Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[flapper]

QF released lots of J CR flights today to LHR & FCO Jun to Aug. Whilst on hold to change my OWA all seats to LHR & FCO disappeared. By the time I got through I had checked flights from LAX plenty of a availability to end of Sep 2024. I got someone from CT who had no idea. He said he knew how to change a flight. I told him 3 times the QF flight and date. He put me on hold came back after 15 mins and said 'you want LAX to SFO'. No I want a flight to OZ. I told him again. he put me on hold again. By the time he came back after another 15 mins I had got through to someone else on another phone who had already added the flight. If I had missed out on seats because of him I would've been livid.

 

[elanshin]

Changes must be done by adding flights to (or subtracting flights from) an existing PNR. You cannot combine PNRs ever.

You can transit in a city you have previously stopped in. In any city, you are allowed up to one stop plus two transits.

Cheers.

Actually I just realised - I could finish the trip in MEL/SYD instead of AKL assuming I have the miles available still at the end is that right?

 

[cjd600]

and miles for the distance back to point of origin (even if not finishing there)

 

[elanshin]

Just want to check if this is valid.

AKL > (MEL/SYD) > HKG (stopover #1) (QF most likely, hard to find CX direct)
HKG > PVG (stopover #2) (CX)
PVG > SYD (Stopover #3) (QF)
SYD> LAX (maybe stop?) (QF)
LAX > Washington DC (IAD/DCA) (Stopover #4/5) (AA/AS)
JFK> DFW>MEL (AA/AS/QF)

Total Distance according to Great Circle Mapper is 33911 miles (including MEL > AKL end that we won't take).

 

[Captain Halliday]

Just want to check if this is valid.

AKL > (MEL/SYD) > HKG (stopover #1) (QF most likely, hard to find CX direct)
HKG > PVG (stopover #2) (CX)
PVG > SYD (Stopover #3) (QF)
SYD> LAX (maybe stop?) (QF)
LAX > Washington DC (IAD/DCA) (Stopover #4/5) (AA/AS)
JFK> DFW>MEL (AA/AS/QF)

Total Distance according to Great Circle Mapper is 33911 miles (including MEL > AKL end that we won't take).

Technically, yes.

It should be valid, but the problem you may encounter is an IT bug in the QF system which thinks that all the NZ ports are in Australia.

If that bug hasn’t been fixed (and I’ve seen no reports that it has), the system will likely view your SYD-LAX as a second departure from the country of origin, thus breaking the rules.

It’s clearly not a second departure from NZ, but it’s an issue that’s been reported many times in the thread.

 

[elanshin]

Technically, yes.

It should be valid, but the problem you may encounter is an IT bug in the QF system which thinks that all the NZ ports are in Australia.

If that bug hasn’t been fixed (and I’ve seen no reports that it has), the system will likely view your SYD-LAX as a second departure from the country of origin, thus breaking the rules.

It’s clearly not a second departure from NZ, but it’s an issue that’s been reported many times in the thread.

Ah ok thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

Also does it count direct milage distance or actual flown miles? I'm also putting in options to go via EU back but for a carrier like AY, they would currently need to fly very indirect back towards Asia.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Ah ok thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

Also does it count direct milage distance or actual flown miles? I'm also putting in options to go via EU back but for a carrier like AY, they would currently need to fly very indirect back towards Asia.

It’s the point to point miles.

So AY going the long way to avoid Russian airspace won’t affect the calculations.

 

[sarvowinner]

I have just completed my OWA Y booking to Europe starting August 14 2024.
Back in August I booked:
OOL-SYD-HND JL stopover
HND-HEL-RHO (JL, AY)

I had a real problem with the last sector as I kept getting error codes. One rep told me it was an illegal booking. However when I did dummy bookings without the first sectors, I was able to get it to work so after a couple of HUACAs, I found a rep who was able to override the errors and book the flights.

On the weekend I completed the booking starting in September 23rd and arriving in Sydney on October 15.

PSA-LHR (BA)
Surface
CDG-HEL-BKK (AY)
BKK-HND-SYD (JL)

Total taxes for two $930.

When I did the amended booking on the weekend, I tried to start my trip later as there was a direct QF flight SYD-HND that would have allowed me to transfer to the HND-HEL flight with a stopover. I would have then done the Tokyo stopover in October. However, Fiji couldn't get the system to accept the QF flight as a replacement. She was told the QF award flight could only be booked as new booking not added an existing booking. As I was able to get all my other flights added seamlessly, I decided it wasn't worth the angst and the risk of everything falling over. I also wasn't able to add my SYD-OOL final flight as the domestic flights hadn't been released. I think I will just add them as separate booking as they are on 8000 points and I would have a 7,700 point change fee.

 

[ishfrem]

trying to work my head around stopovers

If I flew into madrid from melbourne and made my through surface sectors to Istanbul and flew to London/Helsinki. would that count as 2 stopovers?

Then flew from LHR/HEL to penang/KL for another stop over. fly from penang to jakarta to fly back to melbourne.

would that be within the bounds of the ticket? would that be 3 stopovers meaning I could potentially say fly from madrid to san sebastian and still be within the bounds of the ticket?

 

[sarvowinner]

trying to work my head around stopovers

If I flew into madrid from melbourne and made my through surface sectors to Istanbul and flew to London/Helsinki. would that count as 2 stopovers?

Then flew from LHR/HEL to penang/KL for another stop over. fly from penang to jakarta to fly back to melbourne.

would that be within the bounds of the ticket? would that be 3 stopovers meaning I could potentially say fly from madrid to san sebastian and still be within the bounds of the ticket?

Is this your desired itinerary?
MEL-MAD Stop + Surface
IST-LHR-HEL-KUL-PEN Are you doing any stops with these flights?
STOP
PEN-CGK
STOP
CGK-MEL
How are you planning to fly between MEL & MAD? I don't think IB flies to Australia. You may be able to fly
MEL-LHR-MAD-EAS STOP1
EAS-MAD STOP 2 & Surface
IST-LHR STOP 3
LHR-HEL-KUL STOP 4
KUL-PEN STOP 5
PEN-KUL-MEL

It will be very hard to book IST-LHR-HEL-KUL-PEN without a stopover. I also think you will have to transit through KUL on the PEN-CGK route.

 

[PointsTraveller!]

Anyone know if a 1 minute time change needs to be re-ticketed to show correct time after accepting the change?

I’ve called twice and asked them to reissue with no success.

 

[ishfrem]

Betwe

Is this your desired itinerary?
MEL-MAD Stop + Surface
IST-LHR-HEL-KUL-PEN Are you doing any stops with these flights?
STOP
PEN-CGK
STOP
CGK-MEL
How are you planning to fly between MEL & MAD? I don't think IB flies to Australia. You may be able to fly
MEL-LHR-MAD-EAS STOP1
EAS-MAD STOP 2 & Surface
IST-LHR STOP 3
LHR-HEL-KUL STOP 4
KUL-PEN STOP 5
PEN-KUL-MEL

It will be very hard to book IST-LHR-HEL-KUL-PEN without a stopover. I also think you will have to transit through KUL on the PEN-CGK

I got most of it working. But just need to fly using velocity points between Europe and Penang since Malaysia Airlines is so hard to find anything with.

The site basically lets me do the itinerary I wanted however EAS doesn't show up as an option on the search. Would I need to book through an agent in that situation?

 

[funnybrus]

Finally got a SYD-SCL sector with the most recent releases, after multiple platinum requests over the past year. If anyone is waiting for similar it's worth having a look now!

 

[flapper]

Anyone know if a 1 minute time change needs to be re-ticketed to show correct time after accepting the change?

I’ve called twice and asked them to reissue with no success.

Go to MMB on RJ website or app and see if there is still a ticket number attached to the booking.

 

[Warragul]

Anyone know if a 1 minute time change needs to be re-ticketed to show correct time after accepting the change?

I’ve called twice and asked them to reissue with no success.

Mostly not.

 

[PaulyB]

Hello. Currently in the middle of an OWA award (so far so good!) However, I'd appreciate some advice...

We are in FRA flying to NRT in J with JAL tomorrow. Just had the 24 notification that I should be able to check in but JAL is not letting me do it online. The system says we have to do it at the counter. They have all the booking details and it all looks fine but I wanted to ask whether this was normal? I am pretty sure I have been able to check in online with other airlines.

Edited to add - the attached image is one of the check-in steps.

Any input is appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[sarvowinner]

Hello. Currently in the middle of an OWA award (so far so good!) However, I'd appreciate some advice...

We are in FRA flying to NRT in J with JAL tomorrow. Just had the 24 notification that I should be able to check in but JAL is not letting me do it online. The system says we have to do it at the counter. They have all the booking details and it all looks fine but I wanted to ask whether this was normal? I am pretty sure I have been able to check in online with other airlines.

Edited to add - the attached image is one of the check-in steps.

Any input is appreciated.
Thanks!

I wasn’t able to do online check in on my non-QF flights on my recent OWA including AA, JL, MH & BA flights.

 

[Warragul]

Hello. Currently in the middle of an OWA award (so far so good!) However, I'd appreciate some advice...

We are in FRA flying to NRT in J with JAL tomorrow. Just had the 24 notification that I should be able to check in but JAL is not letting me do it online. The system says we have to do it at the counter. They have all the booking details and it all looks fine but I wanted to ask whether this was normal? I am pretty sure I have been able to check in online with other airlines.

Edited to add - the attached image is one of the check-in steps.

Any input is appreciated.
Thanks!

Can't help with the online check in question but I took that flight in J on a OWA about 3 weeks ago and 'manual' check in and line up took around 5 minutes with baggage so not a lot of time lost there. Security though took around 30 minutes. It wasn't open when we arrived at the lounge (the lounge is after passport control but before security), announcements were made in the lounge about lining up at security a bit earlier once it opened. Other flights were leaving through that area at the same time so it was crowded. There is no priority queue for J class etc (oh the humanity ).

 

[ozflier]

The discussion here made me think about a future booking where I am not sure whether to go via a OWA with the usual rules or use airlines which have seats available on QFF ie not subject to a max 318,000 points .

Can someone remind me how Qantas points required are calculated for flights – let's say the flights are BNE-SYD-SIN-LHR-HEL

• By the individual sector
• By each flight number ( I know that one of the SYD-LHR options uses the same flight number)
• By the distance travelled from origin to the first stopover
• Distance used by QFF is that found on the Great Circle Mapper not the actual flight distance.

 

[Lynda2475]

I wasn’t able to do online check in on my non-QF flights on my recent OWA including AA, JL, MH & BA flights

Were you trying to check in via Qantas app/website? You need to do OLCI via the operating carriers website.

On my OWA this year I was able to checkin online for BA, AA and AY flights via the BA, AA and AY websites no issue but still went to the desk at airport to get physical boarding passes and check luggage.