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

[Captain Halliday]

Hi all, I am starting to plan for an OWA commencing next year. This thread has so much valuable info - thanks to all the regular contributors!

I have done some dummy itineraries using the QANTAS online multi-city flight finder (what a dog of a system that is) and one caught my eye that surprisingly capped out at the 132.4k points. Planning to take a positioning flight and take as two separate holidays within the 12 months. Dummy booking was for:

[separate positioning flight to SIN]
SIN > HEL > LHR
LHR>BCN
[surface segment by rail back to LHR via Paris]
LHR>HKG>SYD
SYD>LAX
[separate ticketed flights within USA]
LAX>MEL

Total of the above is 34,338 miles on GCM, but after adding MEL > SIN to account for a return (assuming the system does this automatically without actually adding a flight?) the total comes to 38,082 miles.

I can get all the way to the 'Book' page after flights are selected and checked. Still showing as the 132.4k points + ~S$1k taxes. Will the system have a hissy fit when I try to pay, or is GCM's margin of error really ~10% and we trust the system?

If it’s pricing at 132.4K then something’s up.

I’m just not sure what!

The system should be checking for rule compliance in the background and if you break any of the rules the most common outcome is for the points required to keep climbing.

Your proposed routing is just over 38K miles, so I can’t figure why its capping out at 132.4K points.

You could just try booking it, but don’t get your hopes up.

If it tickets, happy days.

If not, you might have to rework your plans.

And welcome to AFF!

 

[acinod]

When does Air France release economy seats?

I can see there are seats available but I can't seem to access them:

On the other hand if I check in February, then I can see them just fine.

 

[Captain Halliday]

When does Air France release economy seats?

I can see there are seats available but I can't seem to access them:

On the other hand if I check in February, then I can see them just fine.

I can't help with your question re: award seats released by Air France I'm sorry.

But AF is not a member of OneWorld and can not ne used in a OneWorld Classic Flight Award.

You'll need to find award seats on an eligible carrier.

 

[markyb]

After far too many hours, website errors & crashes and thoughts of giving up, I've booked a OWA for my family of 4 mostly in J and all online (no call centre!) in Sep this year:

QF SYD - MNL
JL MNL - NRT
AY NRT - HEL - ARN
IB ARN - MAD (in Y) - BCN
UL CDG - CMB
UL CMB - SYD (in Y)

Thanks for your wisdom and input to this thread - and to this visual aid Oneworld Route Map - Flights and Destinations. Blessed be the day when Qantas makes the search easier for Bronzy's like me - or when my kids leave home and I only have to search for 2!

I've received a PDF E-Ticket Itinerary and receipt that has 081 ticket numbers beside each person's name - but not each flight. Am I good to go or need to chase this up?

 

[Warragul]

After far too many hours, website errors & crashes and thoughts of giving up, I've booked a OWA for my family of 4 mostly in J and all online (no call centre!) in Sep this year:

QF SYD - MNL
JL MNL - NRT
AY NRT - HEL - ARN
IB ARN - MAD (in Y) - BCN
UL CDG - CMB
UL CMB - SYD (in Y)

Thanks for your wisdom and input to this thread. Blessed will be the day when Qantas makes the search easier for Bronzy's like me - or when my kids leave home and I only have to search for 2!

I've received a PDF E-Ticket Itinerary and receipt that has 081 ticket numbers beside each person's name - but not each flight. Am I good to go or need to chase this up?

One ticket number per person is sufficient.

 

[markyb]

One ticket number per person is sufficient.

Thanks

 

[icecream]

Hi everyone, I've called to add flights to our OWA and they have quoted the correct taxes and additional points but then advised that the ticketing office is not open on Sunday so we must wait at least until tomorrow. Is this correct, or should I call today repeatedly until it is issued?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi everyone, I've called to add flights to our OWA and they have quoted the correct taxes and additional points but then advised that the ticketing office is not open on Sunday so we must wait at least until tomorrow. Is this correct, or should I call today repeatedly until it is issued?

That’s the first I’ve ever heard of it! If you have airlines with a 24-hour ticketing window you could be in trouble.

It’s worth calling back. I wouldn’t mention the ‘closed’ ticketing desk. Just say you were expecting the ticket and it hasn’t arrived.

 

[MelbFlyer]

Hi everyone, I've called to add flights to our OWA and they have quoted the correct taxes and additional points but then advised that the ticketing office is not open on Sunday so we must wait at least until tomorrow. Is this correct, or should I call today repeatedly until it is issued?

You were able to add flights to your OWA itinerary - did you have to call multiple times to get an agent who could see what you could see online (if you looked online for reward seats first)?

The ticketing office not open on Sunday is rubbish - I'd be calling back immediately to get your itinerary ticketed ASAP.

 

[icecream]

That’s the first I’ve ever heard of it! If you have airlines with a 24-hour ticketing window you could be in trouble.

It’s worth calling back. I wouldn’t mention the ‘closed’ ticketing desk. Just say you were expecting the ticket and it hasn’t arrived.

You were able to add flights to your OWA itinerary - did you have to call multiple times to get an agent who could see what you could see online (if you looked online for reward seats first)?

The ticketing office not open on Sunday is rubbish - I'd be calling back immediately to get your itinerary ticketed ASAP.

Thank you @MEL_Traveller and @MelbFlyer

Actually it was a bit of an odd one, the first agent was able to find the flights and book them, though we had to escalate it to a supervisor because the agent was insistent we owed 450k points (for 2 pax) despite our itinerary just prior to the call already costing 313.8k pp. The agent oddly mentioned OWA and was insistent that it would not cap at 318k because the first ever booking (a single flight out of Aus) was not OWA but booked as classic rewards (I have never heard of this!! And it's not even a thing)

It was sorted in the end by the supervisor said the ticketing desk wasn't open and to wait 24 hours (but I know from here about partner airline flights dropping). In the end we decided to wait a couple of hours before calling back about ticketing but had emailed the escalation team in the interim. In 2 hours they had replied and sent us the tickets!

 

[billbro]

So, I thought I would hit up the wise souls on here before burning some additional miles.

Currently, I have a 318K booked and ticketed for SYD > HKG > CDG > MAD > FRA (transit) > NRT ...(missing sector)... ICN > HKG (transit) > SYD.

Issue (missing sector Tokyo to Seoul):

• Currently, I'm missing a sector that we need to get home - which I could see was available when I tried to book (and still is), but the contact centre has been unable to see the seats (on 4 separate calls);
• Reward availability is showing on multiple websites (Qantas, JAL and Cathay) and the redemption availability has also been confirmed by Qantas on social media;
• Redemption flight is on JAL between Tokyo to Seoul in Business (U) and I can see wide open availability across most of the month in question

Question:

• Does anyone know why this might be the case or how I might be able to make the booking?
• This doesn't appear to be phantom availability given the prevalence of the redemption, which seems wide open and on multiple sites.
• I've subsequently been told the flight can be booked as a new booking, but can't be added to my existing 318k booking.

The initial booking had to be made via the contact centre, as errors were throwing on the Qantas website if that makes any difference.

Beyond contacting the call centre (which definitely can't seem to do anything, given I've made 4 calls and spent between 3-4hours already), the only other solution will be to book and ticket these separately. It's 60,000 points for two so not the end of the world, but frustrating given the booking is well under the 35,000 miles and as far as I can tell well within the rules (5 stop overs, 2 transits, etc).

Any insight is always appreciated!

----

Reading through some of the other posts, I would add that our last 318k for our honeymoon was great (once we sorted through the debacle of getting the bookings ticketed through some extensive escalations). From memory we had 1 (maybe 2) flight departure changes, but tickets were automatically re-issued quickly.

 

[DC3]

…. I've subsequently been told the flight can be booked as a new booking, but can't be added to my existing 318k booking …

… Beyond contacting the call centre (which definitely can't seem to do anything, given I've made 4 calls and spent between 3-4hours already) …

Fiji?

 

[billbro]

Fiji?

Guess I can keep trying to call (don't think I've hit Fiji at all)... but almost seems more sensible to book the sector myself then lodge a complaint and see if I can get a refund.

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

Question:

• Does anyone know why this might be the case or how I might be able to make the booking?

I’ve got no delusions about being a wise soul… but my gut reaction is the married/divorced segment issue.

 

[billbro]

I’ve got no delusions about being a wise soul… but my gut reaction is the married/divorced segment issue.

Maybe not quite married/divorced, given I can book it separately?

However, not sure if they booked transits as separate sectors or if the system automatically recognises transits? I messaged Qantas social media about that earlier today - no response. There are two transits which the call centre operator may have booked separately, MAD > FRA (transit) > NRT and ICN > HKG (transit) > Sydney.

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

Currently, I have a 318K booked and ticketed for SYD > HKG > CDG > MAD > NRT ...(missing sector)... ICN > HKG (transit) > SYD.

On a different tangent…
Looking at your routing, there’s a chance that you’re using CX for a leg or two.
If so, be very vigilant when changing your itinerary - CX can be VERY quick to reclaim award seats while the itinerary is sitting in the re-ticketing twilight zone (yes, that’s the sound of bitter experience… )

 

[billbro]

Looking at your routing, there’s a chance that you’re using CX for a leg or two.

Correct CX on two legs (HKG > CDG) and (ICN > HKG > SYD) - sounds like I'll just need to cough up the extra 60,000.

However, on our honeymoon trip we did have to change our initial itinerary due to booking issues - the CX award seats didn't disappear (not sure if lucky or if because the agent was experienced, revisions were done on different booking refs so all flights were ready before dropping/revising the CX sector).

 

[elanshin]

So, I thought I would hit up the wise souls on here before burning some additional miles.

Currently, I have a 318K booked and ticketed for SYD > HKG > CDG > MAD > FRA (transit) > NRT ...(missing sector)... ICN > HKG (transit) > SYD.

Issue (missing sector Tokyo to Seoul):

• Currently, I'm missing a sector that we need to get home - which I could see was available when I tried to book (and still is), but the contact centre has been unable to see the seats (on 4 separate calls);
• Reward availability is showing on multiple websites (Qantas, JAL and Cathay) and the redemption availability has also been confirmed by Qantas on social media;
• Redemption flight is on JAL between Tokyo to Seoul in Business (U) and I can see wide open availability across most of the month in question

Question:

• Does anyone know why this might be the case or how I might be able to make the booking?
• This doesn't appear to be phantom availability given the prevalence of the redemption, which seems wide open and on multiple sites.
• I've subsequently been told the flight can be booked as a new booking, but can't be added to my existing 318k booking.

The initial booking had to be made via the contact centre, as errors were throwing on the Qantas website if that makes any difference.

Beyond contacting the call centre (which definitely can't seem to do anything, given I've made 4 calls and spent between 3-4hours already), the only other solution will be to book and ticket these separately. It's 60,000 points for two so not the end of the world, but frustrating given the booking is well under the 35,000 miles and as far as I can tell well within the rules (5 stop overs, 2 transits, etc).

Any insight is always appreciated!

----

Reading through some of the other posts, I would add that our last 318k for our honeymoon was great (once we sorted through the debacle of getting the bookings ticketed through some extensive escalations). From memory we had 1 (maybe 2) flight departure changes, but tickets were automatically re-issued quickly.

Firstly, this is likely an agent issue however that doesnt help with getting it solved any sooner.
Your choices are basically either to keep trying the call center and hope you get someone either competent or someone on the line that can escalate.

Rather than booking a separate award fare as a backup, I would just look to skip rewards completely. There are lots of cheap flights between Tokyo and Seoul (2.5h journey). LCC fares start at around $120-$150 or so without sales (add-on luggage costs) and even a lieflat LCC J seat (ZIPAIR) is only $300 AUD.

 

[billbro]

Rather than booking a separate award fare as a backup, I would just look to skip rewards completely. There are lots of cheap flights between Tokyo and Seoul (2.5h journey). LCC fares start at around $120-$150 or so without sales (add-on luggage costs) and even a lieflat LCC J seat (ZIPAIR) is only $300 AUD.

Will keep trying I guess if it's just an agent issue, but after 4 separate ones it seems more like a system error. Guess there is nothing else to be done.

I did look for commercial fares and have set a google flight tracker for it, fares seem closer to $700 on J though.

I was hoping by booking the separate reward fare I might be able to escalate and get it resolved/refunded. However, I guess that might be wishful thinking given it's on JAL and not QF. The other perk is if the main itin falls through with departure changes, etc and we need to drop the trip - dropping this additional award won't hurt as much as paid fares.

 

[DC3]

Will keep trying I guess if it's just an agent issue, but after 4 separate ones it seems more like a system error …

Never discount incompetence or laziness