Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[motef]

I think that after literal years of following this thread, I have finally got my itinerary booked, though as posted here I'm still waiting for an e-ticket after booking last night and entering APIS info. Is this usual?

Whats your itinerary?

 

[adenda]

After also accumulating for years we've bitten the bullet and booked the following business class itinerary for May/June next year:

MEL-ADL-DOH-ZRH (14.5 hours in Q Suites!)
ZRH-MAD-LIM
LIM-MIA (Surface for now - waiting for AA to release seats)
MIA-LHR-BCN
BCN-DOH-KUL
KUL-MEL




After making some availability enquiries via phone ended up making the booking via SMS - which was straightforward but very slow. It's seemed quite likely that the agent I conversed with was carrying on simultaneous conversations with other customers - which is probably the most efficient way to get through several calls. The main advantage of the SMS system is that the wait time to make initial contact is only a few minutes vs. 3 hours as once quoted by the voice response system.
Anyway did lots of availability checks (mostly using BA website) before calling so already knew all sectors (except LIM-MIA) were available. Found I couldn't check availabilty on several sectors using the QF website until I worked out I need to use the multi-sector option with the sector of interest buried in the middle of the multi-sector query. Otherwise one-way searches wouldn't recognise most origins and destinations.

So very relieved to have it all booked and ticketed - e-ticket arrived within an hour or two. Had some fun with seat selection with QF website unable to do it for some other carriers. Two flights are with Iberai and whilst I could seemingly make selections for those flights they wouldn't stick reverting to the random selection already provided. I eventually got them all secured (except BA legs as they cost money) using the Finnair Manage Your Booking site.

Now just hoping I don't get any emails about cancelled/changed flights between now and next year!

 

[ellen10]

Well done @adenda looks like a great itinerary! I bet you feel very relieved.
I have an Iberia flight and I have not been able to select seats. You mentioned The Finnair site, did you have any flights with them?

 

[adenda]

No - just went to Finnair website clicked Manage entered family name (as they call it) and 6 character booking reference and Voila! - entire itinerary is presented in a very clear format. There is a Select your Seat button that will allow you to perform seat selection on SOME of your flights - if using several airlines. Fortunately it allowed seat selection on Iberia that stays put - or has so far (couple of weeks)

 

[flyingchicken]

Hey guys,

I have a fair chunk of my flights booked (just waiting on AA to open up for my dates).

Can someone just confirm for me - If I can see availability for a flight on AA website, but not on QF site (due to Bronze status) are they going to tell me they can't see these flights when I ring up to book? Has anyone had a similar conversation whilst booking? I'm looking for any kind of QF or AA business direct from US to SYD. I've got flexibility for where I leave from (LAX/DFW/JFK). I can see clear J availability for LAX-SYD on the 29th June. Hypothetically if I were to ring up and ask for that flight - what does the group think the response would be from Qantas staff?

I didn't think about how my Bronze status would affect my ability to get back to aus until now.

The puzzle continues. Thank you for your continued help!

 

[flapper]

Hey guys,

I have a fair chunk of my flights booked (just waiting on AA to open up for my dates).

Can someone just confirm for me - If I can see availability for a flight on AA website, but not on QF site (due to Bronze status) are they going to tell me they can't see these flights when I ring up to book? Has anyone had a similar conversation whilst booking? I'm looking for any kind of QF or AA business direct from US to SYD. I've got flexibility for where I leave from (LAX/DFW/JFK). I can see clear J availability for LAX-SYD on the 29th June. Hypothetically if I were to ring up and ask for that flight - what does the group think the response would be from Qantas staff?

I didn't think about how my Bronze status would affect my ability to get back to aus until now.

The puzzle continues. Thank you for your continued help!

I've had the same thing happen with IB flights showing on BA website and not QF. There is no harm in calling or SMSing and asking. I even had luck on an IB flight that wasn't showing on BA. They can only say no.

 

[ellen10]

No - just went to Finnair website clicked Manage entered family name (as they call it) and 6 character booking reference and Voila! - entire itinerary is presented in a very clear format. There is a Select your Seat button that will allow you to perform seat selection on SOME of your flights - if using several airlines. Fortunately it allowed seat selection on Iberia that stays put - or has so far (couple of weeks)

@adenda I logged in to the Finnair site. But when I select the "seat selection" button it goes now where, I've tried it several times but doesn't work unfortunately. I guess we will have to wait until flights.

 

[flapper]

@adenda I logged in to the Finnair site. But when I select the "seat selection" button it goes now where, I've tried it several times but doesn't work unfortunately. I guess we will have to wait until flights.

I tried the AY website too. I could only get seat selection on my longhaul AY flight and not the shorthaul one. I could not select seats on any other airline including IB and QR.
My AY flight is to the US on an A330. Has anyone flown on this aircraft? I am travelling alone. Is it better to have a "throne seat" or a single seat on the other side. I know you get all the extra storage with a throne seat but some reviews say the footwell is smaller on the throne seats as it is squeezed between the two seats in front and can be a tight fit. Any opinions appreciated.

 

[exceladdict]

They tell you the e-ticket will issue within 24 hours. Sometimes it takes minutes, sometimes an hour or two and other times a day or two. If you are concerned call/SMS when the 24 hours is up.

Almost 24 hours to the minute, I received an email "Confirmation and E-Ticket", though there's no e-ticket number anywhere in the PDF. However, on the JAL site it now says 'ticketed' against the itinerary; the 'resend tax invoice' button now works on QF MMB, and the e-ticket number appears on MH manage my booking.

Whats your itinerary?

I'm very excited about this. Skip this next bit if you want to be surprised when I write the Trip Review(s)

2x J seats for all except the domestic Japan and SIN-KUL route.
First Chunk:
MNL-NRT/HND-KIX(JL)| HND-HKG-PER (CX)
Second Chunk:
PER-SIN-KUL-NRT (QF/MH)| NRT-SEA (JL)| SFO-MEL-PER (QF)

Excited to be flying JL J for the first time, and to try long haul QF J for the first time as well.

Taxes approx $600pp thanks to the MNL point of origin. Interestingly I was originally looking at QF options to the US, which was pricing probably $150pp lower in total than going via Asia, but this is where I encountered all the phantom availability (eg SYD/BNE/SFO showing but not BNE/SFO; and it errors out before reaching credit card payment page). This was the most frustrating part of the whole experience.

All of the above to show that even as a lowly NB, it's still possible to get 2x in J in busy periods if you're willing to invest the hours in researching and booking it.

 

[flapper]

Today I used the call back to make a change to my OWA and the operator wanted to charge a 4,000 pts "administration fee"on top of the 5,000 change fee. I thought she meant the 8,000 pts service fee they always try to incorrectly charge on my J booking. She said no this is different. I asked why I had never been charged it before and she said they probably waived it. So she said she would waive it too. Has anyone else had this 4,000 pts "administration fee" and knows what it is for? It was the SA call centre but she made the changes without much fuss and knew about the OWA. A first for me with the SA call centre.
I used the call back as I had the SMS and call back on the go. Luckily call back was only 2 hours. The SMS took 5 hours, yes 5 hours to respond after yesterday taking 5 mins.
The ticket resissued after a few minutes but the extra points haven't come out yet.

 

[rmcmahon]

Is anybody else having issues adding legs with partner airlines that are more than 353 days in the future?

I’ve now had 2 customer service representatives tell me that it’s not possible (even though the JAL seats are available, and I added legs in this manner earlier in the booking process). When it was just one I thought it was a case of a misinformed rep. Now I’m hoping there’s nothing more to it!

 

[flapper]

Is anybody else having issues adding legs with partner airlines that are more than 353 days in the future?

I’ve now had 2 customer service representatives tell me that it’s not possible (even though the JAL seats are available, and I added legs in this manner earlier in the booking process). When it was just one I thought it was a case of a misinformed rep. Now I’m hoping there’s nothing more to it!

I bet it was the SA call centre. I’ve had them tell me that too. It’s wrong, wrong, wrong. Try SMS service they are generally more knowledgeable or ask to be put through to the premium call centre. Last time I tried that though they claimed it wasn’t open at that time.

 

[rmcmahon]

I bet it was the SA call centre. I’ve had them tell me that too. It wrong, wrong, wrong. Try SMS service they are generally more knowledgeable or ask to be put through to the premium call centre. Last time I tried that though they claimed it wasn’t open at that time.

They’ve now agreed to put it through as a ‘one-time courtesy’. So clearly they can see that it’s possible...

Sadly this is the SMS line - if only you could add legs online!!!

 

[flyingchicken]

They’ve now agreed to put it through as a ‘one-time courtesy’. So clearly they can see that it’s possible...

Sadly this is the SMS line - if only you could add legs online!!!

I get why they make it hard, but I still wish that changes were able to be made via the online method. I like to be in control of my own bookings

 

[flyingchicken]

Quick question to follow up from my previous post:

Do I need to look for MileSAAver J availability only on AA flights, because I can see a bunch of AAnytime availability but little to no MileSAAver availability? I've done a heap of searching but haven't found anything that is clear. Are AAnytime award seats a no-go for OWA?

 

[Kangol]

Are AAnytime award seats a no-go for OWA?

Correct. They book into the full revenue fare bucket, not the classic award fare bucket.
You are best off searching on the QFF site. It is possible but unlikely that a phone agent can see availability that you cannot see online. I would not count on it though.

 

[knightfall88]

Hi guys, I'm new to this but have been lurking and studying for a while.

I've started booking some initial legs of a multi-city trip.

Is the process to continue to keep an eye out for the next legs as they are released and then book them separately. Then give Qantas a call to get them to merge all the legs together into one itinerary? And then once I've finished booking my itinerary and Qantas merges the legs one final time, it should total 280k/315k whereby all the points I've spent in excess booking individual legs will get refunded?

Also acknowledging I will get charged 5k every time I have the itineraries merged?

Thanks guys.

 

[fastferret]

Hi guys, I'm new to this but have been lurking and studying for a while.

I've started booking some initial legs of a multi-city trip.

Is the process to continue to keep an eye out for the next legs as they are released and then book them separately. Then give Qantas a call to get them to merge all the legs together into one itinerary? And then once I've finished booking my itinerary and Qantas merges the legs one final time, it should total 280k/315k whereby all the points I've spent in excess booking individual legs will get refunded?

Also acknowledging I will get charged 5k every time I have the itineraries merged?

Thanks guys.

No, no, no. Separate bookings can't be merged.

Each time you want to add to your original booking you must contact Qantas and ask to make a change to your booking. As you make the changes the points will max out at 280k, provided you keep within the One world classic rewards rules.

 

[11sjw]

Hi guys, I'm new to this but have been lurking and studying for a while.

I've started booking some initial legs of a multi-city trip.

Is the process to continue to keep an eye out for the next legs as they are released and then book them separately. Then give Qantas a call to get them to merge all the legs together into one itinerary? And then once I've finished booking my itinerary and Qantas merges the legs one final time, it should total 280k/315k whereby all the points I've spent in excess booking individual legs will get refunded?

Also acknowledging I will get charged 5k every time I have the itineraries merged?

Thanks guys.

To add to the above, points will max out at the 280k/318k but you pay 5k per itinerary alteration.

Once you've booked your first leg (s) you have a booking reference "number" (6 digit letter/number combo, say "ABC123") any further bookings (eg legs 2, 3, 4 or 5) you ring and ask for the booking ABC123 to be altered as per the extra flights.

This process will take a few calls most likely so carry 20k extra points!

 

[Battymum]

Can someone please clarify if I start my OWA overseas, do i have to include the mileage to return to the point of origin in my itinerary?