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

[levelnine]

Any suggestions for a J class oneworld award to Sydney/Canberra from the UK, or nearby, in the coming months. I am flexible on departure dates but generally August onwards.

See my earlier post with pictures. There's really only one reliable option at the moment for anyone not Platinum/Platinum1. BA SYD-SIN-LHR at release date.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Thanks I have done it successfuly 4 times before but the landscape is very different this year. Barren even! I am flexible with dates actually maybe I will look at September instead.

September may not be much better. Availability is currently much tighter than before Covid but not impossible. As @levelnine has suggested, look for SYD-SIN-LHR at 10AM on the release date.

 

[melbkate]

September may not be much better. Availability is currently much tighter than before Covid but not impossible. As @levelnine has suggested, look for SYD-SIN-LHR at 10AM on the release date.

Thanks for the tip and the encouragement!

 

[ellen10]

On part of my trip I have JAL J flights but when I try to select seats on my QFF manage my booking, it says not eligible.
Any suggestions?

 

[FishFood]

On part of my trip I have JAL J flights but when I try to select seats on my QFF manage my booking, it says not eligible.
Any suggestions?

I was able to select JAL seats on their website

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I would always recommend selecting seats directly with the carrier where possible. I’ve seen too many mismatching seating charts for me to rely on a third party airline!

(the exception being where a third party might give access to seats not offered by the operating carrier, and it’s worth a chance!)

 

[ellen10]

I was able to select JAL seats on their website

I would always recommend selecting seats directly with the carrier where possible. I’ve seen too many mismatching seating charts for me to rely on a third party airline!

(the exception being where a third party might give access to seats not offered by the operating carrier, and it’s worth a chance!)

Thank you @FishFood and @MEL_Traveller I will check the JAL site

 

[Mr H]

Thank you @FishFood and @MEL_Traveller I will check the JAL site

Be aware that JL blocks the best seats for status pax.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Be aware that JL blocks the best seats for status pax.

They do! I have sometimes had success with window seats (apex suites) in the last row(s) of the *second* business class cabin. Close to Y or PEY but we’ll worth it.

 

[Warragul]

Be aware that JL blocks the best seats for status pax.

This must include oneworld status, as I'm OW sapphire, but nothing with JL and I had the entire J class to choose from on their website for upcoming international JL flight.

 

[Gonetroppo]

Long time lurker here and Mr GoneTroppo and I are looking forward to our second OWA trip later this year. All booked and the booking process (touch wood) was much easier than the first time around - only took a few fruitless phone calls until we landed it. Flying with Qantas, Cathay, Royal Jordanian, Iberia, British Airways and Finnair - all in J.
Mr Troppo is QF gold but OWE through Qatar. His QF membership number is on the booking. My questions are…
How do we have his OWE recorded with the booking but still earn points/SC for the QF flights (he has Points Club Plus).
If it’s possible, should we bother? Might it open up better seats and make access to fast track security and First lounges a bit more streamlined if it’s in the system?
Thank you OWA experts!

 

[Mr H]

Long time lurker here and Mr GoneTroppo and I are looking forward to our second OWA trip later this year. All booked and the booking process (touch wood) was much easier than the first time around - only took a few fruitless phone calls until we landed it. Flying with Qantas, Cathay, Royal Jordanian, Iberia, British Airways and Finnair - all in J.
Mr Troppo is QF gold but OWE through Qatar. His QF membership number is on the booking. My questions are…
How do we have his OWE recorded with the booking but still earn points/SC for the QF flights (he has Points Club Plus).
If it’s possible, should we bother? Might it open up better seats and make access to fast track security and First lounges a bit more streamlined if it’s in the system?
Thank you OWA experts!

You will be able to get access to fast track security and F lounges through just showing the OWE card - it does not need to be attached to the booking. AFAIK, the only significant benefit of attaching a OWE number to a booking would be to access better seats with JL, but you are not flying with them. All the other airlines seem to offer good access to seats for all J ticket holders and (I think) BA waives seat reservation charges for Sapphire and above. So no need to change the FF numbers - and if you do and don't change them back before the QF flights you will not get the SCs.

 

[dairyfloss]

Long time lurker here and Mr GoneTroppo and I are looking forward to our second OWA trip later this year. All booked and the booking process (touch wood) was much easier than the first time around - only took a few fruitless phone calls until we landed it. Flying with Qantas, Cathay, Royal Jordanian, Iberia, British Airways and Finnair - all in J.
Mr Troppo is QF gold but OWE through Qatar. His QF membership number is on the booking. My questions are…
How do we have his OWE recorded with the booking but still earn points/SC for the QF flights (he has Points Club Plus).
If it’s possible, should we bother? Might it open up better seats and make access to fast track security and First lounges a bit more streamlined if it’s in the system?
Thank you OWA experts!

You will be able to get access to fast track security and F lounges through just showing the OWE card - it does not need to be attached to the booking. AFAIK, the only significant benefit of attaching a OWE number to a booking would be to access better seats with JL, but you are not flying with them. All the other airlines seem to offer good access to seats for all J ticket holders and (I think) BA waives seat reservation charges for Sapphire and above. So no need to change the FF numbers - and if you do and don't change them back before the QF flights you will not get the SCs.

You can certainly just show the physical card for status benefits, and hopefully all works in that regard, but there is also a more sophisticated way to do this.

I believe you need an agent that can help, as they are able to access and have the two distinct FF numbers added to the relevant fields in the booking for both FF status, and FF earning. As this 2019 article from AFF calls out, there are 4 FF fields for this type of thing that are available (as shown below). AFF member and agent/expert @madrooster (who is mentioned in that article) would be better placed to confirm this is still possible, and your options to get it done. ISTR that one of the airline booking sites had the ability to capture both, if you could open you booking from there, but maybe I'm dreaming:

• FQTS – the frequent flyer program that you have status with
• FQTV – the frequent flyer program with which you’re accruing points & status credits
• FQTR – for award/redemption bookings, which frequent flyer program was used to make the booking
• FQTU – if applicable, the frequent flyer program that points for an upgrade are to be deducted from

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[Gonetroppo]

You can certainly just show the physical card for status benefits, and hopefully all works in that regard, but there is also a more sophisticated way to do this.

I believe you need an agent that can help, as they are able to access and have the two distinct FF numbers added to the relevant fields in the booking for both FF status, and FF earning. As this 2019 article from AFF calls out, there are 4 FF fields for this type of thing that are available (as shown below). AFF member and agent/expert @madrooster (who is mentioned in that article) would be better placed to confirm this is still possible, and your options to get it done. ISTR that one of the airline booking sites had the ability to capture both, if you could open you booking from there, but maybe I'm dreaming:

Cheers,
Matt.

Thank you very much Mr H and Matt - great intel and much appreciated!

 

[bookworm]

Good Day,
Have booked flights for 4 adults in economy.
Need to add on some flights and possibly make some changes.
Assuming I am able to do this in one call -
Will I get charged 5,000 points for each change/ addition per person OR a total of 5,000 points pp?

Thank you

 

[cjd600]

Good Day,
Have booked flights for 4 adults in economy.
Need to add on some flights and possibly make some changes.
Assuming I am able to do this in one call -
Will I get charged 5,000 points for each change/ addition per person OR a total of 5,000 points pp?

Thank you

Yes, can do on one call.
Will be 5000 pp for the call (multiple changes/additions on one call still only 5000 pp)
+ 8000pp assistance fee if in economy (I think, I have only done Business where this fee is waived)

 

[bookworm]

Yes, can do on one call.
Will be 5000 pp for the call (multiple changes/additions on one call still only 5000 pp)
+ 8000pp assistance fee if in economy (I think, I have only done Business where this fee is waived)

Thank you so much

 

[jpp42]

How do we have his OWE recorded with the booking but still earn points/SC for the QF flights (he has Points Club Plus).

Make sure the QFF number is still on the booking for the BA flights too. Just saying ...

 

[jaseb]

I've just now made some changes to my itinerary containing CX flights - changes have come through in QF MMB but no e-ticket yet. I phoned up to follow up after an hour and was told it's been added to the ticketing queue and will be re-ticketed within 24-48 hours. Does a 24-48 hour ticketing wait put the CX flights at risk? Should I phone back and ask for ticketing right away, is this even possible?

 

[Mr H]

I've just now made some changes to my itinerary containing CX flights - changes have come through in QF MMB but no e-ticket yet. I phoned up to follow up after an hour and was told it's been added to the ticketing queue and will be re-ticketed within 24-48 hours. Does a 24-48 hour ticketing wait put the CX flights at risk? Should I phone back and ask for ticketing right away, is this even possible?

Yes it puts the tickets at risk. Yes you should call and tell them this and ask for immediate ticketing. And assuming the eticket does not come through in time and the flights drop off, you will need to email the escalations team who have a pretty good track record of fixing these things.