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

[daniella39]

I’ve been doing a lot of reading (this thread is golden) and clicking as I plan a year away with the family. I’m looking to lock in the early legs of this as I’m hoping for Jan 2020 departure. Unfortunately this booking blows the multi city tool on Qantas and I don’t know if I can call and do a dummy check over the phone. I’m using Y and there are 4 of us!

MEL – SIN Qantas
Land segment SIN – HKG
HKG – FCO CX
Land segment FCO - MAD
MAD – MEX Iberia
Land segment MEX - CUN
CUN – LIM – SCL LATAM
SCL- MEL (or SCL- AKL- MEL) LATAM

I’m getting this in at just under 30 000 miles and think that I’m meeting the rules. I’ve also broken it down into manageable chunks on the Qantas website to get an approx of extra charges and it looks like about $2000 all in for four of us.

I’d love any feedback if others have looked at similar routes.

 

[daniella39]

Got those the wrong way around - LA603 is LAX-SCL and LA1 is SCL-PNT.

I've done some more digging into LATAM award availability, specifically on LA805 (SCL-MEL) as a test case. Interestingly I've found award availability in Economy on pretty much every day the flight occurs, but only up until 30th November 2019. There's nothing for the whole of December and January, but then it opens up again in Feb 2020 (next available award seat is on 5th Feb 2020).

Could they be intentionally not releasing Economy award seats in Dec/Jan due to it being a peak period?

Can you see any additional options if you route via Auckland? I saw some availability this way when I was looking at a tricky time.

 

[Warren Mason]

After a little advice. We have our trip fully booked and ticketed to fly into Rome and back home from Madrid. We were originally intending to travel from Amsterdam to London by train however looking at the cost it would be much better to fly. I have tested out the trip (using different dates) with the extra flight and we don't go over the 5 stops and the points still max out at 280K. There are 4 CX flights included in the itinerary as it is presently ticketed. What is the danger of calling and getting the extra flight added into the middle of the trip or should we take the 36K points hit and buy the flights on a separate ticket? My concern is losing the CX flights.

 

[cjd600]

Add the flight and stay on the line til they issue you the ticket

 

[Warren Mason]

Add the flight and stay on the line til they issue you the ticket

Thanks for the advice. I thought it would be the best option. I might leave it till I have a few hours to spare just in case. So I just tell them I want to wait on the line till they complete the ticketing? Do they ever argue that it isn't necessary?

 

[cjd600]

Just say you’ve had previous issues with CX flights dropping of when adding new legs before. They’ll either know of the issue or realise you know more than them.

 

[Jacques Vert]

I’ve been doing a lot of reading (this thread is golden) and clicking as I plan a year away with the family. I’m looking to lock in the early legs of this as I’m hoping for Jan 2020 departure. Unfortunately this booking blows the multi city tool on Qantas and I don’t know if I can call and do a dummy check over the phone. I’m using Y and there are 4 of us!

MEL – SIN Qantas
Land segment SIN – HKG
HKG – FCO CX
Land segment FCO - MAD
MAD – MEX Iberia
Land segment MEX - CUN
CUN – LIM – SCL LATAM
SCL- MEL (or SCL- AKL- MEL) LATAM

I’m getting this in at just under 30 000 miles and think that I’m meeting the rules. I’ve also broken it down into manageable chunks on the Qantas website to get an approx of extra charges and it looks like about $2000 all in for four of us.

I’d love any feedback if others have looked at similar routes.

It is not uncommon for itineraries including IB flights to throw an error on the multi-city tool.

Of course you can call and ask them to check availability and taxes on any itinerary; not a problem (although best to avoid peck call times such as when Pakistan closes their airspace or when weather has closed SYD on a Friday afternoon).

However, note that some agents will advise that each of your land segments will be counted as two stopovers and therefore you have too many (not correct but that is how some agents interpret the rules). Best to book online if you can.

 

[blu]

Would lke to go LAX-SLC (then SLC-AUS) but only OW affiliates like American Eagle fly direct? They would be excluded from OWA? I think AA mainline is via Phoenix which would be out of the way for SLC.

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

Would lke to go LAX-SLC (then SLC-AUS) but only OW affiliates like American Eagle fly direct? They would be excluded from OWA? I think AA mainline is via Phoenix which would be out of the way for SLC.

I believe that American Eagle is an eligible carrier for the One World Classic Award.
An easy way to test that belief would be to create a dummy booking which includes a sector on AE, and see if the points cap continues to operate.

 

[Kangol]

I believe that American Eagle is an eligible carrier for the One World Classic Award.

American Eagle is allowed.
It's treated like AA, in the same way Qantaslink is treated like Qantas.

 

[blu]

thanks, I knew there was an itinerary here a couple of years back that had SLC, thought things may have changed with regional jets. The Embraer 175 will be a first for us and looking forward to that (preferably in first).

 

[p--and--t]

Would lke to go LAX-SLC (then SLC-AUS) but only OW affiliates like American Eagle fly direct? They would be excluded from OWA? I think AA mainline is via Phoenix which would be out of the way for SLC.

AA seems to have a number of "affiliates" and carriers who operate on behalf of that affiliate of AA. (i.e. third or fourth party).

I have travelled on at least three "operators" (metal) on behalf of AA in the US on a 280K redemption and also on straight out QF award bookings.

All depends on the routing and the code share arrangement.

Theresonlyonejimmy is spot on - test the system for the flight you want.

BTW: I have flown SLC-LAX on Eagle within the last six months on a 280K redemption

 

[Warren Mason]

Yesterday when I checked flights from AMS to London (various airports) there were 10 or 11 flights all with seats in both classes on Dec 27. I didn't have the time to call and book yesterday so I was going to wait till Fri. Checking again tonight and there is only 1 flight via Dublin on Dec 16 for the entire month. Is this something that BA does or has there been a sudden increase in bookings just because I was looking?

 

[exceladdict]

I can't recall if this question has been asked, apologies if a double up. Is it possible to change the initial departure point/POS after booking?

i.e. if I book MNL/HKG/SIN, could I later add on PER/DOH/MNL to start with?

 

[cjd600]

I can't recall if this question has been asked, apologies if a double up. Is it possible to change the initial departure point/POS after booking?

i.e. if I book MNL/HKG/SIN, could I later add on PER/DOH/MNL to start with?

Yes

 

[p--and--t]

I can't recall if this question has been asked, apologies if a double up. Is it possible to change the initial departure point/POS after booking?

i.e. if I book MNL/HKG/SIN, could I later add on PER/DOH/MNL to start with?

Yes

Just be aware if you change sectors or airports in your booking your taxes and charges will be automatically recalculated, particularly with change of POS to anywhere in AU then they are likely to increase.

It is my understanding legislation for point of sale MNL prevents airlines adding some fuel charges etc. Happy to stand corrected if this is misinformation.

 

[p--and--t]

Yesterday when I checked flights from AMS to London (various airports) there were 10 or 11 flights all with seats in both classes on Dec 27. I didn't have the time to call and book yesterday so I was going to wait till Fri. Checking again tonight and there is only 1 flight via Dublin on Dec 16 for the entire month. Is this something that BA does or has there been a sudden increase in bookings just because I was looking?

I just logged into BA and looked for avios availability on Dec 27th and found 16 flights on that day with 2 or 4 Y seats and 11 flights with 2 J seats. These "should" be available for QF award flights.

 

[Warren Mason]

I just logged into BA and looked for avios availability on Dec 27th and found 16 flights on that day with 2 or 4 Y seats and 11 flights with 2 J seats. These "should" be available for QF award flights.

I could see these using the QF on-line search on Sunday but they are not there any more. If I search for flights to Dublin they all show up again with a transit through London which of cause won't work. I assume that if Ican't see them the booking agents won't be able to book them? I guess I will just have to keep watching and grab them if they return or catch the train.

 

[jetset]

Quick question guys:
I want to make a partial booking and going to add legs next year as they become available.

Do I have to do this over the phone? Are there any online options to amend bookings?
The reason I ask is because I'm getting a WP family member to book for me and they're not going to spend hours on the phone arguing with Qantas.

 

[cjd600]

Quick question guys:
I want to make a partial booking and going to add legs next year as they become available.

Do I have to do this over the phone? Are there any online options to amend bookings?
The reason I ask is because I'm getting a WP family member to book for me and they're not going to spend hours on the phone arguing with Qantas.

You can make the first piece of the booking online (in most cases).
Any subsequent change/addition/amendment must be over the phone, or by online chat. I you give booking reference, name, date and destination of first flight etc identification questions, you should be able to do it via chat. But WP might be able to have more 'access' to especially QF award seats than you have doing it yourself. Partner airlines shouldnt be any different