Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Mr_Tee]

I’m currently short 20,000 points for a Business RTW booking at the end of the year. My original plan was to have my step father transfer the points to me via Family Transfer, but since his account is less than 3 months old, this isn't possible.


A) Would it be possible to transfer all of my points to his account, and then have him book the RTW trip under both my name and my partner's?
B) Would it be possible to book and lock in half the flights now and the remainder later on

Can you buy some wine through Qantas Wine that has bonus points attached to it to get the 20k points that you need? It's pretty easy to find deals with 20k points attached. The points credit quickly, and you will be on your way booking the flights in no time, with some bonus wine thrown in to drink while you plan it all out.

TBH, I would try to do something this before trying to transfer points to someone else and then have them book a ticket in your name etc - it has problems written all over it.

 

[SydneySwan]

Can you buy some wine through Qantas Wine that has bonus points attached to it to get the 20k points that you need? It's pretty easy to find deals with 20k points attached. The points credit quickly,

How quickly do Qantas Wine points credit?

 

[RB001]

How quickly do Qantas Wine points credit?

YMMV naturally, but mine posted the day after the shipment was sent. Therefore points arrived before wine.

 

[Mr_Tee]

YMMV naturally, but mine posted the day after the shipment was sent. Therefore points arrived before wine.

This is very similar to my experience.

 

[DejaBrew]

YMMV naturally, but mine posted the day after the shipment was sent. Therefore points arrived before wine.

Likewise. There or thereabouts.

 

[Scottt]

Something like this might work:
SYD > HND - 1st stopover
HND > LAX - 2nd stopover
LAX > JFK - 3rd stopover
JFK > CDG - 4th stopover
CDG > ATH - Surface sector
ATH > LON > Asia > SYD
with a 5th stopover somewhere in that last routing

This looks awesome.. Last leg looks like a pain - how would you actually search for it and ensure you arent breaking any rules?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This looks awesome.. Last leg looks like a pain - how would you actually search for it and ensure you arent breaking any rules?

There aren’t many rules for OWAs. Just stick to OW carriers… no EK or JQ. Max five stops. And use great circle mapper to get the distances.

You search sector by sector and piece together the itinerary. If it doesn’t cap at the max points, you know you’ve made an error

 

[elanshin]

There aren’t many rules for OWAs. Just stick to OW carriers… no EK or JQ. Max five stops. And use great circle mapper to get the distances.

You search sector by sector and piece together the itinerary. If it doesn’t cap at the max points, you know you’ve made an error

The rules aren't difficult, but trying to extract the most out of your trip and pushing boundaries often is

 

[Magicturtle8]

I have a plan that takes up 9 trips, but when I try to use a multi-city tool, I get the error #7130. Searching for the error leads to comments in this thread suggesting that it bugs out after 6 trips. I was able to get it working again by deleting the last few trips. My question is, how do people confirm that all their trips will work? I can’t seem to add the 6 trips to the cart and add the remainder after as multicity only leads me to the checkout page.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have a plan that takes up 9 trips, but when I try to use a multi-city tool, I get the error #7130. Searching for the error leads to comments in this thread suggesting that it bugs out after 6 trips. I was able to get it working again by deleting the last few trips. My question is, how do people confirm that all their trips will work? I can’t seem to add the 6 trips to the cart and add the remainder after as multicity only leads me to the checkout page.

Correct… only does 6 trips. It used to error out after 5 some years ago. Glad to see they have it working at 6!

The only way you can do it is to either book the first part on line and call up to complete the legs, or book the whole thing by the call centre.

To make sure it all ‘works’ just do the first however many trips, then test the second batch of trips. And if you have read the rules right, putting them both together should cap the points.

By connecting relevant sets of trips together you make sure that you’re not running foul of any married segment logic that’s being applied.

 

[aversion]

The only way you can do it is to either book the first part on line and call up to complete the legs, or book the whole thing by the call centre.

I just had the pleasure of dealing with the MH reticketing issue when adding flights to an existing booking.
If the booking will contain legs on Malaysia Airlines then doing it in one go with the call centre will likely save you some pain later on.
Aside from that issue, using the call centre to add flights was quite easy, it just involved a lot of being on hold - 45 minutes out of a 60 minute call.

 

[sydney]

On phone - 2 issues with our current rebooking of our lost One World Business award.

1. Has anyone encountered a problem where they cannot price up a ticket with 12 segments? All within the One World award rules.

2. Agent cannot see the 2 x business class seats that both of us can see on our different accounts and computers and that we are even able to book. So cannot add the business seats and added economy seats instead.

Then she needed to remove them anyway to price the ticket because the system can only price the first 10 segments, not the total 12 segments, even though we should be able to book up to 16 segments.

We both spent a long time trying to find new seats, to replace the cancelled tickets, so don't want to lose this one too.

 

[aversion]

This looks awesome.. Last leg looks like a pain - how would you actually search for it and ensure you arent breaking any rules?

Just as MEL_Traveller said.

As for the Greece - Australia flights, you're not constrained to flying out from Athens if you go via London. BA flies to/from quite a few places in Greece.
You may be able to schedule in an overnight transfer in London to get some sleep in a hotel, then fly on to somewhere in asia and use the last stopover to spend some time there. That'll help reduce jetlag and give a bit more flexibility to find availability for the last flight back to Sydney.

 

[sydney]

OK, now she's saying we have to delete 4 flights - down to 8 flights, in order for her to price the ticket. This is out of control. Qantas is a mess!

 

[DC3]

OK, now she's saying we have to delete 4 flights - down to 8 flights, in order for her to price the ticket. This is out of control. Qantas is a mess!

HUACA. Probably talking to the wrong person.

 

[sydney]

Any issues here? Seems to be a problem with the last few legs.

AKL-KUL - Transit
KUL-NRT - Stopover 1
NRT-HEL - Transit
HEL-LHR - Stopover 2
CDG-HEL - Transit
HEL-HKT - Stopover 3
BKK-KUL - Transit
KUL-SYD - Stopover 4
SYD-MEL - Transit
MEL-DPS - Stopover 5
DPS-MEL - Transit
MEL-SYD - End trip

They 'escalated' it and I spoke to another person who didn't know the rules and said I'm not allowed to have a stopover in Sydney if I end the trip in Sydney.
They said I had to delete the last 4 flights. Also tried to tell me that the Helsinki transit is a stopover because it's the next day, even though it is a transit because it is within 24 hours.
They're saying that once I leave the Asia zone, I can't return back to Asia. I understand this is incorrect.

 

[DC3]

They 'escalated' it and I spoke to another person who didn't know the rules and said I'm not allowed to have a stopover in Sydney if I end the trip in Sydney.

From memory, there’s a quirk of the system that lumps NZ as being part of Australia. So, transiting/stop-over in Oz may be a problem, as that would be where “the trip ends” (i.e., returning to the ‘country of origin’). Sounds crazy, I know.

 

[sydney]

From memory, there’s a quirk of the system that lumps NZ as being part of Australia. So, transiting/stop-over in Oz may be a problem, as that would be where “the trip ends” (i.e., returning to the ‘country of origin’). Sounds crazy, I know.

I suspected that so tried to change our itinierary to leave from Nadi to Singapore and do Asia first, but now it won't price for the 318k. Does the online system recognise FJ as One World yet?

So much pain. Been on multiple calls and 5hrs on one call. So many don't know the rules and keep telling me stuff that are wrong. Also told me I should not call as can book the One World award online.

 

[mt1552]

I suspected that so tried to change our itinierary to leave from Nadi to Singapore and do Asia first, but now it won't price for the 318k. Does the online system recognise FJ as One World yet?

So much pain. Been on multiple calls and 5hrs on one call. So many don't know the rules and keep telling me stuff that are wrong. Also told me I should not call as can book the One World award online.

Nope, system does not recognise FJ as a full oneworld member yet.

 

[nickfromeastryde]

From memory, there’s a quirk of the system that lumps NZ as being part of Australia. So, transiting/stop-over in Oz may be a problem, as that would be where “the trip ends” (i.e., returning to the ‘country of origin’). Sounds crazy, I know.

I think Auckland being regarded as part of Australia has been an issue in the past but there are posts on here that suggest competent call centre operators can get around that.

FJ are a full OneWorld member now so should be OK but who knows what updates have been made by Qantas and the wider OW network to ensure they can be included in these trips.

You do seem to have 6 stopovers with the last one SYD being a second stopover in the same city. You have not returned to Auckland so from a system perspective, you have not closed the booking.