop.

I'd aim for JL HND - LHR for part 2. Even though their taxes are up, they're releasing seats still on schedule and HND-LHR is one of the routes their new a35K will fly soon. Maybe see how you go for sector/distance if you do BNR/SYD - HND/NRT (or with a stopover).

CX to LHR would be hard since they don't seem to be releasing long haul a year out atm.

 

[Amanad78]

Be careful with 2 transit and 1 stop on the same city. Even if its theoretically ok, I could not get the computer to like 2 Sydney transits and 1 Sydney stop.

I'd aim for JL HND - LHR for part 2. Even though their taxes are up, they're releasing seats still on schedule and HND-LHR is one of the routes their new a35K will fly soon. Maybe see how you go for sector/distance if you do BNR/SYD - HND/NRT (or with a stopover).

CX to LHR would be hard since they don't seem to be releasing long haul a year out atm.

Thanks good tips. Part 2 is really open to whatever we can make work at the time.

 

[ozflier]

Likely relevant to this thread is my recent experience re Alaska Lounges access for
Qantas passengers .
I have travelled on 4 separate Alaska flights in the last week and can tell you that having a revenue or Reward first class ticket may not get you into a Alaskan Lounge.
I am Oneworld Emerald and was in revenue First on a straight Alaska ticket ( ie not code share)- neither would get me into Alaska Lounge for travel SFO-SEA - I was told F passengers have be travelling 2,100 miles in the following 24 hours to get in if not an Alaskan Lounge Member - SFO-SEA is 679 miles!
I asked surely a Oneworld Emerald flyer should get in - yep but only if travelling 1000 miles in the next 24 hours .
One of the other flights was Anchorage to Fairbanks First Class - 259 miles and again revenue F ticket nor OW Emerald made the cut.
On a separate day earlier ij revenue F , I was admitted to the lounge for SEA-ANC as it was 1434 mile distance .( OW status got me in !)
I did ask the ANC lounge agent what was the situation with Reward F class tickets and she told me that they don't get into the lounge because they see them as "free" tickets !
Maybe Alaska was, on entry to Oneworld, exempted from some of the rules that apply to existing members in terms of lounge access for non Alaskan fliers!
Worth considering maybe filling up ahead of airport arrival if travelling on a less than 1000 mile / 2100 mile flight on Alaska depending on your OW and ticket status .

 

[sap1l]

I asked surely a Oneworld Emerald flyer should get in - yep but only if travelling 1000 miles in the next 24 hours .

From the Alaskan website:

If you've earned Emerald or Sapphire through an airline other than American or Alaska, you are not required to have an international itinerary. However, all guests must include their eligible frequent flyer number on their reservation prior to check-in to access the lounge. oneworld® frequent flyer membership cards do not grant access to the lounge and the frequent flyer number on the reservation will determine whether a member is eligible for access.

So I think you should have gotten access? As your Emerald was (presumably) earned via Qantas.

 

[ozflier]

From the Alaskan website:

So I think you should have gotten access? As your Emerald was (presumably) earned via Qantas.

I agree.
I earned OW as a Qantas flier.
The answers from both San Francisco and Anchorage Alaska lounge agents was absolutely NO for my stated reasons!

 

[Captain Halliday]

OT for the thread, but here’s what the OW website says for SFO:



As for the exceptions on the bottom of that screenshot, I don’t see flight distance as an exception.



Worth lodging a complaint IMO.

 

[ozflier]

I haven’t been able to access all the info I heard from the agents yet.

The Anchorage lady linked me to this site in relation to my first class ticket.Pax only allowed

Entry to the Alaska Lounge when traveling on a paid First Class or a First Class award ticket* on flights operated by Alaska Airlines where one flight has a distance of at least 2,000 miles on the day of travel.


Re the OW Emerald status, “lounge access only is allowed if the passenger is embarking on a domestic flight connecting with a longer OW flight internationally or to the lower 48 states , Canada” .

I have emailed Alaska Airlines and will copy you the response.