Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[pottsy]

I’ve tried to get an answer on this by email from [email protected]. However, they have fobbed me of, suggesting that I " … send us a Text to 0477 726 827, call us on 13 13 13 or visit www.qantas.com to be connected to our Webchat team …"

As I'm after something in print, rather than verbal, this will mean text or webchat. Whereas over the past few weeks when looking for award availability on-line, I found the webchat pop-up to be quite annoying, but now it never shows up, just when I need it.

Not sure how the text feature works in reality but may have to try that.

GOOD LUCK, be nice to have an answer in writing, either way. Then we 'all' know where we stand.

Nobody knows for sure. As you've quoted above, people have got mixed feedback from Qantas operators, with nobody getting a confirmation in writing.

The reason most think the default answer is that prices will change (read: jump to 318k) is because when changes are made to a booking that has not commenced (being flown), any alterations that cause repricing in points or fees will be charged accordingly.

I personally need to add a JAL domestic flight to an existing itinerary. If I'm told it will result in a jump to 318k I'll leave my itinerary as is and pay cash, to save the 38k points (x2).

Thanks for that insight, unfortunately you are no doubt correct....

 

[DC3]

… people have got mixed feedback from Qantas operators, with nobody getting a confirmation in writing.

The reason most think the default answer is that prices will change (read: jump to 318k) is because when changes are made to a booking that has not commenced (being flown), any alterations that cause repricing in points or fees will be charged accordingly …

I’ve tried to get an answer on this by email from [email protected]. However, they have fobbed me of, suggesting that I " … send us a Text to 0477 726 827, call us on 13 13 13 or visit www.qantas.com to be connected to our Webchat team …"

As I'm after something in print ...

GOOD LUCK, be nice to have an answer in writing, either way. Then we 'all' know where we stand. …

So, I tried the text late this afternoon. After a bit of to-and-fro, we eventually got on track.

This is an extract:

Q: For any changes made to my existing bookings from 18th September, change fees aside, will the cost of my award be 280,000 points, or will it be re-assessed as 318,000 points, please?

A: I believe that your booking will still be honored.

Q: Thank you. So, do I take it that my Qantas OneWorld Award bookings, made for 280,000 points prior to 18th September, will not be re-assessed as 318,000 points for changes after that date. I understand that normal change fees may apply. The Qantas website seems to lack any information on this.

A: You are correct. You will only be looking at the change fee of 5000 points + any changes tax differences.

However, I'm not really convinced. Is this an opinion rather than fact? I would advise anyone who is after an answer to do webchat or text for themselves.

Edited: For content. "Q:" and "A:" added for clarity

 

[pottsy]

So, I tried the text late this afternoon. After a bit of to-and-fro, but we eventually got on track.

This is an extract:

Q: For any changes made to my existing bookings from 18th September, change fees aside, will the cost of my award be 280,000 points, or will it be re-assessed as 318,000 points, please?

A: I believe that your booking will still be honored.

Q: Thank you. So, do I take it that my Qantas OneWorld Award bookings, made for 280,000 points prior to 18th September, will not be re-assessed as 318,000 points for changes after that date. I understand that normal change fees may apply. The Qantas website seems to lack any information on this.

A: You are correct. You will only be looking at the change fee of 5000 points + any changes tax differences.

However, I'm not really convinced. Is this an opinion rather than fact? I would advise anyone who is after an answer to do webchat or

So, I tried the text late this afternoon. After a bit of to-and-fro, we eventually got on track.

This is an extract:

Q: For any changes made to my existing bookings from 18th September, change fees aside, will the cost of my award be 280,000 points, or will it be re-assessed as 318,000 points, please?

A: I believe that your booking will still be honored.

Q: Thank you. So, do I take it that my Qantas OneWorld Award bookings, made for 280,000 points prior to 18th September, will not be re-assessed as 318,000 points for changes after that date. I understand that normal change fees may apply. The Qantas website seems to lack any information on this.

A: You are correct. You will only be looking at the change fee of 5000 points + any changes tax differences.

However, I'm not really convinced. Is this an opinion rather than fact? I would advise anyone who is after an answer to do webchat or text for themselves.

Thankyou so much for passing that on, much appreciated. I shall do as you suggest............once I have been able to 'even book' my flights. ATM I am getting an error msg on QF website when attempting to book! (Have posted on AFF to ask for advice). Thanks again!

 

[Ktan89]

Hi, I am wondering the same re: increase in points! What is your view on putting in 'dummy' flights and then changing them when u wish (Nov)? Interested in your opinion?

I've called Qantas a few times and got mixed responses. It seems like the 18th Sept point increase T&C was not delivered to their staff and they are all guessing and assuming.

One staff member would say: "since you've already booked the OWA at 280k future changes will only incure a change fee as long as you stay within the rules". I feel like they only say this because this is what will happen now.

Another staff member will go on and say "when you change a flight on your itinerary, Qantas needs to reissue the ticket and if the points are different at the time, you will be charged the new points at the time". Shes going of the paid fares.. where you need to oay the difference.

Should you do a booking now... I say go for it. It's a gamble but the price to pay (5,000 change fee) is small compared to the 38,000 increase. I completed my booking with dummy flights. Will change it once my dates are available.

 

[pottsy]

I've called Qantas a few times and got mixed responses. It seems like the 18th Sept point increase T&C was not delivered to their staff and they are all guessing and assuming.

One staff member would say: "since you've already booked the OWA at 280k future changes will only incure a change fee as long as you stay within the rules". I feel like they only say this because this is what will happen now.

Another staff member will go on and say "when you change a flight on your itinerary, Qantas needs to reissue the ticket and if the points are different at the time, you will be charged the new points at the time". Shes going of the paid fares.. where you need to oay the difference.

Should you do a booking now... I say go for it. It's a gamble but the price to pay (5,000 change fee) is small compared to the 38,000 increase. I completed my booking with dummy flights. Will change it once my dates are available.

Great thanks so much for confirming my thoughts. Have been trying to book online for the last couple of hrs but keep getting an error msg & it won't let me book any flights! SO AGGRAVATING

 

[Ktan89]

Great thanks so much for confirming my thoughts. Have been trying to book online for the last couple of hrs but keep getting an error msg & it won't let me book any flights! SO AGGRAVATING

Yes the website will timeout if you select too many flights. It's better to jump on a call with Qantas to book. Good luck.

 

[pottsy]

Yes the website will timeout if you select too many flights. It's better to jump on a call with Qantas to book. Good luck.

Thanks, will ring Qantas as you suggest, fingers crossed I get someone helpful!

 

[DC3]

Thanks, will ring Qantas as you suggest, fingers crossed I get someone helpful!

Have you tried checking availability, one flight at a time, rather than 'overloading' the search tool with multiple flights? You may have a much better Call Centre experience by having available flights in front of you.

Edit: Phantom availability excepted

 

[pottsy]

Have you tried checking availability, one flight at a time, rather than 'overloading' the search tool with multiple flights? You may have a much better Call Centre experience by having available flights in front of you.

Edit: Phantom availability excepted

Thanks will try that.

Thankyou so much for passing that on, much appreciated. I shall do as you suggest............once I have been able to 'even book' my flights. ATM I am getting an error msg on QF website when attempting to book! (Have posted on AFF to ask for advice). Thanks again!

So, I tried the text late this afternoon. After a bit of to-and-fro, we eventually got on track.

This is an extract:

Q: For any changes made to my existing bookings from 18th September, change fees aside, will the cost of my award be 280,000 points, or will it be re-assessed as 318,000 points, please?

A: I believe that your booking will still be honored.

Q: Thank you. So, do I take it that my Qantas OneWorld Award bookings, made for 280,000 points prior to 18th September, will not be re-assessed as 318,000 points for changes after that date. I understand that normal change fees may apply. The Qantas website seems to lack any information on this.

A: You are correct. You will only be looking at the change fee of 5000 points + any changes tax differences.

However, I'm not really convinced. Is this an opinion rather than fact? I would advise anyone who is after an answer to do webchat or text for themselves.

Edited: For content. "Q:" and "A:" added for clarity

Further to your experience I have texted the same enquiry this evening....what a saga...… I had no luck and unwillingness to confirm anything one way or another. Final response from agent was: 'You're asking me to foretell what a future booking will cost and what the changes are. It depends what the change will be and whether it's inside or outside 280,000 points.... After that I lost the will to live

 

[Danger]

Good Evening,

I'm feeling a bit out of place, last time I booked an award ticket was more than 3 years ago, this time around QG engine is driving me crazy.
I am looking at booking 2xreturn tickets SYD-JFK in early March next year. My first option was to go via HKG but with all the unrest in the are am looking at routing via Tokyo.
I have 500k points and another 100k should come in a month or so.
I wanted to book SYD-HND-JFK-HND (SYD-HND in Y, the rest in J) but impossible to find the combination. If I split the search and look just at the HND-JFK leg it gets easier to find availability. There is even F but keeps changing daily.
Can I book HND-JFK leg first and then latercall QF to add the SYD flights later on when they become available? I don't want to lose flights while they ares still available.
I'm open to any other routing suggestion? Any advice helps.

Thank you alot!

Cheers
Maki

Yes, you can book a segment at a time and later call to add on other flights. However, be aware that married segments may be at play. For example, JL may not make a SYD to Tokyo flight available to book as a standalone flight, instead requiring that it be booked in conjunction with another flight that does not result in a stop (i.e. not stopping in Tokyo for more than 24 hours). In your situation, that means while you may be able to find a seat from Sydney to Tokyo on one search and a seat from Tokyo to New York on another search, there may well be no seats Sydney to Tokyo to New York York. The result of this is that you then must use up one of your five stops in Tokyo. Ultimately, though, book as soon as you find a flight you want. If you know you're going to be making changes and therefore incurring the change fee anyway, it's the best approach.

Hey guys, looking for some advice on a Y Class OWA trip next year from mid Aug-mid Nov (12 weeks).
This is the trip planned so far

PER-FCO
*Surface to GLA*
GLA-YVR
*Surface to LAS*
LAS-HNL
HNL-NRT
NRT-PER

I have confirmed on multi trip search that this route fits the criteria for OWA after many attempts using random dates next year.

1. Do I wait until my last flight is available and then book the full trip?
2. Does booking Y Class OWA trips mean you have a lot more availability?
3. Will I get better options booking over the phone than using the multi city booking ?

No, don't wait. Book as soon as any one of your desired flights become available.

In theory, more economy seats should be available if for no other reason than the fact there are simply more economy seats on planes to begin with. But it's not a science so that can't be relied on.

Again in theory, no, what you see online should be it. That said, it's not uncommon for a phone agent to be able to see seats that aren't available online so if you're not seeing what you want, it doesn't hurt to phone. Frustratingly, the opposite is also true in that if you find something online, you might be told by a phone agent that they can't see it.

 

[Aristotle9]

Stumbled onto this thread while looking up something regarding modification costs post Sept 18.

I just booked 2xJ July/Aug 20
SYD-NRT(JAL),KIX-LAX(JAL),LAX-JFK(AA), JFK-MUC(BA), OSL-BOM (QR), BOM-SYD(CX) without any issues (Possibly helps that I am an ex QLoyalty).

Definitely interested in hearing if points change get applied to modifications (my read is no). My ESTA expires the week before and wouldn't mind changing it besides adding another flight in EU if something opens up before then.

 

[DC3]

… Definitely interested in hearing if points change get applied to modifications (my read is no) ...

I'm also hoping that's the case. Unfortunately, it seems that there's nothing concrete from QF at this stage, just some Call Centre opinions.

And welcome to AFF.

 

[pottsy]

I've just started putting together a J itinerary for 1 pax. I'm going to Europe for a wedding mid next year, but as the place/dates haven't been finalised, I'm going to take a gamble I think and book a J trip to Europe.

Any thoughts/comments on this route? I'm hoping to do 2 trips - one to Europe and one to the US later in 2020. I'm based in MEL.

SIN - NRT - FRA - LHR (stop)

AMS - DOH (transit) - HKG or SIN or BKK (transit) - MEL - (stop)

MEL - LAX or SFO or DFW - PHI (stop) - JFK (stop) - HGK or SIN - MEL.

I'm fairly flexible with my Asian ports.

Thanks in advance for any feedback. Much appreciated.

I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment on your itinerary (sorry) but I too am interested in the thought of two trips. I see you intend to commence in Singapore and end in Mel. For the OWA do you know if the total mileage will be calculated as, 'SIN-MEL or SIN-SIN? (I think I've read that it would be SIN-SIN?) Please correct me if I am wrong!

 

[soarer]

comforttravel previously asked
I haven't been able to find the rules that apply to:
a) if a city has >1 airport (eg London, Paris, Tokyo, New York) and you transit that city (<24 hrs) by arriving at 1 airport (eg LHR) and depart at a 2nd airport (eg LGW), is that counted as a transit, or is it counted as a stop in LHR and also an additional (surface) sector LHR-LGW with 26 miles applied for the (surface) sector?
-----------------------
I'm also interested in the response to that as I plan to arrive at Haneda(HND) and depart from Narita(NRT) within 24 hours. Is HND regarded as a stopover and also an additional (surface) sector HND-NRT? Thanks.

 

[exceladdict]

comforttravel previously asked
I haven't been able to find the rules that apply to:
a) if a city has >1 airport (eg London, Paris, Tokyo, New York) and you transit that city (<24 hrs) by arriving at 1 airport (eg LHR) and depart at a 2nd airport (eg LGW), is that counted as a transit, or is it counted as a stop in LHR and also an additional (surface) sector LHR-LGW with 26 miles applied for the (surface) sector?
-----------------------
I'm also interested in the response to that as I plan to arrive at Haneda(HND) and depart from Narita(NRT) within 24 hours. Is HND regarded as a stopover and also an additional (surface) sector HND-NRT? Thanks.

I believe it is not counted as a stop (nrt-hnd), only because if it is, my current itinerary would not meet the rules. Booked by searching one leg from kul to kix and ended up kul-nrt-hnd-kix (if i recall correctly).

However this could be completely wrong and I would suggest it is completely up to the phone agent you get.

Try booking it online and see if it lets you.

 

[Aristotle9]

I'm also hoping that's the case. Unfortunately, it seems that there's nothing concrete from QF at this stage, just some Call Centre opinions.

I'm all but certain so long as the booking was made before the announcements it would definitely be and most likely circa June-Sept would fall under the same (system limitations aside). Well we'll know soon enough!

And welcome to AFF.

Thx mate - hoping to contribute and help the community grow!

 

[AL10]

I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment on your itinerary (sorry) but I too am interested in the thought of two trips. I see you intend to commence in Singapore and end in Mel. For the OWA do you know if the total mileage will be calculated as, 'SIN-MEL or SIN-SIN? (I think I've read that it would be SIN-SIN?) Please correct me if I am wrong!

You're correct, it would be SIN-SIN.

Thanks for all the help so far.

I narrowed my choices down to 2 main options:

1. mel - sin (transit) - doh - lhr (stop, internal flights around Europe) - fra - hkg (long stop - make my own way to MEL and back to HKG) - tyo - dfw - lax - mel

2. SIN-DOH-HEL-HKG-SYD-LAX-SYD-SIN (MEL-SIN my own way).

What are your thoughts on the above? My concern is that finding QF flights from MEL - anywhere in the US if difficult at the best of times, so trying to find both way could be difficult if I'm looking about 10-11 months out. Hence I'm thinking going to LAX/DFW via Tokyo or HKG would be a better option.

My third option was SIN - DOH - HEL- hkg- MEL - TYO - LAX- TYO -SIN, but this is 35,355!

I now need to rejig this a little...going to the US first then Europe later in the year. Will come back with a new plan!

 

[Ktan89]

How many surface sectors are allowed on this booking. Can you also visit (stopover) the same country twice but to different cities?

 

[Rtw]

No, don't wait. Book as soon as any one of your desired flights become available.

In theory, more economy seats should be available if for no other reason than the fact there are simply more economy seats on planes to begin with. But it's not a science so that can't be relied on.

Again in theory, no, what you see online should be it. That said, it's not uncommon for a phone agent to be able to see seats that aren't available online so if you're not seeing what you want, it doesn't hurt to phone. Frustratingly, the opposite is also true in that if you find something online, you might be told by a phone agent that they can't see it.

Thanks for the reply,
Could you tell me what the negatives are of booking this way, how does it eventually get combined into a OWA trip if I book in segments? Do I pay tax fees each booking ? And is it additional points booking this way?
Advice is much appreciated

 

[Ktan89]

Thanks for the reply,
Could you tell me what the negatives are of booking this way, how does it eventually get combined into a OWA trip if I book in segments? Do I pay tax fees each booking ? And is it additional points booking this way?
Advice is much appreciated

Every time you add a segment or make a change it will cost you a fee of 5,000 points + you will pay the tax fee for each segment added.
If the booking is within the OWA rules it will automatically cap at 280k.