Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Daver6]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

As part of a 4 x 280k J Award we had 4 x J SYD-CDG with CX locked in.
Availability arose for 4 x J SYD-DOH, DOH-CDG on QR....but we could not book as there was no SYD-CDG showing.
However, SYD-HEL on QR was showing 4J, so we booked that and cancelled the CX
QR took all 4 x J SYD-HEL back, and QF are saying that they will only re-release 2 of them, or 2 x J and 2 x F at points upgrade cost pp (which I can't do under the 280k award anyway, as assume would reprice the whole lot at 420k pp)
QF 'solution' is to have me and one young daughter rebooked on a CX flight SYD-CDG (7 hour layover at HKG), and my wife and our other young daughter booked on separate CX flights arriving at CDG 12 hours after us....

Not happy, we had 4 x CX J same flight locked in and only changed when QF confirmed SYD-HEL QR had 4 J seats available, and booked them for us, confirmed tax recalculations, took card details and update booking.

I told QF that putting us on separate CX flights was not a 'solution' as much time and effort (and time on hold to QF) has ben spent designing our perfect trip, with all 4 of us on same J flights throughout....which was achieved.
Am now awaiting a call back as they 'look at options'.

Any advice?
Or do I just have to suck up what they 'offer'?

Cheers.

Do you have the confirmation email with the QR flights being ticketed? If so, surely QF needs to find a way to honour this. If it were me, I'd stick to my guns until you have a solution you are happy with and without compromise or added expense.

 

[yoyo]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

This is infuriating, it is what happened to me also. It seems that QR will take back any seats as soon as you try to change the booking, making them very difficult to use unless you have status and can get help from the premium desk. It has happened so many times, I am wondering where their accountability is.

 

[travelislife]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hmm, sounds like there is something funny going on with QR. And the problem with these kind of bookings is they aren't ticketed instantly. If I was changing and getting QR segments put in I would be asking for it to be transferred straight to ticketing.

 

[Ultan Lankford]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

The multi-city tool does show up more destinations then looking for individual segments I find. For example if you look for a one way from between GRU and NBO it can't and will error out but put it in a multi city fare it will find some.
I must say AA airline availability is pretty bad on QA. Ill have to start looking more on BA for these flights, if any are available. We pretty much have out first two segments sorted now.
A dummy run of
Mad-SCL
Surface
GRU-DOH-NBO
Surface
JNB-DOH-MAN
MAN-LHR-JFK
JFK-MAD
tops out at 280,000 each for J

Weird that I swapped MAN for EDI and for some reason it went over the points cap. I looked briefly at the whole trip and couldnt find where the error was. It may have been some BA codeshare. Just watch out for them.
Also, the multicity tool does not like some land segments. If I try to say, fly into BOS but out of JFK then it errors out for me. Same if I had into CDG but out of LHR. Funny that the SCL-GRU or NBO-JNB surface wasn't an issue. Maybe the tool caps it at two land surfaces?

As you can see I am only doing 4 stops really but each of them are transcontinental. Using this award to get to South America from Europe, then onto Africa, back to Europe, then on the North America before heading back to Europe.

Also, I asked a question before that if it was OK to transit a city that originally departed from. e.g. I start my whole trip in MAD->SCL, yet if I chose to go back to MAD say via JNB->MAD->LHR even to transit onto another flight, the Multicity tool gives out an error saying you cannot depart again from a city you departed from or something to that effect. Yet people said that this was possible as they have done it before? Could be the tool itself but would be interesting to get a clarification.

The issues people have with QR has me slightly worried now. As I will be using them a few times. Ill try not to change those tickets but will have to add on extra flights once they become available. Are the issues experienced when there is a date change with a QR flight or in general when you go near the actual booking?

 

[hutch]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

As part of a 4 x 280k J Award we had 4 x J SYD-CDG with CX locked in.
Availability arose for 4 x J SYD-DOH, DOH-CDG on QR....but we could not book as there was no SYD-CDG showing.
However, SYD-HEL on QR was showing 4J, so we booked that and cancelled the CX
QR took all 4 x J SYD-HEL back, and QF are saying that they will only re-release 2 of them, or 2 x J and 2 x F at points upgrade cost pp (which I can't do under the 280k award anyway, as assume would reprice the whole lot at 420k pp)
QF 'solution' is to have me and one young daughter rebooked on a CX flight SYD-CDG (7 hour layover at HKG), and my wife and our other young daughter booked on separate CX flights arriving at CDG 12 hours after us....

Not happy, we had 4 x CX J same flight locked in and only changed when QF confirmed SYD-HEL QR had 4 J seats available, and booked them for us, confirmed tax recalculations, took card details and update booking.

I told QF that putting us on separate CX flights was not a 'solution' as much time and effort (and time on hold to QF) has ben spent designing our perfect trip, with all 4 of us on same J flights throughout....which was achieved.
Am now awaiting a call back as they 'look at options'.

Any advice?
Or do I just have to suck up what they 'offer'?

Cheers.

I assume you didn't receive an e-ticket? Ie, the booking wasn't ticketed yet?

 

[cjd600]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

I assume you didn't receive an e-ticket? Ie, the booking wasn't ticketed yet?

The bookings were actually split, and both changed at the same time to the QR flights.
Both bookings reflected on QF and QR website.
E-ticket came through for one booking and not the other, which is what led me to chase it up.

No call back within the hour as promised this morning......but an e-ticket for wife and daughter has come through with the QR J flights confirmed......and my c/card has been hit with the QR + charges.
My booking with the other daughter,was already e-ticketed and charged, and have just now received another e-ticket confirmation, still with the QR flights
(but my booking is now showing, QF online, a mish-mash of the QR flights we want, a CX SYD-CDG and a CX HKG-CDG......)

 

[hutch]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

The multi-city tool does show up more destinations then looking for individual segments I find. For example if you look for a one way from between GRU and NBO it can't and will error out but put it in a multi city fare it will find some.
I must say AA airline availability is pretty bad on QA. Ill have to start looking more on BA for these flights, if any are available. We pretty much have out first two segments sorted now.
A dummy run of
Mad-SCL
Surface
GRU-DOH-NBO
Surface
JNB-DOH-MAN
MAN-LHR-JFK
JFK-MAD
tops out at 280,000 each for J

Weird that I swapped MAN for EDI and for some reason it went over the points cap. I looked briefly at the whole trip and couldnt find where the error was. It may have been some BA codeshare. Just watch out for them.
Also, the multicity tool does not like some land segments. If I try to say, fly into BOS but out of JFK then it errors out for me. Same if I had into CDG but out of LHR. Funny that the SCL-GRU or NBO-JNB surface wasn't an issue. Maybe the tool caps it at two land surfaces?

14.3.7 Classic Flight Rewards are not available on Codeshare Flights unless otherwise specified by Qantas Loyalty. Classic Flight Rewards must be booked using the airline code (eg QF for Qantas) of the Operating Carrier unless otherwise specified by Qantas Loyalty.

Not sure why it went outside the points cap. Routing appears under distance threshold.

The multi-city tool has many bugs.

As you can see I am only doing 4 stops really but each of them are transcontinental. Using this award to get to South America from Europe, then onto Africa, back to Europe, then on the North America before heading back to Europe.

Also, I asked a question before that if it was OK to transit a city that originally departed from. e.g. I start my whole trip in MAD->SCL, yet if I chose to go back to MAD say via JNB->MAD->LHR even to transit onto another flight, the Multicity tool gives out an error saying you cannot depart again from a city you departed from or something to that effect. Yet people said that this was possible as they have done it before? Could be the tool itself but would be interesting to get a clarification.

14.3.5 A Classic Flight Reward Itinerary must contain no more than one departure from the city or country of first departure on that Itinerary.

Though I have seen someone say they have done MEL-LAX-SYD-DFW-SYD or something along those lines. Go figure.

The issues people have with QR has me slightly worried now. As I will be using them a few times. Ill try not to change those tickets but will have to add on extra flights once they become available. Are the issues experienced when there is a date change with a QR flight or in general when you go near the actual booking?

In my experience (I have 4 QR legs) , the issue occurred between changing a booking and it being ticketed... the QR flights dropped off. For future segments, after I complained, QF ticketed flight immediately. Happened to my friend also... plus others on here. Watch your flights like a hawk between changes and ticketing.

 

[madrooster]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

The bookings were actually split, and both changed at the same time to the QR flights.Both bookings reflected on QF and QR website.E-ticket came through for one booking and not the other, which is what led me to chase it up.No call back within the hour as promised this morning......but an e-ticket for wife and daughter has come through with the QR J flights confirmed......and my c/card has been hit with the QR + charges.My booking with the other daughter,was already e-ticketed and charged, and have just now received another e-ticket confirmation, still with the QR flights(but my booking is now showing, QF online, a mish-mash of the QR flights we want, a CX SYD-CDG and a CX HKG-CDG......)

Did you create the booking initially over the phone? If you did, PM me your 2 record locators and I can have a look to see if I can figure what the hell they messed up.

 

[madrooster]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

This is infuriating, it is what happened to me also. It seems that QR will take back any seats as soon as you try to change the booking, making them very difficult to use unless you have status and can get help from the premium desk. It has happened so many times, I am wondering where their accountability is.

The problem with QF procedure is that when a booking that has been queued for ticketing gets rejected by the ticketing bot, it just basically falls into a blackhole and doesn't go to a queue for manual verification/ticketing. QR in the meantime will send remark that a ticket must be issued by X date. When X date comes around, and no ticket has been issued due to the booking being rejected by the ticketing bot, QR cancels the segments. These don't always go back to being available which is why it's often difficult to get them back.


It's important to keep an eye on your booking and if no ticket has been issued within 24 hours, make sure that you call back.


The above also applies to IB - in fact they are even worse than QR. IB will send a remark that they will cancel the segments if no ticket is issued within 24 hours (to the minute).

 

[cjd600]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Did you create the booking initially over the phone? If you did, PM me your 2 record locators and I can have a look to see if I can figure what the hell they messed up.

Thanks madrooster, but it actually started as a straight Classic Award 4 x j SYD-SFO-SYD, booked online.
It morphed from there into a 280k Classic (over the phone) thru Europe back via USA....needing to be split as we could only get 2 j per flight AA JFK-LAX.
Then we managed 4 J JFK-LAX on QF12, so all flights were the same ( 4 x J on each),but on 2 bookings.
Anyway, hopefully the 4 QR are now sorted again (e-tickets issued).
When I first followed up the QR flights dropping off, QF said it was as they hadn't ticketed.
Me: OK, so you guys tell me you didn't immediately ticket as the flights are a 'long way off' (March '17)
QF: Yes
Me: and you know that QR tend to 'dissolve' bookings that aren't ticketed after a period of time
QF: Yes
Me: Hmmm.

Probably lucky I didn't accept the 'only option' offered by the QF call centre as our wildly separate CX flights, advising it was 'unacceptable' with a back and forth argument for 10 minutes.
Hopefully its all worked out.....lesson learnt on the QR side of things (not that I think I'll have another 7 figure points balance to spend on a once-off family trip like this ever again!)

Cheers

 

[choppa]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

I've read through the thread from page 1 (2006ish) so am pretty sure I have this correct but I have potentially stupid questions anyway:

• There are only five (5) stop-overs permitted on a 140K RTW ticket (i.e. you can disembark and spend time in the city)
• You can actually fly through 16 places (theoretically) or rather, take 16 flights... and in those 16 flights you can not have a more than 24hr layover otherwise it counts as a stop-over?
• You have to devise your itinerary through the Oneworld RTW planner???
• You have to call up Qantas to book it via the phone
• You must finish where you started?

On that last dot point, say I live in Melbourne, and want to fly RTW but minimise taxes, and taxes departing SIN are cheaper than a MEL->SIN flight, so I book SIN->RTW->MEL->SIN - what happens if I just don't take that last MEL-> SIN flight? One last thing, I still don't understand how you guys can see seat availability?

 

[Cynicor]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

I've read through the thread from page 1 (2006ish) so am pretty sure I have this correct but I have potentially stupid questions anyway:

• There are only five (5) stop-overs permitted on a 140K RTW ticket (i.e. you can disembark and spend time in the city)
• You can actually fly through 16 places (theoretically) or rather, take 16 flights... and in those 16 flights you can not have a more than 24hr layover otherwise it counts as a stop-over?
• You have to devise your itinerary through the Oneworld RTW planner???
• You have to call up Qantas to book it via the phone
• You must finish where you started?

On that last dot point, say I live in Melbourne, and want to fly RTW but minimise taxes, and taxes departing SIN are cheaper than a MEL->SIN flight, so I book SIN->RTW->MEL->SIN - what happens if I just don't take that last MEL-> SIN flight? One last thing, I still don't understand how you guys can see seat availability?

No offence, but have you actually read the thread like you say you did?!

You definitely don't use the RTW planner. It's not an RTW award. It's a one world award and that's all. Those points alone come on on almost every second page.

To plan you can use the multi-city award page.

 

[madrooster]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Thanks madrooster, but it actually started as a straight Classic Award 4 x j SYD-SFO-SYD, booked online.
It morphed from there into a 280k Classic (over the phone) thru Europe back via USA....needing to be split as we could only get 2 j per flight AA JFK-LAX.
Then we managed 4 J JFK-LAX on QF12, so all flights were the same ( 4 x J on each),but on 2 bookings.
Anyway, hopefully the 4 QR are now sorted again (e-tickets issued).
When I first followed up the QR flights dropping off, QF said it was as they hadn't ticketed.
Me: OK, so you guys tell me you didn't immediately ticket as the flights are a 'long way off' (March '17)
QF: Yes
Me: and you know that QR tend to 'dissolve' bookings that aren't ticketed after a period of time
QF: Yes
Me: Hmmm.

Probably lucky I didn't accept the 'only option' offered by the QF call centre as our wildly separate CX flights, advising it was 'unacceptable' with a back and forth argument for 10 minutes.
Hopefully its all worked out.....lesson learnt on the QR side of things (not that I think I'll have another 7 figure points balance to spend on a once-off family trip like this ever again!)

Cheers

Did they restore the QR seats in U class? You can check using QR's site and the QF record locator. QF's MMB doesn't show the booking class sometimes.

 

[cjd600]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

I've read through the thread from page 1 (2006ish) so am pretty sure I have this correct but I have potentially stupid questions anyway:

• There are only five (5) stop-overs permitted on a 140K RTW ticket (i.e. you can disembark and spend time in the city)
• You can actually fly through 16 places (theoretically) or rather, take 16 flights... and in those 16 flights you can not have a more than 24hr layover otherwise it counts as a stop-over?
• You have to devise your itinerary through the Oneworld RTW planner???
• You have to call up Qantas to book it via the phone
• You must finish where you started?

On that last dot point, say I live in Melbourne, and want to fly RTW but minimise taxes, and taxes departing SIN are cheaper than a MEL->SIN flight, so I book SIN->RTW->MEL->SIN - what happens if I just don't take that last MEL-> SIN flight? One last thing, I still don't understand how you guys can see seat availability?

There are far more knowledgeable experts than me about, so stand by...but...a few responses to your questions

There are only five (5) stop-overs permitted on a 140K RTW ticket (i.e. you can disembark and spend time in the city)
Yes... You can actually fly through 16 places (theoretically) or rather, take 16 flights... and in those 16 flights you can not have a more than 24hr layover otherwise it counts as a stop-over?
Yes....

You have to devise your itinerary through the Oneworld RTW planner???
No, start using QF Multi city to build your trip. Utilise other FF avenues (eg BA) to search award availability for airlines such as JL that do not reflect on QF site.Key is finding available award sectors (which may or may not reflect on QF site depending on airline....but if its not showing online.may be available by phone....so research is your friend)

You have to call up Qantas to book it via the phone.
Not necessarily.....you can almost certainly book your first leg(s) online, then add sectors as they are released.

If you are booking at a timeframe less than T+350 or so, you may be able to book the whole thing online (bearing in mind the airlines that don't reflect online for QF) on the QF multi-city tool. Also bear in mind that each time you call to add sectors its going to be 3500 points fee (per call, not per sector per call) per booking. And the 8k (I think) phone assistance fee (which applies to Y awards but not J)

You must finish where you started?
No....but the distance back from your 'end point' to your 'start point' will be included in the 35k mile maximum tally, I believe

 

[Danger]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

The problem with QF procedure is that when a booking that has been queued for ticketing gets rejected by the ticketing bot, it just basically falls into a blackhole and doesn't go to a queue for manual verification/ticketing.

I had this exact same situation just a few hours ago with QF ticketing my oneworld Explorer paid fare.

My US bank rejected the payment because apparently the charge was above the limit. If I hadn't have called the bank to verify it went through (and found out it didn't) and then phoned QF back I almost certainly would have been slugged double the price as the fare went up today.

 

[cjd600]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Did they restore the QR seats in U class? You can check using QR's site and the QF record locator. QF's MMB doesn't show the booking class sometimes.

Yes, all 4 in U class SYD-DOH-HEL confirmed on QR site and my flights.com linked to Amadeus

 

[madrooster]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Yes, all 4 in U class SYD-DOH-HEL confirmed on QR site and my flights.com linked to Amadeus

Good to hear. QR is usually pretty easy to deal with - it just takes time.

 

[fairbasa]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

So I've finally scraped together enough points and am looking at doing a J award trip in August/September next year with Mrs fairbasa. I've read through much of this thread over the last couple of years. Thinking about something like:

MEL > HKG (CX)
HKG > HEL (AY) STOP
HEL > JFK (AY) STOP
Land Segment
PHL > SXM (AA)
SXM > MIA (AA)
MIA > SCL (LA) STOP
SCL > AKL (LA)
AKL > MEL (QF)

Couple of questions though:
1. I'm struggling with the lack of a single source of truth for availability. Using QF, BA, AA sites but nothing agrees with one another. Doing a dummy run, AA shows the best availability(I'm looking at Milesaver fares), but is it actually available? For example, going from HEL>JFK on AY5, AA site shows heaps of availability, BA shows none, QF shows some but not as much as AA. What's my best source for accuracy, short of calling up every time?

2. Given the airlines I'm planning on flying and the sequence in which their availability opens up, the booking order will be MEL>HKG>HEL, HEL>JFK, AKL>MEL, PHL>SXM, SXM>MIA, MIA>SCL, SCL>AKL. Am I correct in my understanding that booking AKL>MEL will 'close the loop' and the points will max out at 560k from that point on, despite adding more flights to the booking which occur prior it? It's not an issue with there being a 'land segment' between JFK and AKL in terms of validating the itinerary? I just want to make sure I won't need the 700k+ points of 'working capital' before the final segment is booked.

3. SXM. I'm struggling with finding AA availability. Has anyone had experience booking an award here? Any suggested alternates in the Caribbean instead? I could pay for the SXM legs but they're not particularly cheap and I have the spare capacity in the award so why not use it?

4. I'd like to add in TLL after HEL on AY, but QF don't have it in their Multicity tool. It does however appear on the AA site. Anyone redeemed a flight there previously?

Any other general advice appreciated also!

Cheers.

 

[Ultan Lankford]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

So I booked the first two legs of my award fare on Friday night.

The trip will be as follows.

MAD-SCL LAN 787
GRU-DOH-NBO Qatar 777/A330
JNB-DOH-LHR Qatar 787/A380
DUB-PHL AA
JFK-MAD Iberia

Comes in at 33,830 miles or so.

I have a booking reference number for my first two flights, yet I do not think it has been ticketed. Are you supposed to see a separated ticket number or get an email stating as such.

Do you also get status points and miles for these award flights? Flying with LAN/Qatar etc... should see you get the points in your Qantas FF account. I presume so, just wondering if I am correct.

 

[deejo77]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Do you also get status points and miles for these award flights? Flying with LAN/Qatar etc... should see you get the points in your Qantas FF account. I presume so, just wondering if I am correct.

You do NOT earn status or points on reward flights booked as the 140/280/560k rewards