Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[DC3]

... the 280,000 remained ...

Good news, and confirms that this is the case.

 

[ozflier]

Well after a delay , i was told that the booking was fully checked ( took several hours ) and for some reason, the 280,000 remained and had not been increased .
They left it that way.
I was happy with that !

Hi,
Just thinking aloud here about my recent success transferring my OWA to september 2021.
Well, the new itinerary has been ticketed and new taxes calculated - about a $600 reduction based, I suspect, on the lower taxes charged by Qatar.
I do hope to extend the farther end of the trip once flights in november become available. I would love to catch the train to Lhasa. The loss of Cathay Dragon flights does reduce the internal Chinese OW flight options though.
However, in terms of following the OWA rules , the covid reductions on BA services have thrown a spanner in the works - flying to from North Africa to Iceland via London was originally a simple LHR transfer but now all flights from Morocco go thru LGW ( KEF out of LHR) and, if I remember correctly , this is regarded as an "open jaw" and counts towards the maximum of 16 flight sectors. So the remaining number of available flight sectors are getting smaller.
I have to say that I am impressed at how the QFF program is working - I am not even thinking bad things about Alan Joyce!
The 35,000 miles upper limit is surprisingly hard to exceed so with some luck , I may make it to the Tibet train yet particularly if north african flights are returned to LHR !

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

The 35,000 miles upper limit is surprisingly hard to exceed

Not when you’re trying to squeeze two trips into the one itinerary...

 

[ozflier]

Not when you’re trying to squeeze two trips into the one itinerary...

Correct
but things are just so hard at the moment to get just one continuous itinerary bedded down, 2 would be a real hassle - I will look again at a split one once things have settled !

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

Correct
but things are just so hard at the moment to get just one continuous itinerary bedded down, 2 would be a real hassle - I will look again at a split one once things have settled !

I started building my current ‘2 trip’ itinerary about 15 months ago (with its original first flight due to depart about 3 months ago).
Since the virus hit, I’ve been periodically rolling it over, by deleting sectors off the front as they become unworkable, and adding new ones on the back.
I’m doing this in the hope of keeping its 280k cap status alive (and so far so good on that score). Fingers crossed...

 

[muppet]

...
However, in terms of following the OWA rules , the covid reductions on BA services have thrown a spanner in the works - flying to from North Africa to Iceland via London was originally a simple LHR transfer but now all flights from Morocco go thru LGW ( KEF out of LHR) and, if I remember correctly , this is regarded as an "open jaw" and counts towards the maximum of 16 flight sectors. So the remaining number of available flight sectors are getting smaller.
...

I'm pretty sure LGW and LHR within 24 hours will be considered a transfer and not a separate segment, so that should give you another segment up your sleeve.

 

[madrooster]

I'm pretty sure LGW and LHR within 24 hours will be considered a transfer and not a separate segment, so that should give you another segment up your sleeve.

Less than or exactly 24 hours between co-terminals (eg. HND/NRT, JFK/LGA/EWR, LHR/LGW/LCY) is treated as a transfer. 24 hours and 1 minute (or longer) is a stopover.

Less than or exactly 24 hours between any two ports in the UK will also NOT trigger UK APD on departure.

Example:

HKG-LHR on CX
<less than or exactly 24 hours>
EDI-PHL on AA

No UK APD is chargeable here.

However, there is a catch when co-terminals are involved. Flying into LGW and then out of LHR burns a LGW-LHR surface segment out of your 16 segments. This is the case irrespective of how long is spent at LON.

Example:

BDA-LGW
LGW-LHR surface segment
LHR-AMS

This is 3 segments out of your 16.

 

[muppet]

....
However, there is a catch when co-terminals are involved. Flying into LGW and then out of LHR burns a LGW-LHR surface segment out of your 16 segments. This is the case irrespective of how long is spent at LON.
....

Thanks for this better explanation, I have misinterpreted that rule and must have a faulty memory of my last oneworld award flying into EWR and out of JFK.

I'm pretty sure LGW and LHR within 24 hours will be considered a transfer and not a separate segment, so that should give you another segment up your sleeve.

Apologies @ozflier ... disregard this comment.

 

[ozflier]

Thanks,
There used to be CMN or RAK flights into LHR ( and LGW) but these have gone since COVID and the subsequent airline industry implosion.
With a bit of luck , the flights will be returned to LHR and I will have that extra sector my sleeve!

 

[madrooster]

Thanks,
There used to be CMN or RAK flights into LHR ( and LGW) but these have gone since COVID and the subsequent airline industry implosion.
With a bit of luck , the flights will be returned to LHR and I will have that extra sector my sleeve!

BA pre-covid did not fly to CMN. They did fly to RAK, mostly from LGW (leisure route). With covid I'd expect to see these at LHR for the short term so you might get lucky if they continue to not do LGW flights. It doesn't help you though if you must lock something in as you'd have to run with the LGW to begin with which would short change you a segment.

 

[ozflier]

In one of my optimistic OWA bookings coming scheduled at the end of next october , I have a choice of flying from SIN-PEK on Cathay or JAL in business class. ( things all screwed because of the demise of Cathay Dragon!)
Timings are about the same - slightly less for CX.
Any suggestions re which is the better airline to fly .

 

[GaryLG]

I'm starting to think it might be time to start making a OWA booking starting around this time next year or a little earlier. What do others think about the timing?

Also I am a little short of the points needed for my OWA fare so if I start booking and then over the time I book all the legs I get enough points will it apply the OWA maximum or do I need all the points when I start the booking?

 

[ozflier]

I'm starting to think it might be time to start making a OWA booking starting around this time next year or a little earlier. What do others think about the timing?

Also I am a little short of the points needed for my OWA fare so if I start booking and then over the time I book all the legs I get enough points will it apply the OWA maximum or do I need all the points when I start the booking?

I cannot answer your question without any certainty.
The likelihood of a vaccine coming in the next 6 months is positive.
I have a OWA booking as noted above for mid october to november 2021.
I think once the skies are open, there will be a lot of people booking up award flights using money earned with credit cards etc so maybe its time to get in and plan.
Another positive lately is that there are is a fair amount of award availability particularly on QR , JAL and BA bearing in mind that the last 2 have significantly reduced destinations currently.

 

[DC3]

... I am a little short of the points needed for my OWA fare so if I start booking and then over the time I book all the legs I get enough points will it apply the OWA maximum or do I need all the points when I start the booking?

As you book each flight, the points will be progressively deducted from your QFF account. Each time, the points deduction may take a day or two to show in your account.

Eventually, as you make more bookings, the points cost will max out at 132.4K/249.6K/318K/455K and further flight bookings will no longer affect the balance. It’s probably never too early to start booking, as you may run the risk of availability disappearing at some point.

 

[muppet]

As you book each flight, the points will be progressively deducted from your QFF account. Each time, the points deduction may take a day or two to show in your account.

Eventually, as you make more bookings, the points cost will max out at 132.4K/249.6K/318K/455K and further flight bookings will no longer affect the balance. It’s probably never too early to start booking, as you may run the risk of availability disappearing at some point.

I agree with one caveat ... changing too much eats away a lot of points in change fees. And also some carriers have this crazy rule that certain flights can only be booked as “new” bookings.

I have had trouble with CX where i could book a segment for a fresh booking but the QF agent could not add it to my existing half-booked J OWA.

 

[stirlo]

It’s a bit difficult to book things now as QF flights to Europe, USA, Santiago and Johannesburg are unavailable making it difficult to get out of the country unless you plan to go through Asia on both the way in and out. That said it’s always a better idea to book as far in advance as possible and every day there’s less seats available. Seeing as it’s fully refundable if you can make an itinerary work I’d book it.

 

[DC3]

... I have had trouble with CX where i could book a segment for a fresh booking but the QF agent could not add it to my existing half-booked J OWA.

Did you HUACA? Some agents are very good, but others are rather ordinary I have found.

 

[GaryLG]

Thanks all.

I know it is a bit of a gamble at this stage but as you have posted it might be worth it.

I understand about the points maxing out for each class but my question was more for example if I was booking business class and only had 300,000. In that case I guess I could only book up to those point, assuming the dates and flights were there and then book the rest of the flights later?

 

[stirlo]

In that case I guess I could only book up to those point, assuming the dates and flights were there and then book the rest of the flights later?

Yes, however you’ll find the individual legs often cost substantial amounts on their own so you may only be able to book a few before spending 300k. Without 318k available you have no way to take advantage of the cap. Also you‘ll pay a 5k change fee each time which when you are low on points already will make it harder to get to the 318k.
EDIT: I should clarify you make a single booking with whatever flights are available and modify it to add the extra legs when you have more points available. Don’t make multiple bookings and try to combine them. That’s not possible.

 

[DC3]

.... you‘ll pay a 5k change fee each time which when you are low on points already will make it harder to get to the 318k ...

Although, I seem to recall that the change fees are being waived at the moment. At one point, it was for changes made by 31 October, but has since been pushed out to 31 January.

Possibly could be pushed out further, but we just have to wait to see if that happens.