Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Tonkatough]

@onetonnerodeo I wanted to give your post both a Like & Informative!

That is really good news for you & possibly others that have part flown OWA itineraries. I'm just under half way through mine so I wouldn't expect much but something is better than nothing.

That's a really good experience onetonnerodeo, and probably goes against Kangol's theory.
What I am still trying to find out from this forum is the possibilities with re-booking/refunding/extending the end date for the remaining part of the ticket considering the current limitations in travel, not the availability or non-availability of seats.
I am aware of the OWA ticket rules and there is scope within my ticket to re-book to/from the same cities using the same airlines, but the travel restrictions make this impossible before the end date of the ticket.
I would welcome people's advice before I phone up.

 

[Kangol]

While this is normally the case, you'll find given the circumstances, Qantas are adopting a more lenient take over everything in the moment. A couple pages back I queried the partly-flown OWA situation, as I had only gone 7k miles into my itinerary. I followed it up with Qantas a few days ago, and without hesitation, they (NZ centre) straight up quickly offered a refund of taxes/points for unflown segments. And that's with the next segment not even due til August. On hold for 5 minutes while it was all calculated in the background and based on a reduction of the flown segment(s), as if it were based on it being individual flights. So depending how far into your journey you are (because normally points cap at the various thresholds), that will influence things, but in my case I'm getting back 80% taxes and 60% of points. As happy as I could be given circumstances.

OK. I'm P1 LTG (not that it matters) and they weren't able to refund me any points, only the unusued taxes.
If the SST weren't able to do it at the time (there was a LOT of time on hold) or speak to the right people then so be it.
I think I might be over the ~19k miles but I only realised this after hanging up - they did not mention this at all. In any case, that's what TI is for and if the documents say they compare it to the retail value, there's a good chance some people won't be too unhappy not being able to get back some points.

 

[onetonnerodeo]

OK. I'm P1 LTG (not that it matters) and they weren't able to refund me any points, only the unusued taxes.
If the SST weren't able to do it at the time (there was a LOT of time on hold) or speak to the right people then so be it.
I think I might be over the ~19k miles but I only realised this after hanging up - they did not mention this at all. In any case, that's what TI is for and if the documents say they compare it to the retail value, there's a good chance some people won't be too unhappy not being able to get back some points.

I'm just a lowly Bronze, so I suspect by 19k miles, you probably reached the points 'cap' if it had been based on each segment being individual flights. For example, with my 7k miles flown, the equivalent points used on the first flight would be either 119k business or 58k economy...so once they remove that from the 'cap' of 318k or 132k, it has 'eaten' up 40% of points. You can imagine, once the next flight segment 'eats' up as a similar amount, and then the next one does the same, that's probably why they couldn't refund any points, since they've all been 'eaten' up based on their individual rates.

Not exactly a 'pro-rata' outcome, but I think that's where one with a significant;y-flown OWA can go down the TI insurance path like you point out, seeing what avenues are available there. As you say as well, retail value could be a great outcome for many too. In my case TI pushed me to push Qantas, who as it turns out, didn't even need much of a push at all. I just mentioned my circumstances, asked what my options were, and was practically offered a refund.

 

[Kangol]

I'm just a lowly Bronze, so I suspect by 19k miles, you probably reached the points 'cap' if it had been based on each segment being individual flights. For example, with my 7k miles flown, the equivalent points used on the first flight would be either 119k business or 58k economy...so once they remove that from the 'cap' of 318k or 132k, it has 'eaten' up 40% of points. You can imagine, once the next flight segment 'eats' up as a similar amount, and then the next one does the same, that's probably why they couldn't refund any points, since they've all been 'eaten' up based on their individual rates.

Not exactly a 'pro-rata' outcome, but I think that's where one with a significant;y-flown OWA can go down the TI insurance path like you point out, seeing what avenues are available there. As you say as well, retail value could be a great outcome for many too. In my case TI pushed me to push Qantas, who as it turns out, didn't even need much of a push at all. I just mentioned my circumstances, asked what my options were, and was practically offered a refund.

Yep, that's exactly what I mentioned in this thread some pages ago.

The allowances have changed a lot recently, given the circumstances.

Ordinarily this doesn't happen.

 

[flychrisfly]

I'm just a lowly Bronze, so I suspect by 19k miles, you probably reached the points 'cap' if it had been based on each segment being individual flights. For example, with my 7k miles flown, the equivalent points used on the first flight would be either 119k business or 58k economy...so once they remove that from the 'cap' of 318k or 132k, it has 'eaten' up 40% of points. You can imagine, once the next flight segment 'eats' up as a similar amount, and then the next one does the same, that's probably why they couldn't refund any points, since they've all been 'eaten' up based on their individual rates.

Not exactly a 'pro-rata' outcome, but I think that's where one with a significant;y-flown OWA can go down the TI insurance path like you point out, seeing what avenues are available there. As you say as well, retail value could be a great outcome for many too. In my case TI pushed me to push Qantas, who as it turns out, didn't even need much of a push at all. I just mentioned my circumstances, asked what my options were, and was practically offered a refund.

I suspect all they did was cancel the relevant flights in your OWA award and reprice it based on the flights still remaining. I don't think you got a refund, as such, just some points back for a repriced ticket. If anyone has flown more than two or three flights (depending on distance, airlines, etc) the reprice is unlikely to result in lower points cost. If anything, not charging you more (for not using >2 non-QF OW airlines for example) is the best they can do.

 

[onetonnerodeo]

I suspect all they did was cancel the relevant flights in your OWA award and reprice it based on the flights still remaining. I don't think you got a refund, as such, just some points back for a repriced ticket. If anyone has flown more than two or three flights (depending on distance, airlines, etc) the reprice is unlikely to result in lower points cost. If anything, not charging you more (for not using >2 non-QF OW airlines for example) is the best they can do.

Depends on whether talking taxes or points, as far as it being a reprice, albeit they quoted me a precise dollar figure for the monetary refund (taxes), based on deducting what was flown from the original OWA ticket costs (points/taxes), rather than building it out again.

First segment was only US$85 in taxes (fortunately for me, was also the cheapest segment!), which they confirmed would be deducted from what was paid, and the remainder (they gave an exact figure) coming back, which for mine is a direct refund as normally each segment for tax costs is coughulative anyways, it doesn't 'cap' out like points - so you receive taxes back on flight 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. But as they calculated the points part the same way too, then that's I guess more a reprice and less akin to a refund based on the way the cap works, albeit technically I'd normally be getting nothing back under the (usually) strict rules, so I consider it a refund.

But yes, as alluded to in my posts, my circumstances may differ as I was only 1 flight into it, whereas once you're 2-3+ flights in, you'll likely 'cap' out for the points part like i mentioned earlier and as you imply. Though I thought others have stated in the past that taxes were still available to be refunded if one puts in the time to chase these, as they are often gov related as much as just the airlines

 

[ozflier]

Hi,
I am trying to take a glass half full approach and am thinking about booking up further flights on my OWA coming up in march 2021.
Has there been any improvement in call times to get thru to QFF or am i still looking at many hours?
I certainly do not want to delay calls from flyers who need to contact QF re close up trips.
I would have hoped that some of the furloughed QF employees could have been trained up and added to the call team - though they may not have been too helpful on complex OWA itineraries.

 

[Danger]

Hi,
I am trying to take a glass half full approach and am thinking about booking up further flights on my OWA coming up in march 2021.
Has there been any improvement in call times to get thru to QFF or am i still looking at many hours?
I certainly do not want to delay calls from flyers who need to contact QF re close up trips.
I would have hoped that some of the furloughed QF employees could have been trained up and added to the call team - though they may not have been too helpful on complex OWA itineraries.

Given how complex Qantas's rules can be at the best of times, I think any upskilling (or perhaps it's downskilling) would take weeks and even then there's no guarantee that the HUCA approach wouldn't yield a different outcome.

 

[Cerveza]

Thanks to all the help on this forum, I just booked the first leg on my OWA for April 2021 on J.

Given current load on call centres, would it be better for me to use the SMS chat service to add the additional legs once they are available? Or should I try both options and then use whichever once responds first?

 

[Danger]

Thanks to all the help on this forum, I just booked the first leg on my OWA for April 2021 on J.

Given current load on call centres, would it be better for me to use the SMS chat service to add the additional legs once they are available? Or should I try both options and then use whichever once responds first?

How were you able to book more than 12 months out? What's the airline?

 

[Cerveza]

How were you able to book more than 12 months out? What's the airline?

Start date of my itinerary is actually 26 March 2021 but will be travelling for all of April. First leg was booked with JAL.

 

[Aristotle9]

Our trip was set for 10th July, Wondering if it's possible to change flights to next June (when that's available) on the same points (280k/pp) before the increase? Is there a maximum time limit for a booking?

 

[flapper]

Our trip was set for 10th July, Wondering if it's possible to change flights to next June (when that's available) on the same points (280k/pp) before the increase? Is there a maximum time limit for a booking?

Yes, if you complete your trip before 10 July 2021.
14.6.1 Classic Flight Rewards will be valid for one year from the original ticketed departure date, unless otherwise specified.

 

[ozflier]

Hi,
I am trying to take a glass half full approach and am thinking about booking up further flights on my OWA coming up in march 2021.
Has there been any improvement in call times to get thru to QFF or am i still looking at many hours?
I certainly do not want to delay calls from flyers who need to contact QF re close up trips.
I would have hoped that some of the furloughed QF employees could have been trained up and added to the call team - though they may not have been too helpful on complex OWA itineraries.

Feedback.

I did ring the QFF line- got thru in less than an hour , got an agent who knew all about OWAs.
Very helpful - she was really pleased to deal with a customer who was not cancelling , complaining or changing flights.

 

[Aristotle9]

I did ring the QFF line-

What time?

 

[Cerveza]

Just finished a call with QFF to add on a segment - 1.5 hour wait and got someone in Australia. Same comment as ozflier - they were very happy to speak to someone who wasnt cancelling their flight!

 

[Cerveza]

So I still havent received an updated ticket following my recent call at 1:30pm to add on an extra flight to my itinerary. Only 2 flights at the moment and Japan Airways for both. Lady on the phone said it could take 24-48 hours. Do I need to call back to try and have the ticket forded to be issued?

I know this is an issue for Cathay but not sure if limited to just that airline. Thanks.

 

[DC3]

So I still havent received an updated ticket following my recent call at 1:30pm to add on an extra flight to my itinerary. Only 2 flights at the moment and Japan Airways for both. Lady on the phone said it could take 24-48 hours. Do I need to call back to try and have the ticket forded to be issued?

I know this is an issue for Cathay but not sure if limited to just that airline. Thanks.

I never wait more than 30 minutes for the updated e-ticket before calling back. Without the new e-ticket, what do you have?

 

[Cerveza]

I never wait more than 30 minutes for the updated e-ticket before calling back. Without the new e-ticket, what do you have?

Ok thanks waiting on the phone now.

 

[ozflier]

What time?

1000 hrs tuesday this week.