Rules for Circle Pacific trip using points

[AnthonyB]

Hi,
I wanted to ask if anyone has recently booked a Circle Pacific OW fare using points? I'm interested in trying to book this in business class and wanted to ask if anyone knows the terms and conditions? (I've been bitten by the RTW being different when you use points and not cash)
Thanks

 

[jpp42]

A Circle Pacific fare is only available for cash, it doesn't relate to classic reward bookings at all. You might be able to use points on a "points plus pay" basis, as with any commercial fare type, but this is terrible value and extremely strongly recommended against.

The Qantas fare that most people use for multiple-hop flights using points, whether they go around the World, the Pacific, or anywhere else, is called the "oneworld® Classic Flight Reward" officially and often nicknamed to Oneworld Award or OWA in this forum. This is distance based, not continent or location based, but has the requirement that you must travel on at least two oneworld Member Airlines other than Qantas, and the whole itinerary must be on oneworld Member Airlines (thus excluding Jetstar). See https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/use-points/classic-flight-rewards/tables.html#oneworld . There are specific threads for discussing OWA's and you'd be encouraged to use one of those to see if your proposed itinerary may work. Do note that finding availability in business class is extremely difficult, especially in and out of Australia, and you must be very flexible and plan well in advance. See here: "oneworld" award (132.4K/249.6K/318K/455K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

 

[AnthonyB]

A Circle Pacific fare is only available for cash, it doesn't relate to classic reward bookings at all. You might be able to use points on a "points plus pay" basis, as with any commercial fare type, but this is terrible value and extremely strongly recommended against.

The Qantas fare that most people use for multiple-hop flights using points, whether they go around the World, the Pacific, or anywhere else, is called the "oneworld® Classic Flight Reward" officially and often nicknamed to Oneworld Award or OWA in this forum. This is distance based, not continent or location based, but has the requirement that you must travel on at least two oneworld Member Airlines other than Qantas, and the whole itinerary must be on oneworld Member Airlines (thus excluding Jetstar). See https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/use-points/classic-flight-rewards/tables.html#oneworld . There are specific threads for discussing OWA's and you'd be encouraged to use one of those to see if your proposed itinerary may work. Do note that finding availability in business class is extremely difficult, especially in and out of Australia, and you must be very flexible and plan well in advance. See here: "oneworld" award (132.4K/249.6K/318K/455K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Thanks @jpp42 for the quick response and the information you've shared. You've saved me lots of time trying to go in the wrong direction. OWA sounds like the way to go.

 

[silkan]

Hi,
I wanted to ask if anyone has recently booked a Circle Pacific OW fare using points? I'm interested in trying to book this in business class and wanted to ask if anyone knows the terms and conditions? (I've been bitten by the RTW being different when you use points and not cash)
Thanks

Hi AB I'm interested in the OW RTW business and would appreciate you expanding on your comment (I've been bitten by the RTW being different when you use points and not cash). What's the issue or problem you came across? Thanks in advance

 

[BriarFlyer]

I'm not AB but to answer your question: the Oneworld® Classic Flight Reward is NOT a RTW product and should not be referred to as such. It does have specific rules -- maximum distance travelled, number of flight sectors, number of stopovers allowed, etc -- but none mentions going around the world. The cash RTW ticket is a completely different product with different rules and requirements, including going around the world.

This article explains the Oneworld® Classic Flight Reward.

This thread is where the OWA experts -- and interested newbies -- congregate and is the best place for further questions.