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.

 

[Sainter]

Have a question about OWA.
I've got a wedding in Tuscany Sept '25 and have booked tickets there and halfway back
1st booking
SYD - HKG Cathay premium economy
HKG - HEL - FCO Finnair business

2nd booking
BLQ (Bologna) - LHR - DXB British business

I'm looking at Cathay flights back to HKG and then Qantas to SYD. If I managed to get this have I accidentally created a OWA trip? If so do I need to do anything to merge them all together to get the points cap or will it happen automatically?

Thanks for the help for this newbie!

 

[ChrisMars]

By the sound of it, you have made two separate booking, Qantas can't merge those bookings into one, without cancelling one of them (and taking the risk that the cancelled award are not put back into award inventory). If you want an OWA, you need to build your itinerary on the same booking (you can add segments when they appear).

 

[p--and--t]

Have a question about OWA.
I've got a wedding in Tuscany Sept '25 and have booked tickets there and halfway back
1st booking
SYD - HKG Cathay premium economy
HKG - HEL - FCO Finnair business

2nd booking
BLQ (Bologna) - LHR - DXB British business

I'm looking at Cathay flights back to HKG and then Qantas to SYD. If I managed to get this have I accidentally created a OWA trip? If so do I need to do anything to merge them all together to get the points cap or will it happen automatically?

Thanks for the help for this newbie!

The trip needs to be on a single PNR (six digit reference) for the points cap to apply. Otherwise they will be charged as separate bookings with no cap.

You will need to contact customer services to get changes made / add sectors / move sectors to different PNR. A change fee (in points) will apply.

 

[Sainter]

Thanks for clarifying! My brief read of this forum makes the venture seem highly dangerous that it'll fall to pieces over the phone. I have enough points to do everything without OWA and was prepared to without... I had just always assumed OWA literally had to go around the world so nice to know for the future

 

[Mr H]

You will need to contact customer services to get changes made / add sectors / move sectors to different PNR. A change fee (in points) will apply.

And a cancellation fee for even more points - unless you are fortunate enough to have a schedule change later on that lets you cancel for free,

It would be worth looking already for alternative flights home from Italy to get them added onto the first booking.

 

[DC3]

.. I had just always assumed OWA literally had to go around the world so nice to know for the future

However, Post # 1 covers this:

“Note that this is not exclusively a "Round The World" Award. While it can be so used, it can also be used for "Round Trips", "Circle" Trips or even "one-way trips" without actually going "Round The World".

 

[nickfromeastryde]

And a cancellation fee for even more points - unless you are fortunate enough to have a schedule change later on that lets you cancel for free,

It would be worth looking already for alternative flights home from Italy to get them added onto the first booking.

A question about "schedule changes". At the moment, I have actually booked 2 separate OWA's and will need to cancel one of them.

How big a schedule change is required that allows me to cancel for free. Does a 10 min flight change that impacts none of the other flights justify a free cancellation or does it need to be a major change that requires a change to the the whole schedule.

 

[Jacques Vert]

A question about "schedule changes". At the moment, I have actually booked 2 separate OWA's and will need to cancel one of them.

How big a schedule change is required that allows me to cancel for free. Does a 10 min flight change that impacts none of the other flights justify a free cancellation or does it need to be a major change that requires a change to the the whole schedule.

There's no set rule AFAIK and I have cancelled Award flights with a similar small change but it would look better if the change was something more significant. OTOH, it probably doesn't matter. I guess it depends on how long before the first flight on your itinerary and the chances of another involuntary change before then.

 

[Captain Halliday]

There's no set rule AFAIK and I have cancelled Award flights with a similar small change but it would look better if the change was something more significant. OTOH, it probably doesn't matter. I guess it depends on how long before the first flight on your itinerary and the chances of another involuntary change before then.

I agree with this.

I’d also add that even a 5 min change can be sufficient if it breaks MCT.

For example, I had SYDxHND-CTS.

QF retimed SYD-HND by 5 mins, but that was enough to break the QF-JL MCT in HND.

It allowed me to travel a day earlier, which I wanted, without a fee.

 

[Mr H]

A question about "schedule changes". At the moment, I have actually booked 2 separate OWA's and will need to cancel one of them.

How big a schedule change is required that allows me to cancel for free. Does a 10 min flight change that impacts none of the other flights justify a free cancellation or does it need to be a major change that requires a change to the the whole schedule.

Any schedule change at all will allow a free cancellation of an entire itinerary - even a 5 minute change. You will have the option to do it online. You don't need to plead your case even if you do have to phone up - it's just a computer says yes scenario.

I have done it myself.

 

[ChrisMars]

On that scheduled change topic, how quickly are we maint to cancel the booking for no fee?

 

[serfty]

You will need to contact customer services to get changes made / add sectors / move sectors to different PNR. A change fee (in points) will apply.

However, Post # 1 covers this:

“Note that this is not exclusively a "Round The World" Award. While it can be so used, it can also be used for "Round Trips", "Circle" Trips or even "one-way trips" without actually going "Round The World".

I'm currently on a Qantas oneworld classic award.
KUL-BKK-HKG-SIN-KUL.

40K points in economy.

This is Zone 3, 2401 - 4800 miles. The distance is 3575 miles, so had another 1225 in but could not fit in for a weekend circuit

The zones for four one way awards trip would have been 2, 2, 2 & 1. 12K, 12K, 12K and 10K, so 46K if booked that way.

 

[Mr H]

On that scheduled change topic, how quickly are we maint to cancel the booking for no fee?

You can leave it as long as you like so long as you don’t click to accept the changes.

 

[ChrisMars]

You can leave it as long as you like so long as you don’t click to accept the changes.

In some cases (from memory domestic award), Qantas just send a notification, and auto accept / auto reissue the flight. I am not sure canceling this flight online would not attract the points cancelation fee. Thoughts / experiences?

 

[sap1l]

You can leave it as long as you like so long as you don’t click to accept the changes.

I’ve been denied a change after a month - apparently “I should have called earlier”. This was through the call center though - I’m guessing doing it online removes the human factor.