Subtleties of booking a complex reward route

[offer-frenzy-irenic]

I've been a Qantas Frequent Flyer for a fair few years now, gaining points from credit card offers, and now I'm looking to spend them to get a round-trip Perth-Europe business+ class flight.

I've been diving into using things like Awards Nexus and KVS to locate the flights, and at least on the outwards journey I think I have found an available path that is business and above.

The path is PER-KUL-DXB-FCO; PER-KUL business with Malaysia, and KUL(-DXB)-FCO first with Emirates. I arrive at KUL at 9pmish, then catch the Emirates flight at 10am the next day (~12 hour layover). The timings and characteristics of this path suit what I'm looking for well.

I can see all the legs of this journey as two "flights" when I input them into the Qantas multi-city booking interface as PER-KUL on the first day and KUL-FCO the day after.

But what I'm trying to understand is should I just book it using that interface?
Is there any risk of having two disconnected flights like this with regards to making the connection if there is some issue or rescheduling?
Is there some way of booking this path as one combined flight? Does it make sense to do that? How would I do that? I hear the call centre can be hell?

Similarly, should I wait until I have my return journey calculated to book them all at once?

And how does luggage work with these complex flight paths?

Interested in any advice anyone has, really appreciate it!

Here's the flights, they're in mid-2024 so I have some time to think about it.

 

[ronlon]

Your screen shot example is one booking with 3 flights so not sure what you mean by two flights? The fact that flight two is the day after is academic. In fact if you are happy to spend a night in KL this is an excellent reward seat opportunity ! The connections are generous so no need to stress.

Depending on how long you will stay in Europe before returning to Perth the more you risk not being able to obtain an outbound reward seat if you dont grab it now. Hence having two one way bookings is a common practice.

 

[offer-frenzy-irenic]

Thanks for your reply!

Your screen shot example is one booking with 3 flights so not sure what you mean by two flights?

In response to this, I guess in some sense in the Qantas interface, the PER-KUL part is considered a "flight" (composed of one segment), and the KUL-FCO section is considered another "flight" (composed of two segments, KUL-DXB, DXB-FCO). I don't know if that makes a difference on their end to how they consider it, and what they would do in the case that a segment of the flight gets cancelled or moved?

Because the KUL-DXB-FCO section is grouped together, I imagine if they need to bump me to another flight, they would still be making sure that the KUL-DXB and DXB-FCO segments still line up in the timetable, because in a technical sense I am asking them to transport me from KUL to FCO.

But I don't know if that's the same with the PER-KUL section linking into the KUL-FCO section? If that makes sense? E.g. could they move my PER-KUL flight forward due to some issue, and not also move the KUL-FCO "grouped flight", so that I would miss one of those connections?

I don't know if it is a thing to somehow have all these segments grouped as one "flight", so that any last minute changes Qantas makes ensure I am getting from PER to FCO in the end.

I'm very new to this, so I don't really understand the ins and outs of this stuff.

 

[offer-frenzy-irenic]

I did some more googling, and maybe what I am thinking about is a single PNR for all three flights? Is that possible? How do it achieve this?

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/airline-terminology-pnr/

There are numerous advantages afforded to travellers when multiple flights are booked on a single PNR. Connections are guaranteed, meaning passengers will be re-booked at no extra charge if a delayed fight causes a missed connection. Baggage will also be checked through to the final destination when all flights are on a single booking.

Maybe right now the booking would be two PNRs?

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm very new to this, so I don't really understand the ins and outs of this stuff.

that’s okay, that’s what we’re here for. Welcome to AFF.

It might be helpful if you don’t think of flights but sectors, where a sector is an individual flight.

I did some more googling, and maybe what I am thinking about is a single PNR for all three flights? Is that possible? How do it achieve this?

Once you book an itinerary of multiple sectors inn a single booking and start the journey, any of the individual sectors (flights) might be changed, delayed or even cancelled. If you book them on the one booking, one ticket, the one PNR, then if you were to miss the subsequent flight, the airline will accommodate you on the next available service. They may not offer you the same class of service, though, and the service they offer may not be very convenient for you. That's a risk.

if you book those three flights in the one transaction on the website, they will all fall under the one PNR.

if you were to break them up into two separate transactions or bookings on the website, then they will fall under different PNRs and if say the first flight was delayed and you miss your connection, you would then not have protection for the second leg - the airline would have no responsibility to re-accommodate you on the next available service.

So say you had to make two separate bookings and obtained two tickets or PNRs then I would have at least a day between them to allow for the possibility that the first flight is delayed.

however, in your screenshot above if you book them just as they are, you’ll get one PNR and also plenty of padding before the second flight you have to take in case the first flight is delayed. A good itinerary.

 

[offer-frenzy-irenic]

if you book those three flights in the one transaction on the website, they will all fall under the one PNR.

Thank you for taking the time to explain this in such detail!

I will book the Perth to Europe journey in one transaction on the multi-city booking interface to get these advantages, and I will continue hunting for the Europe to Perth journey to book in a seperate transaction.

 

[tdimdad]

Essentially, it pays off to remember that an airline is contracted to get you to the destination (or next stopover) mentioned in the ticket. In other words, if you buy the itinerary shown in your screen capture, you are buying transport from Perth to Rome. How exactly you'll end up there may sometimes differ from your original the ticket but you'll find yourself in Rome eventually.

 

[crh66]

Thanks from me too!

We're heading to Rome next May, and I was also wondering about what happens with luggage etc.

I booked all in one transaction using the multi-city tool, and seems I got that right!

Our flights aren't as direct as the OP (and only business reward seats); we've got a day in Jakarta and 3 days in Dubai. The trip is listed as 3 "flights" on the itinerary:
MEL-SYD-CGK (Qantas)
CGK-DXB (Emirates)
DXB-AMM-FHO (Royal Jordanian)

...finding the search for a more direct path home in late June to be a bit of a struggle, but only really looking for business and premium, so might need to lower my expectations.

 

[ronlon]

Thank you for taking the time to explain this in such detail!

I will book the Perth to Europe journey in one transaction on the multi-city booking interface to get these advantages, and I will continue hunting for the Europe to Perth journey to book in a seperate transaction.

Do you intend to layover at KUL airport or enter the nation to spend the night ? Your answer will enable someone to explain the luggage situation.

As my previous comment if you return dates are already on the system and seats available, make one return booking , if not grab the Perth to Rome now !

And yes welcome to AFF!

 

[offer-frenzy-irenic]

Do you intend to layover at KUL airport or enter the nation to spend the night ? Your answer will enable someone to explain the luggage situation.

As my previous comment if you return dates are already on the system and seats available, make one return booking , if not grab the Perth to Rome now !

And yes welcome to AFF!

I was originally intending to just layover (only 12 hour gap, arriving 9pm 11th May), but some other lucky travellers snapped up the exact First ticket I was looking at for 10am 12th May as I was submitting my booking! Instead I had to book one departing 10am 14th May instead.

So I’ll be arriving 9pm 11th May, and I will have three nights / two full days enter the nation to explore for a while. I can live with or without my checked luggage, but it probably makes more sense for me to collect it during my time in KL, if I can?

I haven’t been able to book my return yet, still need to find the flights. One annoyance is I’ll probably have to pay for that in Euros because the origin airport is in the EU? Qantas seems to push me in that direction on the website.

 

[ronlon]

I was originally intending to just layover (only 12 hour gap, arriving 9pm 11th May), but some other lucky travellers snapped up the exact First ticket I was looking at for 10am 12th May as I was submitting my booking! Instead I had to book one departing 10am 14th May instead.

So I’ll be arriving 9pm 11th May, and I will have three nights / two full days enter the nation to explore for a while. I can live with or without my checked luggage, but it probably makes more sense for me to collect it during my time in KL, if I can?

I haven’t been able to book my return yet, still need to find the flights. One annoyance is I’ll probably have to pay for that in Euros because the origin airport is in the EU? Qantas seems to push me in that direction on the website.

Explain at Perth that you wish to collect bags in KL. ( I don't think the airline will hold at the airport anyway as your next flight is a few days later).

If your return booking is a reward seat booking the taxes/carrier charges will be in the local currency of origin however given there is such a variance in these it is not necessarily more expensive than flights originating from Australia. Flights originating in Heathrow are heavy on the taxes/charges.

 

[tdimdad]

Yes, three days in KL means that your luggage will be checked to KL only and you will need to collect it there. You'll also get the boarding passes to your stopover (KL) only. Then you have the joys of separately checking into the EK flights when the time comes...

 

[offer-frenzy-irenic]

Ok great!

Then you have the joys of separately checking into the EK flights when the time comes...

Do I need to be worried? I'll probably stay at the airport hotel as it seems quite nice.

 

[offer-frenzy-irenic]

I've managed to book my return. My layover in KL on the way back is 24 hours and 15 minutes, so I'd prefer to remain in the airport. Will I still be able to check my bags all the way through from Paris to Perth, given the layover exceeds a day?



The text here is a bit ambiguous as to if an Emirates -> Oneworld through-check is allowed.

• Your flights are all with Qantas, or Qantas and Emirates, or Qantas and oneworld airlines.

 

[RooFlyer]

I've managed to book my return. My layover in KL on the way back is 24 hours and 15 minutes, so I'd prefer to remain in the airport. Will I still be able to check my bags all the way through from Paris to Perth, given the layover exceeds a day?

that last sector in economy is going to be a bit of a tough ride!

With Emirates and Dubai airport, it might be an exception, but generally connections more than 24 hours you need to pick up your bags and therefore you will need to enter the UAE, but that’s pretty easy.

Normally, that combination of air airlines, I don’t think it would be a problem, but it’s the timing I think that may be an issue.

this is an occasion where you would really need to closely check the tags that they put in your bags at your check-in point and ask where they are checked through to, so you know exactly where they are going to appear on a baggage carousel.

 

[offer-frenzy-irenic]

that last sector in economy is going to be a bit of a tough ride!

With Emirates and Dubai airport, it might be an exception, but generally connections more than 24 hours you need to pick up your bags and therefore you will need to enter the UAE, but that’s pretty easy.

Yeah sad that I couldn't get anything better! Also do you mean Malaysia, not the UAE? I'm only transiting in Dubai airport for 75 minutes, and they're both Emirates flights, so they better be sending my bags through!

 

[offer-frenzy-irenic]

Maybe I'll call Qantas to get some hopeful clarity on through-check through KL with my specific flights, because I need to decide if I book the hotel inside the airport, or the one next to it.

I wonder if I had to collect my bags if I could leave the international area and go through immigration, collect my bags, then immediately turn around with the bag and check it in again (it should be 22-23 hours before my flight then). Then reenter the international area and stay at the hotel inside the airport. How early can you generally bag check?

 

[RooFlyer]

Yeah sad that I couldn't get anything better! Also do you mean Malaysia, not the UAE? I'm only transiting in Dubai airport for 75 minutes, and they're both Emirates flights, so they better be sending my bags through!

Sorry, my mis-read.

Maybe I'll call Qantas to get some hopeful clarity on through-check through KL with my specific flights, because I need to decide if I book the hotel inside the airport, or the one next to it.

unless you are Qantas platinum or above and can talk to the Hobart call centre I wouldn’t bother doing that because chances are you’ll get wrong information and then rely on it.

@serfty I think has had a fair bit of experience with MAS, so maybe he can shed some light here.

Post automatically merged: Jul 27, 2023

I wonder if I had to collect my bags if I could leave the international area and go through immigration, collect my bags, then immediately turn around with the bag and check it in again

different airports have different rules as to how early you can check bags in. It’s rarely overnight because they have to hold them somewhere and in that case I wouldn’t really trust the security of the bags.

 

[tdimdad]

I'd suggest that you need to collect your bags in KUL. If anyone, it'd be EK who can advice if they are able to check the bags through to PER but I doubt it'd be possible.

At the same time, you got a full day in KL. A nice little opportunity to explore more.

 

[MelbFlyer]

I've managed to book my return. My layover in KL on the way back is 24 hours and 15 minutes, so I'd prefer to remain in the airport. Will I still be able to check my bags all the way through from Paris to Perth, given the layover exceeds a day?

You're better off leaving the airport in KL tbh - the city is only a 35min train ride away and there's lots of cheap hotels and food (majority of Malaysia will be cheap for our standards / if you're converting from AUD - a simple chicken rice will be around RM7 or so, which is <AUD$3).

Regarding your bags, they should only be checked from Paris to KL - you'll have to collect your luggage when you arrive in KL (and that means passing through immigration) - regardless if you want to enter the country or stay in the airport.

Economy on a narrow-body 737 will be tough after having "such a tough time" on EK first class though

I'd love to try EK first, but the ridiculous taxes is putting me off from even considering booking a rewards EK flight.