Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[cambriamarsh]

There's no DFW-SYD J availability (as expected for my dates) however there is availability for DFW-SYD-CGK. Married segments? Tempted to try booking it. Then cancel final sector later/or no show (tagging bags could be a problem).

I've seen LAX SYD CGK but not LAX SYD. We were flying on to AKL so couldn't risk it.

 

[Mr H]

There's no DFW-SYD J availability (as expected for my dates) however there is availability for DFW-SYD-CGK. Married segments? Tempted to try booking it. Then cancel final sector later/or no show (tagging bags could be a problem).

If you have married segments you will not be able to cancel (or even change) one without deleting the other. Sometimes the agents won't even notice and warn you - so you think you have got what you want and later discover you have a hole in your booking.

If you are going to try skip lagging, allow lots of time between flights so your bags can be retrieved. The airline cannot force you to take a flight and will want to offload your bags if you are not on the flight, so it can work. There have been stories of airlines pursuing skip laggers but I think that's when they have done it with revenue flights to pay lower prices. I doubt there would be an issue with award flights beyond wiping the rest of the itinerary for a no-show (which is the outcome you want).

 

[blu]

A health issue could mean missing the final sector. Like going for Covid test?

 

[N860CR]

I’ve managed to book SYD-CGK(QF)-NRT(JL)-HEL-(AY)-CDG(AY) on a J One World Award. Not ideal… but taxes were low ($250ish) and it gets me where I need to be at the right time.

Million dollar question; are qantas going to be able to check me in to Paris from Sydney? They’re not ideal transit stops as I’d need to pay for a visa in Indonesia and wouldn’t be allowed to pass into Japan so it really all needs to be done from SYD.

 

[Mr H]

I’ve managed to book SYD-CGK(QF)-NRT(JL)-HEL-(AY)-CDG(AY) on a J One World Award. Not ideal… but taxes were low ($250ish) and it gets me where I need to be at the right time.

Million dollar question; are qantas going to be able to check me in to Paris from Sydney? They’re not ideal transit stops as I’d need to pay for a visa in Indonesia and wouldn’t be allowed to pass into Japan so it really all needs to be done from SYD.

You can ask for luggage to be checked through and only time will tell whether they say yes (there is no reason for them to say no), but be aware that every connection is an opportunity for your luggage to go astray. Incidentally, most nationalities no longer need a visa for Indonesia.

 

[N860CR]

You can ask for luggage to be checked through and only time will tell whether they say yes (there is no reason for them to say no), but be aware that every connection is an opportunity for your luggage to go astray. Incidentally, most nationalities no longer need a visa for Indonesia.

Unless something has changed in the last few days… as an Australian passport holder, I needed to get a visa on arrival (500k IDR) last week.

I know the baggage is a risk… I may lean towards hand luggage only.

 

[Mr H]

Unless something has changed in the last few days… as an Australian passport holder, I needed to get a visa on arrival (500k IDR) last week.

I stand corrected. Indonesia used to be visa free for Australians pre-Covid - seems like a backward step to reintroduce them.

 

[hocktech]

First time trying to make an OWA booking. Have an existing booking MEL-NRT-FRA in J on JAL for June 2023. Trying to add the next sectors via phone now dates are available. Got told on the phone (after a 45 min wait) we can't make changes to this booking as it's already been ticketed, you need to make a new booking. Don't have enough points to book them separately. I'm assuming Fiji call centre. What is the best time for a bronze to call to get a Hobart or Auckland call centre staff and any tips on what to ask the staff member to get it ticketed?

 

[Mr H]

First time trying to make an OWA booking. Have an existing booking MEL-NRT-FRA in J on JAL for June 2023. Trying to add the next sectors via phone now dates are available. Got told on the phone (after a 45 min wait) we can't make changes to this booking as it's already been ticketed, you need to make a new booking. Don't have enough points to book them separately. I'm assuming Fiji call centre. What is the best time for a bronze to call to get a Hobart or Auckland call centre staff and any tips on what to ask the staff member to get it ticketed?

You will not get Hobart or Auckland. You will just have to keep trying with Fiji agents until you get one who is inclined to help. Your next sectors will have to include an airline that is neither JL nor QF in order to price as aOWA.

 

[motef]

First time trying to make an OWA booking. Have an existing booking MEL-NRT-FRA in J on JAL for June 2023. Trying to add the next sectors via phone now dates are available. Got told on the phone (after a 45 min wait) we can't make changes to this booking as it's already been ticketed, you need to make a new booking. Don't have enough points to book them separately. I'm assuming Fiji call centre. What is the best time for a bronze to call to get a Hobart or Auckland call centre staff and any tips on what to ask the staff member to get it ticketed?

That information is so totally wrong from the call centre. HUACA

 

[Quickstatus]

Is it possible to lock in an award seat while building a OWA itinerary?

By that I mean a progressive booking one sector at a time as the awards become available?

 

[FishFood]

Is it possible to lock in an award seat while building a OWA itinerary?

By that I mean a progressive booking one sector at a time as the awards become available?

You can do this in theory, note that you'll have to call back to add a flight each time and risk being told that you can't add flights to an existing booking.

I started with a one way award flight then added the rest of the flights over the following days with a couple of hours per day on hold.

 

[Quickstatus]

you'll have to call back

So not able to add via multicity tool.

Is the entire OWA itinerary (once it is built) a single PNR?

 

[FishFood]

So not able to add via multicity tool.

Is the entire OWA itinerary (once it is built) a single PNR?

Correct, you won't be able to add any further flights to an existing booking online.

The entire booking needs to be on a single PNR to be eligible for the points cap at the OWA award rate.

 

[Quickstatus]

entire booking needs to be on a single PNR

That makes sense
But how do you get past an agent who says "no can't add to an existing PNR"? - without telling them its for a OWA (which opens a whole new can of worms)

How does the system recognise a booking as a OWA and not just a multisector award booking

 

[ChrisMars]

That makes sense
But how do you get past an agent who says "no can't add to an existing PNR"? - without telling them its for a OWA (which opens a whole new can of worms)

How does the system recognise a booking as a OWA and not just a multisector award booking

The system should calculate the points automatically. As long as you are within the rules (max milleage, ow airlines, stopovers etc...), and cap the points at the owa point cost when reached, and according to the highest cabin booked. Unless you have hobart or auckland on the phone, I would not mention OWA to the agent. Just treat it as a normal award booking.

If you get an agent that can t add flight to a pnr, best is to tell them this is possible, tell them to not modify in any way your booking, and tell them you will try to call back to get an agent that received the training to add award segments to an existing award pnr.

 

[Quickstatus]

add award segments to an existing award pnr

So thats the phrase "I would like to add an award segment/sector to an existing pnr"

I suspect that they will immediately say yes or no. Then HUACA as necessary

But otherwise use the multicity tool as much as possible?.
Is it possible that until the OWA circle is complete, the points needed might initially at least by higher than the OWA cap?

 

[flapper]

First time trying to make an OWA booking. Have an existing booking MEL-NRT-FRA in J on JAL for June 2023. Trying to add the next sectors via phone now dates are available. Got told on the phone (after a 45 min wait) we can't make changes to this booking as it's already been ticketed, you need to make a new booking. Don't have enough points to book them separately. I'm assuming Fiji call centre. What is the best time for a bronze to call to get a Hobart or Auckland call centre staff and any tips on what to ask the staff member to get it ticketed?

The overseas call centres provide incorrect information more often than correct. You may need to call a number of times to find someone who knows how to do it, often 5 or 6 sometimes even more. I ask them if they know how to add an flight to a ticketed rewards booking, if not HUACA, it's not worth the effort arguing with them. You need to check everything they do because they get so much wrong. Look on MMB and CMT that they have added the correct flights as you are talking to them.

 

[Mr H]

The overseas call centres provide incorrect information more often than correct. You may need to call a number of times to find someone who knows how to do it, often 5 or 6 sometimes even more. I ask them if they know how to add an flight to a ticketed rewards booking, if not HUACA, it's not worth the effort arguing with them. You need to check everything they do because they get so much wrong. Look on MMB and CMT that they have added the correct flights as you are talking to them.

I start by saying that I would like to add x number of flights to an existing award booking, and remove y number of flights. That form of words generally gets me to a conversation with the agent looking up my preferred flights. It goes south once they have to calculate costs and get the booking ticketed.

I recommend CMT and never MMB. MMB is not a real time system.

 

[andye]

Just a marginal data point
Had to cancel a 5xY OWA today (mstrsandye3&4 have been selected for NZ rugby tours next Easter). Means we miss out on our Cairo, UK, Canaries, Maldives trip
Anyway couldn't be done online for some reason. Wait time only 15 minutes (as a NB) at 13.00AEST. Answered by Fiji. Easy problem but no issues