Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[FishFood]

Ah so a stopover between Perth and Sydney before you leave Australia is all good. Thanks

 

[flapper]

A quick update 12 calls to QF since Tuesday. Not a single person put a note on the system about any of my calls, not one. Yesterday I was told by Fiji that they would change the date of my QF flight from LAX and would call back. No call so I rang this morning and was told see could see the note and it would be ticketed in 72 hours. I asked her to do it. She refused. I called again and was told they won't change the flight. I asked her to check the notes. She said the last note was from Sunday. I said the previous person told me there was one there. I said can you call out her name & ask. I was told straight away she just finished her shift. Another operator confirmed no notes since Sunday. I'm still on hold to 2 operators. I'm emailing Stephanie again. I have all the names of people I have spoken to. I can't believe they don't make notes. I'm furious.
Update 1 call dropped out, she didn't call a back or put a note despite us discussing notes. 2nd call said the sytem was down and would call back. I asked to speak to a supvervisor. That was declined. I asked her to speak to her supervisor about my case. She said "they were in a meeting". No call back of course.

Update: After 2 emails to Stephanie I got a call late last night from the complaints area. She appologised many times. She asked what I wanted. I told her as QF cancelled my SFO-SYD flight I wanted a SFO-LAX flight and told her an AS flight in 1st is showing availabilty the day after my flight from LAX is booked. She has booked me on that flight and I am waiting on a request to change the date of the QF flight (not sure why that couldn't be done on the spot, maybe that area was closed). She said that she is in charge of the case and will call me to keep me informed and that I won't have to contact the call centre again. Interestingly, the call dropped out twice and she called back both times. Here's hoping it all works out.

 

[DC3]

… I wanted a SFO-LAX flight and told her an AS flight in 1st is showing availabilty the day after my flight from LAX is booked. She has booked me on that flight …

Wow. So you get an AS flight in F on a OWA Business itinerary. . How good is that?

 

[djkelly69]

an AS flight in F on a OWA Business itinerary

Isn't AS F the same as AA 'F', which counts as J for OWA bookings?

 

[DC3]

Isn't AS F the same as AA 'F', which counts as J for OWA bookings?

No. AS is different. AS F redemptions are based on the “F rate”.

To include an AS flight in a OWA Business itinerary, economy class will need to be selected, not F.

Edited

 

[vetrade]

Finally got our OWA re-eTicketed today after a month of dramas precipitated by QR rescheduling a September DOH - KUL flight on our way back from Europe, and no alternate award availability.

Like many others I've lost count of the number of calls I've had to make trying to get a connecting flight back to MEL.
The problems were compounded by the fact we officially started our OWA at the start of April with a trip to SYD, even though we're back in MEL now on a revenue fare. That meant that we weren't supposed to be able to change any routes under the OWA rules - only date or flight time.

Explaining my predicament this morning to about the 20th agent I have spoken to, I finally got a sympathetic Fijian ear and she got it done.
I knew there was availability for all the flight changes I wanted and, after I walked her through all the details she was able to locate them too.
My proposal involved changing 2 of the routes of our last 5 flights, substituting a BRU stopover with a FRA transit and a KUL stopover plus multiple rejigging of dates, times and flight numbers - things which supposedly aren't within the rules once the first flight has been flown. The "cherry" was that we still walked away with some QSuites.

So, the "take home message" is that when things go wrong, don't dismiss the possibility of multiple changes like I was able to make even if they bend the rules. Lack of availability is the worst enemy that seems to create a "sorry I can't help you" give-up mentality among agents, so if you can find availability it's worth running it past them when you seem to be out of options.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Isn't AS F the same as AA 'F', which counts as J for OWA bookings?

This was explained on the previous page of this thread that Alaska airlines first class cannot be booked as part of a oneworld business award. Only economy is eligible. This is a problem in the Qantas and Alaska airlines systems not recognising domestic first class as J. If Qantas has booked you on the flight as an award seay then they'll just cop the additional points I would expect.

 

[Wolf creek]

Brains trust I have seem to have a problem,,booked my seats to Doha waiting for connecting flight to paris(going to Anzac Day at villes bretonoux) as they release them.They have not released business class tickets for 3 weeks prior to 20th April but have release Europe connectors for May am I in trouble or will they release some later on.

 

[Mr H]

Brains trust I have seem to have a problem,,booked my seats to Doha waiting for connecting flight to paris(going to Anzac Day at villes bretonoux) as they release them.They have not released business class tickets for 3 weeks prior to 20th April but have release Europe connectors for May am I in trouble or will they release some later on.

I would book whatever is available now and will get you to your destination (through London, perhaps) and change the booking if/when better options become available.

 

[Wolf creek]

I would book whatever is available now and will get you to your destination (through London, perhaps) and change the booking if/when better options become available.

Ty
RJ can get me there from Doha ,1 hr35 min change over in Doha,is that long enough or cutting it to fine

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Ty
RJ can get me there from Doha ,1 hr35 min change over in Doha,is that long enough or cutting it to fine

If it’s showing as a connection it meets minimum connecting times, and you are protected if the connection is missed.

 

[Wolf creek]

If it’s showing as a connection it meets minimum connecting times, and you are protected if the

 

[Wolf creek]

Update.....The RJ plane business class is junk,saw the video on you tube. So underwhelming I prefer economy on QR and an extra $600 in tax and charges helped sway my mind(Airbus 319).Wait and see game now.

 

[Mr H]

Update.....The RJ plane business class is junk,saw the video on you tube. So underwhelming I prefer economy on QR and an extra $600 in tax and charges helped sway my mind(Airbus 319).Wait and see game now.

What a shame. I am rather looking forward to my upcoming flights on RJ.

 

[vetrade]

Brains trust I have seem to have a problem,,booked my seats to Doha waiting for connecting flight to paris(going to Anzac Day at villes bretonoux) as they release them.They have not released business class tickets for 3 weeks prior to 20th April but have release Europe connectors for May am I in trouble or will they release some later on.

Along the same lines as Mr H suggested, I'd book whatever you can get now that will get you to CDG. QR is unpredictable - apparently they have had to take some of their A350's out of service because of issues with their paint (of all things). That has exaccerbated their well known unpredictability and lak of a pattern when it comes to the release of award seats. Certainly you should book what you can now, then you can change if more suitable availability is released. All their planes should be back in service well before you travel next April but who knows for sure whether they will be back flying all their usual routes or not?

I think your best bet would be to try and book DOH to LHR or HEL with QR. From LHR you could transit to CDG with BA, and from HEL there's plenty of AY flights to CDG. Both BA and AY usually have good award availability on LHR - CDG and HEL - CDG but I'd prefer AY as their taxes are minimal. QR does fly to a lot of other European cities you could possibly transit through to CDG, but most aren't serviced by OW airlines so you wouldn't be able to include them in your OWA.

 

[blu]

Do ticketing staff only work business hours? Can't get to eTicket, have paid and points taken. Mainly contacting SA agents.

 

[vetrade]

Do ticketing staff only work business hours? Can't get to eTicket, have paid and points taken. Mainly contacting SA agents.

Can't say specifically for SA, but several Fiji agents have said their people who do the ticketing knock off at 5pm

 

[Mr H]

I think your best bet would be to try and book DOH to LHR or HEL with QR. From LHR you could transit to CDG with BA, and from HEL there's plenty of AY flights to CDG. Both BA and AY usually have good award availability on LHR - CDG and HEL - CDG but I'd prefer AY as their taxes are minimal. QR does fly to a lot of other European cities you could possibly transit through to CDG, but most aren't serviced by OW airlines so you wouldn't be able to include them in your OWA.

Other options could be QR to Madrid and IB to Paris; or the eccentric option of Royal Air Maroc via Casablanca (although if the passenger didn't like the look of the RJ business class cabin...)

 

[jase05]

What a shame. I am rather looking forward to my upcoming flights on RJ.

I can’t say I’ve had a bad flight with RJ on either their 787 or A319.
Sure the service isn’t as polished as some other other airlines but the food has been good and the coffee excellent with the drinks options probably being the only thing that lets it down but it’s still enough options that I enjoyed. The A319 had J seats similar to what VA have, comfortable enough for a 4hr jaunt into Europe but obviously a lie flat seat would be better. No IFE but was able to get on to their network which had not a bad selection of movies or shows. I would absolutely fly with them again but if the price/points is the same then obviously QR is a better option. Amman is a pretty cool stop over city though and I’d definitely do it again

 

[MEL_Traveller]

RJ’s a319 business class is a 2-2 configuration, standard recliner, 46 inch pitch.Pretty similar to the old QF dreamtime seats in terms of space. They are a great alternative to European airlines flying euro business to many of the near east destinations.