Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[itsjackson]

An update on my booking. I initially booked online:

KUL-HKG CX (Stopover 1)
SYD-MEL-HKG-HND QF-QF-JL (Stopover 2)
NRT-FRA-LCY JL-BA (Stopover 3)
LHR-HEL-PVG AY-AY (Stopover 4)
HKG-MEL-SYD QF-QF

Calling up, I was lucky to get through to Hobart. The agent was incredible — managed to add AKL-KUL and bypass the NZ problem. He really went all out trying to get KIX-SYD added too, but after 3 hours on the phone, he said ticketing concluded that it could only be booked for flights originating in Japan or something like that. I was still super impressed with his perseverance and glad he managed to get AKL-KUL added.

My current itinerary is:

AKL-KUL MH
KUL-HKG CX (Stopover 1)
surface
(planning to add HND-SYD QF here) (New Stopover in SYD)
SYD-MEL QF
MEL-HKG QF
HKG-HND JL (Stopover 2)
surface
NRT-FRA JL
FRA-LCY BA (Stopover 3)
surface
LHR-HEL AY
HEL-PVG AY (Stopover 4)
PVG-HKG CX
HKG-MEL QF
MEL-SYD QF

Current Issue:

Today, I noticed HND-SYD with QF opened up, so I tried to add it as planned but failed after three calls (funnily, got the same agent twice). The first one said I couldn’t go back to HND, and the second said adding it would mean both HKG and HND count as stopovers due to the surface sector (not totally sure if that’s true).

Right now, HND-SYD is showing on my itinerary but isn’t ticketed because they couldn’t price it. I don’t think my itinerary is breaking any rules, but they may have done something on the back end to get AKL-KUL added despite the issue. I’ve emailed the escalations team in the hope they might ticket it anyway - fingers crossed something happens!

 

[itsjackson]

Right now, HND-SYD is showing on my itinerary but isn’t ticketed because they couldn’t price it. I don’t think my itinerary is breaking any rules, but they may have done something on the back end to get AKL-KUL added despite the issue. I’ve emailed the escalations team in the hope they might ticket it anyway - fingers crossed something happens!

The escalations team have responded:

• The HND-SYD flight is not permitted to be added to the booking as it will cause too many stopovers and technically would also have 2 stopovers in HND which is not permitted.
• Adding the AKL-KUL flight makes this an illegal itinerary as I am flying over Australia, then later travelling back to Aus onto the UK and then back through Asia to Aus – over in mileage as well – 35000miles permitted and this routing is over 36000 miles.

This seems to imply that the surface sector between HKG and HND would count both cities as stopovers and that you aren't allowed to fly over Australia if you stop in Aus later. I also mapped my itinerary on GCM and it's only totalling 32660 miles including returning to the point of origin. They're saying that they'll honour the illegal itinerary that's been ticketed, but I can't see where it breaks any of the rules.

Could someone check my itinerary please?

 

[levelnine]

I also mapped my itinerary on GCM and it's only totalling 32660 miles including returning to the point of origin.

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

www.gcmap.com

 

[itsjackson]

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

www.gcmap.com

Oh oops, I had the units set to nm and not miles
Thanks for that, I guess that settles it then haha. I wonder how the previous agent was able to ticket the itinerary then hm.

 

[elanshin]

Oh oops, I had the units set to nm and not miles
Thanks for that, I guess that settles it then haha. I wonder how the previous agent was able to ticket the itinerary then hm.

You can ticket any routing, whether it qualifies as OWA is a different story.