280K RTW trip 2018 how soon can I find reward seats

[camabu]

Hi there,

Finally the time has come! I have enough points to go around the world business class! All those tips from AFF, credit card applications, making purchases for the sake of bonus points and linking everything I possibly can to gain QFF points will soon pay off!

I'm just after some info on what are my chances of booking reward seats next year? I'd like to go in March but I know they say to book reward seats almost 1 year in advance - I am travelling solo and completely flexible with dates... but don't want to wait a year if I can avoid it

Any thoughts for the following?

ADL --> DEL (2 weeks - India) --> JNB (2 weeks - South Africa) --> BCN / MAD (2 weeks Spain) --> HAV (1 week cuba) --> BOG (Colombia - 10 months) --> ADL

I will definately be utilising the frequent flyer solutions to help me out here. Just want some thoughts before I go ahead

Looking forward to some responses

 

[rock86]

Hi there,

Finally the time has come! I have enough points to go around the world business class! All those tips from AFF, credit card applications, making purchases for the sake of bonus points and linking everything I possibly can to gain QFF points will soon pay off!

I'm just after some info on what are my chances of booking reward seats next year? I'd like to go in March but I know they say to book reward seats almost 1 year in advance - I am travelling solo and completely flexible with dates... but don't want to wait a year if I can avoid it

Any thoughts for the following?

ADL --> DEL (2 weeks - India) --> JNB (2 weeks - South Africa) --> BCN / MAD (2 weeks Spain) --> HAV (1 week cuba) --> BOG (Colombia - 10 months) --> ADL

I will definately be utilising the frequent flyer solutions to help me out here. Just want some thoughts before I go ahead

Looking forward to some responses

Have you had a look around your dates with the multi-city tooal? Or worked out possible routings?

 

[camabu]

Have you had a look around your dates with the multi-city tooal? Or worked out possible routings?

Yes I have had a look but had so many variations. But it turns out I cant get to Havana, Cuba from Spain so I change that to San Andres Islands, Colombia. Always wanted to go there anyway. Im completely flexible with countries in Central America but was hoping to get a cheaper destination.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Given it's one person and if you are prepared to be flexible re dates and locations you travel to, then your changes for a March 2017 booking are fair.

 

[rock86]

Use this interactive map, it gives you routings for all OW airlines Where we fly - oneworld, multi destination flights

 

[camabu]

Hmm looks like there are a couple of issues with the one world explorer:
-Unable to look at flights past Oct 2018 but I would want to return March 2019
-Flights from Bogota seem to only go back to Adl via Doha or Hong Kong which is strange because LAN definately fly back to Australia via Santiago Chile (I see Lan has now changed to Latam airlines) but those routes still exist

Not sure whats going on here

 

[rock86]

Hmm looks like there are a couple of issues with the one world explorer:
-Unable to look at flights past Oct 2018 but I would want to return March 2019
-Flights from Bogota seem to only go back to Adl via Doha or Hong Kong which is strange because LAN definately fly back to Australia via Santiago Chile (I see Lan has now changed to Latam airlines) but those routes still exist

Not sure whats going on here

- You'll only be able to book between 330 dyas to 355 days, depedning on airlines.
- Yes, LAN do fly to Oz through SCL to MEL/SYD. So you'll have to search from BOG to MEL/SYD & then again onto ADL

 

[Eija]

Oneworld award seats are released at different times:

AA 330 days out
JL 330
MH 330
LA 331
QF 353
BA 354
CX 360
AY 361
QR 361
UL 361
IB 361
RJ 362

...at least that is what it was last time I looked.

 

[madrooster]

Oneworld award seats are released at different times:

<snip>

...at least that is what it was last time I looked.

Full list (S7 is missing):

QF seats released until: 2018-10-26 (353 days)
CX seats released until: 2018-11-02 (360 days)
BA seats released until: 2018-10-27 (354 days)
AA seats released until: 2018-10-03 (330 days)
QR seats released until: 2018-11-03 (361 days)
JL seats released until: 2018-10-03 (330 days)
IB seats released until: 2018-11-03 (361 days)
MH seats released until: 2018-10-27 (354 days)
RJ seats released until: 2018-11-04 (362 days)
AY seats released until: 2018-11-03 (361 days)
LA seats released until: 2018-10-03 (330 days)
JJ seats released until: 2018-10-04 (331 days)
UL seats released until: 2018-11-03 (361 days)

 

[Eija]

Thank you madrooster

 

[JohnM]

You may be mixing up a OneWorld Explorer, which is a paid and literally a RTW ticket, with a 280K Award, which does not necessarily need to go RTW (it's a generally used shorthand that sometimes can be misleading or confusing).

The 280K Award is distance-limited (IIRC, 35k miles - but check). Ambitious itineraries may easily fall foul of the distance limit.

There is plenty of information about 280K Awards if you search the forum. Get any thought of a OneWorld Explorer (aka DONEx) out of your mind, otherwise you'll end up very confused.

 

[JohnM]

Sorry for double post. Flaky WiFi at this hotel in Iran.

 

[Danger]

Wiki - "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

 

[camabu]

- You'll only be able to book between 330 dyas to 355 days, depedning on airlines.
- Yes, LAN do fly to Oz through SCL to MEL/SYD. So you'll have to search from BOG to MEL/SYD & then again onto ADL

Awesome, thAnks

 

[camabu]

You may be mixing up a OneWorld Explorer, which is a paid and literally a RTW ticket, with a 280K Award, which does not necessarily need to go RTW (it's a generally used shorthand that sometimes can be misleading or confusing).

The 280K Award is distance-limited (IIRC, 35k miles - but check). Ambitious itineraries may easily fall foul of the distance limit.

There is plenty of information about 280K Awards if you search the forum. Get any thought of a OneWorld Explorer (aka DONEx) out of your mind, otherwise you'll end up very confused.

I thought you use your points through oneworld explorer? Or do I just use one world explorer to work out my itinerary? 35 miles is correct though. I'll scope out the forum again now that im seriously looking at booking. Thanks so much

 

[grov]

Left it a bit late for March? I'm normally chasing those elusive J seats within minutes of their release. Found it just as easy to phone Qantas and ask them to find them for me. You can hold off and wait until all possible airlines release seats, but you may miss out. I usually find it better to grab what I can when I can, then lose a few points adding other award flights later.

 

[JohnM]

I thought you use your points through oneworld explorer? Or do I just use one world explorer to work out my itinerary? 35 miles is correct though. I'll scope out the forum again now that im seriously looking at booking. Thanks so much

Get a OneWorld Explorer fare out of your mind - seriously! It has nothing at all to do with a 280K points redemption. It's a paid true RTW fare that has no distance limits, requires one direction of travel between continental zones (but not within continental zones) (and is not to be confused with a OneWorld Global Explorer, it's poor cousin - which I think is restricted to 35K miles). For example, I'm just at the point of booking a full 16-sector DONE5 (5-continental zone OneWorld Explorer) for next year (my 15th in as many years) that comes in at 54560 miles. You simply cannot do that on a 280K points award. You'll waste time and effort if you start trying to use the OneWorld Explorer planning and booking tool as you'll have to part with the full monte in money at the end of all that planning to turn it into reality. There is no provision whatsoever to use points for payment (but you can use points to UPG to F on relevant flights of your FF program. The chances of that are generally heavily status-dependent on QF).

The OneWorld 'where we fly' interactive network map (oneworld Online Timetable) may help you decide where you'd like to go, but that's all it can do.

As grov says, if you don't start looking at about 350 days ahead, your chances of getting flights to make a 280K award (Bus class) slip away fast, especially on popular routes.

 

[camabu]

Left it a bit late for March? I'm normally chasing those elusive J seats within minutes of their release. Found it just as easy to phone Qantas and ask them to find them for me. You can hold off and wait until all possible airlines release seats, but you may miss out. I usually find it better to grab what I can when I can, then lose a few points adding other award flights later.

Yes i thought that would be the case...calling qantas and adding flights seems the best way to go. Trying to find flights on your own is just confusing and messy and then to redeem is just tedious and time consuming. Well I'll look into it for a year or so down the track then but on the bright side I'm one person and pretty flexible with my locations so that will work in my favour.

 

[camabu]

Get a OneWorld Explorer fare out of your mind - seriously! It has nothing at all to do with a 280K points redemption. It's a paid true RTW fare that has no distance limits, requires one direction of travel between continental zones (but not within continental zones) (and is not to be confused with a OneWorld Global Explorer, it's poor cousin - which I think is restricted to 35K miles). For example, I'm just at the point of booking a full 16-sector DONE5 (5-continental zone OneWorld Explorer) for next year (my 15th in as many years) that comes in at 54560 miles. You simply cannot do that on a 280K points award. You'll waste time and effort if you start trying to use the OneWorld Explorer planning and booking tool as you'll have to part with the full monte in money at the end of all that planning to turn it into reality. There is no provision whatsoever to use points for payment (but you can use points to UPG to F on relevant flights of your FF program. The chances of that are generally heavily status-dependent on QF).

The OneWorld 'where we fly' interactive network map (oneworld Online Timetable) may help you decide where you'd like to go, but that's all it can do.

As grov says, if you don't start looking at about 350 days ahead, your chances of getting flights to make a 280K award (Bus class) slip away fast, especially on popular routes.

Thanks JohnM yeah thats pretty much all that interactive network map did and it was super confusing because you cant see what reward seats are available anyway and to be honest im not even fussed which countries I go to as long as Spain and Colombia and in the mix and it fits the 280K reward criteria. I'll just have a look when seats are released and book it in that for a year or so down the track. Calling Qantas seems the way to go. On the bright side I'll save more points so if I make any changes in the future It wont be too much of a bother.

 

[JohnM]

Thanks JohnM yeah thats pretty much all that interactive network map did and it was super confusing because you cant see what reward seats are available anyway and to be honest im not even fussed which countries I go to as long as Spain and Colombia and in the mix and it fits the 280K reward criteria. I'll just have a look when seats are released and book it in that for a year or so down the track. Calling Qantas seems the way to go. On the bright side I'll save more points so if I make any changes in the future It wont be too much of a bother.

There's no way that the tool on the OW site is even meant to show award availability. As a QF FF, you need to work through QF to identify and book those. My suggestion is to read the Wiki thoroughly. Joining other OW FF programs can be helpful in identifying award seats that can't be seen at QF online. I've never done a 280K award as I buy a DONEx every year, so I know a bit about those and the guts of what's involved for a 280K award - viz. hard work, but it can pay off very nicely.