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

[madrooster]

Didn't realise at the time of booking that JAL787 on the NRT-YVR-NRT route was the old style neo angle flat bed - I thought it was the new suites!

I've changed this section of the trip from July to August next year and grabbed some direct CX flights instead (also saved $552 in taxes in the process)

Now have:
KUL-HKG MH J A330
HKG-YVR CX J B777
YVR-HKG CX J A350
HKG-PER CX J A350

with no need to overnight in HKG in either direction, well worth the 5k QFF points to change

Taxes are now $1179 pp instead of $1450

I believe you got overcharged on taxes originally as swapping JL/JL/JL/CX/CX for CX/CX/CX should increase the taxes and not drop it.

 

[appaz]

I believe you got overcharged on taxes originally as swapping JL/JL/JL/CX/CX for CX/CX/CX should increase the taxes and not drop it.

either way, I'll happily take the $550 refund

 

[yld200]

This whole Middle East situation has drained the life out of me in the last couple of weeks while trying to sort out my flights to Dubai.

Originally I was flying:
MEL>ADL>DOH
DOH>DXB (STOP)
DXB>DOH>ESB (STOP).

The flight to Doha was booked 11 month ago and I was really looking forward to the experience on the A350. Since June I've been scrambling trying to find arrangements to get to Dubai from Doha and any option that I found wouldn't work without an extremely long layover somewhere uncomfortable.

It had gotten to the point where I was happy to wait until T-72 and get Qatar to sort it out, which would have most likely been something like transiting through Muscat then Oman Air to Dubai. Yesterday availability showed up on MLE>DXB via HKG on Cathays A350 to HKG a few days earlier than what we had already booked, so after approval from the boss I jumped on it. QF found the flights and they were on hold while a refund of $98 was to be sorted out. I hung up the phone having confirmed everything when QF rings back 5 mins later - NOOOOOOOOO - The MEL>HKG flight had been pulled from inventory and couldn't be booked. The QF agent had also dropped my QR flight which left me in limbo. I did some searching quickly and found availability from SYD on CX to DXB via HKG so have booked that now.

My new itinerary is:
MEL>SYD>HKG>DXB (STOP)
DXB>AMM>IST (STOP)
The rest of my trip is unchanged.

I have a 5 hour stopover over in HKG now from 9.30 pm til around 2.20am - whats the best lounge to sleep in during that time? I've read that the Pier has resting 'pods' - is that the place to be?

 

[siri]

Just came from RTW one world business class trip with wife.
Syd-Spore, Qantas and got new bus class seats and nice... Some how Qantas Bus class food quality is down. Good wine..
Spore to London, BA and flight was pleasant and food is ok. BA still have bus class with split bed design ( 2 parts).. Wine is ok.. Lounge ok.
London T5 to NY, with BA, and T5 got bus class check in even 4 hrs early at right at the end and display screen may say that, desk is not yet open but Bus class is open. Wine is ok.. BA Lounge is good not like old days even 1st class lounge on BA was cough.
Plane Food was atrocious.
NY to HK, via Cathay and 16 hr flight... Plenty of movies and good food and 16 hrs went so fast and good service.. NY lounge was good and some how yanks have sorted atrocious lounge issues in US except Chicago which got hidden brilliant 1st class lounge.
HK to Tokyo-Narita-Cathay, only 4.5 hrs old seats and its ok. Food is ok. Plane is too old seats are not that comfortable.
Tokyo- Haneda to Syd via Qantas and decided to use Haneda since its so close to Shinjuku/Tokyo. Good airport and good Bus class lounge.
Stayed with Grand Hyatt in NY, Hyatt Regency in Kowloon HK is so new and great and normally I stay in Grand Hyatt in Wanchai ( 180 deg water views from the bed room) and in future I will stay at Kowloon hyatt since its new and got nice restaurants around the hotel which Grand does not.
Old Hyatt regency at Kowloon closed about 16 yrs ago.
Tokyo stayed at Shinjuku Hyatt regency since I used to work in Tokyo and stayed in that hotel for 6 months. Good and reasonable hotel to stay and Shinjuku is a great place to stay. Nice evenings so much nice bars and Yodabashi and Bic camera for every and exotic electronics..
NY Grand Hyatt was bad and I emailed to head office about the poor service and terrible room and they cancel my hotel food bill and bar bill and gave me a limousine to go to the airport with no cost. To me Hyatt hotel worldwide is possibly the best choice and great service but not in US. I lived more than 3 yrs at Grand Hyatt, Beijing and extremely nice luxuries hotel. BK Grand Hyatt is a another great hotel with excellent food.
Be careful in US with your credit cards since I got hit few times double bill for the same item using credit card with the pin. Some times it says did not go so you do again and then you find it charged twice... Check immediately or daily your credit cards statement via internet or app.
Also US stores now doing the DCC ( Dynamic Currency Conversion) so if they ask to pay by Aus dollars, say NO since its a rip off and always ask for the local currency to be paid.
At the end we bought a another big suitcase from Macy's and its less than a half the price to Sydney samsonite price.
Happy and safe travelling...

 

[Eija]

Please be kind…first timer & it’s doing my head in! ◦ only one Stopover is permitted in any one city in the Itinerary; and ◦ only two Transfers may be taken at any one city in the ItineraryQuestion 1: Can you do one Stopover and two Transfers in the same city?Question 2: If Great Circle Mapper gives me 34,950 miles is Qantas going to tell me that’s not right Sunny Jim we calculate 36,125 miles?Many thanks in advance for your sage advice.

 

[Eija]

Apologies…that did not format the way I had it.

 

[Daver6]

Please be kind…first timer & it’s doing my head in! ◦ only one Stopover is permitted in any one city in the Itinerary; and ◦ only two Transfers may be taken at any one city in the ItineraryQuestion 1: Can you do one Stopover and two Transfers in the same city?Question 2: If Great Circle Mapper gives me 34,950 miles is Qantas going to tell me that’s not right Sunny Jim we calculate 36,125 miles?Many thanks in advance for your sage advice.

1. You sure can.
2. Who knows? Only one way to find out...

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

Please be kind…first timer & it’s doing my head in! ◦ only one Stopover is permitted in any one city in the Itinerary; and ◦ only two Transfers may be taken at any one city in the ItineraryQuestion 1: Can you do one Stopover and two Transfers in the same city?Question 2: If Great Circle Mapper gives me 34,950 miles is Qantas going to tell me that’s not right Sunny Jim we calculate 36,125 miles?Many thanks in advance for your sage advice.

Q1. Yes, I have done it myself.
Q2. Yes, it can happen. It has happened to me. I suggest that you leave a margin of error of about 100 miles for safety.
Happy planning.
J

 

[Eija]

I have 2 preferred options on the limit. One at 34,950 the other at 35,125 miles. Will be interesting to see which way the margin of error falls

 

[madrooster]

I have 2 preferred options on the limit. One at 34,950 the other at 35,125 miles. Will be interesting to see which way the margin of error falls

If you post the routing, someone with GDS access can calculate the exact mileage for you.

 

[geoffshaw]

Originally I was planning to get to Lima from the US, now we're thinking of going there direct from Brisbane and heading to LA afterwards. I've found flights from Brisbane (via AKL & SCL), but for some reason the Qantas site won't let me put in Lima as the origin when I try for departing flights? Is there some restriction on booking flights originating in Lima? I can do it through the multi-city tool as the second flight but that means I have to luck out on picking a date with seats or it just gives me an error.

 

[Mumanddad]

Originally I was planning to get to Lima from the US, now we're thinking of going there direct from Brisbane and heading to LA afterwards. I've found flights from Brisbane (via AKL & SCL), but for some reason the Qantas site won't let me put in Lima as the origin when I try for departing flights? Is there some restriction on booking flights originating in Lima? I can do it through the multi-city tool as the second flight but that means I have to luck out on picking a date with seats or it just gives me an error.

I'm in the very early stages a planning a RTW for next Sept-October, and yesterday had the same problem on the Qantas site when looking at possible Oneworld flights out of Lima. I've joined Avios to get access to the BA award site, so will check flights there and see what comes up.

Thinking that joining Expert Flyer might be a good move until flights are available and booked.

 

[geoffshaw]

I'm in the very early stages a planning a RTW for next Sept-October, and yesterday had the same problem on the Qantas site when looking at possible Oneworld flights out of Lima. I've joined Avios to get access to the BA award site, so will check flights there and see what comes up.

Thinking that joining Expert Flyer might be a good move until flights are available and booked.

I ended up calling Qantas last night and they confirmed that from some origins you can't book one-way fares. You have to use the multi-city search to find them.

 

[Kangol]

Anyone have trouble booking JL metal flights, despite award availability being present on JL and BA sites? This is despite me asking the premium agent to "search in another window", etc

 

[Captain Halliday]

Anyone have trouble booking JL metal flights, despite award availability being present on JL and BA sites? This is despite me asking the premium agent to "search in another window", etc

Not recently, but it has happened to me. I'd try the HUCA method and try for an Australian based operator.

 

[Kangol]

Not recently, but it has happened to me. I'd try the HUCA method and try for an Australian based operator.

Thanks, I thought the Premium desk was Australian...?

 

[Eija]

If you post the routing, someone with GDS access can calculate the exact mileage for you.

AKL-HKG-MEL-NRT-HEL-AMS-HEL-OSL-DOH-MEL-AKL (10 segments)

Average variance between GCM & Qantas over 9 segments is 6.5 miles.
S1+10, S2+23, S3+30, S4+351, S5-3, S6-3, S7-2, S8-1, S9 0, S10+5

GCM = 34,743 miles.
Qantas = 35,153 miles...153 makes a big difference!

The stand out is S4 NRT-HEL 4,878(GCM) - 5,229(Qantas) Have spoken to Qantas twice today pointing out that S4 seems out of whack with the other 9.

Anyone have an idea what to do next?

 

[madrooster]

AKL-HKG-MEL-NRT-HEL-AMS-HEL-OSL-DOH-MEL-AKL (10 segments)

Average variance between GCM & Qantas over 9 segments is 6.5 miles.
S1+10, S2+23, S3+30, S4+351, S5-3, S6-3, S7-2, S8-1, S9 0, S10+5

GCM = 34,743 miles.
Qantas = 35,153 miles...153 makes a big difference!

The stand out is S4 NRT-HEL 4,878(GCM) - 5,229(Qantas) Have spoken to Qantas twice today pointing out that S4 seems out of whack with the other 9.

Anyone have an idea what to do next?

The GDS says 35153 miles, with NRT-HEL being 5229 miles. This is the mileage that would be used for ticketing, so you are over by 153 miles.

 

[Guvner]

You could purchase a HEL-OSL-HEL rev ticket for $150 on Norwegian. That would drop 800 or so miles off.

 

[flychrisfly]

AKL-HKG-MEL-NRT-HEL-AMS-HEL-OSL-DOH-MEL-AKL (10 segments)
Anyone have an idea what to do next?

Hard to say without knowing where you're actually stopping vs transiting.