Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[kimnkk]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Oh man, that's awesome Coley, thanks a lot!

Unfortunately i have to keep NYC on the same dates as i'm there for some business. But other than that, flights are just dependent on availability!

Good idea with Zanzibar!
If i have an open jaw there, that still means i have 1 stopover left?
Feels like a bit of a waste but i just don't have any spare miles unfortunately!

Or if if want to go to Seychelles (SEZ) then would i be able to get a DOH-DXB flight on this itinerary? Only 200mi away!
Only problem is, my JRO-DOH is already QR, so if i book a connecting DOH-DXB (and then return) will QR reject that?

I've heard CX are picky with people booking their own connecting into HKG (under 24 hours) but i didn't know other airlines care? Unless it was a recent change?

Any experiences with airlines and that?

 

[madrooster]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Thanks, that's a good idea madrooster!
I called up just then to try that and there was availability for CDG-LHR (then connect with my LHR-NYC). Both would be with BA.

However! Something must have made it invalid as my itinerary went from 280k to like 500k. He put my on hold to find out what was wrong and I was on hold for 25+ minutes before it got cut off, so no answer
He said mileage would be 34,500mi or so with CDG-LHR in. I would be at 4 stopovers, 1 open jaw (between KIX & ICN).

Can't think of anything that would throw it off! Any ideas?
Will that be a problem with BA if i booked two separate BA and connected them instead of their 'official' CDG-LHR-NYC? The operator didn't seem too sure, he said he would try put it through to find out!

Your routing is fine with CDG thrown in. There's no reason why it shouldn't quote up as 280k. BA do not use married segment control so yes you can book CDG-LHR then LHR-NYC, but it MUST be on the one ticket and one PNR.

 

[kimnkk]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Your routing is fine with CDG thrown in. There's no reason why it shouldn't quote up as 280k. BA do not use married segment control so yes you can book CDG-LHR then LHR-NYC, but it MUST be on the one ticket and one PNR.

Hmm that is strange, the operators are a hit and miss, sometimes they know their stuff but sometimes not!

If i go KIX-LHR (stop) then CDG-LHR-NYC, that is an open jaw from LHR to CDG right?
So that means they will count the miles between LHR-CDG for the open jaw, and then again when i fly from CDG-LHR.

Is that correct? Maybe i don't have enough miles to account for the open jaw and then return flight?

Also, do you know if Qatar use married segment control?

 

[madrooster]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hmm that is strange, the operators are a hit and miss, sometimes they know their stuff but sometimes not!

If i go KIX-LHR (stop) then CDG-LHR-NYC, that is an open jaw from LHR to CDG right?
So that means they will count the miles between LHR-CDG for the open jaw, and then again when i fly from CDG-LHR.

Is that correct? Maybe i don't have enough miles to account for the open jaw and then return flight?

Also, do you know if Qatar use married segment control?

QR and CX both use MSC.

I checked your mileage in Amadeus which is the most accurate method to check mileage for the purposes of a QF award ticket, before I posted saying that you could originate from CDG. LHR-CDG is a required surface segment, yes.

 

[kimnkk]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Thanks for the check and advice Madrooster.
Not a bad way to save $300pp, thats a quick $600 for 2 pax.

However, i decided to use my miles for a little more Asia.
Probably do SIN and SGN as its an open jaw from SIN-HKG (no availability).
MEL-SIN-HKG-KIX-ICN-LHR-NYC-DOH-JRO-DOH-PER-MEL.
Miles: 34,938

Wow, talk about cutting it fine.
I'm still trying to squeeze in your advice and avoid LHR for arrival/departure, but its getting pretty hard.
HEL is a little too far out of western europe for me, and doesn't seem to be better for miles.
No oneworld does ICN-CDG (maybe Finnair?), otherwise i could fly from CDG to NYC pretty easily.

What do you think? Stump up the $600 (or more if i don't arrive into LHR) or find another way?
Thanks, this itinerary is looking pretty tight now!

 

[hutch]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Thanks for the check and advice Madrooster.
Not a bad way to save $300pp, thats a quick $600 for 2 pax.

However, i decided to use my miles for a little more Asia.
Probably do SIN and SGN as its an open jaw from SIN-HKG (no availability).
MEL-SIN-HKG-KIX-ICN-LHR-NYC-DOH-JRO-DOH-PER-MEL.
Miles: 34,938

Wow, talk about cutting it fine.
I'm still trying to squeeze in your advice and avoid LHR for arrival/departure, but its getting pretty hard.
HEL is a little too far out of western europe for me, and doesn't seem to be better for miles.
No oneworld does ICN-CDG (maybe Finnair?), otherwise i could fly from CDG to NYC pretty easily.

What do you think? Stump up the $600 (or more if i don't arrive into LHR) or find another way?
Thanks, this itinerary is looking pretty tight now!

Personally, I value the $600 more than maximizing miles.... but the best award ticket, is the one taking you where you want to go. YMMV of course.

Another thing to consider though, is you may not always get your preferred routing and then end up using more miles you hadn't budgeted for.

 

[kimnkk]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Personally, I value the $600 more than maximizing miles.... but the best award ticket, is the one taking you where you want to go. YMMV of course.

Another thing to consider though, is you may not always get your preferred routing and then end up using more miles you hadn't budgeted for.

That's true and I entirely agree the best one is the one you want to make. If i had a few more miles it would be perfect because i could save some of the $1300pp tax i'm paying for this itinerary!

If i can avoid LHR by making other changes that would be perfect!
Just looking for other ways to make the cut is the trouble...

Maybe take out HKG-KIX, and then use that for CDG-LHR?
But then flights from HKG-KIX would be $600 for 2 pax and that's not J!

Any ideas, or am i scraping the bottom of the barrel here?

 

[hutch]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

That's true and I entirely agree the best one is the one you want to make. If i had a few more miles it would be perfect because i could save some of the $1300pp tax i'm paying for this itinerary!

If i can avoid LHR by making other changes that would be perfect!
Just looking for other ways to make the cut is the trouble...

Maybe take out HKG-KIX, and then use that for CDG-LHR?
But then flights from HKG-KIX would be $600 for 2 pax and that's not J!

Any ideas, or am i scraping the bottom of the barrel here?

It's hard to say... I just suggest that your primary aim should be picking the places you want to go and not worrying about getting as close to the 35,000 mile mark as possible (as long as you're under 35,000). Sometimes you can just make things more complicated. With an itinerary at 34,938 miles before anything is booked, you are reliant on getting the flights you want and in my experience, that is not always possible.

Also, I note that originally you were talking about starting off with a MEL-HKG-KIX, which has now changed to a MEL-SIN start? Sometimes getting 2 x J seats on QF can be hard and then you'll be paying more in tax for the privilege over CX.

 

[hutch]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Your routing is fine with CDG thrown in. There's no reason why it shouldn't quote up as 280k. BA do not use married segment control so yes you can book CDG-LHR then LHR-NYC, but it MUST be on the one ticket and one PNR.

Could it have something to do with the QR flight from JRO doing JRO-ZNZ-DOH and those miles being added in?

 

[hutch]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Could it have something to do with the QR flight from JRO doing JRO-ZNZ-DOH and those miles being added in?

In answer to my own question, MEL-HKG-KIX-ICN-LHR-JFK-DOH-JRO-ZNZ-DOH-PER-MEL would still have been under miles.

 

[madrooster]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Could it have something to do with the QR flight from JRO doing JRO-ZNZ-DOH and those miles being added in?

No, flights that are direct but not non stop, only count as JRO/DOH for ticketed mileage purposes.

 

[flychrisfly]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

2. ICN-LHR (Openjaw from KIX-ICN, & Stopover 2 in LHR)

I hate to be "that" person but this is a surface sector, not an open jaw. An open jaw is a return flight where you fly out from one port and then return to your original port but from a 3rd port Such as Melbourne to Singapore - then own arrangements - then Hong Kong to Melbourne. The drawn paths make a < shape (with Melbourne at the point in this example) or open jaw.

 

[kimnkk]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Hey guys,
So yesterday Qantas managed to get the flights i wanted but in the process of putting it through for ticketing there was some problems.
It wouldn't go through and was saying i needed another 200k points, so they thought my itinerary was bad. But they took like 20 minutes to confirm the rules and everything was OK, so they just said because there have been so many changes its getting slow to put through.

It was the same Monday too, they originally thought it was not good but then it "fixed itself" and went through after about 15 minutes on hold.

Has anyone encountered that before too? I hope it will ticket okay... i haven't got the ticket yet but it hasn't quite been 24 hours?

It's hard to say... I just suggest that your primary aim should be picking the places you want to go and not worrying about getting as close to the 35,000 mile mark as possible (as long as you're under 35,000). Sometimes you can just make things more complicated. With an itinerary at 34,938 miles before anything is booked, you are reliant on getting the flights you want and in my experience, that is not always possible.

Also, I note that originally you were talking about starting off with a MEL-HKG-KIX, which has now changed to a MEL-SIN start? Sometimes getting 2 x J seats on QF can be hard and then you'll be paying more in tax for the privilege over CX.

I totally get what you mean, but definitely the places i want to go are priority #1, just not enough miles and too many places!
I wouldn't think the mile cap would be a problem at the start, i was thinking stopover limit would get me first but i think using surface sectors really allowed me to get where i want without adding to the stops.

2x J is definitely getting scarce, i made the original booking about 330 days in and just finalising with the changes you guys are suggesting now.
I managed to secure 2x J in MEL->SIN and yesterday also got 2x SGN - HKG - KIX.
Had to fly out a day later from SGN but i don't expect to get a OW Award all done without small compromises like that! But agreed, i wouldn't go to a continent that i didn't want to go to, for the sake of stops.

I hate to be "that" person but this is a surface sector, not an open jaw. An open jaw is a return flight where you fly out from one port and then return to your original port but from a 3rd port Such as Melbourne to Singapore - then own arrangements - then Hong Kong to Melbourne. The drawn paths make a < shape (with Melbourne at the point in this example) or open jaw.

Haha, well "that" person is quite helpful too. Thanks, i didn't know!

 

[hutch]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Congrats on getting your booking through and the flights you want! An awesome achievement I think.

 

[kimnkk]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Thanks!
A lot of lurking here and learning from you guys!
i had most of it ticketed by 330 days out but then found more time so changed up a lot of the itinerary more recently!
Luckily i wasn't after popular legs like LAX or LHR from our east coast so it worked out OK!

 

[flychrisfly]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Has anyone encountered that before too? I hope it will ticket okay... i haven't got the ticket yet but it hasn't quite been 24 hours?

If it's a change to an already ticketed flight then it can take longer than a day, if it's a change to a previously changed booking then you may need to wait for up to a week. Keep checking the booking online though and call them if sectors disappear before it's re-ticketed.

 

[Tonkatough]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

After two weeks I had not received my ticket so I phoned QANTAS and was advised it was stuck in their Outbox.....then received the ticket within the hour.

 

[Familyman1]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this but, as far as I have seen, there have been absolutely no economy one world award seats into Australia from Asia (SIN, HKG, NRT, Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila) or Doha for January 2017. I have been checking just about everyday and there has been nothing. This is important information to have on this thread for people planning trips. I assume all the airlines have assessed January flights to Australia to be too profitable to make frequent flyer seats available. I think it is up to Qantas to rectify this situation, particularly considering the big profits announced by the company today.

Anyway, I have had to get around the problem by booking one world award seats from Europe with Cathay Pacific (which has very low fees) to Bali and then paying for a cheap Jetstar flight to Cairns, followed by one world award seats to Brisbane. In the end I'm happy with this itinerary because I will spend a few days in Bali but it really is a ridiculous situation that a whole month is unavailable for Europe/Asia to Australia.

 

[Familyman1]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Just a correction on that last post: A Qantas rep just pointed out that there are seats with Japan Airlines. Four economy seats per flight on the daily Tokyo to Sydney flights. These are not visible on the Qantas site but I can see them when using the British Airways site. It's something to work with but the other airlines need to open up a few January seats as well.

 

[Limewood]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Was wondering is there set QF fuel and charges on a J OW around world flights?.