Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Familyman1]

Over the last couple of days, I've been trying to change a Cathay Pacific flight on a Oneworld award booking and I am convinced that the South Africa Qantas office cannot see Cathay award availability. They keep telling me they can't find availability and yet I can see lots of availability on the Qantas web site. Has anyone else run into this problem? My only solution is to keep ringing back until I reach a Qantas office outside South Africa. This obviously a ridiculous situation. NOT HAPPY!

 

[knobbs]

Over the last couple of days, I've been trying to change a Cathay Pacific flight on a Oneworld award booking and I am convinced that the South Africa Qantas office cannot see Cathay award availability. They keep telling me they can't find availability and yet I can see lots of availability on the Qantas web site. Has anyone else run into this problem? My only solution is to keep ringing back until I reach a Qantas office outside South Africa. This obviously a ridiculous situation. NOT HAPPY!

Yes I had many issues with those phone agents, I spent 30-40hours on hold/getting hung up on/can't see flights/telling me I can't do something that is actually allowable in the rules and more. For some reason I had a LOT more luck with the online chat agents. There have been issues getting chat to work the last week or two but last night it was working fine.

The issue that they kept telling me was that the Qantas website was not 'fully up to date' and they had the real time bookings/availability showing for them. Despite the website showing availability for the previous 2 weeks and then still a week after (stopped checking then) they told me it wasn't up to date.

Other than the online chat you can try to call outside the typical hours of operation for South Africa (morning Aus time) to try and get a different call team.

 

[motef]

Wondering what people do who have exisiting bookings and want to add a leg that is in high demand?

Do you ring up and hope the wait time isn't too long on the day its released or ring up early and convince the agent to stay on the line?

Or can you use the chat?

 

[11sjw]

Wondering what people do who have exisiting bookings and want to add a leg that is in high demand?

Do you ring up and hope the wait time isn't too long on the day its released or ring up early and convince the agent to stay on the line?

Or can you use the chat?

I've done it by phone. Especially if your OWA includes CX flights. You stay online until the whole thing is ticketed again!

 

[motef]

I've done it by phone. Especially if your OWA includes CX flights. You stay online until the whole thing is ticketed again!

So if seats are released at 10am just ring up and stay on the line?

 

[11sjw]

So if seats are released at 10am just ring up and stay on the line?

Check online that they are there and then get on the phone.

 

[JohnM]

@support, @JessicaTam (or any other Mod), can we get the 'round the world' tag removed from this thread, please? It's not relevant, is misleading and causes confusion.

 

[Captain Halliday]

@support, @JessicaTam (or any other Mod), can we get the 'round the world' tag removed from this thread, please? It's not relevant, is misleading and causes confusion.

Not to mention sending @JohnM’s blood pressure through the roof.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Apologies for the confusion I will just start again.

If I am on a oneworld award booking and the airline moves us to another flight after we have started our journey. Is that still considered us 'missing' our flight and forfeiting the rest of our flights? Or does it still count as catching our flight and the whole itinerary is fine? I am thinking it is fine but want to leave my options open to be able to swap a flight if the airline asks/I can persuade them.

Why do you say "if I can persuade them"? Do you actually want to change to a different flight?

 

[Captain Halliday]

@support, @JessicaTam (or any other Mod), can we get the 'round the world' tag removed from this thread, please? It's not relevant, is misleading and causes confusion.

I noticed @support mentioned in the xenforo feedback thread that the tags are automatically generated based thread content.

Given how frequently the magic words appear in the 338 pages of this thread, it’s not surprising that the algo has given it that tag.

It then becomes a catch-22 because people who search for the three magic words May end up at this thread because of the tag and then, not realising, repeat the three magic words.

 

[cjd600]

Check online that they are there and then get on the phone.

Problem being if they are they ones that get snapped up quickly, you don’t have that hour to waste on hold, I think is the point

 

[knobbs]

Why do you say "if I can persuade them"? Do you actually want to change to a different flight?

Yes I would like to get on an earlier flight that keeps popping up but by the time I get to an agent it is gone or they can't see it. My flight currently leaves at 14:55 where I want the 07:20 flight. This is just a layover so less time = win for me. Was thinking I can ask at the counter on checkin if we can move to the/a earlier flight.

 

[JohnM]

I noticed @support mentioned in the xenforo feedback thread that the tags are automatically generated based thread content.

Given how frequently the magic words appear in the 338 pages of this thread, it’s not surprising that the algo has given it that tag.

It then becomes a catch-22 because people who search for the three magic words May end up at this thread because of the tag and then, not realising, repeat the three magic words.

And in so doing perpetuate, even reinforce, an absurdity. Sign of the times, I guess...

Surely there should be some way to override, or just switch off, perverse algorithm-generated outputs that produce ‘fake news’ (or, far more horribly, MAX crashes...), otherwise we truly do have the infamous HAL taking over...

 

[Noah Count]

I just booked my first up to 35000 miles OW reward for 2 pax in F. At total 420K points per person seems like good value as each pax ended up with:

• x2 Dom J, QF
• x2 Int J, JL and QF (F not avail on route)
• x4 Int F, QF, JL and BA.

It was one of the easiest bookings I have made, I only had to request the NRT-MEL sector through the CC, all other sectors appeared online, even the QF F. Closer to the date I may change one on the JL flights to CX if more inventory is released. The original plan was a trip to JP and NY and back again however due to availability ended up going the long way round.

Trip is ADL-SYD-SIN-HND-LHR-JFK-NRT-MEL-ADL.

 

[support]

I noticed @support mentioned in the xenforo feedback thread that the tags are automatically generated based thread content.

Given how frequently the magic words appear in the 338 pages of this thread, it’s not surprising that the algo has given it that tag.

It then becomes a catch-22 because people who search for the three magic words May end up at this thread because of the tag and then, not realising, repeat the three magic words.

And in so doing perpetuate, even reinforce, an absurdity. Sign of the times, I guess...

Surely there should be some way to override, or just switch off, perverse algorithm-generated outputs that produce ‘fake news’ (or, far more horribly, MAX crashes...), otherwise we truly do have the infamous HAL taking over...

I shouldn't think it needs to be said, but we are offtopic. In the future I would suggest creating a new thread in Suggestions and Feedback when you need to discuss issues within a thread. This will allow the original thread to continue on-topic.

At the end of the day we have decided to keep the tag in this thread. The tag doesn't mean this award is exclusively an around the world award, but the fact it can be used as such helps give it exposure to those who are looking for that sort of thing. As evidenced by the post immediately above mine.

The first post has been updated to reflect that.

 

[ozflier]

I just booked my first up to 35000 miles OW reward for 2 pax in F. At total 420K points per person seems like good value as each pax ended up with:

• x2 Dom J, QF
• x2 Int J, JL and QF (F not avail on route)
• x4 Int F, QF, JL and BA.

It was one of the easiest booking I have made, I only had to request the NRT-MEL sector through the CC, all other sectors appeared online, even the QF F. Closer to the date I may change one on the JL flights to CX if more inventory is released. The original plan was a trip to JP and NY and back again however due to availability ended up going the long way round.

Trip is ADL-SYD-SIN-HND-LHR-JFK-NRT-MEL-ADL.

Well done, can you give an idea of the date of first and last flights?

 

[Noah Count]

Sure first is 8 Apr 20, last is 19 Apr 20. The trip was just meant to be 5 days in NYC, however MrsM decided we should spend a couple of days in Tokyo as she wants to do some shopping. It is a only a short trip and in part was an excuse to burn a few QFF points as I am on a mission to use them all.

Will be booking something similar later in the year also for 2020 AU-UK-CA-AU for 1 pax on OW and 2 with *A, I think this one will be more complicated as I will have to line up flights across the programs and OW is limited in CA.

The other thing that surprised me was the availability of QF1 and 80 given it is in School holidays.

 

[knobbs]

Sure first is 8 Apr 20, last is 19 Apr 20. The trip was just meant to be 5 days in NYC, however MrsM decided we should spend a couple of days in Tokyo as she wants to do some shopping. It is a only a short trip and in part was an excuse to burn a few QFF points as I am on a mission to use them all.

Will be booking something similar later in the year also for 2020 AU-UK-CA-AU for 1 pax on OW and 2 with *A, I think this one will be more complicated as I will have to line up flights across the programs and OW is limited in CA.

The other thing that surprised me was the availability of QF1 and 80 given it is in School holidays.

Sounds like you had a dream with availability could it possibly be because you are booking F instead of J?

 

[Noah Count]

Possibly, however when booking I could see J availability on the same flights. I am in the fortunate position of having way to many points so I was not fussed about burning them. Additionally, the choice to go F was was to treat MrsM on carriers she has not flown F before. Closer to travel I may try and switch the US-AU flights to CX if availability opens up, at the time of booking CX F was available for 1 but not 2. I had suggested we fly JFK-HKG separately and meet up in HKG then fly direct to ADL however this was not received with any enthusiasm.

 

[knobbs]

Possibly, however when booking I could see J availability on the same flights. I am in the fortunate position of having way to many points so I was not fussed about burning them. Additionally, the choice to go F was was to treat MrsM on carriers she has not flown F before. Closer to travel I may try and switch the US-AU flights to CX if availability opens up, at the time of booking CX F was available for 1 but not 2. I had suggested we fly JFK-HKG separately and meet up in HKG then fly direct to ADL however this was not received with any enthusiasm.

Haha exactly the same as my Ms would respond. We just want the best value

You must have had a great time flying if you are trying to tick off airlines you have yet to fly in F. The only time I have never flown Y was for our honeymoon BNE-FRA on SQ J. I was spoilt then but we should tick a few J boxes off for our award coming up next month