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

[Arlindo]

For economy class, is there any way to reserve/select seats if flying with LATAM?

Their online site doesn't have a seat selection option and contacting then by phone, they say you need to wait til check in opens. Does this sound right?

 

[motef]

Can somebody please explain what is classified as a "sector" under the rules of the OWA?

As I understand the main rules of the OWA are

• Up to 5 stopovers
• Up to 35,000 miles
• Up to 16 total flight sectors
• at least two Oneworld member airlines other than Qantas

I'm just not sure what counts as a "sector"

For example in this itinerary, how many sectors would there be?

NTL-BNE-SYD-SIN (STOP)
SIN-CMB-MLE (STOP)
MLE-DOH-CDG (STOP)
CDG-LHR (STOP)
EDI-LHR-HEL-KTT (STOP)
KTT-HEL-DOH-SIN-SYD

Thanks

 

[DC3]

[/QUOTE]

Just add up the total number of flights. Each flight is a sector in your example. As stated, a maximum of 16.

Edit: NTL-BNE-SYD-SIN = 3 sectors, for example. Also, remember to count any open jaw as a sector.

 

[BriarFlyer]

Just add up the total number of flights. Each flight is a sector in your example. As stated, a maximum of 16.

Surface segments also count, so in your itinerary EDI-LHR is counted as a sector even though it's not a flight. In your example you'd also need to count the return to your starting point NTL which makes 17 if my counting is accurate.

 

[DC3]

Surface segments also count, so in your itinerary EDI-LHR is counted as a sector even though it's not a flight. In your example you'd also need to count the return to your starting point NTL which makes 17 if my counting is accurate.

Yes. 17 sectors, so one too many. I was just in the process of editing my earlier post while BriarFlyer was posting.

Edit: If you dropped NTL-BNE-SYD, and travelled to SYD under other arrangements, if that suited, then you would have 15 segments, by starting in SYD.

 

[blu]

We had several operational issues for our current J Award, resulting in a new GCM of 36,850 miles and flying one sector on a Sky Team airline (DL). Only risk remaining is substituting the old 774 on QF25 with a smaller aircraft (with downgrade).

 

[DC3]

We had several operational issues for our current J Award, resulting in a new GCM of 36,850 miles and flying one sector on a Sky Team airline (DL).

Good to hear that you are being looked after.

From what I understand, once the trip has started, operational issues will be resolved by the airline(s) as they arise, so carrier, sectors, transits, stops, mile ceiling, are all out the window, fortunately.

 

[motef]

Yes. 17 sectors, so one too many. I was just in the process of editing my earlier post while BriarFlyer was posting.

Edit: If you dropped NTL-BNE-SYD, and travelled to SYD under other arrangements, if that suited, then you would have 15 segments, by starting in SYD.

Yes 17 sectors is what I thought but yesterday it successfully ticketed so I dunno.

 

[JohnM]

Yes 17 sectors is what I thought but yesterday it successfully ticketed so I dunno.

Check it very carefully. My understanding is that the electronic ticketing system can only handle a maximum of 16 sectors. That is why xONEx fares went from 20 to 16 sectors with the demise of paper ticketing.

 

[DC3]

Yes 17 sectors is what I thought but yesterday it successfully ticketed so I dunno.

So, your e-ticket will list only 15 x flights. With 2 x open jaws, you have 17 sectors all up?

 

[motef]

So, your e-ticket will list only 15 x flights. With 2 x open jaws, you have 17 sectors all up?

So this is what shows as bookings on QF so perhaps its only 14 "sectors"

 

[DC3]

Ah. So you decided on 14 x flights, plus 2 x open jaw. Total of 16 sectors.

Edit: I’m just trying to add them up properly.

 

[JohnM]

'Sectors' can be confusing.

Intrinsically in my mind, a 'sector' is a flight. However, I do recognise that in the context of a OWA or a xONEx that includes an open-jaw(s), they also count as sectors in the particular context of the restrictions of those itineraries.

I have done numerous DONEx and almost always I have used the full 16 (now) or 20 (back in the day) sectors as flights - never as an open-jaw land 'sector'. I think it has been on only two out of 15 DONExs that I have fallen short of the maximum number of flight sectors by one flight.

But that was not because of using one of the sectors to join two ports by land transport.

One that I recall clearly was last year when AA cancelled a flight after I had booked my DONE4 and I had to re-route more directly (DFW-ANC instead of DFW-xLAX-ANC). However, because it was a carrier-imposed change, I still received SC and points ORCs (original routing credits) .

 

[k_sheep]

I splurged on an expertflyer subscription - but have now realised it doesn't take into account your status for QF, ie it won't show anything 353 days out. Boooo.

Back to checking every day and hoping. Definitely no J seats on QF27 being released for the last few weeks *cries*

 

[JohnM]

I splurged on an expertflyer subscription - but have now realised it doesn't take into account your status for QF, ie it won't show anything 353 days out. Boooo.

Back to checking every day and hoping. Definitely no J seats on QF27 being released for the last few weeks *cries*

Are you sure?:



There is no way of telling EF what status you have, but it must be able to glean it from your FF number. At least that way it is dynamic and stays current.

 

[DC3]

I splurged on an expertflyer subscription - but have now realised it doesn't take into account your status for QF, ie it won't show anything 353 days out ...

Are you sure? ...

... There is no way of telling EF what status you have, but it must be able to glean it from your FF number. At least that way it is dynamic and stays current.

When I made email enquires of EF last year, they replied that “... the QFF# on your account is for seat map searches and has nothing to do with the award searches ...”

 

[JohnM]

I've never used EF for award searches. Knowing the days out seats are ostensibly released, I just start rummaging around ahead of that and see what's about (and to confirm just how far ahead they are really releasing seats), then just get ready to pounce (this is on the QF website to use QF points for travel in anything but QF... ).

 

[Ktan89]

are there any consequences if i "missed" my last flight?
Thinking of staying at KL longer than 24hours so it will be stopover #6

 

[DC3]

are there any consequences if i "missed" my last flight?
...................

 

[Cerveza]

Hi all will be booking my first OWA in the next few months and had a question on booking each segment as availability is opened (I'm a qantas bronze member).

If I book leg 1 of the journey as it's the first to open, how do I then add on more segments and have it all linked up so that it's an OWA ticket and capped at 318,000 points (flying in J)?

Based on this forum it looks like I'd have to call up qantas each time a segment is open, pay the 5,000 points fee and as long as the tickets don't break the rules, the system will know to treat as an OWA ticket? Is that correct?