Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[sap1l]

CX just isn't releasing at the expected ~360 days i find. They're much more once they're a bit further in, but fairly bare at the near maximum dates.

Ah, yes. You’re right. I couldn’t find CX availability at 360 days before.

I don’t have an exact number, but the CX awards I added to my OWA were between 5 and 8 months ahead.

 

[Gonetroppo]

Thanks all! Having a bit more luck using the “explore” function on SeatsAero for QF (was using “search” Even with OW airlines selected it still turns up non-OW partner seats (but not as bad as in ‘search’ mode) but filtering for ‘direct’ cuts that out to some extent. Even a few almost year-out CX awards.

 

[FlyingFiona]

Thanks all! Having a bit more luck using the “explore” function on SeatsAero for QF (was using “search” Even with OW airlines selected it still turns up non-OW partner seats (but not as bad as in ‘search’ mode) but filtering for ‘direct’ cuts that out to some extent. Even a few almost year-out CX awards.

I have just booked my OWA to Europe and back for April and May 2025. I used MH, AY, JL all of whom have availability this far out. Try looking at the ports they fly to for your routing and hopefully you can also piece together an early itinerary.

 

[Gonetroppo]

I have just booked my OWA to Europe and back for April and May 2025. I used MH, AY, JL all of whom have availability this far out. Try looking at the ports they fly to for your routing and hopefully you can also piece together an early itinerary.

Thanks Fiona - yes these were shaping up as the likely ones - but Türkiye is adding some extra difficulty. Congrats on your booking!

 

[shankoz]

Hi all - what's the timeframe for JL with cancelling reward seats if not ticketed? This morning I got through to an agent in HBA, who managed to release 2xU seats for me from SYD-HND in May next year. It will then form the first part of a planned OWA award (PER-SYD-HND-DFW).

I specifically asked how long ticketing would take and whether she could push it through now but was told that because it was JL it's not as urgent as e.g. a flight with CX. Now admittedly it's only been about 8 hours since the call - but I've had a horror experience 2y ago of losing QR seats during a change of flights (and the struggle to get it all back). I'm worried it's so far in the future it'll be lowest priority to ticket - > at what point should I push the issue?

 

[shankoz]

To follow-up above in case anyone else has a similar issue - as >24h had passed without any ticketing I rang them up again. Was told there had in fact been some glitch and they apologised. Ticketing completed while still on the phone. Bit ridiculous that the customer has to force this issue time and time again. Anyway - happy days.

 

[DC3]

… Was told there had in fact been some glitch and they apologised …

Isn’t that one of the usual stories that they dish out, unfortunately? Nothing new, anyway.

 

[Warren Mason]

We have started booking our rewards trip and I am finding it much harder than I remember how it was back in 2019. I have flights from Rockhampton through Melbourne to Tokyo, Helsinki to Budapest. Then Budapest via Helsinki to Madrid. Then Madrid to London. When it comes to start the booking to get home, most of the flights seem to go via Helsinki and if I am interpreting the rules correctly, we can't go through Helsinki again. Can anyone confirm this? We were hoping to leave from Edinburgh. The trip isn't until next April/May so I have time but from memory rewards sheets dry up fairly quickly.

 

[Captain Halliday]

We have started booking our rewards trip and I am finding it much harder than I remember how it was back in 2019. I have flights from Rockhampton through Melbourne to Tokyo, Helsinki to Budapest. Then Budapest via Helsinki to Madrid. Then Madrid to London. When it comes to start the booking to get home, most of the flights seem to go via Helsinki and if I am interpreting the rules correctly, we can't go through Helsinki again. Can anyone confirm this? We were hoping to leave from Edinburgh. The trip isn't until next April/May so I have time but from memory rewards sheets dry up fairly quickly.

Maximum of two transits and one stop in any city.

If the first two in your planned routing are transits, you could make the third a stopover.

Indeed, any one of the three as a stopover would work, keeping the other two as transits.

 

[Warren Mason]

Maximum of two transits and one stop in any city.

If the first two in your planned routing are transits, you could make the third a stopover.

Indeed, any one of the three as a stopover would work, keeping the other two as transits.

Thanks for that. So if we go from Edinburgh to Helsinki and stop there for 2 nights, that get round the problem. That is great news. Thanks. Back to searching for flights.

 

[elanshin]

Thanks for that. So if we go from Edinburgh to Helsinki and stop there for 2 nights, that get round the problem. That is great news. Thanks. Back to searching for flights.

You could also leave Budapest to Madrid open jaw for now and get the long legs in as they're much more important.

 

[DC3]

…. Thanks. Back to searching for flights.

Just for future planning, Post # 1 is a pretty good starting point. The attachment to that post covers the basic rules, including stops/transits.

 

[Warren Mason]

You could also leave Budapest to Madrid open jaw for now and get the long legs in as they're much more important.

That flight should be ok as the only time we don't fly out of the landing city is London to Edinburgh so only one surface segment and from Edinburgh we are heading home as directly as possible. Stopping in Helsinki is something we talked about and this gives an excuse to do it. Trying to avoid Cathay as last time their flights dropped off every time we added a flight and that was very stressful. Not a huge trip but should be fun.

 

[elanshin]

Just checking, but I can no longer add to the itinerary once you start the journey right?

But for schedule changes, I can still go and get alternatives.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Once you start your itinerary you can only change the date and flight number (effectively date and time).

If the schedule change is involuntary, you should be able to make changes provided you can get through to a competent agent.

 

[FenderQF]

Booking a RTW in J for 2 pax tonight flying April / May next year.
Syd - HKG - Mad stop (CX)
Mad - Bio stop (IB)
Opo - Mad - Ven stop (IB)
Rome - Hel - HKG stop (AY)
HKG - Syd (CX)
Have a wedding in Spain and also a family thing in Italy so dates weren’t super flexible, but to my amazement I was done with the booking from initial search to being ticketed within an hour. This will be RTW #6, and whilst the least complicated of them I am still shocked all worked out so quickly. My past trips were months of research and waiting for releases. Very happy indeed.

 

[Deb70]

I’m a newbie to multi city booking so found this forum amazing, I couldn’t have managed the itinerary and rules otherwise. I have researched a Qantas oneworld Classic Flight Reward in Business for April May next year. MEL-HKG x QF, transit; HKG-HEL-AMS x AY AY, stop; AMS-HEL-DBV x AY AY, stop; surface DBV to MXP; MXP-LHR x BA, stop; LHR-PER x CX CX, stop and PER-MEL x QF, end. The awards are there for earlier dates and I should be able to book in a week or so.

My question is regarding baggage in the 1st transit of 3 hours at HKG. How is this handled between the 2 carriers QF and AY? Do we have to collect bags and re check in?

 

[FlyingFiona]

Booking a RTW in J for 2 pax tonight flying April / May next year.
Syd - HKG - Mad stop (CX)
Mad - Bio stop (IB)
Opo - Mad - Ven stop (IB)
Rome - Hel - HKG stop (AY)
HKG - Syd (CX)
Have a wedding in Spain and also a family thing in Italy so dates weren’t super flexible, but to my amazement I was done with the booking from initial search to being ticketed within an hour. This will be RTW #6, and whilst the least complicated of them I am still shocked all worked out so quickly. My past trips were months of research and waiting for releases. Very happy indeed.

You got lucky with the CX flights. Nice! I have booked MEL-Europe for the same time period but no CX flights were (or are) showing for me at all. Consequently I have a long MEL-KUL-SIN-HEL-VIE with a 12 hour transit in SIN.

 

[FlyingFiona]

My question is regarding baggage in the 1st transit of 3 hours at HKG. How is this handled between the 2 carriers QF and AY? Do we have to collect bags and re check in?

No, your bags will be checked through at the transit port so you won't need to collect them.

 

[The Bison]

Are all Qantas Oneworld Classic Rewards booked with 1 piece for baggage? (i.e 23 kgs max)

Just finished a journey SYD-LAX-MAD-HEL-ICN-SYD

On the final leg ICN-SYD they wouldn't accept one of my families bags as it was 27 kg. Check in stated that my ticket specified it was only 1 piece (23 kgs max) and that it was not able to be pooled across the three people flying (We only used 45kg of our combined 99kg).

She couldn't use her discretion to let it through. Ended up paying 67k won (75 AUD) as a heavy bag charge

Wasn't an issue or flagged on any other flight.

Tough luck for me or worthy of a follow up with Qantas to see if I can get my cash back?

Honestly assumed it was standard 30kg on all long haul international flights. Sat here thinking it's all a little underhanded of QANTAS to design reward flights in this way