"oneworld" award (132.4K/249.6K/318K/455K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hi all, first post but just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the wealth of information on here (must have read through most of the 271 pages!)

I've booked my first 280k for myself and the missus. We were hoping to do a long trip next year but a change in work circumstances meant I had a month off this year and probably only a few weeks next year. So I had to end up splitting the trip in 2 with the first part less than 6 months out.

Managed to book from late Aug to end of Sept:
MEL-ADL-HKG (CX)
HKG-BRU-LHR-FRA (CX/BA)
NCE-MAD-TLV (IB)
LCA-DOH-KUL (QR)

Total Taxes were $1185 (and 19500 miles) so far which was a bit higher than I expected given the info in the wiki. Most of it would be from QR I imagine? I made sure to stop in London for <24 hours. Anyhow I'm still really happy I managed to book where we wanted to go on short notice.

We want to do the trans-mongolian next year so will probably add something like
HKG-IKT (S7)
PVG-NRT-MEL (JL)

Should come out to around 31k miles and hopefully within the rules unless I've stuffed something up.
 
I had always wondered whether there would be an issue having a stopover in Israel and QR sectors in the same itinerary.
 
Well done Tricky, do you have status?

Thanks! No, I don't have status but still found decent availability from Hong Kong to Europe on CX (particularly on their new routes to BRU, DUB, CPH). I didn't want to burn a stopover at HKG but couldn't get around the married segment control given I'm flying CX from ADL to HKG. There was also heaps of availability on RJ to Europe around that time too.

I had always wondered whether there would be an issue having a stopover in Israel and QR sectors in the same itinerary.

Hopefully it isn't an issue. I've read that Isreal don't stamp passports any more and I'm flying through DOH from LCA.
 
Thanks! No, I don't have status but still found decent availability from Hong Kong to Europe on CX (particularly on their new routes to BRU, DUB, CPH). I didn't want to burn a stopover at HKG but couldn't get around the married segment control given I'm flying CX from ADL to HKG. There was also heaps of availability on RJ to Europe around that time too.

So you were able to book this 6 months out?
Heres hoping for me next year.
 
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After months of planning I've finally managed to snag 4 seats in Dec-Jan.

SYD-HND (QF)
NRT-FRA-LHR (JL/BA)
LHR-JFK (AA)
JFK-HKG (CX)
HKG-DEL (CX)
DEL-HKG-PEK-SYD (CX/QF)

Obviously being during school holidays plus requiring 4 seats it was difficult to get exactly I wanted. Both QF sectors are unfortunately on old J products so I'll be checking JL availability to HND/NRT on the outbound and also looking for an alternative to the PEK connection on the inbound.

Taxes came in at $1382.98 per person which is a little higher than expected. I did think flying AA on the LHR-JFK leg would help but I assume the LHR stopover along with the QF sectors make up the chunk of the taxes? The LHR stop is a small Euro trip so I'll look to arrive into a different Euro port and add a connection to the LHR-JFK sector (maybe AMS-LHR-JFK). Assuming this will reduce the taxes?
 
After months of planning I've finally managed to snag 4 seats in Dec-Jan.

SYD-HND (QF)
NRT-FRA-LHR (JL/BA)
LHR-JFK (AA)
JFK-HKG (CX)
HKG-DEL (CX)
DEL-HKG-PEK-SYD (CX/QF)

Obviously being during school holidays plus requiring 4 seats it was difficult to get exactly I wanted. Both QF sectors are unfortunately on old J products so I'll be checking JL availability to HND/NRT on the outbound and also looking for an alternative to the PEK connection on the inbound.

Taxes came in at $1382.98 per person which is a little higher than expected. I did think flying AA on the LHR-JFK leg would help but I assume the LHR stopover along with the QF sectors make up the chunk of the taxes? The LHR stop is a small Euro trip so I'll look to arrive into a different Euro port and add a connection to the LHR-JFK sector (maybe AMS-LHR-JFK). Assuming this will reduce the taxes?

I assume this is all in J, if so flying out of LHR adds about $260 in taxes due to the UK's Airport Departure Tax. The other contributing factor will be the QF legs as you have already stated.
 
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FCO-LHR-JFK also helps surcharges from my dummy bookings, dropping the APD, rather than straight LHR-JFK
 
MEL NRT (JL)
NRT HEL (AY)
HEL KEF (AY)
KEF HEL (AY)
HEL DUS (AY)
MUC DOH (QR)
DOH DPS (QR)
DPS KUL (MH)
KUL MEL (MH)

For the above itinerary, $1450pp in taxes seems high or is it just me? I calculated the carrier charges from the Wiki and they came to around $780, I could understand $900pp but not $1450. Am I missing something?
 
MEL NRT (JL)
NRT HEL (AY)
HEL KEF (AY)
KEF HEL (AY)
HEL DUS (AY)
MUC DOH (QR)
DOH DPS (QR)
DPS KUL (MH)
KUL MEL (MH)

For the above itinerary, $1450pp in taxes seems high or is it just me? I calculated the carrier charges from the Wiki and they came to around $780, I could understand $900pp but not $1450. Am I missing something?
Does seem high to me. Calling @madrooster to the white courtesy phone...
 
MEL NRT (JL)
NRT HEL (AY)
HEL KEF (AY)
KEF HEL (AY)
HEL DUS (AY)
MUC DOH (QR)
DOH DPS (QR)
DPS KUL (MH)
KUL MEL (MH)

For the above itinerary, $1450pp in taxes seems high or is it just me? I calculated the carrier charges from the Wiki and they came to around $780, I could understand $900pp but not $1450. Am I missing something?
I found when I was seeing the taxes on the Qantas site I would expand out the taxes box and try to work out what was causing the most. I actually think the AY flights have a higher tax then what the Wiki said. Plus you have to add in so many different airport taxes and charges.. often seeing about $50-80 per airport added.
 
MEL NRT (JL)
NRT HEL (AY)
HEL KEF (AY)
KEF HEL (AY)
HEL DUS (AY)
MUC DOH (QR)
DOH DPS (QR)
DPS KUL (MH)
KUL MEL (MH)

For the above itinerary, $1450pp in taxes seems high or is it just me? I calculated the carrier charges from the Wiki and they came to around $780, I could understand $900pp but not $1450. Am I missing something?

My itinerary above was $1185pp with the fuel charges (from the wiki) at only about $550 so other taxes are pretty significant. Even pricing each leg individually on Qantas I got around $1000 for my itinerary in total taxes so I'm not sure where the extra charges come from.
 
MEL NRT (JL)
NRT HEL (AY)
HEL KEF (AY)
KEF HEL (AY)
HEL DUS (AY)
MUC DOH (QR)
DOH DPS (QR)
DPS KUL (MH)
KUL MEL (MH)

For the above itinerary, $1450pp in taxes seems high or is it just me? I calculated the carrier charges from the Wiki and they came to around $780, I could understand $900pp but not $1450. Am I missing something?

Did you book this over the phone with QF? Or did you start it on the website?

If it was booked over the phone initially I can pull the exact taxes for you.
 
Did you book this over the phone with QF? Or did you start it on the website?

If it was booked over the phone initially I can pull the exact taxes for you.

Hi madrooster, would you mind checking mine? It was booked over the phone. I'll msg you my booking ref. Thanks a lot!
 
UGH, my QR QSuite 777-300 is now an a350-900 and my QR A380-800 is now a 777-300 (regular) - #firstworldproblems
 
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