Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[exceladdict]

Hi all,

A couple of questions!

I booked a OW award in J a while back and couldn't find any J availability for one of the sectors, so I booked Y for that sector only. If J availability happens to come up, will I be able to switch to that flight or does that contravene the ol 'must stick to the same route/carrier once travel has begun' rule? I've already started travel.

Similarly, does the 'same route/carrier' rule mean that all flights must be exactly the same? For instance, if I've booked HEL-HKG-SYD-MEL (all transits), can I change it to HEL-SIN-MEL since the departure point and destination are the same, or is that not allowable?

Cheers

My understanding is that once travel starts, in both cases you need to stick to same route, class, and carrier. The only exception is if there's a forced flight change (retimings etc) you might have some wiggle room to argue with QF.

I think of it this way: the only thing you can change is the date of travel.

Very happy to stand corrected.

 

[Azusa]

Hi,
Another question.

Our second leg of the trip means that we would need to fly with AA, as AA doesn't release their flights until 330 days out, can i book 3/4/5 leg first then go back and book second later on?
or should i wait til i have the second before i book the rest?

these is the route
MEL-NRT-KIX-LAX- MCO-LGW-MXP-LGW-PRG-DOH-HKT-HKG-SYD-MEL

the part from KIX-LAX-MCO is where AA comes into play. the rest are with BA/CX/QR

 

[Gonetroppo]

This is what I'd also be interested in.
Did you think of OOL-SYD at the start?

Hi Serfty and Kangol! Yes, it's ticketed (and so far hasn't debited a non-RTW number of points, it's stayed at the RTW amount for J). I have since posed the same question to the QF call centre and the rep says it's not a problem. We've just booked some VA award seats to get from BNE-SYD at the start. OOL-SYD is a good idea, thanks Kangol. If anyone's interested, we've gone with a 'wonders of the world/bucket list' whirlwind itinerary (legs in brackets are additional to the RTW booking):
(BNE-SYD) SYD-PEK PEK-HKG-BLR (BLR-VDY VDY-HYD-JAI JAI-AGR) DEL-DOH-AMM-CAI CAI-AMM-FCO (FCO-BCN)-GRU-GIG (GIG-IGU IGR-AEP/EZE-SCL) SCL-SYD-BNE

Hoping to score some cheaper Easter Island tickets at the end.

 

[knightfall88]

Hey guys, was just thinking about the fact you can finish the oneworld reward within 12 months.

I am thinking of booking Sydney to London, London to Hong Kong first for mid 2020. Pay for my own ticket back to Sydney. I'll then book the second half of the oneworld trip closer to the end of 2019. Nothing wrong with this?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Hey guys, was just thinking about the fact you can finish the oneworld reward within 12 months.

I am thinking of booking Sydney to London, London to Hong Kong first for mid 2020. Pay for my own ticket back to Sydney. I'll then book the second half of the oneworld trip closer to the end of 2019. Nothing wrong with this?

Nothing at all. A well used method in one form or other. Just make sure the whole trip is book d before you fly the first sector.

 

[knightfall88]

I'm trying to get definitive info on which Qatar flights have qsuites and theres a lot of resources out there and also I understand qatar is continually updating flights. I'm flying doha to london and looking at this list: All Qatar Airways QSUITE routes & the flight numbers !

Is there a better way to find out for sure before booking flights?

 

[motef]

I'm trying to get definitive info on which Qatar flights have qsuites and theres a lot of resources out there and also I understand qatar is continually updating flights. I'm flying doha to london and looking at this list: All Qatar Airways QSUITE routes & the flight numbers !

Is there a better way to find out for sure before booking flights?

I use QRs own site

https://www.qatarairways.com/en-us/onboard/qsuite.html

If you scroll down that page it has all the routes

 

[knightfall88]

I couldn't book europe through doha because even though seats were available I just keep getting an error at checkout. I just had a SMS conversation with Qantas and they said if there is an error, that means routing isn't possible and putting all flights on one booking can't be done. They said a third party agent might be able to get it on one booking. I said if the website doesn't work when seats are available, why won't you solve it. But they still refuse?

I'm trying to speak to a real person but can anyone offer an explanation>? or have I finally encountered a HUCA situation...

Thanks guys

 

[Jacques Vert]

It is well known that the QF website can't handle complex itineraries (and even simple ones sometimes). It is common that you get an error on the pricing page. Only answer is to ring up (or maybe chat, etc.).

Occasionally you will get an agent that swears that the multi-city tool is infallible, but that is certainly not correct.

Without knowing the rest of your itinerary, it is not possible to comment further.

 

[qiaqia]

they said if there is an error, that means routing isn't possible and putting all flights on one booking can't be done.

I got a 4002 error using their multicity tool. called them, booked the exact same flights over the phone without any issue.

 

[davidjm2389]

I have seen on this thread where some Qantas agents count transits as stopovers in completing the OW award bookings.
I am trying to complete my booking and have so far booked
MEL - DOH - JNB (QR)
JNB - DOH - CDG (QR)
LYS - LHR - YYZ (BA)
BOS - NRT - SYD (JL)
When I try to book the last flight from SYD to MEL 2 agents have said that because you change terminals from international to domestic in SYD this 2 hour transit counts as a stopover which I can accept, but this makes my 6th stopover.
My mileage count is under the 35K allowed.
Can anyone let me know where I can find the stopover/ transit discussion in this thread.

 

[Warren Mason]

When I try to book the last flight from SYD to MEL 2 agents have said that because you change terminals from international to domestic in SYD this 2 hour transit counts as a stopover which I can accept, but this makes my 6th stopover.

I have a booking where I fly to Adelaide from Sydney on Nov 30 to catch a CX flight to Hong Kong on Dec 1 with 20h 40m between flights and that is counted as a transit. I will be leaving the airport to stay in Adelaide city overnight. I would argue the point. Not your fault Sydney has more than 1 terminal.

 

[knightfall88]

It is well known that the QF website can't handle complex itineraries (and even simple ones sometimes). It is common that you get an error on the pricing page. Only answer is to ring up (or maybe chat, etc.).

Occasionally you will get an agent that swears that the multi-city tool is infallible, but that is certainly not correct.

Without knowing the rest of your itinerary, it is not possible to comment further.

I couldn't believe how adamant he was...

 

[flapper]

I have seen on this thread where some Qantas agents count transits as stopovers in completing the OW award bookings.
I am trying to complete my booking and have so far booked
MEL - DOH - JNB (QR)
JNB - DOH - CDG (QR)
LYS - LHR - YYZ (BA)
BOS - NRT - SYD (JL)
When I try to book the last flight from SYD to MEL 2 agents have said that because you change terminals from international to domestic in SYD this 2 hour transit counts as a stopover which I can accept, but this makes my 6th stopover.
My mileage count is under the 35K allowed.
Can anyone let me know where I can find the stopover/ transit discussion in this thread.

Did you include the surface sectors in your total mileage? If so try again with another agent because changing terminals doesn’t count as a stop over. I’ve done that many times. That person has no idea.

 

[Danger]

Hi,
Another question.

Our second leg of the trip means that we would need to fly with AA, as AA doesn't release their flights until 330 days out, can i book 3/4/5 leg first then go back and book second later on?
or should i wait til i have the second before i book the rest?

these is the route
MEL-NRT-KIX-LAX- MCO-LGW-MXP-LGW-PRG-DOH-HKT-HKG-SYD-MEL

the part from KIX-LAX-MCO is where AA comes into play. the rest are with BA/CX/QR

Book as soon as the flight become available.

I couldn't book europe through doha because even though seats were available I just keep getting an error at checkout. I just had a SMS conversation with Qantas and they said if there is an error, that means routing isn't possible and putting all flights on one booking can't be done. They said a third party agent might be able to get it on one booking. I said if the website doesn't work when seats are available, why won't you solve it. But they still refuse?

I'm trying to speak to a real person but can anyone offer an explanation>? or have I finally encountered a HUCA situation...

Thanks guys

Bollocks. As others have said, it's a faulty booking engine that struggles to return a result for anything remotely more complicated than SYD-MEL-SYD. That's a pathetic response from QF.

I have seen on this thread where some Qantas agents count transits as stopovers in completing the OW award bookings.
I am trying to complete my booking and have so far booked
MEL - DOH - JNB (QR)
JNB - DOH - CDG (QR)
LYS - LHR - YYZ (BA)
BOS - NRT - SYD (JL)
When I try to book the last flight from SYD to MEL 2 agents have said that because you change terminals from international to domestic in SYD this 2 hour transit counts as a stopover which I can accept, but this makes my 6th stopover.
My mileage count is under the 35K allowed.
Can anyone let me know where I can find the stopover/ transit discussion in this thread.

The absurd lack of knowledge from a seemingly increasing number of QF staff about their own product is outrageous. Next time you get another incompetent idiot, ask something like 'Then how is it legal for me to arrive into LHR T3 from LYS and depart from LHR T5 to YYZ?'

 

[qiaqia]

When I try to book the last flight from SYD to MEL 2 agents have said that because you change terminals from international to domestic in SYD this 2 hour transit counts as a stopover which I can accept, but this makes my 6th stopover.

I change terminals at Melbourne, SYD-MEL-SIN, 5 hours at MEL, so that is from domestic to international, MEL count as a transit, not a stopover, just booked 2 weeks ago.
I guess you need to call again, hopefully, someone knows the rule better helps you to book.

 

[DC3]

... When I try to book the last flight from SYD to MEL 2 agents have said that because you change terminals from international to domestic in SYD this 2 hour transit count ...

They must be clueless. It’s one airport, called SYD. How many terminals are there at JFK, LAX, DFW, LHR, for example?

Also, what sort of Call Centre agent calls a transit of less than 24 hours, a stop-over?

All they need to do is to process the itinerary details as provided by the customer. Any real issues will then be identified by the computer program rather than made-up ones.

 

[aikman]

I have seen on this thread where some Qantas agents count transits as stopovers in completing the OW award bookings.
I am trying to complete my booking and have so far booked
MEL - DOH - JNB (QR)
JNB - DOH - CDG (QR)
LYS - LHR - YYZ (BA)
BOS - NRT - SYD (JL)
When I try to book the last flight from SYD to MEL 2 agents have said that because you change terminals from international to domestic in SYD this 2 hour transit counts as a stopover which I can accept, but this makes my 6th stopover.
My mileage count is under the 35K allowed.
Can anyone let me know where I can find the stopover/ transit discussion in this thread.

I would say that you are over 35,000 miles according to Qantas' calculators, which we dont have access to. The agents you have been speaking to doesn't know what the exact reasons are that your itinerary wont work so they just make something up.

 

[davidjm2389]

No issue with a change of carriers at SYD international to domestic? JL to QF.

 

[Jacques Vert]

When I try to book the last flight from SYD to MEL 2 agents have said that because you change terminals from international to domestic in SYD this 2 hour transit counts as a stopover which I can accept, but this makes my 6th stopover.

Absolute rubbish; your problem is elsewhere but those agents don't know the answer so they are guessing.

Unfortunately, when QF outsourced the majority of their call centres to other parts of the world, they lost many of their experienced agents.