Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[FenderQF]

Quick one, just booked a classic reward in BA First and e-ticket came through shortly after with my class being “First premium economy classic confirmed”. Seat selection allowed me to pick first but should I be concerned?

 

[ChrisMars]

Ba

Quick one, just booked a classic reward in BA First and e-ticket came through shortly after with my class being “First premium economy classic confirmed”. Seat selection allowed me to pick first but should I be concerned?

BA First reward fare class is Z, which is QF reward fare class for PE. The code mapping hasn't been done correctly for the display on the e-ticket. Don't stress, you will be in First. Enjoy

 

[FenderQF]

Ba

BA First reward fare class is Z, which is QF reward fare class for PE. The code mapping hasn't been done correctly for the display on the e-ticket. Don't stress, you will be in First. Enjoy

Amazing, thanks for the quick response.

 

[nickfromeastryde]

Booked return legs of my OneWorld award back to Melb (wanted Syd) yesterday. MAD-HEL-HND-KUL-MEL.

Seemed to be quite a bit of J availability HND-MEL if you were willing to go via KUL.

 

[zerogravitas]

Bit of a random one, but has anyone seen any availability on the Qantas booking tool for Malaysia Airline flights from KUL to any of BNE/SYD/MEL/ADL (particularly Business Class around the very end of sept/start of oct 2025, but would be curious to hear if you can see any at all)?

Trying to get from TPE back into any of those Australian ports via KUL (as for whatever reason the CI flights direct from TPE to SYD/MEL just never seem to appear on the website nor for the phone booking agents). I have spent so long on the phone trying to get some sort of booking made or answer as to why there is no availability, and why there are no visible Malaysian Airlines flights, with absolutely no success. And as I said, I can't find any Malaysian Airlines flights into anywhere in Aus, at any time, except for Perth which is far from ideal.

 

[nickfromeastryde]

Bit of a random one, but has anyone seen any availability on the Qantas booking tool for Malaysia Airline flights from KUL to any of BNE/SYD/MEL/ADL (particularly Business Class around the very end of sept/start of oct 2025, but would be curious to hear if you can see any at all)?

Trying to get from TPE back into any of those Australian ports via KUL (as for whatever reason the CI flights direct from TPE to SYD/MEL just never seem to appear on the website nor for the phone booking agents). I have spent so long on the phone trying to get some sort of booking made or answer as to why there is no availability, and why there are no visible Malaysian Airlines flights, with absolutely no success. And as I said, I can't find any Malaysian Airlines flights into anywhere in Aus, at any time, except for Perth which is far from ideal.

My post right above yours. I did however look for flights HND to MEL and results came back HND-KUL-MEL. I just tried KUL-MEL and direct flight to MEL available 1 Oct in J

 

[nj12]

After some advice. I have two QF Classic reward flights booked separately. The first is ADL-SYD in Y (Requested upgrade to J) the second is BA F Class on BA16. I understand that two PNR's can't be combined. Is it possible for the Dom leg to be added to the international F leg on BA which may then enable baggage to be through checked to SIN. I was ok about re-checking bags in SYD until I remembered that Check-in for BA won't open until 12.30-13.00 and my flight from ADL arrives at 0830. Don't really wanting to be hanging around for 4 hours waiting for check-in to open if I can avoid it.

 

[Captain Halliday]

After some advice. I have two QF Classic reward flights booked separately. The first is ADL-SYD in Y (Requested upgrade to J) the second is BA F Class on BA16. I understand that two PNR's can't be combined. Is it possible for the Dom leg to be added to the international F leg on BA which may then enable baggage to be through checked to SIN. I was ok about re-checking bags in SYD until I remembered that Check-in for BA won't open until 12.30-13.00 and my flight from ADL arrives at 0830. Don't really wanting to be hanging around for 4 hours waiting for check-in to open if I can avoid it.

It could be done via the call centre, but I’m not sure it would be worth the cost or hassle.

First there would need to be availability - not a given because QF are blocking some domestic awards for international connections.

Second you’d need an agent who can do it.

Third you’d have to pay a cancellation fee on the domestic and a change fee on the international. That 11,000 points per pax and more than the Y Classic domestic award.

 

[nj12]

It could be done via the call centre, but I’m not sure it would be worth the cost or hassle.

First there would need to be availability - not a given because QF are blocking some domestic awards for international connections.

Second you’d need an agent who can do it.

Third you’d have to pay a cancellation fee on the domestic and a change fee on the international. That 11,000 points per pax and more than the Y Classic domestic award.

Thanks for the response. My main fear is QF losing the BA F seat when changing the booking as detailed in other threads.
As for through-checking the luggage if I was to cancel the Domestic award and re book with cash would I then be eligible to have baggage through-checked under the rules as it would be separate tickets with One world carriers - 1 cash booking (Domestic) and 1 QF reward (OW International)?

 

[muppet]

Thanks for the response. My main fear is QF losing the BA F seat when changing the booking as detailed in other threads.
As for through-checking the luggage if I was to cancel the Domestic award and re book with cash would I then be eligible to have baggage through-checked under the rules as it would be separate tickets with One world carriers - 1 cash booking (Domestic) and 1 QF reward (OW International)?

In theory yes, per this QF site on interline baggage:

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/gb/en/policy-and-guidelines/baggage-information/interline-and-through-checked-baggage.html

^ Exemptions apply for customers travelling on a oneworld separate PNRs when using a combination of award travel and revenue travel. Note: This is a Qantas exemption and may not be supported by all oneworld airlines.

However, in my personal experience, I haven’t recently (last few years) been able to get a checkin agent to honour it.

 

[n1k]

Thanks for the response. My main fear is QF losing the BA F seat when changing the booking as detailed in other threads.
As for through-checking the luggage if I was to cancel the Domestic award and re book with cash would I then be eligible to have baggage through-checked under the rules as it would be separate tickets with One world carriers - 1 cash booking (Domestic) and 1 QF reward (OW International)?

Interested to follow your experience here. I've got a booking that's almost the same scenario: QF MEL-SYD domestic leg (not yet booked), then BA16 in F. When are you travelling?

 

[nj12]

In theory yes, per this QF site on interline baggage:

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/gb/en/policy-and-guidelines/baggage-information/interline-and-through-checked-baggage.html

^ Exemptions apply for customers travelling on a oneworld separate PNRs when using a combination of award travel and revenue travel. Note: This is a Qantas exemption and may not be supported by all oneworld airlines.

However, in my personal experience, I haven’t recently (last few years) been able to get a checkin agent to honour it.

Thanks for the DP. Might leave it as is and put up with a four hour wait in SYD for check-in to open. Frustrating but better than risking potentially losing the BA F seat I guess.

 

[nj12]

Interested to follow your experience here. I've got a booking that's almost the same scenario: QF MEL-SYD domestic leg (not yet booked), then BA16 in F. When are you travelling?

Travelling in late October. I'll still try my luck with QF CS rep in ADL to through check my baggage but it's clearly outside of the published policy so I don't like my chances.

 

[muppet]

Thanks for the DP. Might leave it as is and put up with a four hour wait in SYD for check-in to open. Frustrating but better than risking potentially losing the BA F seat I guess.

Worth a try for sure. But just to clarify, I think it is within published QF policy, I’ve just had trouble getting a QF checkin agent to go along with it.

 

[nj12]

Thanks for the clarification. I was weighing up the opportunity cost of booking a cash fare for the domestic leg but only on the proviso that Qantas would actually honor the 'exemption' to through check luggage. Given your experiences and others and I think I'll just keep the booking as two separate awards and plead my case at the airport.

 

[fastferret]

I've recently finished booking my third Oneworld Classic 318k reward, this time as silver.

I booked the first back in 2015 and the second in 2022. It gets harder each time and I expect this will be the last time I do this, especially as I am now retired and not collecting big numbers of Qantas points.

The booking for 2 is SYD-HND-NGO (JL)-HEL-DBV (AY); SPU-MAD-LHR (IB); LHR-HEL-HND (AY)-SYD (JL). SYD-HND is PE, the rest Business.

The convoluted routing to Dubrovnik is annoying, as is having to go SPU-LHR via Madrid when there are plenty of direct BA seats available through Avios.

I'm hardly making the best use of the reward. However, as I said, finding flights is getting very difficult with very limited seats in and out of Australia, Qatar flights non-existent and BA very rare.

I'm just happy to have arranged a mostly business class trip to Europe for a reasonable points spend.