Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[muppet]

AA usually has pretty good availability out of JFK, to LHR at least. That removes the bulk of the fuel surcharges. Connect on BA out of London to anywhere in europe.

If using the Qantas multi city tool they don’t like routing on AA via JFK for some reason… want to put you via ORD or DFW in coach, or BA services out of JFK with surcharge. Breaking the flight down from origin city to new york (usually la guardia) and then JFK-LHR should do the trick.

You can also use the Alaska Airlines search tool for connections on AA.

IB is another option but it depends on whether they service the particular cities you want to connect. A few years ago we flew MIA - MAD with IB in J and were very pleased with it. The quality of IB's intra-Europe offerings is a whole different story, though.

Try Iberia BOS-MAD or JFK-MAD.

Thanks all, I was a bit hesitant at the Iberia option, but for a saving of $700USD, I think its worth it - especially for a flight I intend to sleep through.

great suggestions!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks all, I was a bit hesitant at the Iberia option, but for a saving of $700USD, I think its worth it - especially for a flight I intend to sleep through.

great suggestions!

If you are connecting anywhere in Europe I would consider the AA/BA option... you'll also save the 700-odd surcharge. Even arriving into LHR AA has a cracking arrivals lounge.

 

[ozflier]

I have an award in J that includes an Atlantic crossing from East Coast US to Europe ... does anyone have a tips on award availability that is not BA ... I just can't stomach the USD$700 BA surcharge, it's almost equivalent to the regular sale fares on offer.

The scary bit is that the extra UK surcharge does not apply as you are arriving not departing the UK. Just imagine what taxes would be if you were coming back! In fact , the APD is currently an extra USD 250 or thereabouts.

 

[GaryLG]

A fairly successful session on the paper today with Qantas which almost got me 2 stopovers in London!

My trip is

MEL-LHR-KEF-LHR-HND-by land-ITM-NRT-MEL

Expecting it not to work and having to pay for LHR-KEF return, I ended up with an operator who added it to my existing MEL-LHR-KEF booking and when it worked out to too many points initially said he would override the figure and did. But then decided he better check.

Of course, he cam back realising his mistake took out the KEF-LHR leg and it went through. So I was happy with that result still better than expected with most legs remaining.

 

[ozflier]

I've noticed an additional flight DOHA to Melbourne departing daily at 1925 - looks like Qatar Airlines is betting on more business to Oz- needless to say - no J award seats on offer.

 

[Danger]

I had a disturbing call with QF today re two oneworld award bookings for my aunts.

The original booking was made back in 2019, a few weeks prior to the devaluation. The dates have been revised three times without issue, each time pushing travel back several months. No additional points, just a recalculation of the taxes. Today, I wanted to add in Alaska flights from SEA to SFO for mid next year and that was proving very problematic. An agent promised to call me back and he did - with bad news. Because AS wasn't a member of oneworld when the ticket was originally booked, AS flights couldn't be added without repricing. The agent also told me that his colleague in the ticketing team said this would be the last voluntary change on my tickets without repricing at the higher points level because ticket validity is only 12 months from the original departure date.

Two disappointing statements. I would be interested in hearing if others have been able to add in AS flights in the manner I was trying or have had validity or repricing raised.

 

[cjd600]

Just did the latest "shuffle" of my OWA to Sep/Oct 2022

4xJ as QF Bronze
SYD-HND-JFK JL
JFK-LHR BA
Train London-Paris
CDG-LHR-BCN BA
BCN-LHR-LAX BA
LAX-HND-SYD JL

Lets hope this one holds (will keep an eye out to sub the BA flights between USA/LHR and vice versa due to BA ++

@Danger - my PNR on the above is showing as original booking date 8 Aug 2019 (travel July 2020). No comment around no more changes/repricing.....was a very smooth process this time, and I was full of trepidation after 3.5hours on hold on Monday night but managed to get a nice lady who knew what she was doing.

 

[Spacetravel]

I currently have a OWA departing SYD > YVR.
I just spoke with GCC because I wanted to add MEL > SYD (transfer in SYD) at the start of my booking. Currently when I search classic award seats for the flight I want they are available however the agent said there were no award seats available on any of the flights I could take. The only award seats available to book were ones that would force a stopover in SYD instead of a transfer.

Why would they be unable to see the award seats that are available on the website and is there anything I can do about it? The agent suggested I just book the flight (and pay for it/ redeem more points) and they could link it, but obviously I am doing this because I want to include it in the OWA.

 

[motef]

Is this a Married Segment Issue?

ie no award availability for MEL to YVR via SYD

Have you checked for that? ie search fro MEL to YVR

 

[DC3]

I currently have a OWA departing SYD > YVR.
I just spoke with GCC because I wanted to add MEL > SYD (transfer in SYD) at the start of my booking … The only award seats available to book were ones that would force a stopover in SYD instead of a transfer.

Why would they be unable to see the award seats that are available on the website and is there anything I can do about it? …

HUACA. I’ve experienced some very ordinary Call Centre staff. Even to the extent where I eventually realised that they were looking at the wrong date.

Having said that, phantom availability is a known issue on the QF website for awards, but more so for seats on other oneworld partners. How far away is the MEL-SYD flight?

 

[Spacetravel]

Is this a Married Segment Issue?

ie no award availability for MEL to YVR via SYD

Have you checked for that? ie search fro MEL to YVR

I'm not so familiar with married segments. I just searched MEL > YVR and it routes via SYD on the same SYD > YVR flight that I'm booked on (there is only 1 flight every 3 days so no surprise there). There isn't any award availability though when I do that search because SYD > YVR has no more award seats.

HUACA. I’ve experienced some very ordinary Call Centre staff. Even to the extent where I eventually realised that they were looking at the wrong date.

Having said that, phantom availability is a known issue on the QF website for awards, but more so for seats on other oneworld partners. How far away is the MEL-SYD flight?

I only waited 2.5 hours to get through this time, now to wait another 2.5 hours

I don't think its phantom availability? The flight is in march and the majority of the day is wide open for award bookings in both classes.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I currently have a OWA departing SYD > YVR.
I just spoke with GCC because I wanted to add MEL > SYD (transfer in SYD) at the start of my booking. Currently when I search classic award seats for the flight I want they are available however the agent said there were no award seats available on any of the flights I could take. The only award seats available to book were ones that would force a stopover in SYD instead of a transfer.

Why would they be unable to see the award seats that are available on the website and is there anything I can do about it? The agent suggested I just book the flight (and pay for it/ redeem more points) and they could link it, but obviously I am doing this because I want to include it in the OWA.

You might need to hang up and call again I can't see this as a married segment issue... the flights and seats are wide open, and connecting to/from Sydney is a pretty standard thing. There's no reason to restrict availability MEL-YVR over SYD-YVR (which would be what married segments is trying to control).

 

[levelnine]

I'm having trouble with Qatar's married segments.

For example, trying to book LHR-HKG/SIN, QR legs don't show up when searching LHR-HKG/SIN & I cannot book LHR-DOH then DOH-HKG/SIN without a stop (ie a break of more than 24 hours).

Are there any known workarounds? Or am I stuck with taking a stop if I want to fly QR?

Are there departure cities where this does not arise?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm having trouble with Qatar's married segments.

For example, trying to book LHR-HKG/SIN, QR legs don't show up when searching LHR-HKG/SIN & I cannot book LHR-DOH then DOH-HKG/SIN without a stop (ie a break of more than 24 hours).

Are there any known workarounds? Or am I stuck with taking a stop if I want to fly QR?

you're stuck I think. This is a classic example of the married segment control, keeping the through fare for $$ paying pax and awards limited to those willing to take a longer journey time.

 

[levelnine]

you're stuck I think.

Yeah that's what I thought. I've had a read of the last ~100 pages of the thread and haven't seen any workarounds, but just wanted to check in case I had missed something obvious.

 

[vetrade]

I currently have a OWA departing SYD > YVR.
I just spoke with GCC because I wanted to add MEL > SYD (transfer in SYD) at the start of my booking. Currently when I search classic award seats for the flight I want they are available however the agent said there were no award seats available on any of the flights I could take. The only award seats available to book were ones that would force a stopover in SYD instead of a transfer.

Why would they be unable to see the award seats that are available on the website and is there anything I can do about it? The agent suggested I just book the flight (and pay for it/ redeem more points) and they could link it, but obviously I am doing this because I want to include it in the OWA.

I had an identical issue 3-4 weeks back and it's BS, pure and simple. Nothing to do with married segments or phantom availability. There is plenty of MEL - SYD and SYD - MEL availability but one agent I spoke to let slip that they had been instructed to steer people wanting to book MEL - SYD legs as part of OWAs onto the flights with least demand. In other words they have been told not to put you on flights between 7.30 am and 11.00am or prime time afternoon/evening flights.

In my case I was to be arriving in SYD from HND on JL51 at 6.10am and needed to book a connection to MEL. I saw J availability on every flight after 7am but when I told the agent I wanted the 8.30 or 9am flight she said there was no availability before 11.00 (this was about 345 days out). I said I was sure there was availability earlier and I didn't want a 5hr transit in SYD after a 35hr trip home from Europe. She then admitted she knew there actually was availability which she wasn't supposed to book for OWAs. In view of my 35 hr trip she said she would need to check with a supervisor. She came back a minute later and said I could have my pick of whatever flight I wanted.

The reality is that QF want to hoard those J dom seats for their business customers.

 

[vetrade]

Are there departure cities where this does not arise?

It can be a problem for any QR flights connecting through DOH but the main routes from LHR to asia are particularly prone.
I know it does add to the uncertainty but sometimes availability does open up a few months down the track.
I would look at flights from CPH, ARN, NCE etc to DOH and then on to HKG , SIN etc. You're more likely to get one of them than LHR.
There's plenty of J available from LHR to CPH, NCE etc on BA so it's not that hard to get a favourable transit time. You just have to be prepared to have another connection

 

[levelnine]

I would look at flights from CPH, ARN, NCE etc to DOH and then on to HKG , SIN etc. You're more likely to get one of them than LHR.

Really great tip, thanks very much.

 

[BillW]

I was here an age ago but life intervened!
I learned back then that a one-way multi stop at some point would convert into a set number of points, without returning to the start point.
If I am on the right track, what was/is that called?

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

I started building a J OWCA itinerary in mid August 2019 (yes, nearly 2 years ago...), to start travel in late August 2020. That was before the points cost went up from 280k to 318k.
I‘ve been adding and deleting sectors on that itinerary every 4 to 6 months since then. So far that seems to have preserved its ‘pre price rise’ status, as it is still capping out at 280k points...
Even though it seems a bit futile from an actual getting to travel perspective, I’m getting lots of practice at researching & booking (& waiting on hold)...

Update to above:
I finally finished building this itinerary today
Using the SE Asia staging point method, its two return trips MEL - Europe, one via HKG, one via DOH.
And the best bit... even after all this time, the points still capped out at 280k each... Priceless.
As an added bonus, due to the pandemic policy, none of the many many changes I’ve made along the way have attracted any change fees/points.

Sorry if all this comes across as gloating, but that’s what it is...