Qantas Round the World with FF points - how do I do it?

[NM]

Welcome Kiz. Yes it fits into the OneWorld award, but you can add some more options if you want to. But each additional flight is going to cost you more in the paid surcharges and taxes.

You have up to 35,000 miles to use on the trip. A basic RTW itinerary is usually around 25,000 miles, so you have quite a bit to play with. Make sure you read and understand the rules and restrictions associated with this particular award. The rules are a little different to the standard Qantas award, especially when it comes to making changes after the journey has commenced (not permitted at all on this award) so make sure you have adequate contingency if you are forced to miss a flight and find the remaining itinerary cancelled.

Let us know where you want to go (if there are any in addition to London, Rome and New York) and we can help with some options.

You will need to book this over the phone with Qantas reservations, so that will also involve a 2500 assisted booking fee (grr, should be included in this one since there is no choice). make sure the agent looks for all options - there are lots of ways to get SYD-LHR, including via SIN, BKK or HKG with Qantas; via SIN or BKK with BA, or via HKG with CX; and of course lots of other options by mixing QF/BA/CX/AY via NRT, BOM, JNB, HEL etc.

Same thing for the return, if you can't get JFK-SYD, look for combinations with AA for the JFK-LAX (possibly via DFW etc), and/or with AA via NRT and QF to SYD, or with CX via HKG. You don't have to use Qantas for the JFK/LAX/SYD route.

 

[Kiz]

Thanks everyone!

I was worried I'd left things a bit late -- I tend to things on a whim!

As for exactly where and when I'm pretty flexible and open to ideas. The only definite date I have is that I need to be in Rome by April 29 to start a tour... the rest is all flexible. I was thinking about 6 weeks away all up.

I have friends in London and NY I want to catch up with, and I also want to head to Ireland -- but I'm not sure what else really.

Someone suggested Hawaii as an extra stop, as I have some distant rellies there, but it's never really been high on my agenda...

I just assumed I would go to London for a few days, then go to Rome to do my tour, back to the UK and Ireland for maybe 2 weeks and then a few days in NY... but I'm not fussed which order I do it.

So any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

Thanks so much for your help already!!!!

Cheers,

Kiz

 

[beardoc]

My concern with the OW RTW FF tickets is how much they've dropped in value. When I first started amassing points for a RTW ticket, they allowed up to 15 stops on the itinerary. Then they changed it to 10. Now they only allow 5. It's almost worth me not using the points on a RTW ticket at all now.

 

[NM]

My concern with the OW RTW FF tickets is how much they've dropped in value. When I first started amassing points for a RTW ticket, they allowed up to 15 stops on the itinerary. Then they changed it to 10. Now they only allow 5. It's almost worth me not using the points on a RTW ticket at all now.

As far as I can sell, the Qantas OneWorld Award has always been 5 stopovers. Certainly has been the case for the last 5 years or so. The points requirement changed on May 25th from 130,000 to 142,000 for up to 35,000 miles OneWorld award. As far as I can remember, there has never been an option to purchase more stopovers on the QF OneWorld Award.

The QF OneWorld Award is generally better value than purchasing multiple one-way awards under the current scheme.

Careful use of surface segments allows quite a lot of flexibility on a OneWorld Award. I did this routing about 2.5 years ago:

BNE-AKL-LAX//LAS-DFW-MCO//YYZ-LHR-KBP//KBP-LHR-NCL//TXL-HAN-HEL//HEL-FRA-HKG-SYD-BNE

And we used the <24 hour transit for a brief overnight stay in DFW (including BBQ dinner with friends) and for a day's sightseeing in HKG. Used a 15-day Eurail pass for travel in Europe.

 

[Kiz]

SYD-LHR flying QF to NRT and BA to LHR. LHR-FCO flying BA. LHR-JFK flying AY to HEL and then JFK. JFK-SYD flying QF108 (available almost everyday although no AA availability). Fits in with at least 2 one world airlines other than QF and still more miles to play around with. :!:

That sounds great! Mind you I did have to look up some of the codes!!!

I just have a couple more dumb questions...

Firstly, I'm assuming the stops in NRT and HEL are just transit ones, where I can stay for up to 24 hours. Is that right? :?:

Secondly, what about squeezing in a stopover in Vienna for a few days. Do I have enough miles/stops to do that? Following on from the suggestion above, that would mean I would go:

SYD-LHR flying QF to NRT and BA to LHR.
LHR-VIE flying ????
VIE-FCO flying ????
LHR-JFK flying AY to HEL and then JFK.
JFK-SYD flying QF108

Is this possible :?:

And finally, what would be a ball park dollar figure for taxes on all of the above?? :?:

Thanks so much for all the info so far!! It's a bit hard trying to organise something like this when you live in the middle of nowhere and haven't ever been OS!!!!! I really have no idea what I'm doing!!!!

Cheers and thanks again!

Kiz

 

[NM]

SYD-NRT-LHR-HEL-JFK-SYD is 26,000 miles. You have up to 35,000 miles to use on the 142,500 point zone-10 OneWorld Award. So VIE will easily fit.

NRT and HEL could be stopovers of transits. You get a maximum of 5 stopovers and can use them where you like.

Taxes/charges will be in the order of $500 for that routing, with the largest portion being fuel surcharges.

 

[beardoc]

As far as I can sell, the Qantas OneWorld Award has always been 5 stopovers. Certainly has been the case for the last 5 years or so.

I am certain that it was up to 15 stopovers originally. I signed up with the QFF program after calling them and confirming that a QFF Round the World ticket on Award Points could be up to 15 stops, and I have been amassing points to that aim ever since. I don't have copies of the old rules with me, but this was the case in the past.

It's just disappointing.

 

[JohnK]

That sounds great! Mind you I did have to look up some of the codes!!!

I just have a couple more dumb questions...

Firstly, I'm assuming the stops in NRT and HEL are just transit ones, where I can stay for up to 24 hours. Is that right? :?:

Secondly, what about squeezing in a stopover in Vienna for a few days. Do I have enough miles/stops to do that? Following on from the suggestion above, that would mean I would go:

SYD-LHR flying QF to NRT and BA to LHR.
LHR-VIE flying ????
VIE-FCO flying ????
LHR-JFK flying AY to HEL and then JFK.
JFK-SYD flying QF108

Is this possible :?:

And finally, what would be a ball park dollar figure for taxes on all of the above?? :?:

Thanks so much for all the info so far!! It's a bit hard trying to organise something like this when you live in the middle of nowhere and haven't ever been OS!!!!! I really have no idea what I'm doing!!!!

Cheers and thanks again!

Kiz

As NM mentioned taxes & charges are around $500.

You are right NRT (Tokyo) and HEL (Helsinki) are just transit stops waiting for onward flight so do not count for towards your 5 stopover limit. Transit may only be a few hours depending when the next flight goes. HEL is only there because you need another 1world carrier other than BA to satisfy the round the world award.

Also LHR-VIE is possible, fits in to 35,000 mile limit and stopover limit, but I am not sure that VIE-FCO is possible as this is not a 1world flight unless BA does this. You will more than likely need to return to LHR and then on to FCO from there, still within 35,000 mile limit and also 5 stopover limit. You could always purchase LHR-VIE seperately or even collect on a seperate award with more points.

The way I see it so far LHR, VIE, FCO and JFK are your stopovers so you still have 1 more stopover to go and plenty of miles to reach the 35,000 mile threshold.

Good luck in your planning and travels and hope all goes well for you.

 

[NM]

I am certain that it was up to 15 stopovers originally. I signed up with the QFF program after calling them and confirming that a QFF Round the World ticket on Award Points could be up to 15 stops, and I have been amassing points to that aim ever since. I don't have copies of the old rules with me, but this was the case in the past.

It's just disappointing.

How loing ago was that? I don't have the old info either. But I do know that when I was planning my OneWorld Awards over 3 years ago the rules were definately 5 stopovers.

 

[beardoc]

I am certain that it was up to 15 stopovers originally. I signed up with the QFF program after calling them and confirming that a QFF Round the World ticket on Award Points could be up to 15 stops, and I have been amassing points to that aim ever since. I don't have copies of the old rules with me, but this was the case in the past.

It's just disappointing.

How loing ago was that? I don't have the old info either. But I do know that when I was planning my OneWorld Awards over 3 years ago the rules were definately 5 stopovers.

This was in the late 90s.

 

[Lonely Flyer]

Now here is a further question

Can I buy a RTW economy and upgrade all or any or what of the legs to business

 

[Mal]

Now here is a further question

Can I buy a RTW economy and upgrade all or any or what of the legs to business

if you buy a LoneX - then the Qantas flight numbers (on Qantas equipment) should be upgradeable as per the usual FF rules.

This is because the fares are booked in L Class.

If you've bought it with FF points then it is not upgradeable.

 

[cowombat]

This thread brings back fond/sad memories of 3 years ago. I had to make a late request for an FF point return trip to NY from MEL. The only seats available were in F on an around the world ticket, via LHR. 300,000 points (yuck) but the nice person on the phone told me it could include Concorde for no extra points Yayyyyy! So I ordered and got the nice paper ticket. But for other reasons I had to cancel the trip. So 295,000 points back, but never made Concorde. But at least I had a ticket for it

In 2 weeks I'm back on another RTW trip. But this time taking the AA Platinum challenge. Qantas has destroyed the value of FF points. Then in March I'll be hit 240000 (if I remember correctly) for a quick holiday to Paris in business class (no holiday if cooped up in Y for such a trip!!!!!!!!!) On AA I think the 'cost' would have been 130000.... traveling on the same planes!

 

[serfty]

ONLINE oneWORLD award bookings now posible

Reports today from FT that Qantas have extended their online booking engine to enable award flights on AA to be booked.

American airline awards now on Qantas website

Also worth noting is that oneWORLD award bookings are now possible online, thus avoiding the 2,500pt assisted booking fee.

I gave it a go and was able to do a dummy booking SYD-JFK-LHR-HKG-SYD for a quoted 140,000 points (+TLC's).

Note that for oneWORLD awards with Qantas, you need to travel on at least two other oneWORLD carriers; QF is optional.

 

[coyote25]

While it's great that you can now book AA flights QANTAS needs to put more destinations into the award booking system. For example most of the AA destinations aren't included. YVR isn't an option at all even with AA & CX flights and the planned QF flights so this is hard to understand.

I don't expect them to list every OW destination but the major ones would be good (at least the ones you can book paid flights for anyway via qantas.com).

Obviously having all 270 destinations would be fantastic (maybe a separate AUS and then INT menu option). They want us to use the internet well this would be the best way to encourage increased use and thereby cut there costs.

However adding AA is a big step in the right direction. 8)