Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[madrooster]

HBA is now 7.00am to 11.00pm, seven days, when I asked them recently. NZ is earlier.

South Africa and the Phillipines never seem to sleep.

HBA is 7am-midnight HBA time. AKL, CPT and MNL are 24 hours.

 

[DC3]

HBA is 7am-midnight HBA time. AKL, CPT and MNL are 24 hours.

HBA used to be until midnight, but when I spoke with them two weeks ago, the CSO said that HBA now closes at 11.00pm, every night, instead of midnight, explaining that this was a recent change.

 

[Aristotle9]

I’d even put the first call on hold and dial in with a second call 10 mins later so you don’t have to wait 2 hours again

Good idea, I have two phones going, will hang the first call if it isn't AKL/HBA

 

[Aristotle9]

Ok, both calls just dropped

 

[madrooster]

HBA used to be until midnight, but when I spoke with them two weeks ago, the CSO said that HBA now closes at 11.00pm, every night, instead of midnight, explaining that this was a recent change.

Interesting. Mind you, they are kind of partly handicapped after 11pm as the robot used for releasing award seats undergoes maintenance at 11pm every night. It comes back at 12 midnight.

 

[bookworm]

No re-tickets yet, but status of the CX leg in q.com and CX shows confirmed from waitlisted and I could select my seats on CX, call centre gave the same spiel waiting for CX to confirm

Download CX app or login on CX website and see what it says there. You will read a warning if the tickets are not yet issued.

 

[N860CR]

I really cannot believe Qantas continue to get away with this “not ticketing” issue and then making it the customers problem to fix the missing sectors! No other industry would get away with something so dodgy.

 

[Aristotle9]

Qantas continue to get away with this “not ticketing” issue and then making it the customers problem to fix the missing sectors

That's extremely unfair, I thought they'd have to shell out the commercial fare. Will need to report to ombudsman.

 

[Aristotle9]

For posterity: if ur booking that ur updating includes CX/QF, ensure U only do it over the phone, reminding the agent that those two follow different process and need logging else they will not re-ticket.

Since they've sent it off to CX I can no longer even book alternative paths

 

[flapper]

I have another minor time change one one of my non QF OWA flights. QF say I have to call to acknowledge but other airlines on my booking allow me to acknowledge with the click of a button. As I don't want another long wait just to acknowledge a 5 min time change is it okay just to click on another airlines website or will that cause problems with QF?
Does a minor time cahnge of a flight require reticketing or not?

 

[Aristotle9]

Was on hold an hour and took half an hour to sort it out even at 5:30am but luckily call didn't drop. Anyway, they were going to escalate to senior CX but I asked instead to use alternative path so I could end this early morning cycle. I would highly recommend only AKL/HBA call centres, this was a complicated change but she managed to sort it out and also re-issue the ticket.

Also had a tax windfall of $100 /pp despite the poor exchange rate than when I booked.

 

[Aristotle9]

Does a minor time cahnge of a flight require reticketing or not?

I think from memory when JAL switched my flight from NRT to HND, I used the app chat to confirm and it was fine. Tickets are re-issued. I have had minor time changes (5 mins) for BA and it auto re-issued.

 

[VPS]

I have another minor time change one one of my non QF OWA flights. QF say I have to call to acknowledge but other airlines on my booking allow me to acknowledge with the click of a button. As I don't want another long wait just to acknowledge a 5 min time change is it okay just to click on another airlines website or will that cause problems with QF?
Does a minor time cahnge of a flight require reticketing or not?

try the text service

 

[madrooster]

I have another minor time change one one of my non QF OWA flights. QF say I have to call to acknowledge but other airlines on my booking allow me to acknowledge with the click of a button. As I don't want another long wait just to acknowledge a 5 min time change is it okay just to click on another airlines website or will that cause problems with QF?
Does a minor time cahnge of a flight require reticketing or not?

Yes you can, and no you do not.

 

[acinod]

I have a bit of a dilemma and it starts from needing to get home from SCL to MEL (my final leg).

Plan A was to fly SCL-SYD-MEL via Qantas. However, award seats won't open for us bronze members until 1st April and they might already be booked out by that time.

Plan B was to come home via SFO/LAX by doing SCL-MIA-SFO-MEL but it seems like Qantas is either not releasing or holding off any tickets in mid-Jan (possibly school holidays).


Plan C now is to go via Dallas and Tokyo (SCL-MIA-DFW-HND, NRT-MEL). However, this would put me over the 35k mile limit and I would have to cancel one of my smaller legs earlier in the RTW trip. The SCL-MIA-DFW route (or is there a SCL-DFW direct?) isn't available to me yet but I could book DFW-HND and then NRT-MEL.

As a side question, is it possible to make a 11.05am JAL flight from DFW-HND if I land at 9am from the MIA-DFW flight? They appear as separate legs on the Qantas website so I'm expecting they would also be separate tickets and I have to re-check in my luggage?

Should I do the following?
1. Book DFW-HND and NRT-MEL now.
2. Book SCL-MIA-DFW as it becomes available next month. This does not qualify for the OneWorld award and so I will pay extra points. Alternatively book SCL-DFW if available to maintain OneWorld award requirements.
3. If SFO-MEL appears then cancel the above and rebook. OneWorld Award requirement is met and I get my points refunded.
4. If SCL-SYD-MEL appears then cancel the above and rebook. OneWorld Award requirement is met and I get my points refunded.
5. If neither of SCL-SYD-MEL or SFO-MEL appears, then cancel one of my smaller legs earlier in the trip. OneWorld Award requirement will then be met and I get my points refunded.

Appreciate any other suggestions.



Here is my itinerary for reference:
1. MEL-ADL-KUL
2. KUL-AMM
3. AMM-CAI (this will need to be cancelled if I go with Plan C, luckily it's a fairly short one)
4. ZRH-MAD-EZE
5. SCL?

 

[frodo]

Here is my itinerary for reference:
1. MEL-ADL-KUL
2. KUL-AMM
3. AMM-CAI (this will need to be cancelled if I go with Plan C, luckily it's a fairly short one)
4. ZRH-MAD-EZE
5. SCL?

an alternative is to leave from somewhere other than ZRH as that is adding extra miles, or buying your own flight to MAD.
e.g MXP-MAD-EZE is 135 miles less than leaving from ZRH and will bring you under 35k

 

[flapper]

I'd be interested to hear if any one's OWA itinerary is affected by the large reduction in CX flights (including to Oz) during March 2020 because of COVID-19 and what options CX/QF are offering.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Should I do the following?
1. Book DFW-HND and NRT-MEL now.
2. Book SCL-MIA-DFW as it becomes available next month. This does not qualify for the OneWorld award and so I will pay extra points. Alternatively book SCL-DFW if available to maintain OneWorld award requirements.
3. If SFO-MEL appears then cancel the above and rebook. OneWorld Award requirement is met and I get my points refunded.
4. If SCL-SYD-MEL appears then cancel the above and rebook. OneWorld Award requirement is met and I get my points refunded.
5. If neither of SCL-SYD-MEL or SFO-MEL appears, then cancel one of my smaller legs earlier in the trip. OneWorld Award requirement will then be met and I get my points refunded.

Appreciate any other suggestions.



Here is my itinerary for reference:
1. MEL-ADL-KUL
2. KUL-AMM
3. AMM-CAI (this will need to be cancelled if I go with Plan C, luckily it's a fairly short one)
4. ZRH-MAD-EZE
5. SCL?
[/QUOTE]

I think your chances of getting SCL-SYD in January are very slim.

Why not wait until April and see whether there is any availability with AT (Royal Air Maroc) on CAI-CMN-GIG/GRU? That would save you quite a few miles.

Depending on where you want to go to in Sth America, you could add them on a separate ticket, if necessary.

 

[acinod]

I think your chances of getting SCL-SYD in January are very slim.

Why not wait until April and see whether there is any availability with AT (Royal Air Maroc) on CAI-CMN-GIG/GRU? That would save you quite a few miles.

Depending on where you want to go to in Sth America, you could add them on a separate ticket, if necessary.

CAI-ZRH will be a surface sector. I'm actually doing CAI-ATH-HEL-TLL-ZRH on separate flights since OneWorld doesn't fly those routes (at least not direct).

My main question still is - is it possible to fly MIA-DFW (land at 9am) and then DFW-HND (depart 11am)? Is Qantas able to combine them into a single ticket so I don't have to re-check in?

 

[Ponky]

Hi All

Been reading with interest and I'm contemplating trying to book a OWA (Business) for a trip to the US some time around Oct-Nov 2021.

Am based in PER and would be looking to go out through Asia and back via the east coast of Aust, but largely flexible in terms of routes and dates. I am a whiles off needing to book just yet, but I am planning to try and use this to get a bunch of internal flights within the US as part of my itinerary. Not particularly fussed if we can't get those internal flights in business class, but I figured if we are nudging the 300k point mark for the flights there and back, it could save us quite a bit of money on domestic travel once we've hit that 318k points cap.

Has anyone here ever used the OWA to book a series of domestic flights on AA and can report on any tips/tricks/frustrations? In my experience, with booking domestic flights in the US 11 months in advance there is almost always a schedule change or two that will throw you out, resulting in a need to make changes. Would be inserting a few land segments in the trip so as to have a bit of a buffer for such events.

One place I am considering adding is Alaska, and I have noted that AA flies in and out of Anchorage, but most searches in the QANTAS tool come up with Alaska Airlines flights. While Alaska are not currently OW, I notice here that they intend to become full-fledged OW members by "Summer 2021" (so mid next year).

Given there are many moving parts to be put together before this happens, but assuming it all goes according to plan, is is safe to assume that we would only be able to book Alaska flights as part of the OWA after this happens?