Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[flapper]

So I posted a week ago about a Finnair notification about accepting a flight change of 5 minutes (I have not accepted it yet).

It was suggested that I wait until receiving notification from Qantas. No email notification as yet, but when I go into manage my booking there is an alert about looking at the change. But no where to accept the change, just informing me.

Should I just accept the change that Finnair sent through? I don't want to do nothing and have all the flights cancelled.

Definitely don't ignore it. I would call QF and accept the change and ask if it needs to be reticketed. Also check on the RJ website after you accept the the change that it still has a ticket number. As there is a time limit for QF to reticket a booking; there is a time limit for a change to be accepted. I learned the hard way by not accepting a time change and then had a flight drop off a booking.

 

[ellen10]

So I took your advice @flapper and phoned, only waited 15 mins until I spoke to someone. She managed to accept the changes and a new ticket was emailed within a couple of minutes. So very happy with the service.

 

[Hamole]

Trying to add SFO-HND-SYD which used to come up directly if searching SFO-SYD, now it no longer comes up and you can only search SFO-HND and HND-SYD separately. When calling to add both, agents will be able to find one of the flights and add it, but then not the other. Is this a married segment issue? Is there a way to see this online beforehand and know it's not possible to put together (and save wasting time calling)? If I add those two flights to my cart as a test it does let me go ahead, so it's seemingly available for new bookings :/

I have run into this exact issue - I think if you actually trying to go through with the booking online you will get an error.

I booked online with the second flight on the day after to avoid the married segment. Then called and got it changed to the day prior to make it a connecting flight without any issue.

 

[Phoenix-1]

I have run into this exact issue - I think if you actually trying to go through with the booking online you will get an error.

I booked online with the second flight on the day after to avoid the married segment. Then called and got it changed to the day prior to make it a connecting flight without any issue.

That's really clever. Well done. Was this part of an OWCA?

 

[Mr H]

I have run into this exact issue - I think if you actually trying to go through with the booking online you will get an error.

I booked online with the second flight on the day after to avoid the married segment. Then called and got it changed to the day prior to make it a connecting flight without any issue.

Wouldn’t you have saved a change fee to just book the whole thing over the phone rather than doing the online booking first?

 

[Phoenix-1]

Wouldn’t you have saved a change fee to just book the whole thing over the phone rather than doing the online booking first?

Not if the agents tell you they "can't see the seat"

 

[Mr H]

Not if the agents tell you they "can't see the seat"

If the agents couldn't see the seat from the off, then not sure why they would see it when it is a change request.

 

[Hamole]

That's really clever. Well done. Was this part of an OWCA?

Yes was part of a OWCA.

Wouldn’t you have saved a change fee to just book the whole thing over the phone rather than doing the online booking first?

Ideally yes but while the phone agents could always see the Japan Airlines flights, there were other segments they couldn't see that I could when booking online. Hence booking online first then calling to change. Annoying but was better then more hours on the phone trying to convince people the other seats existed.

 

[icecream]

I have run into this exact issue - I think if you actually trying to go through with the booking online you will get an error.

I booked online with the second flight on the day after to avoid the married segment. Then called and got it changed to the day prior to make it a connecting flight without any issue.

I’m unable to do this as I would have already stopped over at HND, so adding the flight a day later would break the OWA rules

 

[elanshin]

Transit time is 24hours so as long as you book both segments at the same time within a 24h transit window, it should be fine.

 

[icecream]

Trying an alternate route and over 30 calls later agents continually tell me there are no business classic rewards on the flight despite online showing availability. Am wondering at what point I have to accept it’s phantom availability? Except when I don’t provide my PNR surprise, they can see business…

On another note how do people force agents to search by flight number? They always ask for departure and arrival locations even when I provide flight number only (insisting they can’t search this way)

Thanks in advance

 

[djkelly69]

Am wondering at what point I have to accept it’s phantom availability? Except when I don’t provide my PNR surprise, they can see business…

It doesn't sound like phantom availability, it just sounds like married/divorced sector logic that the phone agent is unaware of and therefore unable to explain (hence the frequent use of the 'only for new bookings' line).

 

[icecream]

It doesn't sound like phantom availability, it just sounds like married/divorced sector logic that the phone agent is unaware of and therefore unable to explain (hence the frequent use of the 'only for new bookings' line).

Can married/divorced sector logic affect business class only? Some agents cannot see the flight at all, some say there is only economy available, or PE too but never business

 

[elanshin]

On another note how do people force agents to search by flight number? They always ask for departure and arrival locations even when I provide flight number only (insisting they can’t search this way

I've always just given the departure airport, arrival airport (in their airport code) then date then the specific flight.

 

[icecream]

Transit time is 24hours so as long as you book both segments at the same time within a 24h transit window, it should be fine.

Sorry if I am misunderstanding. But I don't think I can use Hamole's method as currently the times are SFO-HND 12:50-17:20, HND-SYD 18:25-6:20. Which the agent can't book. If I try to book HND-SYD for the next day it would be over the 24h transit window and since I would have already stopped at HND it would break the OWA rules

 

[elanshin]

Sorry if I am misunderstanding. But I don't think I can use Hamole's method as currently the times are SFO-HND 12:50-17:20, HND-SYD 18:25-6:20. Which the agent can't book. If I try to book HND-SYD for the next day it would be over the 24h transit window and since I would have already stopped at HND it would break the OWA rules

Perhaps it's not meeting Minimum connection time (65mins connection with your timing) which is why it's not showing?

 

[djkelly69]

Can married/divorced sector logic affect business class only?

Yes - I had the exact same issue with QR when trying to book flights home via DOH as part of my OWA last year.

Back when plebs like me could occasionally reach Hobart, it was explained to me by a helpful and knowledgeable agent as a 'through fare' issue (after a number of O/S call centre agents couldn't articulate what the actual issue was). They advised this is basically when the subject city/airport (usually the airline's home airport - eg. QR/DOH, CX/HKG, JA/HND) doesn't want to release J award seats to just be a transit point for someone's through journey, so they restrict the flights that can be booked together on a transit. Essentially the opposite of a married sector, so sometimes called a divorced sector.

I should note that not all airlines do this. For your SFO-SYD flight for example, FJ through NAN might be an option, and they don't restrict flights in this fashion IME.

Post automatically merged: Dec 5, 2023

Perhaps it's not meeting Minimum connection time (65mins connection with your timing) which is why it's not showing?

Not certain on what MCT is for HND, but I had a 60min transit ticketed as part of my OWA.

 

[icecream]

Perhaps it's not meeting Minimum connection time (65mins connection with your timing) which is why it's not showing?

It definitely meets MCT as it used to be offered 'directly' as SFO-HND-SYD (found by searching SFO-SYD). I have seen another one from somewhere in USA (sorry forgot where)-HND-SYD with only 55 mins connecting time (although PE only)

I should note that not all airlines do this. For your SFO-SYD flight for example, FJ through NAN might be an option, and they don't restrict flights in this fashion IME.

Sadly can't use FJ for OWA

 

[MXEagles]

Thanks largely to the information shared in this community and the wider Australian rewards community, I've successfully booked economy RTW tickets for my partner and I in early 2024. Our main stops are CUN, MSY, DCA, JFK and FCO. I plan to resign from my current role and expect the trip to take about two months.

I wouldn't recommend the process to the average flyer. Being a bronze status frequent flyer, getting this booking across the line required several multi-hour calls to Qantas and hounding support. It also requires a lot of patience to find the available rewards flights that get you where you want to go, and you need to be able to stomach not flying anywhere in a hurry.

I haven't booked an itinerary as complex as this before but it shocks me that Qantas, a company that's main purpose is offering flights, makes it so difficult to book them online. The booking tool seems to max out at 5 flights and additional legs need to be added via an agent, each at an additional points cost. I guess I just thought that, given Qantas promotes this ticket type, they and their agents would be better equipped to handle one.

In terms of positives, I'm fairly happy with the availability of overseas rewards flights, specifically in the US. Europe is a different story, however I did find it easier to route that way rather than back over the Pacific. Plus a week in Rome will be nice I'm sure

 

[MToTheFrame]

I can't for the life of me get a repositioning flight to work in the tool?
I've tried every combination to try match it, anyone have a suggestion please?

The way I read it is:
BNE -> SIN -> HEL -> COP -> HEL -> HKG -> AKL -> LAX -> BNE

Any advice much appreciated, thank you.

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/fly-around-world-using-qantas-oneworld-award/#

"

Another example of a possible Oneworld Classic Flight Reward routing. This trip starts in Brisbane, with 5 stopovers in Singapore, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Auckland and Los Angeles. You could use a positioning flight on a separate ticket to return from Auckland to Brisbane mid-trip, then return later to Auckland to pick up the next flight to Los Angeles."