Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[dizz]

Hi Everyone,

I am thinking of doing OneWorld RTW using Qantas FF.

Is it possible to book 3 business class seats (2 adults + 1 child)?

My travel itinerary is flexible.
We can travel any month. Just need 3 weeks before the travel start date to get the leave approved and 25–35 days to complete the trip.
Plan to stopovers
JFK (New York)
LHR (London)
HND(Tokyo) plus
Any one or two stopovers,


Thanks

I managed to pull off similar (with 2A,1C) without status. Booked mid last year for December/Jan.
SYD/SFO/LHR/FRA(-NRT)/HND.
Hardest part will be in and out of Aus. (Plenty of wisdom in this thread about positioning flights if that's an option for you.)
When I was searching: Was loads of availability trans-atlantic. Similar with Europe to Japan. Ended up sucking it up in Economy for the first leg (SYD-SFO). And lucked upon a big CR drop a couple months after the initial booking that bumped HND-SYD into J.
Lots of planning and searching. Maybe like 100+ hours all up between research, searching, and calls.
If you're happy to spend the time and hope for big seat drops, then it's worth it, but you should definitely be prepared to compromise on at least one leg...

 

[SAM_95]

I managed to pull off similar (with 2A,1C) without status. Booked mid last year for December/Jan.
SYD/SFO/LHR/FRA(-NRT)/HND.
Hardest part will be in and out of Aus. (Plenty of wisdom in this thread about positioning flights if that's an option for you.)
When I was searching: Was loads of availability trans-atlantic. Similar with Europe to Japan. Ended up sucking it up in Economy for the first leg (SYD-SFO). And lucked upon a big CR drop a couple months after the initial booking that bumped HND-SYD into J.
Lots of planning and searching. Maybe like 100+ hours all up between research, searching, and calls.
If you're happy to spend the time and hope for big seat drops, then it's worth it, but you should definitely be prepared to compromise on at least one leg...

It's good to hear it might be possible. But I don't want to travel on Qantas Economy for 13 hours due to the small leg space. Maybe we will stop in Asia and then fly to the US from there.

I also read some comments that there is a risk of cancelation if we book mixed classes and later re-book to J class when the seat is available.

 

[HECL]

I feel like I’m having a total mind blank situation here and I’ve confused myself so I am hoping for some clarity please - does the flight home count as a stop? For example
1. SYD>HKG
2. HKG>NRT
3. KIX>AMS (via HEL)
4. FCO>CAI (via AMM)
5. HEL>SYD (via SIN)

I just realised that my trip last year technically had 6 stops but it worked, so I’m scratching my head a bit!
1. SYD>SIN
2. SIN>CDG (via HEL)
3. LHR > MXP
4. MXP > MAD
5. MAD > JFK
6. JFK > DFW (arrived 1750)
7. DFW > SYD (departed the next day 2225 so over 24hrs)

Thank you!

 

[DC3]

I feel like I’m having a total mind blank situation here and I’ve confused myself so I am hoping for some clarity please - does the flight home count as a stop?

After the ‘flight home’ there is no stop. The last flight results in the end of the trip. That is, there is no stop at that point as the itinerary is over..

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I feel like I’m having a total mind blank situation here and I’ve confused myself so I am hoping for some clarity please - does the flight home count as a stop? For example
1. SYD>HKG
2. HKG>NRT
3. KIX>AMS (via HEL)
4. FCO>CAI (via AMM)
5. HEL>SYD (via SIN)

I just realised that my trip last year technically had 6 stops but it worked, so I’m scratching my head a bit!
1. SYD>SIN
2. SIN>CDG (via HEL)
3. LHR > MXP
4. MXP > MAD
5. MAD > JFK
6. JFK > DFW (arrived 1750)
7. DFW > SYD (departed the next day 2225 so over 24hrs)

Thank you!

Did you have a schedule change? The 24+ hours in DFW would otherwise have counted as a stop, making the itinerary invalid. But they can work around the rules in case of schedule changes.

 

[HECL]

Did you have a schedule change? The 24+ hours in DFW would otherwise have counted as a stop, making the itinerary invalid. But they can work around the rules in case of schedule changes.

That is what I thought but there was no schedule change, I think in the end it was human error on Qantas’ end which allowed for the booking to go ahead at 318k. I’ll make sure not to try my luck this time though!

 

[HECL]

OWA experts if you could provide some advice please before I chase Qantas on this.

I booked the first part of my trip online:

1. SYD>HKG (via MEL)
2. HKG>NRT
3. KIX>AMS (via HEL)
Total tax paid pp $394.34

Tonight I booked the second half to complete the trip:

4. BCN>JFK (via HEL)
5. JFK > SYD (via HND)
Taxes according to the website for each fare:
€76.52 ex BCN
US$119.50 ex JFK

However I was charged over AU$1000 pp.
I know that charges are recalculated when you add new bookings to an existing trip but over $1000 each seems high. Is this correct or has something gone wrong?

 

[DC3]

Do you have the revised e-ticket?

 

[HECL]

Do you have the revised e-ticket?

Not yet, I only just got off the phone with them 30mins ago. I did query the charge when she told me the amount but I was too scared to lose the flights and figured I could chase it up later once everything was ticketed! The charge has been processed on my cc though, both of them.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

OWA experts if you could provide some advice please before I chase Qantas on this.

I booked the first part of my trip online:

1. SYD>HKG (via MEL)
2. HKG>NRT
3. KIX>AMS (via HEL)
Total tax paid pp $394.34

Tonight I booked the second half to complete the trip:

4. BCN>JFK (via HEL)
5. JFK > SYD (via HND)
Taxes according to the website for each fare:
€76.52 ex BCN
US$119.50 ex JFK

However I was charged over AU$1000 pp.
I know that taxes are recalculated when you add booking to an existing trip but over $1000 each seems high. Is this correct or has something gone wrong?

When i originally re0ied to you post you mentioned taxes, and i thought maybe fuel surg
charges were additional.

But it seems the prices you have quoted are inclusive of fuel surcharges.

So it’s a bit odd why you have been charged over $1000.

As mentioned above, have a look at the new ticket, there should be a breakdown on that.

Any existing legs you had, if the fuel surcharge has increased, you’ll have to pay the new revised levels, not those that were app.icable when you first ticketed.

 

[HECL]

Noted, thank you! I’ll report back once I have the new ticket (fingers crossed that’s processed properly).

The staff member I spoke with wasn’t experienced with OWA bookings but to her credit she went and spoke with a supervisor who helped put it all through. It was less stressful than I’d imagined and I just hope it all works.

 

[elanshin]

Noted, thank you! I’ll report back once I have the new ticket (fingers crossed that’s processed properly).

The staff member I spoke with wasn’t experienced with OWA bookings but to her credit she went and spoke with a supervisor who helped put it all through. It was less stressful than I’d imagined and I just hope it all works.

Afaik, unless they themselves are a call center that can ticket, they wouldn't be able to see the pricing (both points and taxes).

If they can see the points cost / taxes then they can ticket it is my understanding.

 

[SAM_95]

I booked the first part of my trip online:

1. SYD>HKG (via MEL)
2. HKG>NRT
3. KIX>AMS (via HEL)
Total tax paid pp $394.34

Tonight I booked the second half to complete the trip:

4. BCN>JFK (via HEL)
5. JFK > SYD (via HND)
Taxes according to the website for each fare:
€76.52 ex BCN
US$119.50 ex JFK

Like above:
Someone, please help me how can I book OWA in two phases?

How QF points are deducted?

thanks

 

[HECL]

You will need to call and let them know that you want to add flights to an existing booking with classic rewards flights. If your flights follow all the rules then the system should calculate automatically and cap at the set amount of points.

Then you hope it’s ticketed and taxes are charged correctly. In my case I’m still waiting for the ticket to be reissued so I can see why the new taxes were so high!

 

[DC3]

Someone, please help me how can I book OWA in two phases?

How QF points are deducted?

The attachment to Post # 1 is a good starting point. I book what I can on-line and then contact the Call Centre as the remaining flights become available. Much like many have done, above. Researching availability will help.

 

[Captain Halliday]

OWA experts if you could provide some advice please before I chase Qantas on this.

I booked the first part of my trip online:

1. SYD>HKG (via MEL)
2. HKG>NRT
3. KIX>AMS (via HEL)
Total tax paid pp $394.34

Tonight I booked the second half to complete the trip:

4. BCN>JFK (via HEL)
5. JFK > SYD (via HND)
Taxes according to the website for each fare:
€76.52 ex BCN
US$119.50 ex JFK

However I was charged over AU$1000 pp.
I know that charges are recalculated when you add new bookings to an existing trip but over $1000 each seems high. Is this correct or has something gone wrong?

My instinct is the $394 is a bit low for that routing and $1k seems about right for the overall trip.

If you don’t have an eticket, you could put each sector into ITA and add up the total manually.

 

[HECL]

My instinct is the $394 is a bit low for that routing and $1k seems about right for the overall trip.

If you don’t have an eticket, you could put each sector into ITA and add up the total manually.

$394 was per person but for the first half of the trip only! I booked it online and that’s the charge that was processed.

I’m on the phone now with another agent and she has confirmed that the previous agent processed the charge twice. It should only have been $1117 for 2 pax. Hopefully the refund comes through quickly.

So all up for the entire trip it’s about $950 per person which I think sounds right.

 

[DC3]

In my case I’m still waiting for the ticket to be reissued so I can see why the new taxes were so high!

And as you would’ve already realised, keep monitoring for the re-issue of the e-ticket.

 

[HECL]

And as you would’ve already realised, keep monitoring for the re-issue of the e-ticket.

Yes, staying on top of it! I’ll be a nervous wreck until it’s done.

 

[HECL]

I feel like I should buy a lotto ticket, called this morning to follow up the tickets and got through to the Hobart call centre. I’m only gold so an unexpected but welcome surprise! He confirmed that the second agent I spoke with last night did everything correctly (fixed first agent’s mistakes), but it hadn’t ticketed. He is pushing it through and promised to keep an eye on it today. Feeling relieved but will remain slightly nervous until it’s reissued.

Then I’ll chase the refund!

Update: tickets now reissued but I have been charged a third time so I’ll try and get that sorted next week.