Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Jamesaurus]

I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on a J award explorer- is it 5k pts for change? how many points or $ if i have to cancel?

 

[cjd600]

I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on a J award explorer- is it 5k pts for change? how many points or $ if i have to cancel?

If this is a Qantas Oneworld Award....
5k per person per change ( can make multiple changes at the same time for this 5k).
6k to cancel, full $$ refund.

 

[Jamesaurus]

So after years of hoarding points i've finally booked the following in J (depart in a months time!):

SYD-HKG-JFK (CP)
PHI- LIS (AA)
LIS-MAD-BRU (IB)
BRU-LHR-NRT (BA)
NRT-MEL (JAL)
MEL-CBR (QF)

- taxes and surcharges totalled $1670, got roughly the exact dates I needed for my scheduled appts.

Any thoughts on which lounges I should choose? (Only QF Bronze)
Thank you AFF members for your insights!!!

 

[p--and--t]

So after years of hoarding points i've finally booked the following in J (depart in a months time!):

SYD-HKG-JFK (CP)
PHI- LIS (AA)
LIS-MAD-BRU (IB)
BRU-LHR-NRT (BA)
NRT-MEL (JAL)
MEL-CBR (QF)

- taxes were $1670, got roughly the exact dates I needed for my scheduled appts.

Any thoughts on which lounges I should choose? (Only QF Bronze)
Thank you AFF members for your insights!!!

Suggest you download an app for your phone called loungebuddy. Enter your credit card and airline affiliations. Then enter your trip (including J details). The app will then highlight which lounges you have eligibility and provide reviews etc.

 

[Kangol]

So after years of hoarding points i've finally booked the following in J (depart in a months time!):

SYD-HKG-JFK (CP)
PHI- LIS (AA)
LIS-MAD-BRU (IB)
BRU-LHR-NRT (BA)
NRT-MEL (JAL)
MEL-CBR (QF)

- taxes were $1670, got roughly the exact dates I needed for my scheduled appts.

Any thoughts on which lounges I should choose? (Only QF Bronze)
Thank you AFF members for your insights!!!

Due to COS, you would only have access to one lounge in most ports anyway, with the exception of HKG (QF, CX J lounges - I think there are 4 now?) and NRT - QF and JL.
LHR T5 has Galleries North and South lounges but they have more or less the same offerings.
You could double check on the oneworld website where you can search the number and type of lounge by airport.

 

[Daver6]

LHR T5 has Galleries North and South lounges but they have more or less the same offerings.

There's also the T5 satellite lounge.

 

[Kangol]

There's also the T5 satellite lounge.

Ah yes, totally forgot. However only really of use if your flight is departing from a gate nearby. Not really an "alternative choice" per se.

 

[madrooster]

Ah yes, totally forgot. However only really of use if your flight is departing from a gate nearby. Not really an "alternative choice" per se.

Being LHR-NRT, it's guaranteed that it would depart from concourse B or C. They don't send long hauls out of A.

 

[Guvner]

So after years of hoarding points i've finally booked the following in J (depart in a months time!):

SYD-HKG-JFK (CP)
PHI- LIS (AA)
LIS-MAD-BRU (IB)
BRU-LHR-NRT (BA)
NRT-MEL (JAL)
MEL-CBR (QF)

- taxes were $1670, got roughly the exact dates I needed for my scheduled appts.

Any thoughts on which lounges I should choose? (Only QF Bronze)
Thank you AFF members for your insights!!!

Nice work. Is PHI supposed to be PHL?

 

[Daver6]

Being LHR-NRT, it's guaranteed that it would depart from concourse B or C. They don't send long hauls out of A.

How does the lounge in concourse B compare to the north and south lounges in A? I can't imagine it could be worse or more crowded?

 

[jfl]

Of the airlines flying between Europe and AU (ie. QR, QF, BA, JL, MH), who has the best product? I'm flying next May and availibility will be opening up over the next few days.

Unfortunately CX is off the table as I'm starting the trip from HK.

 

[JohnM]

QR IMO - but I have not flown JAL long-haul.

 

[Kiwifruit]

My vote would also be QR particularly if you are on a route with Qsuites. Did JAL a couple of months ago JFK-HND and although good didn't compare with QR.

 

[11sjw]

That was my original intention but think the changed routing should benefit me as the traveler, in that I "potentially" save a bit of travel time.

The departure from Singapore is 5hrs later but the arrival time in Helsinki is scheduled to be slightly before I would have arrived in Amsterdam. My plan was to then stay one night in Amsterdam before heading to Berlin via train. The train journey is about 6.5hrs, now I have a 2hr morning flight from Helsinki to Berlin.

As I still have more flights to book in a few weeks I may remove the HEL-TXL booking & rebook standalone booking freeing up a few miles plus a stopover.

I had a similar occurrence. Booked my first leg online (PER-JFK) on CX. I've then added to it via the call centre. Checked the next day and all the CX flights had disappeared. Got onto QFF straight away and the staff member had said it would've been on QF to make good. Fortunately this didn't have to be tested as all CX flights were still available.

 

[p--and--t]

If you can get Q-suite suite on QR then you really can't get any better.

However if your flight is originating in HKG, in my experience, be aware the QR planes HKG-DOH are older and the seats of an earlier generation in 2:2:2 layout (avoid row 4) and there are better "hard product" options in J out there. The soft product however was superb (service, food etc)

While the flight time to DOH is less than 9 hours, both QR flights are evening/night time as far as I am aware

 

[jfl]

My vote would also be QR particularly if you are on a route with Qsuites. Did JAL a couple of months ago JFK-HND and although good didn't compare with QR.

Thanks, looks like QR might be the go then. Just hoping for good MUC-DOH-SIN-SYD or MUC-DOH-SYD availability as two legs have QSuites - fingers crossed!

 

[jfl]

If you can get Q-suite suite on QR then you really can't get any better.

However if your flight is originating in HKG, in my experience, be aware the QR planes HKG-DOH are older and the seats of an earlier generation in 2:2:2 layout (avoid row 4) and there are better "hard product" options in J out there. The soft product however was superb (service, food etc)

While the flight time to DOH is less than 9 hours, both QR flights are evening/night time as far as I am aware

Flight is in two bookings:

SYD-HKG

HKG-NRT-SYD-JNB-LHR -> MUC-DOH-(SIN)-SYD

Second portion can't go back to AU via HKG until after Sydney as it originates in HKG and I want to be able to get home

 

[cambriamarsh]

Of the airlines flying between Europe and AU (ie. QR, QF, BA, JL, MH), who has the best product? I'm flying next May and availibility will be opening up over the next few days.

Unfortunately CX is off the table as I'm starting the trip from HK.

Why is CX off the table?

 

[jfl]

Why is CX off the table?

As above, trip starts from HKG and when I land there again the OW award completes. I still need to get back to SYD and don't want to put in any more points.

 

[Kangol]

Of the airlines flying between Europe and AU (ie. QR, QF, BA, JL, MH), who has the best product? I'm flying next May and availibility will be opening up over the next few days.

Unfortunately CX is off the table as I'm starting the trip from HK.

Which class?
F is only available on QR, QF and BA.
You may have difficulty finding QR availability.
"Best" is dependent on what you value, because all 3 are good.