Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[vetrade]

GaryLG, you need a contingency plan because it would be a miracle if you got 2 x J MEL - DOH - and I don't believe in miracles so my guess is you have zero chance. The call centre won't be able to help you because QR only ever releases 1 x J seat. If you are keen to try QR, one option is to get one of the CX flights to HKG and connect with QR817 to DOH. ATM QR is showing 2 x J availability on nearly all days between about 320 and 335 days out. You'd get 2 x J on CX to HKG too but you'd need to be quick to get CX104 which has the best connection time.

If you don't have time constraints you can also experience QR by flying via Tokyo (HND) from SYD. with JL & QR where you should also be able to get 2 x J

 

[GaryLG]

GaryLG, you need a contingency plan because it would be a miracle if you got 2 x J MEL - DOH - and I don't believe in miracles so my guess is you have zero chance. The call centre won't be able to help you because QR only ever releases 1 x J seat. If you are keen to try QR, one option is to get one of the CX flights to HKG and connect with QR817 to DOH. ATM QR is showing 2 x J availability on nearly all days between about 320 and 335 days out. You'd get 2 x J on CX to HKG too but you'd need to be quick to get CX104 which has the best connection time.

If you don't have time constraints you can also experience QR by flying via Tokyo (HND) from SYD. with JL & QR where you should also be able to get 2 x J

Thanks, some ideas worth considering there weighing up time and convenience, etc.

And no I don't believe in miracles either though sometimes you do get lucky.

 

[GaryLG]

Is there a trick/technique to finding available flights?

I'll search Classic Rewards for single flights and find suitable dates but then using them in multi-city searches fails to give the same results.

What am I doing wrong, if anything?

 

[Daver6]

Is there a trick/technique to finding available flights?

I'll search Classic Rewards for single flights and find suitable dates but then using them in multi-city searches fails to give the same results.

What am I doing wrong, if anything?

If you value your time, money spent using Award Flight Assist - Frequent Flyer Solutions is well worth it in my opinion. Especially for complex trips. I've only used the service once, but would absolutely stump up again and use it again in future.

 

[GaryLG]

If you value your time, money spent using Award Flight Assist - Frequent Flyer Solutions is well worth it in my opinion. Especially for complex trips. I've only used the service once, but would absolutely stump up again and use it again in future.

Thanks, definitely worth considering once I stop banging my head against the wall!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Is there a trick/technique to finding available flights?

I'll search Classic Rewards for single flights and find suitable dates but then using them in multi-city searches fails to give the same results.

What am I doing wrong, if anything?

That's unusual. Normally if you find the individual flights you should get something similar for multi city, provided you are searching the same individual legs as part of the multi city. The time it might differ is when married segments are involved... so you'd see availability for two flights together, but can't break them up (for example TPE-HKG-LAX might be available, but you can't book the HKG-LAX by itself).

Using the Alaska Airlines booking engine (search using FF points/award booking) can give you various routings and availability. I usually cross-check with it to make sure I've got the options covered.

 

[GaryLG]

That's unusual. Normally if you find the individual flights you should get something similar for multi city, provided you are searching the same individual legs as part of the multi city. The time it might differ is when married segments are involved... so you'd see availability for two flights together, but can't break them up (for example TPE-HKG-LAX might be available, but you can't book the HKG-LAX by itself).

Definitely the same legs. I'll post an example shortly.

 

[Inuniform]

I added the below flights to a OW Award J itinerary this morning over the phone. I was charged $834.20 in taxes and surcharges. I questioned the Qantas CSR believing the taxes seemed high but they said they were right. Following the phone call, I checked the taxes for the last 3 flights individually on QF and it came to $410 aud (I could not check all the segments together as I didn't have enough points). Should one expect to pay the same taxes and surcharges for individual flights as a combination? Is it possible to dispute the charges?

IB FCO - MAD stop
IB MAD - ORY stop
JL CDG - HND stop - $834.20

On my above query. I have chased this up with QF. As can be seen in the attachment, these flights come to 284 Euro that amounts to around $445 aud, far more than the $834 I paid. QF have checked and told me the taxes I was charged originally are correct. The first part of my itinerary departing SYD includes 6 flights, 2 on QR, and the taxes came to $770. Do I have to just cop the taxes and move on? I have submitted a customer feedback form but my expectations of a favourable resolution are low.

 

[aikman]

On my above query. I have chased this up with QF. As can be seen in the attachment, these flights come to 284 Euro that amounts to around $445 aud, far more than the $834 I paid. QF have checked and told me the taxes I was charged originally are correct. The first part of my itinerary departing SYD includes 6 flights, 2 on QR, and the taxes came to $770. Do I have to just cop the taxes and move on? I have submitted a customer feedback form but my expectations of a favourable resolution are low.

Have you tried recreating your full itinerary (using dates which still has availability) to see what the total taxes are?

I don't think its as simple as adding 284 Euros. I think the taxes for the full itinerary is recalculated with rules based on originating in Australia.

 

[aikman]

Is there a trick/technique to finding available flights?

I'll search Classic Rewards for single flights and find suitable dates but then using them in multi-city searches fails to give the same results.

What am I doing wrong, if anything?

My solution to this problem is lots of trial and error. I find availability can vary depending on what origin and destination you put in. Even when you can trick the system in to showing the flights you actually want it just spits out an error at the payment screen anyway.

 

[GaryLG]

My solution to this problem is lots of trial and error. I find availability can vary depending on what origin and destination you put in. Even when you can trick the system in to showing the flights you actually want it just spits out an error at the payment screen anyway.

Fair enough.

 

[Inuniform]

Have you tried recreating your full itinerary (using dates which still has availability) to see what the total taxes are?

I don't think its as simple as adding 284 Euros. I think the taxes for the full itinerary is recalculated with rules based on originating in Australia.

The difficult part of recreating the whole itinerary is finding availability on QR Nrt-Doh-Fco. Definitely something to consider, thanks.

 

[N860CR]

Does anyone know what the ticketing time limit for JAL is? I’ve been waiting on a ticket for over 24 hours and it’s pretty much impossible to get onto Qantas.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Does anyone know what the ticketing time limit for JAL is? I’ve been waiting on a ticket for over 24 hours and it’s pretty much impossible to get onto Qantas.

All I could find was information for domestic fares which implies 72 hours: https://www.jal.co.jp/en/dom/reservation/tl.html

 

[N860CR]

All I could find was information for domestic fares which implies 72 hours: https://www.jal.co.jp/en/dom/reservation/tl.html

Thanks. Up to 2 hours on hold with QF now...

 

[vetrade]

Thanks. Up to 2 hours on hold with QF now...

If you ring the call centre before about 5pm you should be offered the option of a call back which saves you waitng on hold. After 5 - 6pm QF often doesn't give you the option of a call back so you just have to wait and hope you get through.

 

[N860CR]

If you ring the call centre before about 5pm you should be offered the option of a call back which saves you waitng on hold. After 5 - 6pm QF often doesn't give you the option of a call back so you just have to wait and hope you get through.

Didn't get the option unfortunately. Up to 3:37 on hold now

 

[vetrade]

........ The time it might differ is when married segments are involved... so you'd see availability for two flights together, but can't break them up (for example TPE-HKG-LAX might be available, but you can't book the HKG-LAX by itself).........

There is an extensive discussion of Married Segment Control on Flyer Talk and it seems what MSC entails is as 'fluid" (and confusing) as some people's idea of what gender is. Firstly, there is the perception that MSC only applies to award fares when airlines do also regularly use them for revenue fares as a form of maximising profits. The classic married segment situation for award availability (i.e. the one which is easiest to understand) is when you can only book 2 segments as a pair i.e. you can't book one or both of the segments individually but they are readily available if you book both together.

The converse of that is exemplified by how CX applies MSC to awards on their flights through their hub of HKG. In this situation CX will, in many instances (particularly Aus - HKG - Europe), not allow you to transit HKG on two CX award flights. The "go-round" for this is to either stay more than 24 hrs in HKG or replace one leg with another carrier. If, say, you wanted MEL - HKG - JNB, CX won't ticket it if both flights are with them but if you book QF from MEL - HKG and then CX from HKG you won't have any problems at all (assuming there's availability on both flights, of course).

Edit: If putting together a OWA itinerary online and you see CX J availability for connecting flights such as the example above, you will almost certainly be able to "book" them as part of a multi-city itinerary and receive an Itinerary Receipt from QF (without an eTicket number), but in fact this itinerary hasn't been properly ticketed at all at that stage. Sometime over the next 24hrs those two CX flights will just vanish from your booking because CX won't ratify them.

 

[vetrade]

Just an observation about phantom availability:
People sometimes see classic rewards availability online for particular flights but then find they aren't actually bookable. The conventional wisdom is that the availability shown was a mistake and those award seats didn't actually exist.

I had a recent experience that suggests at least some supposed phantom availability is really a block used by QF to selectively discriminate against people booking OW Award itineraries. In my case of a 318k award, the last flight I wanted to book was QF SYD - MEL at the end of a PMI - LHR - HND - SYD stint home from Europe. That SYD -MEL route has flights departing nearly every half hour and, as you would expect for a domestic flight 340 - 353 days out, nearly all flights were showing J availability.

Our HND - SYD flight will arrive at 06.10. so I wanted a connecting SYD flight departing at 08.30 (but up to 09.30) to keep our transit time to approx. 2 - 3 hrs. Each time I tried to book, the agents told me the earliest availability was 11.00am. Before I tried for the fourth time I went online and made a separate booking for 2 x J on the 9.00 SYD - MEL flight and had no trouble getting it ticketed, confirming that what the agents were telling me was BS.

Next day the same flight, and all the other morning flights, were still showing J availability but, again, the agent said the earliest available was 11.00. I asked her to check further because, with respect, what she was telling me was clearly not correct and she could check my other booking made the day before to confirm that. She then conceded that, yes, there was availability but she "couldn't" book us on them - but declined to explain why. After I said I wanted the 08.30 flight to avoid a long delay in SYD at the end of a 35hr trip from Europe, she said she understood and consulted a supervisor. She soon came back with the news she had got the OK to book me on the 08.30. Problem solved, but it was a problem that shouldn't have existed because I should have been entitled to book those seats from the get go. I suspect QF just didn't want to give J award seats during prime business commuter hours to passengers who are obviously tourists.

That got me thinking whether some other cases of "my system's not showing me availability on that flight, sir" are actually a deliberate construct by QF to restrict access to award seats for people booking OWAs.

 

[Mr H]

If you ring the call centre before about 5pm you should be offered the option of a call back which saves you waitng on hold. After 5 - 6pm QF often doesn't give you the option of a call back so you just have to wait and hope you get through.

Thought for the day: a chocolate teapot actually sounds like a nice thing, whereas a callback from Qantas at 2.53am - 13 hours after joining the queue - is equally useless but doesn't sound as nice.