Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Captain Halliday]

Hello brains trust!

I'm after suggestions on a possible change to my J OW award.

Here's what I have so far - booked and ticketed:
cash fare DRW-SIN
SINxDOH-VCE on QR (stop 1)
VCE-FRA (own arrangements)
FRA-HKG on CX (stop 2)
HKGxCNS-BNE on CX (stop 3)
BNE-LAX on QF (stop 4)
LAX-LAS-NYC-YVR-LAX (own arrangements)
LAX-BNE-DRW on QF (end)

34996 miles, but with an available stopover.

The last part, LAX-BNE-DRW was booked in Y just to validate the route. However, T-353 has passed and no J seats for 3 pax have appeared +/-oneweek of 18 Jan, 2018.

Best option I can find seems to be LAXxHKG-SIN and then a cash fare SIN-DRW.

SYD or MEL adds too many miles.
LAXxDOH-DPS too many miles
LAX-xHKG-KUL available but cash fare is more than via SIN.
LAXxHKG-CNS is too many miles.
I can't find any JL availability.

Any other ideas or do I take LAXxHKG-SIN?

If so I figure I'll add LAX-LAS with my spare miles extra stopover to save a few bucks.

Brilliant ideas welcome.

 

[appaz]

Hi All,

I'm going to start putting flights on hold.

Any tips on the process or do I just start booking flights via the QF website and it will max out at 280k pp (J)?

 

[snabbu]

Hi All,

I'm going to start putting flights on hold.

Any tips on the process or do I just start booking flights via the QF website and it will max out at 280k pp (J)?

You reserve the seats using the award search, not actually putting them on hold. You are booking the seat.

Many people book their first segment on the day the seat becomes available and call up to add on segments as they find them. Personally I've only ever booked a complete itinerary in one go, then made slight changes as required.

As long as you follow the rules in the wiki at the top of the thread you will max out at 280k points.

 

[appaz]

Is there any trick to making sure it links up together or just go for gold and start booking legs in any order?

 

[appaz]

FYI my trip will be:
PER-KUL - revenue

OW 280k award oct/nov 17
KUL-CMB UL J
CMB-MLE UL Y stop
MLE-DOH QR J
DOH-CPH QR J stop
PRG-HEL AY J
HEL-SIN AY J stop

SIN-PER - revenue
PER-SIN - revenue

280k award continued dec/jan 17/18
SIN-NRT JL J stop
NRT-YVR JL J stop
LAX-HKG CX J
HKG-KUL KA J

KUL-PER revenue

Am I breaking any rules?

 

[Radio8tiv]

Hi All,

I'm going to start putting flights on hold.

Any tips on the process or do I just start booking flights via the QF website and it will max out at 280k pp (J)?

If the flights you want are available book as many as you can/like through the multi-city tool on the qantas site

Is there any trick to making sure it links up together or just go for gold and start booking legs in any order?

just go for it, as long as you stay within the rules the points will add up to 280k then you will get the remainder of the flights at no extra points, they will recalculate the taxes after every addition or change. However every time you ring up to add more flights there will be a 5k points fee

FYI my trip will be:
PER-KUL - revenue

OW 280k award oct/nov 17
KUL-CMB UL J
CMB-MLE UL Y stop
MLE-DOH QR J
DOH-CPH QR J stop
PRG-HEL AY J
HEL-SIN AY J stop

SIN-PER - revenue
PER-SIN - revenue

280k award continued dec/jan 17/18
SIN-NRT JL J stop
NRT-YVR JL J stop
LAX-HKG CX J
HKG-KUL KA J

KUL-PER revenue

Am I breaking any rules?

the trip looks pretty good, might steal some of the ideas on that one for my next one, no problems on transits, stops, segments, or distance

 

[SOPOOR]

Hey everyone. Sorry but I stopped at about page 100

420k points for first class.

I just Google the cost of the lowest first class Rte trip

And it's Swiss air at 11k with three stops..

Just for comparison. How much would adding the maximum destinations increase the fare by.

I'm just for personal reasons trying to work out what the best points to dollar ratio possible would range from

 

[landl]

Rang up yesterday to book the last legs of our RTW J trip 2017/2018. FYI:
BNE-ADE-DOH-ATH stop
AMS-LHR-MOS stop
MOS-HEL-TXL stop
TXL-JFK stop
JFK-YVR stop
LAX-HKG-CNS-BRIS 33,299miles

Could see the LAX-CNS availability as an award flight on QF website, however, when I rang was told the CSR couldn't see 2 x J on the HKG-CNS leg. She went off to speak to a supervisor and returned to say that some flights can't be booked if the trip originates in Australia (eg in this case, these could only be booked by either someone in the US or someone without an initial booking).
Was a little devastated as could not see any other way of getting home (and January seats are scarce) ... asked to speak to the supervisor who saved the day and booked us on the LAX-HKG leg and managed somehow (I couldn't see them on the screen) to find 2 x prem econ seats. She waived the change points and said she thought other J seats will come up for the final leg before we leave. This is the second RTW J class trip I've booked and my advice to newbies when getting a blanket no with QFF CSR is to either HUACA or ask (nicely) to speak to a supervisor. I think some of the CSRs don't have a detailed knowledge of the rules around these fares (not that this was the case this time).
I'd never come across this before though that some flights can't be booked even though you can see them as available. In know there are other foibles but is this one common knowledge?

 

[Radio8tiv]

Rang up yesterday to book the last legs of our RTW J trip 2017/2018. FYI:
BNE-ADE-DOH-ATH stop
AMS-LHR-MOS stop
MOS-HEL-TXL stop
TXL-JFK stop
JFK-YVR stop
LAX-HKG-CNS-BRIS 33,299miles

Could see the LAX-CNS availability as an award flight on QF website, however, when I rang was told the CSR couldn't see 2 x J on the HKG-CNS leg. She went off to speak to a supervisor and returned to say that some flights can't be booked if the trip originates in Australia (eg in this case, these could only be booked by either someone in the US or someone without an initial booking).
Was a little devastated as could not see any other way of getting home (and January seats are scarce) ... asked to speak to the supervisor who saved the day and booked us on the LAX-HKG leg and managed somehow (I couldn't see them on the screen) to find 2 x prem econ seats. She waived the change points and said she thought other J seats will come up for the final leg before we leave. This is the second RTW J class trip I've booked and my advice to newbies when getting a blanket no with QFF CSR is to either HUACA or ask (nicely) to speak to a supervisor. I think some of the CSRs don't have a detailed knowledge of the rules around these fares (not that this was the case this time).
I'd never come across this before though that some flights can't be booked even though you can see them as available. In know there are other foibles but is this one common knowledge?

not sure when you are going but in january I can see some availability for 2xJ on CX157 direct to BNE like on 24/1, 25/1

 

[madrooster]

not sure when you are going but in january I can see some availability for 2xJ on CX157 direct to BNE like on 24/1, 25/1

Married segment control is probably what is preventing any other option.

 

[landl]

not sure when you are going but in january I can see some availability for 2xJ on CX157 direct to BNE like on 24/1, 25/1

Thanks but too late for us unfortunately. Am OK though with what we have and will just keep an eye out for future releases. I've just never come across the notion that something that appears available on the Qantas website for award bookings is actually not available.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Hey everyone,

Really appreciate the wealth of information in this thread. I haven't read through all of it, but its been interesting nonetheless. I was hoping to get some help with a round the world trip I'm looking to do starting in June of this year.

First up, I'll be travelling from Sydney to Perth ideally on the 23rd of June.
Next, I'd like to fly into Europe, arriving in London late June or early July. I'm not at all fussed where I stopover, but need to arrive in London by the 3rd of July at the latest.
Next, I need to fly into the West Coast of the US, either San Francisco or LA (or anywhere else along the West Coast) around the end of July. I have no time problems here, so wouldn't have a problem stopping in Dallas or anywhere nearby (would prefer not to go via the East Coast as I will be visiting there later).
Next, I need to fly across from the West Coast to the East Coast, either New York or Boston, around the 22nd of August.
Finally, I'll be heading home late December or early January, and I imagine this will be from the West Coast. I'm not sure if I'll be able to include the flight from the East Coast back to the West Coast for my flight home in the RTW package.

Thanks in advance!

 

[flychrisfly]

Finally, I'll be heading home late December or early January, and I imagine this will be from the West Coast. I'm not sure if I'll be able to include the flight from the East Coast back to the West Coast for my flight home in the RTW package.

You're not buying a RTW package using the oneworld award - you can go anywhere within the OWA restrictions. If you are buying a RTW package then this is the wrong thread for you

 

[CaptainCurtis]

My mistake, wrong choice of words. Definitely looking for the award.

 

[flychrisfly]

My mistake, wrong choice of words. Definitely looking for the award.

Distance wise you'll be fine but there's not a lot of wiggle room, and you should be okay with the num of airlines. This far out you might have some problems finding seats on the long haul flights. Good luck!

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Distance wise you'll be fine but there's not a lot of wiggle room, and you should be okay with the num of airlines. This far out you might have some problems finding seats on the long haul flights. Good luck!

SYD-PER-HKG-LHR and LAX-SYD I seem to be able to find economy availability, but I'm struggling with the Europe to USA flight. Any suggestions on routes to look for?

 

[hutch]

Is there any trick to making sure it links up together or just go for gold and start booking legs in any order?

Just to clarify, the flights "link together" because you should be making them using the same booking reference number. You can't book individual flight segments with different reference numbers and link them afterwards.

 

[snabbu]

Hey everyone,

Really appreciate the wealth of information in this thread. I haven't read through all of it, but its been interesting nonetheless. I was hoping to get some help with a round the world trip I'm looking to do starting in June of this year.

First up, I'll be travelling from Sydney to Perth ideally on the 23rd of June.
Next, I'd like to fly into Europe, arriving in London late June or early July. I'm not at all fussed where I stopover, but need to arrive in London by the 3rd of July at the latest.
Next, I need to fly into the West Coast of the US, either San Francisco or LA (or anywhere else along the West Coast) around the end of July. I have no time problems here, so wouldn't have a problem stopping in Dallas or anywhere nearby (would prefer not to go via the East Coast as I will be visiting there later).
Next, I need to fly across from the West Coast to the East Coast, either New York or Boston, around the 22nd of August.
Finally, I'll be heading home late December or early January, and I imagine this will be from the West Coast. I'm not sure if I'll be able to include the flight from the East Coast back to the West Coast for my flight home in the RTW package.

Thanks in advance!

Have you tried plugging your wish list into the QF engine and playing with the routings? This is how all of us have learned the ins and outs of these tickets. It can be very frustrating work but when you finally get one ticketed it's well worth the effort..

Where are you at with your own findings? What help did you want specifically?

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Have you tried plugging your wish list into the QF engine and playing with the routings? This is how all of us have learned the ins and outs of these tickets. It can be very frustrating work but when you finally get one ticketed it's well worth the effort..

Where are you at with your own findings? What help did you want specifically?

Hi Snabbu,
After spending some time playing around last night, I've managed to find availability for SYD-PER-HKG-LHR with Qantas for the domestic flight and then CX for the flights to Europe. I've also found availability for the flight home LAX-SYD, so this isn't a problem. I'm having some difficulty finding availability for a flight from Europe to the US. I'm not too fussed where this leaves from in Europe (although London, Amsterdam, Spain or Portugal would be ideal), and it would be ideal to arrive into the West Coast (SFO or LAX) or Dallas, but don't mind a flight/stopover via New York.

 

[flychrisfly]

Hi Snabbu,
After spending some time playing around last night, I've managed to find availability for SYD-PER-HKG-LHR with Qantas for the domestic flight and then CX for the flights to Europe. I've also found availability for the flight home LAX-SYD, so this isn't a problem. I'm having some difficulty finding availability for a flight from Europe to the US. I'm not too fussed where this leaves from in Europe (although London, Amsterdam, Spain or Portugal would be ideal), and it would be ideal to arrive into the West Coast (SFO or LAX) or Dallas, but don't mind a flight/stopover via New York.

Don't limit yourself to the big hubs - check out the IB and BA route maps as they fly to some smaller cities where you could connect to AA, such as Philadelphia and Austin.