Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[blu]

Our main concern was the effect on the OWA flights (would there be two no shows?) and using a Sky Team airline. But worked out in the end.

 

[soh]

If it's genuinely available in U, it should be open and visible on QF for an award seat?

One seat popped up this evening on the QF site and managed to get onto a call with someone who knew exactly what to do. No extra tax/fines, 5k change fee and new ticket number within 2 mins. Nothing showed on BA.

 

[acinod]

The flight I'm asking about is Finnair - AY0005 which flies direct from HEL (12:40) to JFK (14:50).

When I checked earlier in the year, I could find many business class seats but now only economy is available for the later part of the year (Nov-Dec 2020). I've checked both Qantas and BA.

Is business no long available for this flight? Looking to fly in 2020 around this time using the 318k RTW award ticket.

 

[flapper]

The flight I'm asking about is Finnair - AY0005 which flies direct from HEL (12:40) to JFK (14:50).

When I checked earlier in the year, I could find many business class seats but now only economy is available for the later part of the year (Nov-Dec 2020). I've checked both Qantas and BA.

Is business no long available for this flight? Looking to fly in 2020 around this time using the 318k RTW award ticket.

From my experince AY long haul seats are usually taken on the day they are released. But then again I haven't been checking lately so it's possible they are releasing any atm. You might have to try a BA flight.

 

[motef]

The flight I'm asking about is Finnair - AY0005 which flies direct from HEL (12:40) to JFK (14:50).

When I checked earlier in the year, I could find many business class seats but now only economy is available for the later part of the year (Nov-Dec 2020). I've checked both Qantas and BA.

Is business no long available for this flight? Looking to fly in 2020 around this time using the 318k RTW award ticket.

I have looked at many Finnair routes from just about every port in Europe including the UK to Helsinki 1 year out and have never seen any business availability

From my reading their release of business award seats is almost non-existent

 

[cjd600]

I have looked at many Finnair routes from just about every port in Europe including the UK to Helsinki 1 year out and have never seen any business availability

From my reading their release of business award seats is almost non-existent

When I was looking a few months ago, there was consistently 2 J released every day HEL-JFK, snapped up.
A year ago they were releasing 4J on that route.

 

[Marg Lennon]

hello, different topic, I'm hoping someone can help. I used the Award Flight assist to design my one world, around the world classic flight reward and there is a problem with the number of stopovers. I know 5 is the maximum however qantas are stating that the final leg landing in sydney, is stopover number 6, when the journey started in sydney also. my Award flight assist person did not count coming home as stopover number 6. Who is correct?? my first post.

 

[exceladdict]

hello, different topic, I'm hoping someone can help. I used the Award Flight assist to design my one world, around the world classic flight reward and there is a problem with the number of stopovers. I know 5 is the maximum however qantas are stating that the final leg landing in sydney, is stopover number 6, when the journey started in sydney also. my Award flight assist person did not count coming home as stopover number 6. Who is correct?? my first post.

I think you need to hang up and call again (try a different operator). Your flight home should not be a stopover. By definition a stopover is a break in a journey - your home destination is the end!
Are you getting this advice via the call centre or chat?

 

[DC3]

... qantas are stating that the final leg landing in sydney, is stopover number 6, when the journey started in sydney also. my Award flight assist person did not count coming home as stopover number 6. Who is correct?? my first post.

Five stopovers during the itinerary. The last flight does not end in a stopover, as the journey is now completed.

Anyway, when ready to book, just phone and provide your flight details.

Edit: exceladdict just beat me to it

 

[Marg Lennon]

Thank you both, thought I was going crazy!
will try Qantas agent again, hopefully one with more knowledge

 

[DC3]

Thank you both, thought I was going crazy!
will try Qantas agent again, hopefully one with more knowledge

I have not been impressed with the SA Call Centre, although others have fared better. I’ve done better with Oz and NZ. It’s the luck of the draw who answers.

If the conversation is not going to your liking, HUACA, frustrating and time-wasting as that can be.

 

[k_sheep]

Can I get you guys to error check this one for me:

mnl-syd-bne (stop 1)
syd-scl-eze (stop 2) - I think this one may be a problem thanks to LATAM leaving oneworld - presumably if I make this a surface sector, do both count as a stop? I'd quite like to avoid paying the Chile reciprocity visa.
lhr-kef (stop 3)
hel-osl (stop 4)
doh-ktm (stop 5)
hkg-mnl

Plenty of miles up my sleeve. This is only 30,375 according to GCM. 13 flights (presuming I don't have to add in any further stopovers due to unavailability).

Any other glaring issues?

 

[exceladdict]

Can I get you guys to error check this one for me:

mnl-syd-bne (stop 1)
syd-scl-eze (stop 2) - I think this one may be a problem thanks to LATAM leaving oneworld - presumably if I make this a surface sector, do both count as a stop? I'd quite like to avoid paying the Chile reciprocity visa.
lhr-kef (stop 3)
hel-osl (stop 4)
doh-ktm (stop 5)
hkg-mnl

Plenty of miles up my sleeve. This is only 30,375 according to GCM. 13 flights (presuming I don't have to add in any further stopovers due to unavailability).

Any other glaring issues?

I haven't double checked the mileage but I'm assuming you're not shooting for 5 open jaws, i.e. your second leg is actually bne-syd-scl-eze. Otherwise I think you'd run into an issue as many agents will claim both ends of an open jaws count as stops (incorrectly)

My advice following recent issues booking a trip ex MNL is do not book it planning to make changes (even changing dates of one flight). It may cause a very confusing tax recalculation where you lose the benefit of starting in MNL where you get the significantly lower fees.

 

[k_sheep]

Ah yes well picked up.

I actually have a trip ending in MNL which I need to get home from. So any tax savings are a bonus I'll have to book the SYD-SCL tickets as soon as they come out I believe, so I'll only be booking the first 2 legs first up. So presumably I'll lose the tax savings when I call to add on the other legs.

 

[k_sheep]

Interestingly I'm able to do a dummy award booking for SCL-EZE in November, after LA leaves oneworld. Wonder if that means it can still be booked up til October? Mind you, if there are issues with the flight then I'm sure you'd be up the creek without a paddle.

 

[exceladdict]

Ah yes well picked up.

I actually have a trip ending in MNL which I need to get home from. So any tax savings are a bonus I'll have to book the SYD-SCL tickets as soon as they come out I believe, so I'll only be booking the first 2 legs first up. So presumably I'll lose the tax savings when I call to add on the other legs.

I mean hopefully it won't happen to you as well, my experience with the taxes was not pleasant.

 

[BriarFlyer]

Interestingly I'm able to do a dummy award booking for SCL-EZE in November, after LA leaves oneworld. Wonder if that means it can still be booked up til October? Mind you, if there are issues with the flight then I'm sure you'd be up the creek without a paddle.

Latham is retaining a partnership with Qantas, but once it exits Oneworld you won't be able to include in a OWA.

 

[k_sheep]

Latham is retaining a partnership with Qantas, but once it exits Oneworld you won't be able to include in a OWA.

Even if booked before they exit?

For the ~$250 odd, I might just buy SCL-EZE return economy tickets to be safe.

 

[exceladdict]

Hi Friends; I will be shortly cancelling 2 U (business award) seats on the following flights, which includes some legs during peak/holiday times. Of course, I can't guarantee that these will go back to availability but if you are looking for anything around these dates let me know and I can message you when I'm about to contact the call centre to give you the best chance. Planning to do so at some stage this week.

2019
2/12 MNL-SYD QF20
6/12 HND-HKG CX649
6/12 HKG-PER CX143

2020
7/4 PER-SIN QF71
8/4 SIN-NRT JL712
11/4 NRT-SEA JL68
27/4 SFO-MEL QF50

Another datapoint for there being a QF error in recalculating tax/surcharge differences when making changes to award bookings that commence in Manlia:

This morning I booked a return ticket MNL to Japan; and booked the wrong date on the return ticket. I contacted QF via SMS wanting to change the date of the return leg by one day: Same carrier, flight number, class, everything except the date. I even contacted QF center within 1 hour of making the original booking - (meaning it's very unlikely there was a change in the official fee/surcharge rate between my original booking and the contact).

Yet QF wanted another PHP3000 (give or take AU$100) to change the date on the booking (they'd waive the change and assistance fee because it was within 24hrs of the original booking).

The SMS agent claimed they "calculated the taxes four times" yet every time the system wanted more payment.

So reinforcing my earlier experience (a few pages back) of trying to make changes to an existing booking that commenced in MNL: Something furry happens when the contact centre recalculates taxes. My suspicion is it shifts to an AU (or other) POS. If you want to start a booking in MNL to save on taxes; get it right the first time - changing your booking will increase your surcharge. For a return MNL to Japan this meant $100 - for my earlier complicated itinerary, it was hundreds more per passenger.

I am very dissatisfied with advice from Qantas that it will take 4-6 weeks to refund two itineraries I have just cancelled.

In one case it's 580k worth of points and around 1K AUD (but priced in Philippines peso).

I can't see any good reason for it to take so long, but all I get told is "that's the way it is".

Something to be aware of if you plan to book spare itineraries to allow for cancelling.

Update on the cancellations. One of the cancelled itineraries has had points credited but no refund to card (yet) - 12 days from request to cancel.

Finally at the end of this saga. Some learnings for anyone looking to book, change and/or cancel itineraries ex-MNL.

1. As mentioned - when changing an itinerary ex-MNL - and whether via SMS or phone - when it goes to be re-ticketed, the cost jumps significantly. My suspicion is the ticket is repriced to an AU or US point of sale (I was given the option of USD to pay the second set of fees).

2. If you eventually refund that ticket, it may not convert back to the original itinerary's currency. My original fees were 42980PHP (2pax) which converted to 1232.15AUD; the refund ended up being in USD and I lost about $5 in forex differences (could be worse).

3. Refunds are quoted at 4-6 weeks but in practice, when working, seem to take two weeks. As mentioned above, one of the itineraries was cancelled on Nov 14, points and cancel fee hit me on 26th, and money was back on the card on Nov 28.

4. The story of the complex refund:
- requested the cancellation (while there was an outstanding flight change, so asked not to be charged a cancel fee) and was advised the refund would be in USD.
- two weeks after requesting the cancel, I was first refunded two amounts in USD that added up to about $900, 280k points, but charged 6k fee. So was still out the other 280k points and about $300
- I contacted at this point (SMS) and was told to wait another week. As expected, nothing happened
- I contacted after that week of waiting via the app this time, and an agent figured out the difference and advised it would be sorted. The other 280k points were credited quickly, and the outstanding dollars (in USD again) came through a few days later.

TL;DR: as mentioned earlier, booking multiple itineraries with the plan of cancelling some and modifying others ended up being a bit of a nightmare. There are pros and cons to booking ex-MNL, but I probably won't plan to start a redemption overseas again unless I plan on booking it all in one go, online. I am not confident that any of the call centres are correctly pricing from an MNL POS and applying lower taxes.

Edit: the one thing I didn't do was try to contact directly via the Philippines phone number. Perhaps next time, if there is one.

 

[mrsterryn]

About to book our first "real " points extravaganza
Just did a Syd HND CDG LHR LAX Syd trip which went well
Now going to try for a Europe /USA one for next Nov Dec