Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

Thanks! No, I don't have status but still found decent availability from Hong Kong to Europe on CX (particularly on their new routes to BRU, DUB, CPH). I didn't want to burn a stopover at HKG but couldn't get around the married segment control given I'm flying CX from ADL to HKG. There was also heaps of availability on RJ to Europe around that time too.

So you were able to book this 6 months out?
Heres hoping for me next year.
 
After months of planning I've finally managed to snag 4 seats in Dec-Jan.

SYD-HND (QF)
NRT-FRA-LHR (JL/BA)
LHR-JFK (AA)
JFK-HKG (CX)
HKG-DEL (CX)
DEL-HKG-PEK-SYD (CX/QF)

Obviously being during school holidays plus requiring 4 seats it was difficult to get exactly I wanted. Both QF sectors are unfortunately on old J products so I'll be checking JL availability to HND/NRT on the outbound and also looking for an alternative to the PEK connection on the inbound.

Taxes came in at $1382.98 per person which is a little higher than expected. I did think flying AA on the LHR-JFK leg would help but I assume the LHR stopover along with the QF sectors make up the chunk of the taxes? The LHR stop is a small Euro trip so I'll look to arrive into a different Euro port and add a connection to the LHR-JFK sector (maybe AMS-LHR-JFK). Assuming this will reduce the taxes?
 
After months of planning I've finally managed to snag 4 seats in Dec-Jan.

SYD-HND (QF)
NRT-FRA-LHR (JL/BA)
LHR-JFK (AA)
JFK-HKG (CX)
HKG-DEL (CX)
DEL-HKG-PEK-SYD (CX/QF)

Obviously being during school holidays plus requiring 4 seats it was difficult to get exactly I wanted. Both QF sectors are unfortunately on old J products so I'll be checking JL availability to HND/NRT on the outbound and also looking for an alternative to the PEK connection on the inbound.

Taxes came in at $1382.98 per person which is a little higher than expected. I did think flying AA on the LHR-JFK leg would help but I assume the LHR stopover along with the QF sectors make up the chunk of the taxes? The LHR stop is a small Euro trip so I'll look to arrive into a different Euro port and add a connection to the LHR-JFK sector (maybe AMS-LHR-JFK). Assuming this will reduce the taxes?

I assume this is all in J, if so flying out of LHR adds about $260 in taxes due to the UK's Airport Departure Tax. The other contributing factor will be the QF legs as you have already stated.
 
FCO-LHR-JFK also helps surcharges from my dummy bookings, dropping the APD, rather than straight LHR-JFK
 
MEL NRT (JL)
NRT HEL (AY)
HEL KEF (AY)
KEF HEL (AY)
HEL DUS (AY)
MUC DOH (QR)
DOH DPS (QR)
DPS KUL (MH)
KUL MEL (MH)

For the above itinerary, $1450pp in taxes seems high or is it just me? I calculated the carrier charges from the Wiki and they came to around $780, I could understand $900pp but not $1450. Am I missing something?
 
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MEL NRT (JL)
NRT HEL (AY)
HEL KEF (AY)
KEF HEL (AY)
HEL DUS (AY)
MUC DOH (QR)
DOH DPS (QR)
DPS KUL (MH)
KUL MEL (MH)

For the above itinerary, $1450pp in taxes seems high or is it just me? I calculated the carrier charges from the Wiki and they came to around $780, I could understand $900pp but not $1450. Am I missing something?
Does seem high to me. Calling @madrooster to the white courtesy phone...
 
MEL NRT (JL)
NRT HEL (AY)
HEL KEF (AY)
KEF HEL (AY)
HEL DUS (AY)
MUC DOH (QR)
DOH DPS (QR)
DPS KUL (MH)
KUL MEL (MH)

For the above itinerary, $1450pp in taxes seems high or is it just me? I calculated the carrier charges from the Wiki and they came to around $780, I could understand $900pp but not $1450. Am I missing something?
I found when I was seeing the taxes on the Qantas site I would expand out the taxes box and try to work out what was causing the most. I actually think the AY flights have a higher tax then what the Wiki said. Plus you have to add in so many different airport taxes and charges.. often seeing about $50-80 per airport added.
 
MEL NRT (JL)
NRT HEL (AY)
HEL KEF (AY)
KEF HEL (AY)
HEL DUS (AY)
MUC DOH (QR)
DOH DPS (QR)
DPS KUL (MH)
KUL MEL (MH)

For the above itinerary, $1450pp in taxes seems high or is it just me? I calculated the carrier charges from the Wiki and they came to around $780, I could understand $900pp but not $1450. Am I missing something?

My itinerary above was $1185pp with the fuel charges (from the wiki) at only about $550 so other taxes are pretty significant. Even pricing each leg individually on Qantas I got around $1000 for my itinerary in total taxes so I'm not sure where the extra charges come from.
 
MEL NRT (JL)
NRT HEL (AY)
HEL KEF (AY)
KEF HEL (AY)
HEL DUS (AY)
MUC DOH (QR)
DOH DPS (QR)
DPS KUL (MH)
KUL MEL (MH)

For the above itinerary, $1450pp in taxes seems high or is it just me? I calculated the carrier charges from the Wiki and they came to around $780, I could understand $900pp but not $1450. Am I missing something?

Did you book this over the phone with QF? Or did you start it on the website?

If it was booked over the phone initially I can pull the exact taxes for you.
 
Did you book this over the phone with QF? Or did you start it on the website?

If it was booked over the phone initially I can pull the exact taxes for you.

Hi madrooster, would you mind checking mine? It was booked over the phone. I'll msg you my booking ref. Thanks a lot!
 
Completed my first and definitely not last 280k award redemption in March.

Amazing value for what it was! Had a slight issue with MH not actually confirming J seats meaning QF had to change my routing home had after I had left SYD. Luckily it was picked up before I was due to fly on them after a missed flight in CDG (my bad, oops!) required re ticketing.

Shame I missed out on newish MH J & their refreshed lounge in KUL however, was keen for some satay =(

AB going under meant I was re-booked by QF on a Joon (AF new millennial airline concept) service & it was actually quite good! Food was nice, IFE was all streamed to your device with in seat power provided through USB ports & crew were super friendly. Miles ahead of what BA provided on their Euro J jets...

JL 787 HND-LHR was amazing & the flight times despite sounding horrific were actually very good for adjusting to GMT. 0245 DEP, 0625 ARR. Full 8hrs sleep on board and woke up at 0430 for breakfast, so basically just felt like a very early start to the day & no jet lag in London! Winning! Also you just cant beat Japanese style & service.

CX 350 FCO-HKG was also great, although I find that the way CX serve in J now is a little dated & potentially in need of a change in style. Hard product was great however & crew as always on CX were very friendly.

Routing was SYD-HND-LHR/LCY-TGL-CDG-LHR-VCE/FCO-HKG-SYD
280k points. $885.92 in taxes.
10/10 would recommend.
 
Last edited:
....Luckily it was picked up before I was due to fly on them after a missed flight in CDG (my bad, oops!) required re ticketing....

I was under the impression missed flight = loss of entire remainder of PNR? Would you mind sharing the circumstances?
 
Did you get rebooked into a commercial class? If yes, claim the points/SC's/etc!

Unfortunately not! U class for HKG-SYD & I am not sure how, but also on AF TGL-CDG.

I was under the impression missed flight = loss of entire remainder of PNR? Would you mind sharing the circumstances?

I missed check in for my flight at CDG by ~20mins, rang QF's french number straight away and spoke to the team there. The guy was extremely helpful & was upfront that they had limited capability to make changes without contacting QF in AUS, but I spent a good 90mins on the phone to them & they were able to move me to the next avail award seat on that route (CDG-LHR) which just so happened to be the same flight the following day.

This move was confirmed BEFORE the scheduled departure time & was issued on a new PNR with my FCO-HKG flight attached, but nothing to SYD.

The french office weren't able to confirm the HKG-KUL-SYD legs due to MH never confirming the original seats and awards no longer existed. So I rang the WP desk a few hours later and despite having no award seats visible online, or to the agent initially they booked a seat in J on CX, so not sure what happened there but it was made available.

They also combined the new "french" PNR with my old one and everything stayed the same, seat selection meals the lot, however when I arrived at check-in the following day BA couldn't action because the E-TICKET number hadn't been attached, so another call to the WP desk to get that fixed was needed.

At no time did any one question the request to move flights because of the no show despite me telling them I had missed it, but it could have been for any or multiple of these reasons (all speculation):

1) The call was received by QF BEFORE the "no show" message went from BA to QF.
OR
2) The call was received before scheduled departure time.
3) The french team weren't that familiar with the process & by accident they re-activated (if possible?) by playing around with the booking.
4) When speaking to the WP desk about multiple PNR's, no award seats despite a confirmed ticket on MH that apparently wasn't confirmed by them, the easiest option was to re-book and resolve the issue
5) WP status??
6) Travel gods looking over me? :D
 
...
6) Travel gods looking over me? :D
Reminds me of a time my wife saved us, by the skin of our teeth, from losing the remaining 2/3 of a USDM booking. I was in the lounge, chilling to my heart's content, forgetting that CLT is in a different timezone to IAH, and thinking we had another hour to departure.

Good to hear you were very well looked after.
 

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