Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Mr H]

I have married segments SIN-KUL KUL-CDG on Malaysian Airlines. Unfortunately the first flight has absolutely horrible on-time performance and there is a >50% chance I will miss my flight to CDG.

If, as I expect, I can't change the first leg through Qantas, is it possible to try and fly-ahead on the day with MH? They have multiple earlier flights. If I do that, will it void or cause problems with my remaining legs? And if I do miss the CDG flight, will that cancel the rest of my OWA ticket even if MH re-routes me as they should?

I doubt you’d be allowed to fly ahead and if you did, it could well void your remaining itinerary. If you take the scheduled flight and miss the connection then MH has to make alternative arrangements. There is a risk this would void the OWA so you should try to call QF asap to try to save it.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have married segments SIN-KUL KUL-CDG on Malaysian Airlines. Unfortunately the first flight has absolutely horrible on-time performance and there is a >50% chance I will miss my flight to CDG.

If, as I expect, I can't change the first leg through Qantas, is it possible to try and fly-ahead on the day with MH? They have multiple earlier flights. If I do that, will it void or cause problems with my remaining legs? And if I do miss the CDG flight, will that cancel the rest of my OWA ticket even if MH re-routes me as they should?

You can try and fly ahead… staff at the airport have greater power to make changes on the day of travel. Airpines can however be reluctant to do that for a number of reasons.

However, if they do let you fly forward, there is a risk they might not reticket correctly. Same as if you miss the connection… while you will be accommodated on the next available service to Paris, there can be issues with reissuing the ticket.

If you have been rerouted or miss a connection, call Qantas as soon as you get to Paris and ask them to check the ticket is still in tact. Don’t rely on what’s said in Manage Booking. Call qantas and ask them to check and confirm.

 

[J-P]

Thank you both, I was wrong and Qantas did happily make the change to an earlier SIN-KUL flight without losing the CDG leg Definitely didn't want to risk the consequences of screwing the rest of the ticket up.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thank you both, I was wrong and Qantas did happily make the change to an earlier SIN-KUL flight without losing the CDG leg Definitely didn't want to risk the consequences of screwing the rest of the ticket up.

Just check you have a new ticket number, or that the current e-ticket has been reissued properly. MH is one of those airlines that will cancel if not ticketed in time.

 

[J-P]

Just check you have a new ticket number, or that the current e-ticket has been reissued properly. MH is one of those airlines that will cancel if not ticketed in time.

Very useful reminder for everyone Yes I did initially not get it, but followed up and they re-issued

 

[mini2]

Hi all, I've just made a rewards flight booking on QF metal, so far I haven't received the ticket. I thought it must be an empty APIS issue, so I've filled that in with my DOB and nationality. No dice. It's been more than an hour, should I panic?

I've flicked an email to rewardticketingescalations email address.

 

[DC3]

Very useful reminder for everyone Yes I did initially not get it, but followed up and they re-issued

So, you have received the updated e-ticket. That’s the main thingy.

 

[DC3]

Hi all, I've just made a rewards flight booking on QF metal, so far I haven't received the ticket. I thought it must be an empty APIS issue, so I've filled that in with my DOB and nationality. No dice. It's been more than an hour, should I panic?

With QF metal there’s not really a risk involved. It can be risk when non-QF metal is in the mix.

 

[elanshin]

Hi all, I've just made a rewards flight booking on QF metal, so far I haven't received the ticket. I thought it must be an empty APIS issue, so I've filled that in with my DOB and nationality. No dice. It's been more than an hour, should I panic?

I've flicked an email to rewardticketingescalations email address.

Wrong thread, but if it's on QF metal, not too much to worry about. They can after all control their own inventory and open things up if they mess up. If you're really concerned, you can always give them a call and they can sort it out pretty quickly.

I know you've already emailed that specific email, but I would restrain from it in the future if its a delay on QF's own plane's e-ticket being issued. It's like calling 000 and clogging the lines up with a low urgency issue. There are much more pressing awards that go missing and when you really need it (for a partner airline), you'd hope the team can get to yours asap.

 

[mini2]

Wrong thread, but if it's on QF metal, not too much to worry about. They can after all control their own inventory and open things up if they mess up. If you're really concerned, you can always give them a call and they can sort it out pretty quickly.

I know you've already emailed that specific email, but I would restrain from it in the future if its a delay on QF's own plane's e-ticket being issued. It's like calling 000 and clogging the lines up with a low urgency issue. There are much more pressing awards that go missing and when you really need it (for a partner airline), you'd hope the team can get to yours asap.

I got a little panicky, it wasn't without reason - the last couple of redemption on partner's metal has a problem rate of 100%, and the seat I've managed to grab didn't appear on any of the apps, but it's all good now. I did get a fairly blunt email from QF advising against using that email address again for QF metal, and they had to do something to get that ticket issued.

For datapoint - they sent me the email around 7 pm, and the ticket was issued at 8 pm.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I got a little panicky, it wasn't without reason - the last couple of redemption on partner's metal has a problem rate of 100%, and the seat I've managed to grab didn't appear on any of the apps, but it's all good now. I did get a fairly blunt email from QF advising against using that email address again for QF metal, and they had to do something to get that ticket issued.

For datapoint - they sent me the email around 7 pm, and the ticket was issued at 8 pm.

Fair enough. But as mentioned above, seats on qantas flights are never a problem.

If there’s any issue they just create an award seat for you and fix the problem.

Partners don’t always to the same and can’t be forced to create seats, even if Qantas ticketing messes up.

So partner flights always a good idea to follow up. Qantas (or Jetstar) you can relax.

 

[Aeryn]

So I cancelled my OWA J online yesterday as I knew I couldn't fly it and couldn't find suitable alternatives within the 12 month window from the original booking.

It was weird that no cancellation email was sent (and no 2FA requested), so I was panicking for a bit, but the points landed back in my account less the 6k cancellation fee 90 mins later. Now the wait for the $925 in taxes to hit my Amex.

I did call and see if a time change on JAL flight would allow me to cancel for free but no luck, and agent said points arrive back quicker if I cancel online than via call centre so that is what I did.

Now need to start locking in some dates for an OWA in 2027 so I can jump on seats when they are releases (or request they release QF seats early).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So I cancelled my OWA J online yesterday as I knew I couldn't fly it and couldn't find suitable alternatives within the 12 month window from the original booking.

It was weird that no cancellation email was sent (and no 2FA requested), so I was panicking for a bit, but the points landed back in my account less the 6k cancellation fee 90 mins later. Now the wait for the $925 in taxes to hit my Amex.

I did call and see if a time change on JAL flight would allow me to cancel for free but no luck, and agent said points arrive back quicker if I cancel online than via call centre so that is what I did.

Now need to start locking in some dates for an OWA in 2027 so I can jump on seats when they are releases (or request they release QF seats early).

Same with me. Cancelled flight from AU to Europe at T-24 and 10 mins! So cutting it fine. No real acknowledgement so I took screenshots. Only way to really see was that MMB had ‘no flights’ listed.

Got an email a few hours later to say the booking was cancelled. Points back pretty quick and $$ back on to credit card 48 hours later.

 

[Aeryn]

Same with me. Cancelled flight from AU to Europe at T-24 and 10 mins! So cutting it fine. No real acknowledgement so I took screenshots. Only way to really see was that MMB had ‘no flights’ listed.

Got an email a few hours later to say the booking was cancelled. Points back pretty quick and $$ back on to credit card 48 hours later.

So refund email came through about 2 hours ago ~30 hours after I cancelled, but logging into Amex I dont see any credit for the taxes/fees yet.

 

[Mr H]

So refund email came through about 2 hours ago ~30 hours after I cancelled, but logging into Amex I dont see any credit for the taxes/fees yet.

Credit card refunds take a day or two to show up after they have been paid.

 

[Aeryn]

Credit card refunds take a day or two to show up after they have been paid.

Good to know but with refunds from other businesses usually show as pending right away. Not desperate for the $ so can wait, feel better now that I have some email proof of the transaction.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Credit card refunds take a day or two to show up after they have been paid.

They don’t process payments over the weekend? So payments can hit accounts Saturday morning (from Friday night) or then Tuesday (from Monday night)?

 

[xxC_M_Mxx2026]

Hi all!

I am almost at the end of being able to successfully book my full OW Classic Reward and take off soon!
(thanks to all the help of so many of you on this forum)

I so far have managed:

Per>Guangzhou via KL
HK > Tokyo
Tokyo > San Fransisco
Santiago > London via Madrid

I want to book a final leg where I travel from Europe back to Australia.

However, I just want some confirmation before I mess up via the call centre due to past experiences.

Am I right to assume that I HAVE to do a flight from London to Perth (if I'm lucky) or London to HK or London to KL to qualify?

I am assuming I would have too many legs IF I were to find a flight (e.g. Amsterdam to Perth)

Thank you once again and hopefully this will be my last post before my departure!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi all!

I am almost at the end of being able to successfully book my full OW Classic Reward and take off soon!
(thanks to all the help of so many of you on this forum)

I so far have managed:

Per>Guangzhou via KL
HK > Tokyo
Tokyo > San Fransisco
Santiago > London via Madrid

I want to book a final leg where I travel from Europe back to Australia.

However, I just want some confirmation before I mess up via the call centre due to past experiences.

Am I right to assume that I HAVE to do a flight from London to Perth (if I'm lucky) or London to HK or London to KL to qualify?

I am assuming I would have too many legs IF I were to find a flight (e.g. Amsterdam to Perth)

Thank you once again and hopefully this will be my last post before my departure!

Your OWA can finish anywhere… but the mileage to the point of origin is included in the calculations.

You could finish your travels in London, but the LHR-PER distance (straight line) needs to be included and under the cap.

You seem to have plenty of flights left. You could also include CAN-HKG on your ticket for example (on CX… it’s so short that it’s kind of ‘fun’!), and you can include side trips to or from Europe, or SFO-SCL (looks like you still have one stopover left?)

 

[xxC_M_Mxx2026]

Your OWA can finish anywhere… but the mileage to the point of origin is included in the calculations.

You could finish your travels in London, but the LHR-PER distance (straight line) needs to be included and under the cap.

You seem to have plenty of flights left. You could also include CAN-HKG on your ticket for example (on CX… it’s so short that it’s kind of ‘fun’!), and you can include side trips to or from Europe, or SFO-SCL (looks like you still have one stopover left?)

Hi ! Thank you for your quick response

Would you suggest that if I were to keep my same itinerary, my next step (given I want to return to Perth) can be anywhere in Europe to Perth?

And if I can’t find that I could do for example Europe to Asia anywhere and it would still fall within the rules?

I think realistically I could find a Europe to HK or Europe to KL flight