Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Warren Mason]

Know what you mean. Just when you think you have it worked out the points required skyrocket or availabliavain J is non existent. Planning the trip is half the fun but there is a fair bit of frustration included.

We had to go QR FRA to NRT, QF HND to SYD to MEL. Tried many other different ways, HKG, SIN, BKK, TYO then PER, ADL, BNE to MEL but the last leg was never going to be business. When something did become available, I phoned to book but the CSR found a more direct flight instead of backtracking. Always call and see if the CSR can find better than what you have in mind.

 

[Rajith Bandara]

Thanks for the info. About 2 weeks till we start our first booking and the information from everyone has been a great help. I think I have the forward flights sorted but getting home is going to be harder than I originally thought. Any one have ideas on the best way to get home from Milan without going via London?

Try BGY-DOH-HKG-ADL Or VCE-DOH-HKG-ADL in QR and CX, maybe even VCE-DOH-CMB-MEL in QR and UL. I'm doing VCE-DOH-CMB-HKG-ADL in QR and CX in end of next year, all in J

 

[Rajith Bandara]

Compiling a OneWorld Award and can't decide on my first leg from Sydney to Madrid. Options:
BA First SYD-SIN-LHR-MAD on B777 then A380 then A320 or
QR Business SYD-DOH-MAD on B777 both sectors.
Sector count is not an issue and I'm happy to stop over in more places. I was wondering about service and experience...

Even though both BA and QR charging significant taxes (BA>QR), I would rather go with QR given their superior hard(Qsuite) and soft product in J and reasonable award availability. Unless you are trying to catch BA1/BA2 I would completely avoid BA in Oneworld RTW. Not to mention BA's coughbersome seat reservation fees

 

[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.

Just an update on our itinerary. A friend is also booking to/from Europe around the same time and told me yesterday that QF had opened up some J availability ex SIN. So I jumped online and changed the somewhat ridiculous 22 hour SIN-HKG-PER (CX) -BNE (QF) for QF38 to MEL and then home to BNE. Similar ++ costs (the agent waived the $1.38 fare difference for the 2 of us!). But it looks like only 2 x U class seats per flight, as the option disappeared after I was locked in.

For others looking around the same dates (September/October), there may be QF options available now where previously there were none.

 

[ellen10]

Thanks for the heads up.
We hope to fly home on the 23rd Oct from Singapore, nothing available as yet. Only a Jetstar flight on thursday 24th, which has been sitting there for some time now. Its a night time flight so not keen on a Jetstar flight to finish our trip.

 

[Warren Mason]

Try BGY-DOH-HKG-ADL Or VCE-DOH-HKG-ADL in QR and CX, maybe even VCE-DOH-CMB-MEL in QR and UL. I'm doing VCE-DOH-CMB-HKG-ADL in QR and CX in end of next year, all in J

Great tips and thanks. I didn't even know the area existed. Looks like somewhere worth spending a few days especially if it helps getting home. I was looking at going that way and home to Sydney via Adelaide.

 

[cjd600]

Thanks for the heads up.
We hope to fly home on the 23rd Oct from Singapore, nothing available as yet. Only a Jetstar flight on thursday 24th, which has been sitting there for some time now. Its a night time flight so not keen on a Jetstar flight to finish our trip.

Can’t fly JQ as part of the 280k anyway....

 

[ellen10]

Can’t fly JQ as part of the 280k anyway....

Oh ok thanks I didn't know that. But I also don't want to fly with them anyway.

 

[cjd600]

Oh ok thanks I didn't know that. But I also don't want to fly with them anyway.

couldn't agree more!
A few more weeks for the QF releases for NB....

 

[Rajith Bandara]

Great tips and thanks. I didn't even know the area existed. Looks like somewhere worth spending a few days especially if it helps getting home. I was looking at going that way and home to Sydney via Adelaide.

No problem, happy to help

 

[Warren Mason]

Frustrating when you try out a few plan in test bookings and the closer you get to the day when you can actually book, the flights with available J start to disappear!

 

[cjd600]

Frustrating when you try out a few plan in test bookings and the closer you get to the day when you can actually book, the flights with available J start to disappear!

Sounds familiar....

 

[rock86]

Sounds familiar....

CX flights to/from Aus by chance? (I'm having the same problem)

 

[cjd600]

CX flights to/from Aus by chance? (I'm having the same problem)

No, I’ve actually managed 4J on CX in (From LAX) and out of Aus (to CDG). Very lucky.
Was AA from LHR (connection From Europe) -JFK that used to be plentiful.
Now stuck on BA

 

[rock86]

No, I’ve actually managed 4J on CX in (From LAX) and out of Aus (to CDG). Very lucky.
Was AA from LHR (connection From Europe) -JFK that used to be plentiful.
Now stuck on BA

I'm looking (and have been daily) for CX flight back from the USA. I got some from SYD-SFO, but every day I've been looking at getting back from JFK-AUS, nothing. And it is all the HKG-AUS flights as if you look at JFK-SIN there are plenty of CX seats showing each day.

 

[Warren Mason]

CX flights to/from Aus by chance? (I'm having the same problem)

Yep out of Aus. I may need to fly to another state and pick up a flight. I will get there

 

[Guvner]

Yep out of Aus. I may need to fly to another state and pick up a flight. I will get there

That's the AFF spirit!

 

[cjd600]

I'm looking (and have been daily) for CX flight back from the USA. I got some from SYD-SFO, but every day I've been looking at getting back from JFK-AUS, nothing. And it is all the HKG-AUS flights as if you look at JFK-SIN there are plenty of CX seats showing each day.

I'm in SYD, had to go out via BNE-HKG, and back in via HKG-ADL.
You searching by each AUS city separately? As the QF dom connections aren't released when the CX are, so they wont show up until 353

 

[ellen10]

Well I have been watching QF availability home from Singapore in October 2019. Finally some flights popped up so I rang Qantas, 30 mins on hold but then was told that the availability I could see would only be for new bookings. My original routing is CX SIN-HKG, HKG-SYD. And I cannot change the CX flights to the QF flights.
Has anyone heard of this before?

 

[rock86]

Well I have been watching QF availability home from Singapore in October 2019. Finally some flights popped up so I rang Qantas, 30 mins on hold but then was told that the availability I could see would only be for new bookings. My original routing is CX SIN-HKG, HKG-SYD. And I cannot change the CX flights to the QF flights.
Has anyone heard of this before?

Are you stopping over in SIN? If so, can't see what the issue is.