Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

Update - now being told that the booking cannot be ticketed because there are outstanding reinstatement requests. This will cause the sectors that are available now to be lost. The agent says that she can only email the support team and the support team would need to deal with the ticketing team. This means every piece of communication will take 48 hours. Surely there is a better way...

During my recent similar battle, the agent was able to ticket the ‘good’ sectors while we waited for the ‘reinstatement’ sector to come through.
Once the reinstatement sector was approved, then the entire itinerary was reticketed on a fresh number.

 

[Mr H]

How mad would I have to be to consider a routing through CMB with UL?

 

[acinod]

Qatar Airways appears to have pulled all availability from the Qantas website. I can't seem to find a single reward flight from them.

Any one know what's happened?

 

[jase05]

Qatar Airways appears to have pulled all availability from the Qantas website. I can't seem to find a single reward flight from them.

Any one know what's happened?

Hopefully saving them all for VA

 

[Formal Hall]

Did you try to book MEL-SYD a day earlier? See if that works. Maybe worth trying?

Yes, I was thinking that; I have a stopover to spare so might see if I can book MEL-SYD a day or two in advance and move it to same day once I get a good agent (or even try to do online as I've seen some of my multi-city awards can now do date changes online)

 

[DC3]

Yes, I was thinking that; I have a stopover to spare so might see if I can book MEL-SYD a day or two in advance and move it to same day once I get a good agent (or even try to do online as I've seen some of my multi-city awards can now do date changes online)

Although changes to a oneworld award need to go through the Call Centre.

 

[yaksha98]

Had the unfortunate non-ticketing of a OWA despite 5-6 calls over the past 3 days since I made changes on Sunday morning, each time being assured it's in the ticketing queue and '24hrs' etc... well, woke up this morning to the QR segment disappearing which is my very first segment to start the trip.

Have made a call this morning and agent (guessing Cape Town) has requested reinstatement from QR and was advised up to 2 weeks (??!!!) for a response.

What has everyone else's experience been in reinstatement? Any advice/tips?

Will call again to ask to ticket the remaining segments lest they drop off too (IB and JL flights). Was also advised JL does not have same time limitations for ticketing - not sure if that's just a fib?

I'm lowly bronze, partner is gold - so not sure if its any difference making the calls from the gold account?

 

[Jacques Vert]

I'm lowly bronze, partner is gold - so not sure if its any difference making the calls from the gold account?

Definitely ring from the Gold Account; you may even get HBA if you ring shortly after 0700.

 

[DC3]

Had the unfortunate non-ticketing of a OWA despite 5-6 calls over the past 3 days since I made changes on Sunday morning, each time being assured it's in the ticketing queue and '24hrs' etc... well, woke up this morning to the QR segment disappearing which is my very first segment to start the trip.

Have made a call this morning and agent (guessing Cape Town) has requested reinstatement from QR and was advised up to 2 weeks (??!!!) for a response.

What has everyone else's experience been in reinstatement? Any advice/tips?

QR is a difficult one, because they require ticketing within 24 hours or so, otherwise the flight booking will be lost. There are reports that QR may not respond to re-instatement requests, essentially ignoring them.

Being in the ticketing queue for much more than 24 hours is pretty much useless where QR flights are involved. The Call Centre would be aware of this.

 

[amcmahon]

Qatar Airways appears to have pulled all availability from the Qantas website. I can't seem to find a single reward flight from them.

Any one know what's happened?

I noticed the same thing. No Qatar reward flights from any Europe capital city as of yesterday. They usually drop new days around midnight. Reward seats showing available on their own site and usually they appear immediately on Qantas as well.

 

[Mr H]

I noticed the same thing. No Qatar reward flights from any Europe capital city as of yesterday. They usually drop new days around midnight. Reward seats showing available on their own site and usually they appear immediately on Qantas as well.

Definitely the case. Award availability to Tehran was wide open on Monday but now disappeared completely. I don't think this was because of a sudden uptick in redemptions to Iran.

 

[yaksha98]

QR is a difficult one, because they require ticketing within 24 hours or so, otherwise the flight booking will be lost. There are reports that QR may not respond to re-instatement requests, essentially ignoring them.

that's a real worry
on hold to the CC now for 40 mins

 

[Mr H]

There are reports that QR may not respond to re-instatement requests, essentially ignoring them.

This is my working assumption - once a booked or ticketed non-Qantas flight has been cancelled from the itinerary, if it doesn't go back for award availability it is lost for ever.

 

[Mr H]

Update

After a week of trying, I finally got a Cape Town agent - hallelujah!

• MEL-SYD-KUL-DEL - still no solution about how to get me between MEL and DEL. MEL-SYD is booked and KUL-DEL is available... Wait and see whether (a) MH reinstate the cancelled flight (they won't) and (b) whether QF will then release a revenue seat MEL-DEL direct (I believe they won't look at this until MH decline the reinstatement). If necessary I will have to do a revenue flight.
  
  
• LHR-DOH-IKA - I suggested an alternative routing LCY-MXP-DOH-IKA. This is now booked. My alternative is not as good as LCY-MXP on BA is no different to a Y booking - no lounge and no difference in seating. The MXP connection is very tight (1hr 25m). The better QR flight LHR-DOH is still waitlisted.
  
  
• IKA-DOH-CMN-TUN - I suggested an alternative routing IKA-DOH-TUN. This is now booked. This was originally on my booking but I had to reroute through CMN when the direct DOH-TUN flight was labelled Oman Air.

The agent understood what I was trying to do - which makes such a difference. She said it would be put through for ticketing as an involuntary reroute and it would be marked as important. I will keep phoning until it is ticketed.

So after multiple useless calls to Fiji, one call to Cape Town has got me an almost fully booked route and a promise of ticketing. Please, QF, close the Fiji centre. They are embarrassing you.

Right - last piece of the puzzle in place, no thanks to Qantas. I have booked MEL-CMB-DEL with Sri Lankan Airlines, leaving a day earlier, getting into Delhi a day earlier and with a 13 hour connection in Colombo. It is not my ideal choice and I am nervous as hell about whether the flights will operate, but if they do then I am expecting an enjoyable experience.

I am pleased to have been able to delete a pointless overnight in Casablanca en route to Tunis. I have gained a full day in Tunis.

And I am pleased to be flying out of LCY (honestly) as it is more convenient for where I will be staying in Kent even though the service to Milan will be economy in all but name and the connection in Milan is tight.

My learnings from this are that (a) even fully ticketed bookings can evaporate; (b) airlines will ignore requests for reinstatement; and (c) Fiji agents will not pass on any requests for release of QF revenue seats - instead just lying to get you off the line.

 

[yaksha98]

This is my working assumption - once a booked or ticketed non-Qantas flight has been cancelled from the itinerary, if it doesn't go back for award availability it is lost for ever.

has there been any successful reports of reinstatements? :-/

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

has there been any successful reports of reinstatements? :-/

I recently got back a sector from AY. The reinstatement request took about 21 days, and many phone calls and requests for escalation.

 

[spade1686]

I don’t believe it’s absolutely essential to get reward tickets on QR ticketed within 24hrs (although it’s probably preferable). I had mine ticketed close to 48hrs after making a change and the seats held during that time

would be good if we could get a list of the ticketing deadlines across the various OW airlines although it would be nice if the call centre staff knew!

 

[FishFood]

would be good if we could get a list of the ticketing deadlines across the various OW airlines

Would be nice if the bookings automatically ticketed, so we never had to know about all this

 

[Mr H]

I don’t believe it’s absolutely essential to get reward tickets on QR ticketed within 24hrs (although it’s probably preferable). I had mine ticketed close to 48hrs after making a change and the seats held during that time

would be good if we could get a list of the ticketing deadlines across the various OW airlines although it would be nice if the call centre staff knew!

I was told yesterday that each flight has a different ticketing deadline. Some of my QR flights have a ticketing deadline of 8 August - so well beyond the 24 hours. She then told me the ticketing deadlines for some of the other flights on the itinerary. My question, which obviously the agent would not have been able to answer, is - if the ticketing deadlines are visible to QF, why the QF don't they have a system in place to make sure they are ticketed ahead of that deadline?

 

[DC3]

… Some of my QR flights have a ticketing deadline of 8 August - so well beyond the 24 hours …

5 days? I wouldn’t like to see that put to the test.