Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[ellen10]

Thanks @FlyingFiona for your information and link. And @cjd600 for your personal experience.
@SydneySwan our JL47 Business flight is late April (I have never flown JL before). Nor have I been to Helsinki airport. Your transit time is a bit better.

I was dreading this email as the winter schedule did not even fly the JL47 on our date. But they must have updated the summer schedule. I last did an OWA back in 2019 and I can't remember worrying about it once the flights were all added and ticketed. But these days with all the flight changes (we have had 3 so far) and worrying if flights my drop off, before ticketing. It has been a more stressful experience.

A bit disappointed that we won't have time to visit the Business lounge in Helsinki, but that is minor. Getting there is the priority!

 

[ellen10]

@SydneySwan did you just accept your changes online or phone?

 

[Mr H]

A bit disappointed that we won't have time to visit the Business lounge in Helsinki, but that is minor.

The only time I have transited through Vantaa the queue for the Schengen business lounge was a mile long.

 

[SydneySwan]

@SydneySwan did you just accept your changes online or phone?

Accepted by email. My booking is a paid booking made via Mrs SS work travel agent as I am accompanying Mrs SS on a business trip.

 

[sarvowinner]

I have just received a change to my flights from Tokyo Haneda JL47 to Helsinki.( I was expecting this because of the no flying over Russia)

However I now only have a 1hr 10min transit time for my flight AY1255 Helsinki to Budapest. Should I be worried? is this enough transit time?

I have not accepted these changes yet. Should I phone? I'm only Bronze so concerned about messing the whole itinerary .

I just received the same change to JL47 which meant we can’t make our connection to Rhode (it was 50 minutes now 10 minutes). Just got off the phone with Qantas and they have made an involuntary change to the next day which is 24 hr 10 min later but they aren’t counting it as a stopover.

 

[ozflier]

I have just received a change to my flights from Tokyo Haneda JL47 to Helsinki.( I was expecting this because of the no flying over Russia)

However I now only have a 1hr 10min transit time for my flight AY1255 Helsinki to Budapest. Should I be worried? is this enough transit time?

I have not accepted these changes yet. Should I phone? I'm only Bronze so concerned about messing the whole itinerary .

I have found Helsinki a very efficient airport and under normal circumstances, it would be ok .
I don't think baggage transfer is a big problem.
There is only one flight per day HEL-BUD so not much flexibility.
One option to request ahead
overnight at AY expense in HEL and take the next days direct flight.
one stop connection HEL-LHR-BUD on combinations of AY/BA - will still require an overnight stay somewhere.
or take your chances, accept the change and rely on the airlines to get you on your way if things go pear-shaped- they should as you have a thru ticket.
I suspect that EU 261 compensation would not be applicable because the incoming flight is not from an EU origin and JL is not a EU carrier.
Sorry to be longwinded - my decision would be made easier if i would be in Budapest for a few days so bags could catch if they did not arrive with me.
If it was me , and the HEL connection was a legal one , I would take it.

 

[ellen10]

I just received the same change to JL47 which meant we can’t make our connection to Rhode (it was 50 minutes now 10 minutes). Just got off the phone with Qantas and they have made an involuntary change to the next day which is 24 hr 10 min later but they aren’t counting it as a stopover.

I have just realised I cannot accept the changes online, no option, so I will have to phone them.

Yes the JL47 flights have been lengthened by about 3.5 hours and leave earlier.

 

[ellen10]

I have found Helsinki a very efficient airport and under normal circumstances, it would be ok .
I don't think baggage transfer is a big problem.
There is only one flight per day HEL-BUD so not much flexibility.
One option to request ahead
overnight at AY expense in HEL and take the next days direct flight.
one stop connection HEL-LHR-BUD on combinations of AY/BA - will still require an overnight stay somewhere.
or take your chances, accept the change and rely on the airlines to get you on your way if things go pear-shaped- they should as you have a thru ticket.
I suspect that EU 261 compensation would not be applicable because the incoming flight is not from an EU origin and JL is not a EU carrier.
Sorry to be longwinded - my decision would be made easier if i would be in Budapest for a few days so bags could catch if they did not arrive with me.
If it was me , and the HEL connection was a legal one , I would take it.

Thanks @ozflier for your very informative response and suggestions.

We would like to get to Budapest that same afternoon if possible, as the next afternoon we join a river cruise (but not until the afternoon and it does stay that first night in Budapest).

I think I am going to phone them and accept the changes and hope for the best of on time flights.

There must be a few AFF members on JL47 flights affected. Our return JL42 flight London to Tokyo has been changed as well, but should still give us enough transit time to connect to JL37 to Singapore,

 

[ellen10]

So I spoke to a nice lady in the Manilla office.
She rechecked all the changes and confirmed transit times were all acceptable. She was very thorough and talked to me as she was checking these changes.

All changes are reflected in "manage my bookings". I asked her to send through an updated eticket, which she did straight away. However the email is more a copy of the Amadeus (?) worded itinerary, all correct but not in the regular eticket format. Is this ok? when I go into manage my booking and select email my itinerary it is the old eticket printout which I got previously before the changes.

Hoping this is all ok

 

[timmytime]

Wondering if anyone knows the time that Japan Airlines and Finnair flights are added daily? As I have been following a few of them and seeing that there are new rewards every day, just unsure if there is a specific time they are added (e.g. midnight AEST)

 

[BriarFlyer]

Wondering if anyone knows the time that Japan Airlines and Finnair flights are added daily? As I have been following a few of them and seeing that there are new rewards every day, just unsure if there is a specific time they are added (e.g. midnight AEST)

11am AEST.

 

[BriarFlyer]

Hi all - I'm searching for 4 J seats each leg to make a OWA and occasionally see an option like the one pictured below, but when I click continue it turns out to be economy only. This is happening a lot. Anyone else experience this and is there a fix?

Also - if I had a family member who is gold or platinum, could I transfer my points to them, find seats and book a OWA on their account (for 4 people) if they're not flying?

4 x J seats will be difficult, depending on your itinerary and the airlines that fly these routes. And, yes, you could book through a family member with gold/platinum and that should open up more options on the Qantas flights in/out of Australia at an earlier date.

 

[Warragul]

11am AEST.

10am once daylight savings ends (12 midnight UTC).

 

[timmytime]

10am once daylight savings ends (12 midnight UTC).

Thank you all! Fingers crossed to find some seats then

 

[hnoogie]

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this has been answered previously. Is there a way for me to merge multiple non-OWA flights and create a new PNR from scratch that is a OWA?

I have 2 JAL flights in March 2024, and 1more JAL flight in December 2024. That is 3 bookings with a separate PNR. I will add in BA or Finnair to meet the criteria for OWA (using two or more oneworld carriers other than Qantas).

One of the dozen or so operators I spoke with did indeed say that they can merge the bookings, the rest of the operators said they cannot and suggested that they can only add on flights to existing OWA bookings.

I have realised that after reading this forum and multiple calls to the contact centre that the operators are unable to merge the bookings, but I was wondering what is the best way for me to proceed from here? Considering that I have only booked 3 JAL flights, would it impact on my ability to convert the flights into an OWA?

I would prefer to not cancel my existing flights and leave it in the hands of the incompetent operators to re-book my flights.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this has been answered previously. Is there a way for me to merge multiple non-OWA flights and create a new PNR from scratch that is a OWA?

I have 2 JAL flights in March 2024, and 1more JAL flight in December 2024. That is 3 bookings with a separate PNR. I will add in BA or Finnair to meet the criteria for OWA (using two or more oneworld carriers other than Qantas).

One of the dozen or so operators I spoke with did indeed say that they can merge the bookings, the rest of the operators said they cannot and suggested that they can only add on flights to existing OWA bookings.

I have realised that after reading this forum and multiple calls to the contact centre that the operators are unable to merge the bookings, but I was wondering what is the best way for me to proceed from here? Considering that I have only booked 3 JAL flights, would it impact on my ability to convert the flights into an OWA?

I would prefer to not cancel my existing flights and leave it in the hands of the incompetent operators to re-book my flights.

Thanks in advance.

You cannot merge separate PNRs into a OWA. You start with one booking (which may contain more than one flight) and then add to that booking/PNR by phoning the call centre and amending your existing booking.

You will have to cancel two of your bookings and phone the call centre to add flights to the remaining booking/PNR. There is no guarantee that the seats you cancel will go back into award inventory and be available for you to add to your remaining booking. Look for availability on desired flights before you cancel your booking(s) and cancel the ones where you can see alternative options.

 

[Phoenix-1]

The only time I have transited through Vantaa the queue for the Schengen business lounge was a mile long.

Counterpoint to this: no line at all both times I've transited through HEL

Edit: Nevermind, I was thinking of the Non-schengen lounge.

 

[MelbFlyer]

A bit disappointed that we won't have time to visit the Business lounge in Helsinki, but that is minor.

You're not missing out on much tbh, the Finnair business lounge within the Schengen area at Helsinki Airport is very average with limited food options and cramped seating.

The only time I have transited through Vantaa the queue for the Schengen business lounge was a mile long.

I was there around 2 months ago between 6-7am local time and by the time I left, the line was all the way up / down the stairs.

 

[firede]

Just finalised my first oneworld award booking (in J) ever and overall okish happy with the experience. Was not able to book online and called the general hotline and received an agent where I was not sure about the skill level, but she just entered the flights/flight numbers exactly as I told her and I didn't really have to discuss anything with her.

I had issues with my first flight as I intended to fly MEX-DFW-LAX and then LAX-SYD the next day, but within 24 hours so it doesn't trigger a stopover. Despite availability on the multi-city search for MEX-DFW-LAX she said there was no availability (an alternative start from SJD was also not available despite showing availability on the search - she may have been right as the flight does not show up today anymore). I ended up finding MZT-PHX-LAX (in Economy, but short flights so I don't mind too much) while on the phone and she was able to book that.

So, that now leaves me with the following itinerary starting in February:

MZT-PHX-LAX (economy) (AA) - transit
LAX-SYD (QF) - stopover
BNE-PER (QF) - stopover
PER-BNE (QF) - stopover
BNE-LAX (QF) - stopover
SEA-HEL-MUC (AY) - stopover
MUC-LHR-MEX (BA)

I called yesterday and have received the ticket today for a total of 318k points and 1.8k AUD. Quite Australia heavy, but it works perfect for my travel plans as I will come from visiting South America over this summer.

I have two questions:
- I fly MZT-PHX-LAX (AA/economy) and arrive in LAX at 10pm and fly LAX-SYD (QF/J) the following day at 8pm. Will I have lounge access in PHX given that I have no status?

- It seems like I may have mucked up by booking MUC-LHR-MEX with the high fees from BA. I will monitor to see if I can change to MUC-MAD-MEX (on IB) or are there any other ideas on how to save on fees? I don't have to start from MUC and can reposition as I'll be travelling in Europe anyway.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[markyb]

4 x J seats will be difficult, depending on your itinerary and the airlines that fly these routes. And, yes, you could book through a family member with gold/platinum and that should open up more options on the Qantas flights in/out of Australia at an earlier date.

So does gold/platinum not make a difference for other Oneworld airlines on flights outside Australia? Turns out the family member is gold - but I also wonder about implications when/if needing to call to finish or amend the OWA they'd want to talk to said family member, not me.