Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[WilsonM]

I've managed to find suitable reward flights SYD-CMB-LHR and CMB-MEL-CBR, using UL.

They show as available on the Qantas website, but unfortunately they don't seem able to be ticketed online as the website gives up at the payment stage.

Does anyone know if these flights ex-CMB can be ticketed by a call centre agent?

exCMB, they can be ticketed by a call centre agent, but if you're using the multi-city tool i.e. SYD-CMB, then CMB-LHR, then CMB-MEL, the MEL-CBR, the POS is set to Australia for the entire itinerary anyway - you should (in theory) remove any issues of the exCMB.

My guess is that you're either trying to book a UL phantom or that it's blocking MEL-CBR, if its erroring out. But it could also be other things (thanks QF IT...)

 

[elanshin]

exCMB, they can be ticketed by a call centre agent, but if you're using the multi-city tool i.e. SYD-CMB, then CMB-LHR, then CMB-MEL, the MEL-CBR, the POS is set to Australia for the entire itinerary anyway - you should (in theory) remove any issues of the exCMB.

My guess is that you're either trying to book a UL phantom or that it's blocking MEL-CBR, if its erroring out. But it could also be other things (thanks QF IT...)

Just for future reference (as well as for anyone else reading) - you can specify when booking on the phone for AUD pricing. In fact it would make your life significantly easier if you do that.

My hobart agent the other day actually complimented me on that decision when I initially requested for my current trip (ex KUL) as it makes it significantly easier to price, ammend and reticket.

My OWA last year (2024) was done with IDR exCGK and boy was it a massive headache to get someone to price it. Basically only specific teams at HBA / AKL could do it as I understood and it meant every change needs to be sent up to that team or you hope you lucked out and got an agent from that team (not just the call centre itself).

 

[N860CR]

exCMB, they can be ticketed by a call centre agent, but if you're using the multi-city tool i.e. SYD-CMB, then CMB-LHR, then CMB-MEL, the MEL-CBR, the POS is set to Australia for the entire itinerary anyway - you should (in theory) remove any issues of the exCMB.

My guess is that you're either trying to book a UL phantom or that it's blocking MEL-CBR, if its erroring out. But it could also be other things (thanks QF IT...)

UL is showing a lot of availability at the moment which leads me to think it might be phantom. The domestic connection causing dramas seems to be a QF-QF issue.

 

[pyramidforce]

Surprisingly painless experience adding a JL and a MH flight to my booking. Phone call done in 30 minutes with knowledgeable agent (who was probably WFH given the party noise in the background). His taxes calculation was higher than what the website was showing, but honestly I can't complain too much.

I even asked if he could get the flight ticketed right away because of the MH flight. Ticketed in 5 minutes. I like to bash on QF as much as anyone, but this has been a very pleasant experience from my end so far.

One final question (hopefully!) - new e-ticket has two extra numbers on the e-ticket number 081-123456789-XX - the XX doesn't show up on MH/RJ/. But BA MMB has this number. Previous e-ticket didn't have two extra numbers. Can't imagine this is an issue, but just wanted to run it by the brains trust?

 

[RealtimeY]

The XX are conjunctive ticket numbers that appear when you have >4 flights on the booking and are nothing to worry about, so long as you still have the main e-ticket number.

 

[NM]

The XX are conjunctive ticket numbers that appear when you have >4 flights on the booking and are nothing to worry about, so long as you still have the main e-ticket number.

goes back to the fact that paper tickets were always in "books" of 4 segments, so >4 flights/segments meant more than one "book" of paper tickets stapled together to complete the journey. Interesting how some processes hang around long after the technology has moved on.

 

[Warragul]

goes back to the fact that paper tickets were always in "books" of 4 segments, so >4 flights/segments meant more than one "book" of paper tickets stapled together to complete the journey. Interesting how some processes hang around long after the technology has moved on.

The technology has moved on in part. The ticketless systems from Navitaire (there maybe others) for example, The industry hasn't been able to or didn't want to spend the $$ in the large job to remove/ replace ticket numbers from the multiple systems that use them.

The "One Order' initiative by IATA aims to do away with ticket numbers.

 

[Mr H]

The "One Order' initiative by IATA aims to do away with ticket numbers.

This sounds like a gimmick invented by Vince McMahon.

 

[icecream]

hi everyone, if I start by booking 2 legs outside from outside of Australia (e.g. SIN-HEL, HEL-JFK) and then later when the leg leaving Australia releases and I'd like to add that to the start of my itinerary, will I face issue calling and adding that to my itinerary (because of the currency it was charged in is different or something)?

 

[Captain Halliday]

hi everyone, if I start by booking 2 legs outside from outside of Australia (e.g. SIN-HEL, HEL-JFK) and then later when the leg leaving Australia releases and I'd like to add that to the start of my itinerary, will I face issue calling and adding that to my itinerary (because of the currency it was charged in is different or something)?

I can be, but depends if you get an agent who knows what they’re doing.

One way around this is to book a domestic point to point flight at the start of your itinerary. By doing this your trip will price in AUD.

Then when the flight you want becomes available, remove the one that’s not required.

 

[elanshin]

hi everyone, if I start by booking 2 legs outside from outside of Australia (e.g. SIN-HEL, HEL-JFK) and then later when the leg leaving Australia releases and I'd like to add that to the start of my itinerary, will I face issue calling and adding that to my itinerary (because of the currency it was charged in is different or something)?

I can be, but depends if you get an agent who knows what they’re doing.

One way around this is to book a domestic point to point flight at the start of your itinerary. By doing this your trip will price in AUD.

Then when the flight you want becomes available, remove the one that’s not required.

You can request it to be priced in AUD if you call in. If you do it online it will do the currency you're starting the journey in.

In which case you can try the domestic holder flight.

 

[flapper]

Increase in Classic Rewards points needed for flights from 5 August 2025. That means points needed for OWA are going to increase.

 

[icecream]

You can request it to be priced in AUD if you call in. If you do it online it will do the currency you're starting the journey in.

In which case you can try the domestic holder flight.

I can be, but depends if you get an agent who knows what they’re doing.

One way around this is to book a domestic point to point flight at the start of your itinerary. By doing this your trip will price in AUD.

Then when the flight you want becomes available, remove the one that’s not required.

Thank you @Captain Halliday and @elanshin

I'm making a dummy booking online with the domestic holder flight and the taxes are coming up significantly cheaper than when it wasn't included. Does that mean making changes later I should expect a significantly higher tax that will need to be paid?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Thank you @Captain Halliday and @elanshin

I'm making a dummy booking online with the domestic holder flight and the taxes are coming up significantly cheaper than when it wasn't included. Does that mean making changes later I should expect a significantly higher tax that will need to be paid?

Not necessarily. The whole itinerary will be repriced each time you make a change.

 

[icecream]

thank you

 

[KingHuang]

Sorry if this was asked already - if you are a PC member, do you get SC for all legs (e.g. BNE > SYD, SYD > HK) or does it only count as BNE > HK for the the SC on an award flight?

 

[BriarFlyer]

Sorry if this was asked already - if you are a PC member, do you get SC for all legs (e.g. BNE > SYD, SYD > HK) or does it only count as BNE > HK for the the SC on an award flight?

You will get SC on each individual Qantas leg, at the rate quoted for PC/PC+ members.

 

[pye1201]

Given the devaluation of QF points in August, and the fact that I lose my QF platinum status in October, I've been looking at booking a oneworld classic itinerary in business class for myself and my husband. I had hoped to take a positioning flight to Tokyo, fly to the US west coast (YVR, SFO, even LAX) in September, and travel for 6 weeks (husband has Platinum Pro status so hoping to take advantage of that with domestic flights). Then return to Sydney for a long stopover, before flying to London and back in April 2026. Those miles come in at just under 35k. I cannot find ANY classic flight awards in business for either of those legs in August or September (was hoping to book dummy dates for the flights to London). In fact, the QF search tool just takes me back to the original search with an error message, no matter where I start from (HKG, SIN or HND). Has anyone had any luck requesting the release of two business class classic award tickets as a platinum flyer, for such an itinerary? I have had luck getting economy seats released on another flight but wasn't sure if I can apply that to business class tickets on such an itinerary? Is Qantas only releasing classic award business class tickets in random batches now?
Apologies in advance if my questions have been answered elsewhere - I've trawled back but can't find anything that helps me much.

 

[MelbFlyer]

I'd guess as a Platinum member, you should be able to request for CR seat releases for QF1 / QF2 and LAX to SYD, but not for the Japan to U.S. flights.

Is Qantas only releasing classic award business class tickets in random batches now?

I think this is now the case for all QF flights, even economy CR seats.

A simple MEL to SIN search in the multi-city search tool for October only yields JQ seats and in the "normal" booking view, some QF economy CR seats do come up but only as CR+.

I'd suspect that they are releasing CR seats in more frequent but small batches now, with CR+ now being the "default" option in-lieu of mass CR seat releases once or twice a year.

 

[elanshin]

Given the devaluation of QF points in August, and the fact that I lose my QF platinum status in October, I've been looking at booking a oneworld classic itinerary in business class for myself and my husband. I had hoped to take a positioning flight to Tokyo, fly to the US west coast (YVR, SFO, even LAX) in September, and travel for 6 weeks (husband has Platinum Pro status so hoping to take advantage of that with domestic flights). Then return to Sydney for a long stopover, before flying to London and back in April 2026. Those miles come in at just under 35k. I cannot find ANY classic flight awards in business for either of those legs in August or September (was hoping to book dummy dates for the flights to London). In fact, the QF search tool just takes me back to the original search with an error message, no matter where I start from (HKG, SIN or HND). Has anyone had any luck requesting the release of two business class classic award tickets as a platinum flyer, for such an itinerary? I have had luck getting economy seats released on another flight but wasn't sure if I can apply that to business class tickets on such an itinerary? Is Qantas only releasing classic award business class tickets in random batches now?
Apologies in advance if my questions have been answered elsewhere - I've trawled back but can't find anything that helps me much.

So in this case you're looking at

Japan > NA > Aus > Europe (april) > Japan if I'm understanding your itinerary correctly.

So firstly part one Japan > NA.

This will be possibly the hardest one. Japan is one of the hottest destinations for Americans right now so the JP - NA routes are exceptionally full. Your only option atm is also JL or AA atm on the route until HA/FJ becomes available as airlines. No releases possible as it's not a Qantas Route.

You might have better luck exHKG or doing JP > HKG > NA and trying Cathay Pacific.

NA > Australia - try to avoid the September school holidays and you might be able to get some flights released. LAX > SYD on the 380 possibly has the best chances although they're supposed to be switching to the 380 for DFW > SYD later this year too.

If your partner has Platinum 1 then use his account for the release and booking as that has different restrictions.

As for AUS > Europe, you'll find that if you search right now for January 2026, you'll see solid availability out of Hong Kong and Tokyo (Cathay, JAL and Finnair). Also some of the other ports finair flies to like BKK, ICN, PVG etc.

Your best bet is to try for Cathay via hong kong for both product and availability. Do note if you try hong kong of any previous routing rules (only 2 transits and 1 stopover and it can't be your start point).

Trying to rely on Qantas is a bit iffy, but if you do have Platinum 1, then it does open up some more options for routes to and off this rock.