Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[muppet]

Oh. When did that change?

I did one of these 8 months ago and it booked into Y.

But that’s excellent news.

According to this thread - 11 January 2017. So not sure what happened with yours 8months ago. My trip in June was all dometic First on a Business 280k award.

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/threads/the-end-of-cheap-status.78527/

 

[Kantankerous]

Hi guys, long-time lurker. Previously posted about my trip 4 years ago but did not come to fruition due to some personal circumstances. Looking to resume this now and wanted to clarify a few things if anyone can assist. I've trawled through the majority of the thread but did not get any major clarification.

Context:
I am looking to go on a RTW trip for up to 12 months for myself and my partner. Our dates and rates are very flexible due to not being so time-poor as we are both taking career breaks. However, I'm wary of both limited J availability as well as potential changes we'd like to make because we find ourselves enjoying a certain place too much.

My questions:
1. I understand that you can add onto your original booking number as availability becomes released, however can I confirm that it is definitely not possible to add once you have departed on your very first flight? i.e. you can't make bookings on the fly whilst on your trip to hit the 5 stops and therefore, the 280k cap?

2. Assuming the entire itinerary has to be booked prior to departure. What exactly can be changed whilst you are on your trip? i.e. change of flight number; change of date. What are the exact limitations if someone can point me to the T&Cs.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jacques Vert]

Once you take your first flight your itinerary routing is locked in.

You can change the date and time of subsequent flights but that's it. You must fly the same route, same airline and same class; and you have to be able to find availability on the new date/time.

 

[tricky1337]

Calling all advisors - looking for feedback on a variant of the below, in particular if there's a routing I could try to cut taxes down from. Looking at 2 people in J:
SIN-NRT(JL)/HND-SYD-PER(QF)/PER-HKG-HND(tf)NRT-HEL(CX/JL/AY)/HEL-HKG-PER(AY/CX) comes to $1850 approx
SIN-NRT(JL)/HND-SYD-PER(QF)/PER-ADL-DOH-HEL(QF/QR)/HEL-HKG-PER(AY/CX) comes to $2100AUD approx
SIN-NRT(JL)/HND-SYD-PER(QF)/PER-ADL-DOH-HEL(QF/QR)/LGW-DOH-ADL (QR) comes to $2K AUD approx (surprisingly lower)

As mentioned above, isolating the second half of the ticket (PER-HEL ret) as per the first itinerary still results in taxes of $1700 so I'm a bit stumped as originally thought it might be the QF segment causing the trouble.

Another fun fact - booking BA HKG-LHR by itself only has taxes of around $100AUD but adding it to the itinerary blows it out by $800.

Could you start in HKG (and don't transit through HKG)? That might reduce taxes significantly.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Could you start in HKG (and don't transit through HKG)? That might reduce taxes significantly.

Or start from MNL?

 

[exceladdict]

Could you start in HKG (and don't transit through HKG)? That might reduce taxes significantly.

Or start from MNL?

Will try MNL. I had previously priced Ex HKG for HKG-NRT/NRT-SYD-PER/PER-SYD-DOH-HEL at $1081 ($540pp). Will need to check what adding the return on from DOH would come to & try ex MNL.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Will try MNL. I had previously priced Ex HKG for HKG-NRT/NRT-SYD-PER/PER-SYD-DOH-HEL at $1081 ($540pp). Will need to check what adding the return on from DOH would come to & try ex MNL.

My understanding is that fuel fines are restricted ex HKG while fully regulated ex MNL.

I booked my last Oneworld award ex MNL and taxes were $A531 for MNL-SYD-CFS/CFS-SYD-ADL-DOH-ATH/ATH-LHR-GVA/ZRH-AMM-HKG-MNL including two flights with QR.

 

[rock86]

My understanding is that fuel fines are restricted ex HKG while fully regulated ex MNL.

I booked my last Oneworld award ex MNL and taxes were $A531 for MNL-SYD-CFS/CFS-SYD-ADL-DOH-ATH/ATH-LHR-GVA/ZRH-AMM-HKG-MNL including two flights with QR.

Yep, MNL as a starting point is by far cheaper for fuel fines - but you have to factor in whether you want to visit, and if not the price of the positioning flight.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Yep, MNL as a starting point is by far cheaper for fuel fines - but you have to factor in whether you want to visit, and if not the price of the positioning flight.

Indeed you do; but on this occasion we end up in that part of the world returning from India to HKG on a separate ticket anyway. Plus at relatively short notice, QF20 from MNL was the only flight with J availability around our desired dates. Add the fact that the taxes are less than half what my previous couple of awards cost and it made sense to continue from HKG to MNL on the other ticket and start the new one from MNL (works for us on this occasion).

 

[exceladdict]

Have just priced ex MNL for basically the same trip previously departing Singapore, taxes at 42858PHP or $1100 AUD give or take. However as mentioned, one ways to MNL not cheap. Will see if a seperate award into MNL might do the trick.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Have just priced ex MNL for basically the same trip previously departing Singapore, taxes at 42858PHP or $1100 AUD give or take. However as mentioned, one ways to MNL not cheap. Will see if a seperate award into MNL might do the trick.

Does that include the flights with QR? And what were the taxes ex SIN?

 

[Sale]

Can someone please advise me on my 'rights' with my current booking issue?

We have a J award booking JFK-HKG-ADL next year. I received yesterday a change of flights email from Qantas - which has us arriving in HKG at 14:00 and leaving again at 09:30 (same day). I can't find any other flights from HKG to anywhere in Australia within that 24 hour block.

Speaking with one CSA I told her that my actual origin was MIA and I wanted to end up in HBA and was happy to not leave from JFK. She was quite unhelpful and said I need to haver the same origin and end airport. One of my problems is that I can find a flight from MIA to HBA but dont have enough points to book it then cancel the original flight. I'm on hold again with QF at the moment.

My queries (I think)

1. Because I have a confirmed flight JFK-ADL is Qantas required to honour this within a reasonable time frame?
2. If there are NO suitable flights what are m]y options?

many thanks
Hilary

 

[Sale]

Can someone please advise me on my 'rights' with my current booking issue?

We have a J award booking JFK-HKG-ADL next year. I received yesterday a change of flights email from Qantas - which has us arriving in HKG at 14:00 and leaving again at 09:30 (same day). I can't find any other flights from HKG to anywhere in Australia within that 24 hour block.

Speaking with one CSA I told her that my actual origin was MIA and I wanted to end up in HBA and was happy to not leave from JFK. She was quite unhelpful and said I need to haver the same origin and end airport. One of my problems is that I can find a flight from MIA to HBA but dont have enough points to book it then cancel the original flight. I'm on hold again with QF at the moment.

My queries (I think)

1. Because I have a confirmed flight JFK-ADL is Qantas required to honour this within a reasonable time frame?
2. If there are NO suitable flights what are m]y options?

many thanks
Hilary

Its now sorted - a suitable flight found by this CSA via BNE
cheers

 

[exceladdict]

Does that include the flights with QR? And what were the taxes ex SIN?

MNL-NRT/NRT-MEL-SYD-PER/PER-SYD-DOH-HEL/HEL-HKG-PER with the SYD-DOH-HEL on QR was the 42858PHP
SIN-NRT/NRT-SYD-PER/PER-SYD-DOH-HEL/HEL-HKG-PER with one less QF leg, same otherwise, $2063SGD.

Edit: fun fact, a similar run ex DPS comes to about $2700 AUD for 2pax:
DPS-HKG-NRT/HND-SYD-PER/PER-SYD-DOH-HEL/HEL-HKG-PER at 28323400IDR.

 

[tricky1337]

MNL-NRT/NRT-MEL-SYD-PER/PER-SYD-DOH-HEL/HEL-HKG-PER with the SYD-DOH-HEL on QR was the 42858PHP
SIN-NRT/NRT-SYD-PER/PER-SYD-DOH-HEL/HEL-HKG-PER with one less QF leg, same otherwise, $2063SGD.

Edit: fun fact, a similar run ex DPS comes to about $2700 AUD for 2pax:
DPS-HKG-NRT/HND-SYD-PER/PER-SYD-DOH-HEL/HEL-HKG-PER at 28323400IDR.

Out of curiosity, does your itinerary not breach the max one stopover in one city rule (PER)? Or is ok because you finish in PER and it doesn't include the end city as a stopover (even though it is not the origin city of the ticket)?

 

[exceladdict]

Out of curiosity, does your itinerary not breach the max one stopover in one city rule (PER)? Or is ok because you finish in PER and it doesn't include the end city as a stopover (even though it is not the origin city of the ticket)?

Haven't booked it yet but it seems to price correctly (that is, it doesn't error out before going to the pricing page). Worst comes to worst I'll add on a domestic QF leg and not show.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Out of curiosity, does your itinerary not breach the max one stopover in one city rule (PER)? Or is ok because you finish in PER and it doesn't include the end city as a stopover (even though it is not the origin city of the ticket)?

You are allowed two transits and one stopover in the same city. The way I read the OP's itinerary, it's one stopover in PER. The last stop (PER) would be considered the end of the award and the mileage back to the starting point would be counted; but it wouldn't void the award unless another flight was added that left PER more than 24 hours after arriving.

Of course if you had to call to book, it's anyone's guess.

 

[Saurs82]

What the best way to search for AY availability? Cant get anything to show up on qantas website, but im sure ive seen some before?
Im trying to avoid using BA but are they the only option from JFK to Amasterdam? (via lhr). I know I can get AA to LHR from from there seems only BA?
Also trying to get to any of the greek islands or Athens from munich. I know AY do via Helinski but it wont even let me put helinski in on the qatas website?
This is the plan to book
ADL-HKG
HKG-LHR
JFK-AMS
AMS-VCE
MUC-Mykonos, Corfu, Santorini, Athens etc
Greece-doha-adl
Qatar fly MUC to Mykonos but goes via DOH which seem not worth it!
So experts any way to do the above avoiding BA please? Or do I just need to suck up the BA taxes?

 

[exceladdict]

What the best way to search for AY availability? Cant get anything to show up on qantas website, but im sure ive seen some before?
Im trying to avoid using BA but are they the only option from JFK to Amasterdam? (via lhr). I know I can get AA to LHR from from there seems only BA?

I'd be using a BA executive club account to search. Consider going via a different airport (BOS, MIA etc) to HEL.

Also trying to get to any of the greek islands or Athens from munich. I know AY do via Helinski but it wont even let me put helinski in on the qatas website?

Are you logged in and do you have use points selected? Helsinki appearing fine for me.

 

[Saurs82]

OK HEL is showing up now fine not sure what I did wrong there. Anyway ive worked out I could do
JFK-MAD-AMS
AMS-HEL-VCE
VCE-MAD-ATH
JMK-DOH-ADL

Signed up for the BA executive club but its only sowing me BA avalibility?