Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[aussiel]

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.

Apologies for cherry picking the answers, but as far as Question 2 goes, the distance of the final leg to home would always be counted, so as long as you're still compliant with the other fare rules (2 OW carriers, < 35k miles and no more than 5 stops), you should never end up having to fork out more than 2x280k at any point. Also for Question 4, I can't comment on TLL specifically, but have managed to get QF on the phone to book an award flight to a OW destination that wasn't showing in the multi city.

 

[cjd600]

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

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

Correct....(but First is 'only' 420k)

 

[fairbasa]

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

Apologies for cherry picking the answers, but as far as Question 2 goes, the distance of the final leg to home would always be counted, so as long as you're still compliant with the other fare rules (2 OW carriers, < 35k miles and no more than 5 stops), you should never end up having to fork out more than 2x280k at any point. Also for Question 4, I can't comment on TLL specifically, but have managed to get QF on the phone to book an award flight to a OW destination that wasn't showing in the multi city.

Thanks for the reply. With regards to Question 2, for some reason I thought the award had to start and terminate in the same location before the award was "validated"?

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

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

Thanks for the reply. With regards to Question 2, for some reason I thought the award had to start and terminate in the same location before the award was "validated"?

2 carriers other than QF is the only validation AFAIK, and to exceed the points threshold. Various rules about doubling back etc and mileage restrictions apply as others have indicated ad nauseum.

 

[Ultan Lankford]

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

2 carriers other than QF is the only validation AFAIK, and to exceed the points threshold. Various rules about doubling back etc and mileage restrictions apply as others have indicated ad nauseum.

Afaik, you have to have finish the fare back in your first country/city of departure.

 

[aussiel]

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

Afaik, you have to have finish the fare back in your first country/city of departure.

14.5.3 A one way oneworld Classic Flight Reward Itinerary will be charged as a return Itinerary. oneworld Classic Flight Reward Itineraries finishing in a port other than the port of origin must include the distance to return directly to the port of origin when calculating the number of Points required to redeem the Flight Reward and the maximum distance for the Itinerary.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

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

14.5.3 A one way oneworld Classic Flight Reward Itinerary will be charged as a return Itinerary. oneworld Classic Flight Reward Itineraries finishing in a port other than the port of origin must include the distance to return directly to the port of origin when calculating the number of Points required to redeem the Flight Reward and the maximum distance for the Itinerary.

Exactly, you don't actually have to travel back to the point of origin, but the mileage is included in the count.

 

[hutch]

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

Exactly, you don't actually have to travel back to the point of origin, but the mileage is included in the count.

Quite correct.

And the booking will automatically default to an oneworld award, once the booking involves 2 non QF OW carriers and the total points cost of the booking exceeds the applicable points cap (140/280/420). Once you reach that cap, you can book further flights for only taxes.

 

[fairbasa]

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

Awesome, thanks for the clarification guys. Makes it a lot easier knowing I don't have to worry about having spare points until the itinerary is complete.

 

[Boca68]

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

Hello,
just constructing a 280k award for next year. Currently doing trial and error dummy runs and all is slowly becoming clear with the help of advice on this thread.

But, a small problem has appeared and can't seem to find a work around. Basically to with intra-South American flights. My plan at the moment stands as MEL-DOH-IST-MAD-MIA-LIM-SCL-AKL-MEL. Stops to be played around with.

Everything is going well, but for the life of me cannot find how to search LIM-SCL? On QF, I can search SCL-LIM, but not LIM-SCL. LIM appears on QF as an award destination, but not as an award departure point, LATAM website is via miles, so basically every flight is available, no award visibility, that I can see. AA is fine either MIA-LIM or MIA-SCL. Just can't find it.

I get the feeling its staring me in the face, had search on here and read back 25+ pages. Any one had experience with this before and can advise.

Thanks in advance.

 

[travelislife]

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

Hello,
just constructing a 280k award for next year. Currently doing trial and error dummy runs and all is slowly becoming clear with the help of advice on this thread.

But, a small problem has appeared and can't seem to find a work around. Basically to with intra-South American flights. My plan at the moment stands as MEL-DOH-IST-MAD-MIA-LIM-SCL-AKL-MEL. Stops to be played around with.

Everything is going well, but for the life of me cannot find how to search LIM-SCL? On QF, I can search SCL-LIM, but not LIM-SCL. LIM appears on QF as an award destination, but not as an award departure point, LATAM website is via miles, so basically every flight is available, no award visibility, that I can see. AA is fine either MIA-LIM or MIA-SCL. Just can't find it.

I get the feeling its staring me in the face, had search on here and read back 25+ pages. Any one had experience with this before and can advise.

Thanks in advance.

The BA tool is usually best. Recognises majority of airport codes.

 

[aussiel]

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

Hello,
just constructing a 280k award for next year. Currently doing trial and error dummy runs and all is slowly becoming clear with the help of advice on this thread.

But, a small problem has appeared and can't seem to find a work around. Basically to with intra-South American flights. My plan at the moment stands as MEL-DOH-IST-MAD-MIA-LIM-SCL-AKL-MEL. Stops to be played around with.

Everything is going well, but for the life of me cannot find how to search LIM-SCL? On QF, I can search SCL-LIM, but not LIM-SCL. LIM appears on QF as an award destination, but not as an award departure point, LATAM website is via miles, so basically every flight is available, no award visibility, that I can see. AA is fine either MIA-LIM or MIA-SCL. Just can't find it.

I get the feeling its staring me in the face, had search on here and read back 25+ pages. Any one had experience with this before and can advise.

Thanks in advance.

I also had issues with LIM sometimes appearing as a destination. By memory, I struggled to have it appear as a one way trip, but when combined with the incoming leg (JFK-LIM for me), I was then able to also search LIM-SCL.

Edit: Confirmed that I can do MIA-LIM, LIM-SCL as a multi-city.

 

[cjd600]

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

Hello,
just constructing a 280k award for next year. Currently doing trial and error dummy runs and all is slowly becoming clear with the help of advice on this thread.

But, a small problem has appeared and can't seem to find a work around. Basically to with intra-South American flights. My plan at the moment stands as MEL-DOH-IST-MAD-MIA-LIM-SCL-AKL-MEL. Stops to be played around with.

Everything is going well, but for the life of me cannot find how to search LIM-SCL? On QF, I can search SCL-LIM, but not LIM-SCL. LIM appears on QF as an award destination, but not as an award departure point, LATAM website is via miles, so basically every flight is available, no award visibility, that I can see. AA is fine either MIA-LIM or MIA-SCL. Just can't find it.

I get the feeling its staring me in the face, had search on here and read back 25+ pages. Any one had experience with this before and can advise.

Thanks in advance.

As aussiel says, don't just search the one-way.

I search MIA-LIM into LIM-SCL as a multi-city and flights come up no problem....

 

[Ultan Lankford]

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

Once you have your flights booked and ticketed, can you go ahead and choose your seat for non qantas metal?
E.g. LAN,Qatar,BA and IB ?

 

[zdb97]

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

Once you have your flights booked and ticketed, can you go ahead and choose your seat for non qantas metal?
E.g. LAN,Qatar,BA and IB ?

I can choose seat with CX on Cathay Pacific website.

 

[Jacques Vert]

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

Once you have your flights booked and ticketed, can you go ahead and choose your seat for non qantas metal?
E.g. LAN,Qatar,BA and IB ?

IME, some you can, some you can't.

 

[Daver6]

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

Once you have your flights booked and ticketed, can you go ahead and choose your seat for non qantas metal?
E.g. LAN,Qatar,BA and IB ?

I've had varying success with this. Previously I could select most airlines using the QR site. This time around I couldn't even select QR flights. In the end I just did the research on preferred seats and called QF. They were helpful and got the seats I wanted. Even could pre-select BA seats which I believe is something one normally has to pay for?

 

[aussiel]

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

Once you have your flights booked and ticketed, can you go ahead and choose your seat for non qantas metal?
E.g. LAN,Qatar,BA and IB ?

Yes! You may have to get the differing PNRs from either the Qantas MMB, over the phone, or plugging the QF PNR into checkmytrip.com. Then you can go to each carrier and select your seats. (BA usually charge for non OWE flyers).

 

[Ultan Lankford]

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

thanks vetrade- the other challenge I'm having with seat selection is its saying (esp on QR website) that my QF# is in there twice - once for me and once for my wife. The message is "the same frequent flier number has been entered more than once. Please validate your entries and try again". I think because I've used my points to pay for her flights, my number is coming up in her booking, as well as mine.

Has as anyone else experienced this and found a way to overcome it?

This has happened to me as well. I think its the way the flights are ticketed from Qantas. I did go into the QR website and change the FF number to the correct one but the ticket still has the old one. I guess ringing Qantas will sort it out.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

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

This has happened to me as well. I think its the way the flights are ticketed from Qantas. I did go into the QR website and change the FF number to the correct one but the ticket still has the old one. I guess ringing Qantas will sort it out.

Ringing QF does nothing. You need to ring QR to make a seat selection IME.

I also have an 16 hour layover in DOH on a FCO-DOH-SYD in J and was surprised to find it is not eligible for their transit accommodation deal as its a reward booking. We've had to book a hotel in town at our cost and will incur Visa fees etc., but at least we'll get a quick look around Doha city I suppose.