Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

Status. If you haven't got it you are on the bottom of the pecking order and your calls will just be directed to an OS call centre, where it will be hit or miss (mainly miss) as to whether your problems will be sorted. Hobart, or even an Aussie accent, is just a pipe dream for us plebs.

Agreed.
I’m only Bronze.
Recently I called 12 times over about a 24 hour period.
Every time I got Fiji or South Africa.
It took until the 12th call for the agent to be able to find the Award seats that were readily available via the QFF website in Multi-City.
Of course if the website would just let us book the seats we can see, then that would make things easier for everyone…

 

[Spacetravel]

Sorry if this isn't the best place to ask, found it hard to find a relevant section. I've just realised I booked my upcoming OWA with just my First Name + Last Name, but I also have a middle name on my passport. Like most its been over 2 years since I've had an international flight and my first ever with someone other than VA. Do I need my middle name on the booking? Will this cause issues with QF or any other carrier on my OWA (AA, BA)? I can't remember if I previously would travel with my middle name or not.

 

[Mr H]

Sorry if this isn't the best place to ask, found it hard to find a relevant section. I've just realised I booked my upcoming OWA with just my First Name + Last Name, but I also have a middle name on my passport. Like most its been over 2 years since I've had an international flight and my first ever with someone other than VA. Do I need my middle name on the booking? Will this cause issues with QF or any other carrier on my OWA (AA, BA)? I can't remember if I previously would travel with my middle name or not.

This will not present any difficulties provided the name you have booked looks like the name on your passport. Middle names are very optional and some carriers mix up the first and last names - no dramas.

 

[Spacetravel]

This will not present any difficulties provided the name you have booked looks like the name on your passport. Middle names are very optional and some carriers mix up the first and last names - no dramas.

Perfect thanks. Yes my first + last name match passport exactly, just the middle name is missing.

 

[madrooster]

Perfect thanks. Yes my first + last name match passport exactly, just the middle name is missing.

It's fine - I've flown on 35 different carriers with over 600 flights without my middle name on the PNR and no one cared (other than Singapore check in staff who like to handwrite your middle name onto the BP).

 

[renatts]

It's fine - I've flown on 35 different carriers with over 600 flights without my middle name on the PNR and no one cared (other than Singapore check in staff who like to handwrite your middle name onto the BP).

@madrooster given your knowledge, would you be concerned at all about ticket numbers not showing on a receipt from Qantas?

For example, my booking

-PDF from Qantas does not have ticket numbers or issue date. When requested via MMB the same PDF lacking detail comes through
-CheckMyTrip only shows booking reference, no ticket numbers. All flights are correct and ‘confirmed’

However
-Finnair, Royal Jordanian, and Malaysian do show ticket numbers when I “manage” the booking through their portals
-The ticket numbers match what I was quoted by QF call centre, and the “QANTAS E-TICKET ITINERARY AND RECEIPT” text based email generated and forwarded to me by the call centre.

The anxiety stems from previous auto cancellations, and the fact there was no adjustments made to points or taxes despite flying via LHR instead of NRT, which I assume would cost much more.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[redwoodw]

Thanks for that. Wonder how we create the demand for it?

Just tried phoning QF and got cut off after 15 minutes so I'll try again in the morning.

https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/info/2022/inter/220401_05/

Appears JL has set up some 8774 flights from MEL on 1,5,8 Apr. No award availability in both J and Y currently

 

[Inuniform]

Just got off the phone to QF. I am trying to add a single flight to a OWA and was told that JL would not allow it. My last 2 sectors of the current booking are CDG-HND * HND-SYD. I have another stop available and wanted to include OKA (Okinawa) in my itinerary. Following a stop in HND from 02/10, I was looking at flights to OKA from HND 06/10 on JL. Inexplicably, availability for this domestic route on JL stops after June 30. I have waited for availability for several months and nothing has changed. Nevertheless, there was availability 12/10, if my leg home originated in OKA. QF was showing J availability on JL912 OKA-HND > JL51 HND-SYD. I was resigned to the fact that I would make my own way to OKA but at least get the last leg added to my itinerary. When explained to the CSR (South Africa I think), they checked with ticketing and said the OKA-HND leg could not be added to the itinerary as JL would not allow it.

My OWA is within all of the required parameters; distance, stops, carriers etc. I cannot see why I am not able to add this flight. Should I try again with another CSR.

 

[Mr H]

Just got off the phone to QF. I am trying to add a single flight to a OWA and was told that JL would not allow it. My last 2 sectors of the current booking are CDG-HND * HND-SYD. I have another stop available and wanted to include OKA (Okinawa) in my itinerary. Following a stop in HND from 02/10, I was looking at flights to OKA from HND 06/10 on JL. Inexplicably, availability for this domestic route on JL stops after June 30. I have waited for availability for several months and nothing has changed. Nevertheless, there was availability 12/10, if my leg home originated in OKA. QF was showing J availability on JL912 OKA-HND > JL51 HND-SYD. I was resigned to the fact that I would make my own way to OKA but at least get the last leg added to my itinerary. When explained to the CSR (South Africa I think), they checked with ticketing and said the OKA-HND leg could not be added to the itinerary as JL would not allow it.

My OWA is within all of the required parameters; distance, stops, carriers etc. I cannot see why I am not able to add this flight. Should I try again with another CSR.

I don't know without seeing the full itinerary, but I was told by an agent that JL does weird things with married sectors (where one flight is only available if the other is also taken) and situations where both flights may be available singly but are not available for combination.

 

[Inuniform]

I don't know without seeing the full itinerary, but I was told by an agent that JL does weird things with married sectors (where one flight is only available if the other is also taken) and situations where both flights may be available singly but are not available for combination.

(QF) SYD-YVR * (JL,QR) YVR-NRT-DOH-FCO * (BA) CRF-LHR-CDG * (JL) CDG-HND * (JL) HND-SYD

 

[Mr H]

(QF) SYD-YVR * (JL,QR) YVR-NRT-DOH-FCO * (BA) CRF-LHR-CDG * (JL) CDG-HND * (JL) HND-SYD

I assume it's CFU, not CRF - the itinerary looks OK. You would be doing two transits and one stop in Tokyo so that should be OK. So long as the transit OKA-HND-SYD is less than 24 hours it should be compliant with the rules. So that looks like either a married sector issue or a problem with the agent.

The only other possibility is an issue with flight classes - from memory JL's business class domestic offering (Class J) does not sit neatly within the normal system and you might need to take Y.

 

[Inuniform]

I assume it's CFU, not CRF - the itinerary looks OK. You would be doing two transits and one stop in Tokyo so that should be OK. So long as the transit OKA-HND-SYD is less than 24 hours it should be compliant with the rules. So that looks like either a married sector issue or a problem with the agent.

The only other possibility is an issue with flight classes - from memory JL's business class domestic offering (Class J) does not sit neatly within the normal system and you might need to take Y.

Yes, sorry, CFU is correct. The transit is 2 hours, so no problems there. I know the domestic J class is a little different, however I believed the mere fact that it is designated as 'J class' would match with the OWA rules. Thanks for your input, I'll try again and see how I go.

 

[GaryLG]

https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/info/2022/inter/220401_05/

Appears JL has set up some 8774 flights from MEL on 1,5,8 Apr. No award availability in both J and Y currently

Great, thanks. Now we just need Japan to agree to tourists again!

 

[vetrade]

I know there's a Covid thread but this is OWA specific question:
OWA itineraries can be cancelled if you miss or don't turn up for a flight through your own fault, but, apart from travel insurance, what's the position if you had a positive RAT test in the 24hr window before a flight? I know different countries have varying requirements regarding whether you need to isolate (and for how long), but I'm more interested in whether your ongoing itinerary could be cancelled if you had to isolate or wait for clearance to travel.

How much comfort can one have that the airlines would accommodate you on another flight/s if a positive RAT caused a delay?
To me this possibility seems to be far more problematical than the risk of flight cancellations or delays.

 

[Mr H]

I know there's a Covid thread but this is OWA specific question:
OWA itineraries can be cancelled if you miss or don't turn up for a flight through your own fault, but, apart from travel insurance, what's the position if you had a positive RAT test in the 24hr window before a flight? I know different countries have varying requirements regarding whether you need to isolate (and for how long), but I'm more interested in whether your ongoing itinerary could be cancelled if you had to isolate or wait for clearance to travel.

How much comfort can one have that the airlines would accommodate you on another flight/s if a positive RAT caused a delay?
To me this possibility seems to be far more problematical than the risk of flight cancellations or delays.

This is my worry - I think at the moment that a missed flight means the whole itinerary falls. You may be able to get Covid insurance but that would probably just cover any period of isolation and repatriation or resumption of the itinerary. But if the itinerary has been wiped, you are in trouble.

You might be able to persuade QF not to cancel the itinerary and allow you to pick it up again when you are clear, and maybe on a good day you might get them to allow changes, but it would probably be handled on a case by case basis at the time - so no comfort if you are embarking on your travel.

FWIW, I have a OWA award in late August to early October - I intend to cancel it if Covid testing before flights is still a thing. I could not be confident enough that I would not catch Covid somewhere along the way.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I know there's a Covid thread but this is OWA specific question:
OWA itineraries can be cancelled if you miss or don't turn up for a flight through your own fault, but, apart from travel insurance, what's the position if you had a positive RAT test in the 24hr window before a flight? I know different countries have varying requirements regarding whether you need to isolate (and for how long), but I'm more interested in whether your ongoing itinerary could be cancelled if you had to isolate or wait for clearance to travel.

How much comfort can one have that the airlines would accommodate you on another flight/s if a positive RAT caused a delay?
To me this possibility seems to be far more problematical than the risk of flight cancellations or delays.

I think this is what you need insurance for, and one that covers Qantas points.

If you need to miss your flight due to covid there is no obligation for the airline to reaccommodate… and especially so if there were partner airlines involved. Of course, worth trying to see if they will release seats.

Depending on the insurance provider, they may reimburse you for your lost QFFF points. They have different calculations between providers, but gernally they divide the revenue fare by the number of points, and you’d get paid out the $$. Which should be enough for a one way home… hopefully.

 

[Mr H]

I think this is what you need insurance for, and one that covers Qantas points.

If you need to miss your flight due to covid there is no obligation for the airline to reaccommodate… and especially so if there were partner airlines involved. Of course, worth trying to see if they will release seats.

Depending on the insurance provider, they may reimburse you for your lost QFFF points. They have different calculations between providers, but gernally they divide the revenue fare by the number of points, and you’d get paid out the $$. Which should be enough for a one way home… hopefully.

The challenge with a OWA would be making the case that you had lost points after you had taken your first flight. The sectors within the award are not easily divisible into component points.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The challenge with a OWA would be making the case that you had lost points after you had taken your first flight. The sectors within the award are not easily divisible into component points.

Agree, but the insurance companies will have a way of calculating that, quite possibly that they would price it at the cost to complete your itinerary. This would be no different to a paid RTW ticket where the insurance company would compensate you, or return you home, as part of the insurance claim.

Allianz for example compensates for lost FF points on the basis of an equivalent booking as you had redeemed for your FF points. So if you were half way through a OWA, they would calculate an equivalent paid return to Au.

Of course the insurance company could choose to use part of that payment towards other costs for your trip resumption or return home, depending on your circumstances.

 

[Mr H]

Agree, but the insurance companies will have a way of calculating that, quite possibly that they would price it at the cost to complete your itinerary. This would be no different to a paid RTW ticket where the insurance company would compensate you, or return you home, as part of the insurance claim.

Allianz for example compensates for lost FF points on the basis of an equivalent booking as you had redeemed for your FF points. So if you were half way through a OWA, they would calculate an equivalent paid return to Au.

Of course the insurance company could choose to use part of that payment towards other costs for your trip resumption or return home, depending on your circumstances.

I have read the rules for a number of policies but they don't really make much sense.

The multiplier stuff is relevant only in terms of forfeiting points to have most of your points returned - hence calculating a notional value for those forfeited points - or for a complete reimbursement of points if they are all lost before travel starts. And perhaps the insurance could cope with an outward and return booking and reimburse you if you have to cancel at the halfway point.

But with a 14 flight OWA and you have the itinerary cancelled after 14 flights, are they really going to price all 11 missed flights as revenue and give you the value in cash? Or would they say that the first three flights alone would have cost the same points so you get nada? Or would they just fly you home directly from where you are and the points issue would just be incidental?

They really need to show a worked example for a OWA lost in mid travel to make me confident they were really insuring me for loss.

 

[Lynda2475]

The insurance policy I chose covers award flights, if I get covid and cant fly then insurance will pay for me to fly the same class home when I can fly if the airline cant find me an equivalent reward seat. If I get to come home or continue my trip a few days later in the same class I care not about getting points refunded.

Most policies cap covid delay fees at $5k, I chose one with $20k as $5k wont cover J seats.

I figure compensation for points only comes into play if your in hospital and never started the trip, so were a no show.