Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[DC3]

If I start a booking in SYD and later on wish to add a domestic leg (MEL-SYD) to the start of the booking is this possible? I know you can add onto the end just not sure if you can add flights at the beginning?

Flights may be added in any order, including at the beginning.

 

[sarvowinner]

I have booked BNE-HKG-LAX-PVR PVR-DFW-HND-BKK SIN-SYD leaving March 1 - long haul flights are in PE.

1. My CX flight ex-BNE has been cancelled, I have been rebooked on CX dep March 2 meaning I can’t connect with my Mar 1 AA LAX-PVR. No connecting AA flights are available, QF call centre told me it would cost a change fee to put me on a Mar 4th flt as it was more than 24 hours after we arrive in LAX? She suggested leaving the booking alone until the new year as there will be lots more changes. Any advice on what I should do? I feel very uncomfortable leaving the changes unconfirmed.

2. Can I add SYD-BME BME-BNE leaving a few months later? According to Great Circle Map, this bring my total miles up to ~32k miles but not sure how many domestic Australian flights I can do under the rules?
I calculated that there are 9 flights, 4 stop overs and one surface connection.

 

[Captain Halliday]

QF call centre told me it would cost a change fee to put me on a Mar 4th flt as it was more than 24 hours after we arrive in LAX?

Incorrect. It’s an involuntary charge. There should be no charge for this, especially with the current fee waiver.

2. Can I add SYD-BME BME-BNE leaving a few months later?

Yes, assuming you calculations of stopovers is correct.

 

[flapper]

Have been having real troubles with some cancellations on my OWCA for the past two months. Tried to sort it out on Friday, advised the agent what I wanted to be done. Put me on hold to get their manager, on hold for half an hour then disconnected.
Saw later on someone making some changes to the booking in the background. Then got an email today saying there was a flight change, for a flight which was a replacement flight Qantas put on which was physically impossible to make given the other flight dates.

Checked CMT and now none of the flights have ticket numbers. Been on the phone for three hours to multiple agents trying to get this sorted but cannot get anywhere. The Qatar flights will no doubt disappear off the booking in the next 12 hours. No matter who I speak to in the offshore call centres they just put me on hold then hang up. I am meant to fly out in three weeks, on a 15 week trip. This has not been worth the stress. Going to try and get some sleep now and call back at 7am, but the flights will probably drop off by then. I can’t mentally sort this out right now. cough the Qantas call centre.

I feel your pain Squid. I had great difficulties with my booking too. I recommend that you email Stephanie Tully today, not likely be action until tommorrow. I emailed her my booking ref and listed all the phone calls I had made and listed all the wrong information, fails to call back, lies told to me and how I couldn't get anywhere with the OS call centres. I would ask for someome from the premium call centre to call you. Send it today and keep calling the call centre as well. If you don't hear back by mid-afternoon tommorrow email an update adding all the new failures with the call centre. I initially had a complaints officer assigned to me but after a week of not getting far with her I asked for someone from the premium call centre and somome called me that afternoon. Good Luck.

 

[squid01]

Sorry to hear that.

Has the flight gone back into award availability? If so, you can get it added back in to your itinerary. If not, then my experience is that MH (as with QR) does not reinstate cancelled flights and you might need to find alternative availability.

I think I love you. For some reason I didn’t even think about it going back into the availability pool, I checked and it had!

So I phoned up at about 7:30am. Got onto Fiji. This girl seemed competent so I went ahead going through the itinery flight by flight to remove all the trash flights with other agents had incorrectly put on there, and re-add the MH Perth to KUL flight.

I had asked her to call me back if the line dropped out. Sure enough it dropped. But she called back. She then sent it to the ticketing team. Put on hold and she checked in every five minutes.

She eventually came back and said it was ticketed with no change in points or taxes (I was scared from dropping this one other flight it may then count as an extra stop), and that the e-ticket would be emailed to me within 24hours. I said no I need to get this emailed to me now so I can see it has been ticketed. She sent me the plain text itinery which had the ticket numbers. All flights displaying correctly in CMT with ticket numbers.

So it seems it has actually been sorted. However I now have the gap in my path from ADL to LHR and will have to make my own way for one of the flights in that route. Also had to accept the proposed flight change on an AA flight where I had actually put in a request for them to open up seats on a later flight which was pending and one of those segments was on the booking. But the last moron who touches the booking deleted those ones I wanted so stuck with the early flight. But oh well better than nothing!

I told the agent to put me through to the survey at the end as she was amazing but unfortunately it didn’t go to the survey at the end. Her name was Lai, from the Fiji call centre. She was excellent.

Approx three weeks till I fly out. Hoping I never have to phone that call centre again.

 

[squid01]

Also, there are two pax on the booking. Does each pax get their own individual ticket number? Or should they both be on the same ticket number?

 

[Mr H]

I think I love you. For some reason I didn’t even think about it going back into the availability pool, I checked and it had!

Glad it worked out for you.

 

[Ktan89]

Also, there are two pax on the booking. Does each pax get their own individual ticket number? Or should they both be on the same ticket number?

Each pax should have a ticket number

 

[acinod]

One of my Qatar legs was suddenly removed a few weeks back when the QR seats started being withheld. Qantas said the best they can do is request Qatar to get the seats back. After waiting a week, I called 2 days ago and the agent said they were able to get the seats back and just waiting to get ticketed but when I called again today to follow up on the ticketing, they said the seats were still on request as there has been no response from Qatar.

Is there anything I can do to escalate this?

 

[flapper]

This week I'm off on my 6th OWA after having to cancel 3 in recent years. With all the difficulties I've had with the cancelled flights and time changes and the terrible service provided by the CCs I feel I've earned this one. I must've made over 50 calls over the past 3 months trying to sort things out. I'm still rather anxious that they'll be more cancellations or even minor time changes and I'll be left trying to sort it out with the OS CCs. Anyway thanks to all those who contribute to this thread as I've learned many things from your advice.

 

[ellen10]

This week I'm off on my 6th OWA after having to cancel 3 in recent years. With all the difficulties I've had with the cancelled flights and time changes and the terrible service provided by the CCs I feel I've earned this one. I must've made over 50 calls over the past 3 months trying to sort things out. I'm still rather anxious that they'll be more cancellations or even minor time changes and I'll be left trying to sort it out with the OS CCs. Anyway thanks to all those who contribute to this thread as I've learned many things from your advice.

Have great trip @flapper , I hope everything goes smoothly, you have earned it!

 

[Thetravelbyte]

Hope you have a smooth trip @flapper!

Now with Qatar out of the picture for the time being, has anyone been game enough to add Cathay to their itinerary?

 

[Phoenix-1]

I'm booking a RTW trip from SIN - SYD - LAX - JFK - ICN - KUL -ADL for May 2023.

Theoretically, if Japan opens up travel could I later on amend the last leg to ICN - HND - ADL?

 

[encryptededdy]

I'm booking a RTW trip from SIN - SYD - LAX - JFK - ICN - KUL -ADL for May 2023.

Theoretically, if Japan opens up travel could I later on amend the last leg to ICN - HND - ADL?

Yes, but if you make the change after 31 Dec or book after 31 Sept, you'll have to pay the 5000 pts change fee assuming Qantas doesn't amend fly flexible for Classic Rewards.

Also, this change is only doable over the phone. It isn't a hard request but I will warn that I suspect some of the less well trained Qantas Call Center agents will not be able to make this change without messing up your booking.

 

[andye]

Just a marginal data point
Had to cancel a 5xY OWA today (mstrsandye3&4 have been selected for NZ rugby tours next Easter). Means we miss out on our Cairo, UK, Canaries, Maldives trip
Anyway couldn't be done online for some reason. Wait time only 15 minutes (as a NB) at 13.00AEST. Answered by Fiji. Easy problem but no issues

Just an update. Still not cancelled. Called again this morning. 20 minute wait and still couldn't do. Told they'd ring back-nothing so far. Unduly positive in last post

Edit: though they have now dropped off my upcoming trips

 

[blu]

Have a QR flight connecting to another QR flight (married segments). First has been cancelled and have been offered a later flight. The problem is it arrives 4 hours after the second flight departs. QF agent said they can only issue a Reinstatement Request and should wait to next month for outcome. Haven't accepted the change.

 

[cma_369]

Hi Gals & Guys,

Looking to finalise my J OWR which commences mid September and have query regarding the transfer/stop over rule.

Does it have to be explicitly 1 x stop & 2 x transfers or are 3 x transfers permitted?

Need to fly via Doha to Frankfurt, via Doha to Istanbul and then Via Doha home (ex Manila).

Doesn't throw out my plans wildly if i need to ensure over 24 hours in Doha (1x stop is 14 hrs overnight already), will just spend the night/day in town opposed to the airport.

Also had great success yesterday finding J availability Syd-Dallas (was monitoring economy flights so knew availability was a wasteland) as well as moving my Manila to Sydney closing leg by a couple of days due to plenty of availability appearing for October/November.

 

[Mr H]

Doesn't throw out my plans wildly if i need to ensure over 24 hours in Doha (1x stop is 14 hrs overnight already), will just spend the night/day in town opposed to the airport.

As far as I can gauge, Qatar Immigration currently requires a negative PCR from 72 hours before arriving unless you have an EU passport. I would be pleased if anyone can assure me that the written requirements are not applied.

 

[SydneySwan]

I am a complete newbie when it comes to booking these types of awards so please excuse a basic question.

I can find availability in J for the following itinerary WAW - DOH - MNL - SYD - HND - HEL - LHR. Stopovers are in SYD, and HEL. I calculate miles as only 21,700 so am puzzled why Qantas wants to charge me 361,900 points instead of 318,000. Airlines used are QR, QF, JL and AY.

Where have I gone wrong?

 

[djkelly69]

Where have I gone wrong?

Nothing jumps out for me. More than 12 months maybe?