"oneworld" award (132.4K/249.6K/318K/455K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

[Aus ATC]

So - I was most of the way through booking our 280k OWA. Flights out of Europe, either to Asia, or all the way home have been quite limited in early October, so we had locked in Qatar through to Singapore. Little to no improvement in that situation in the couple of weeks since making that booking, so now I turn my mind to getting home to BNE from SIN. Absolutely no J or PE availability on QF - a couple of F seats on QF36 popped up today for 6th October, but not looking for the 420k OWA.

I can get Y seats on QF52 SIN-BNE most days (but who wants to finish a J OWA in Y?). So I call QFF and the delightful Gus is most helpful (not withstanding providing an almost convincing spin on the lack of J availability and the nature of fuel fines...). So he found us J class SIN-HKG-PER with CX connecting to PER-BNE (QF). Slightly longer than the direct SIN-BNE (22hrs vs 8), but J all the way. I have taken this routing almost as a matter of principle, but having said that, will burn another 2 x 5000 points change fee if a better J option opens up.

So our final itinerary now is:

Depart 22nd August 2019.
BNE-HKG (QF) -LHR (BA). Stopover.
LGW-GOA (BA). Stopover. Cinqueterre, Florence, Cruise ex Venice.
VCE-MAD-GVA (IB). Stopover. Independent travel around France.
CDG-DOH-SIN(QR). Stopover.
SIN-HKG-PER (CX) -BNE (QF). Home 6th October.

10 flights, 5 airlines, 4 stopovers, 2 passengers, 2 itinerary changes, 600k points, $3156.00 taxes and charges.

I do find it annoying that Qantas will not provide a breakdown of the taxes and charges. We were stung pretty hard ($1700ish) for IB and QR legs and I would like to see the breakdown there but they will not make it available - the other legs were not too bad (in the scheme of things these days).

 

[mrsterryn]

Have to say getting rather excited to start planning a points trips. So many things to be aware of.
This is a great resource

 

[ellen10]

So - I was most of the way through booking our 280k OWA. Flights out of Europe, either to Asia, or all the way home have been quite limited in early October, so we had locked in Qatar through to Singapore. Little to no improvement in that situation in the couple of weeks since making that booking, so now I turn my mind to getting home to BNE from SIN. Absolutely no J or PE availability on QF - a couple of F seats on QF36 popped up today for 6th October, but not looking for the 420k OWA.

I can get Y seats on QF52 SIN-BNE most days (but who wants to finish a J OWA in Y?). So I call QFF and the delightful Gus is most helpful (not withstanding providing an almost convincing spin on the lack of J availability and the nature of fuel fines...). So he found us J class SIN-HKG-PER with CX connecting to PER-BNE (QF). Slightly longer than the direct SIN-BNE (22hrs vs 8), but J all the way. I have taken this routing almost as a matter of principle, but having said that, will burn another 2 x 5000 points change fee if a better J option opens up.

So our final itinerary now is:

Depart 22nd August 2019.
BNE-HKG (QF) -LHR (BA). Stopover.
LGW-GOA (BA). Stopover. Cinqueterre, Florence, Cruise ex Venice.
VCE-MAD-GVA (IB). Stopover. Independent travel around France.
CDG-DOH-SIN(QR). Stopover.
SIN-HKG-PER (CX) -BNE (QF). Home 6th October.

10 flights, 5 airlines, 4 stopovers, 2 passengers, 2 itinerary changes, 600k points, $3156.00 taxes and charges.

I do find it annoying that Qantas will not provide a breakdown of the taxes and charges. We were stung pretty hard ($1700ish) for IB and QR legs and I would like to see the breakdown there but they will not make it available - the other legs were not too bad (in the scheme of things these days).

Well done I have been watching you booking experience with interest. I am yet to book my final legs as (it will be in about one weeks time. I am hopeful that I may achieve the planned results. I am quite sure it won't be my first choice but maybe with some creative routing and a helpful operator.
Well done!

 

[Aus ATC]

I am yet to book my final legs as (it will be in about one weeks time. I am hopeful that I may achieve the planned results. I am quite sure it won't be my first choice but maybe with some creative routing and a helpful operator.

Good luck ellen10. Maybe being later in October you may see better availability. I think I am in the middle of school holidays for my return.

 

[ellen10]

Good luck ellen10. Maybe being later in October you may see better availability. I think I am in the middle of school holidays for my return.

Fingers crossed!!

 

[ellen10]

A question for the wise.
If I book a multi flight from Barcelona to Doha (QR) and it arrives at 4pm. And then the next flight departs the next day from Doha to Hong Kong (QR) at 7.55am and then a through flight on CX to Sydney, is this permitted or does it have to be a stop over of more than 24 hours?

 

[cjd600]

A question for the wise.
If I book a multi flight from Barcelona to Doha (QR) and it arrives at 4pm. And then the next flight departs the next day from Doha to Hong Kong (QR) at 7.55am and then a through flight on CX to Sydney, is this permitted or does it have to be a stop over of more than 24 hours?

QR to QR you'll need availability searching BCN-HKG, otherwise you need the +24hr stopover to connect the segments

 

[ellen10]

QR to QR you'll need availability searching BCN-HKG, otherwise you need the +24hr stopover to connect the segments

Ok thanks for the advice. When I search BCN-HKG I can't get anything for the dates, but when I break it up there are flights but with a less than 24h stopover. Maybe a 2 night stopover in Doha may be in the plans.
I'm almost tempted to be like @Aus ATC and book halfway home and try to add the final leg later.

 

[cjd600]

Yeah, its a tough one....I'm debating keeping a stopover up my sleeve in case in I need it for that final leg home vs book half way home and hope for the rest later.
The rollercoaster of locking in a 280k award!

 

[Aus ATC]

I could not get CDG-HKG on the dates I was interested in, but could get either CDG-BKK or CDG-SIN (which I chose). I didn't really mind where in Asia I stopped on the way back.

 

[jetpack]

I do find it annoying that Qantas will not provide a breakdown of the taxes and charges. We were stung pretty hard ($1700ish) for IB and QR legs and I would like to see the breakdown there but they will not make it available - the other legs were not too bad (in the scheme of things these days).

If you're interested, your two IB sectors cost you $189 in taxes per person. I expect that the short 75 minute Easyjet direct flight from VCE to GVA would cost less than that.

 

[Aus ATC]

If you're interested, your two IB sectors cost you $189 in taxes per person. I expect that the short 75 minute Easyjet direct flight from VCE to GVA would cost less than that.

Sounds high - when I was researching (just looking at one-way VCE-GVA via the QF search function) the ++ was coming in at around EUR113 for the IB flights and around EUR90 for BA - these figures for 2 adults in J.

 

[11sjw]

Just out of interest for those who have recently booked OWJ awards. Roughly how much are you having to spend in QF surcharges? Are there any solid strategies to minimising these (eg I assume avoiding Heathrow is a good one)? Is trial/dummy bookings the best way to go to estimate what you're up for?

Points balance nudging the 1M mark so I'm looking at options!

 

[yld200]

Just out of interest for those who have recently booked OWJ awards. Roughly how much are you having to spend in QF surcharges? Are there any solid strategies to minimising these (eg I assume avoiding Heathrow is a good one)? Is trial/dummy bookings the best way to go to estimate what you're up for?

Points balance nudging the 1M mark so I'm looking at options!

The wiki at at top of this thread is a good resource to get an indication of taxes for certain airlines / routes.

Avoiding Heathrow is a good one, or if use LHR as a transit to connect to your desired flight from another city will reduce taxes. For example last year I wanted to travel LHR > JFK on AA and ended up being a bit flexible in my arrangements to position myself in Rome to fly FCO>LHR>JFK and saved a few hundred in taxes.

 

[jetpack]

Sounds high - when I was researching (just looking at one-way VCE-GVA via the QF search function) the ++ was coming in at around EUR113 for the IB flights and around EUR90 for BA - these figures for 2 adults in J.

I recreated your itinerary sector by sector, same airlines, and this is what the system quoted me, which by the looks of it matches what you had paid

BNE-HKG $188
HKG-LHR +$208
LGW-GOA +$120
VCE-MAD-GVA +$189
CDG-DOH-SIN +$683
SIN-HKG-PER +$152
PER-BNE +$38
Total $1,578 (1 person)

 

[Aus ATC]

I recreated your itinerary sector by sector, same airlines, and this is what the system quoted me, which by the looks of it matches what you had paid

jetpack - Thanks - interesting. Maybe you can help clarify further. It seems that the carrier surcharges applied in the OWA are different from when a quote is obtained via a "one way" redemption query on the Qantas website. The above IB flights being an example - you indicate $189, the one way VCE-MAD-GVA quotes at around EUR 56 (say $95) per person. The QR legs were quoting at around EUR 300-320 (say $500) each vs the $683 - I can't remember exactly, and can't search anymore as I don't have enough points left .

The YQ for the QR legs quotes at EUR 190 each, but I appear to have paid quite a lot more than that.....

Would it be fair to say the surcharges on the OWA are greater than the constituent flights - maybe "offsetting" the comparative points discount vs booking individual segments with points??

 

[cjd600]

jetpack - Thanks - interesting. Maybe you can help clarify further. It seems that the carrier surcharges applied in the OWA are different from when a quote is obtained via a "one way" redemption query on the Qantas website. The above IB flights being an example - you indicate $189, the one way VCE-MAD-GVA quotes at around EUR 56 (say $95) per person. The QR legs were quoting at around EUR 300-320 (say $500) each vs the $683 - I can't remember exactly, and can't search anymore as I don't have enough points left .

The YQ for the QR legs quotes at EUR 190 each, but I appear to have paid quite a lot more than that.....

Would it be fair to say the surcharges on the OWA are greater than the constituent flights - maybe "offsetting" the comparative points discount vs booking individual segments with points??

I'm not sure if you can just 'cobble together' individual segments to get an accurate overall ++ figure?
As the point of origin of the fare will have varying impacts on the subsequent surcharges?
So needs to be viewed in totality rather than piece by piece?

 

[rock86]

jetpack - Thanks - interesting. Maybe you can help clarify further. It seems that the carrier surcharges applied in the OWA are different from when a quote is obtained via a "one way" redemption query on the Qantas website. The above IB flights being an example - you indicate $189, the one way VCE-MAD-GVA quotes at around EUR 56 (say $95) per person. The QR legs were quoting at around EUR 300-320 (say $500) each vs the $683 - I can't remember exactly, and can't search anymore as I don't have enough points left .

The YQ for the QR legs quotes at EUR 190 each, but I appear to have paid quite a lot more than that.....

Would it be fair to say the surcharges on the OWA are greater than the constituent flights - maybe "offsetting" the comparative points discount vs booking individual segments with points??

If you are on a QSuite aircraft (considering your routes you may be), you also get slugged an additional redemption fee per sector for the 'privilege' of flying their great (by all reports) new product.

 

[Aus ATC]

I'm not sure if you can just 'cobble together' individual segments to get an accurate overall ++ figure?
As the point of origin of the fare will have varying impacts on the subsequent surcharges?
So needs to be viewed in totality rather than piece by piece?

Fair enough - but makes it difficult to be an informed customer. Maybe that is the intent....

 

[cjd600]

Fair enough - but makes it difficult to be an informed customer. Maybe that is the intent....

It’s definitely difficult.
I get all sorts of unexpected results with dummy bookings...can never be sure what’s actually correct, or a QF website miscalc or otherwise...