Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Familyman1]

I'm about to book some OW flights and I am considering beginning my itinerary with MNL-HKG-LHR fights to get the low fees for departing from the Philippines. They certainly seem low using the Qantas web site. But I am worried by exceladdict's comment that I may end up paying high taxes anyway if I add flights later (which I plan to). Does anyone know how likely this is to happen?

 

[exceladdict]

I'm about to book some OW flights and I am considering beginning my itinerary with MNL-HKG-LHR fights to get the low fees for departing from the Philippines. They certainly seem low using the Qantas web site. But I am worried by exceladdict's comment that I may end up paying high taxes anyway if I add flights later (which I plan to). Does anyone know how likely this is to happen?

I believe I documented it a bit when booking a trip that was subsequently cancelled about a year ago. Unsure if you can search this thread for posts from myself. The TL;DR is that no matter what currency the "updated fees and charges" were priced in, they increased by a multiple when i tried to modify an itinerary which (iirc) was something like MNL-NRT-SYD-PER-SIN-KUL-NRT-SEA-SFO-BNE-PER to MNL-NRT-SYD-PER-SIN-NRT-SEA-PHX-DFW-LAX-SFO-BNE-PER (or something similar). i.e. i only added a few AA flights for which the taxes should have been $11 per flight, but the fees doubled no matter how many times I asked them to review it.

The conclusion was that the system repriced it to a different Point of Sale, which ignored the Filipino arrangements of much lower award surcharges.

 

[Familyman1]

I believe I documented it a bit when booking a trip that was subsequently cancelled about a year ago. Unsure if you can search this thread for posts from myself. The TL;DR is that no matter what currency the "updated fees and charges" were priced in, they increased by a multiple when i tried to modify an itinerary which (iirc) was something like MNL-NRT-SYD-PER-SIN-KUL-NRT-SEA-SFO-BNE-PER to MNL-NRT-SYD-PER-SIN-NRT-SEA-PHX-DFW-LAX-SFO-BNE-PER (or something similar). i.e. i only added a few AA flights for which the taxes should have been $11 per flight, but the fees doubled no matter how many times I asked them to review it.

The conclusion was that the system repriced it to a different Point of Sale, which ignored the Filipino arrangements of much lower award surcharges.

Thanks exceladdict. I found your earlier posts on this. Disappointing! Maybe by the time I modify my booking, I will be able to do it online and not have this problem.

 

[Maybloomer]

No wonder they contact you back. If it was a lowly bronze, they would've just waited until you started wondering.

Hope all goes well. Sounds like a good itinerary

Thanks, definitely has benefits calling the Premium Call Centre, answered in about 5 mins the other day when I called to add to our RTW itinerary, CPH-MAD and MAD-MEX. No charges thanks to the Oct 31 cutoff for changes. Qantas had to confirm prices with Iberia but called me back next day to confirm and email tickets. As with the other carriers in the booking, I can go to the Iberia site with the Booking Ref No and see the booking. Will book the final 2 legs next week. Taxes have been $640 for SYD-DOH via HKG with Cathay/Qatar and DOH-DME with Qatar and $113 for CPH-MAD and MAD-MEX with Iberia both direct.

 

[flapper]

I'm part way through booking a J OWA for mid next year to replace the one I had to cancel this year. I can't say that I'm that confident we will be able to travel by then but remain hopeful. The problem is when I do a dummy booking on the QF website I keep getting an error message when I add a certain flight. It's not available yet for the date I want but I was wondering if there is some rule I am breaking. The booking is:
MEL-SYD-DOH-TBS stop
own way to IST
IST-LHR-MRS stop
own way to MAD
MAD-BER stop
BER-LHR-SFO-PHX-PSP stop
own way to SFO
SFO-HND-SYD-MEL (hoping to change to SFO-MEL)
The error occurs when I add the SFO-PHX-PSP flights being AA2042 & AA5878.
If I end the booking at PSP it tops out at 318K no problem but if I add flights back to MEL I get an error.
If have even tried deleting the IST to MRS and MAD to BER flights but that doesn't help.
Any ideas?
BTW the last two times I added a flight they tried to charge me the 5,000pts change fee. When I queried they didn't charge it but I was told that the fee is waived for one change only but I can't find that anywhere on the QF website.

 

[DC3]

...the last two times I added a flight they tried to charge me the 5,000pts change fee. When I queried they didn't charge it but I was told that the fee is waived for one change only but I can't find that anywhere on the QF website.

In relation to your BTW, until 31October 2020, changes to classic award bookings do not incur a fee and the QF site says nothing about this being one-off.

However, I seem to recall that changes to revenue bookings are limited to one free change only. Some CSOs may be confusing the two.

 

[DC3]

flapper, I just deleted a couple of my recent posts, as I realised that they were not going to help.

However, I would put dummy bookings through to the Call Centre for dates that are currently bookable, using your preferred routing, to see how your itinerary looks when booked. After all, changes until 31st October are not charged anyway.

Edit: Also, you are under the 35,000 mile limit aren’t you (including land/own means segments)?

Since edited

 

[flapper]

flapper, I just deleted a couple of my recent posts, as I realised that they were not going to help.

However, I would put dummy bookings through to the Call Centre for dates that are currently bookable, using your preferred routing, to see how your itinerary looks when booked. After all, changes until 31st October are not charged anyway.

Edit: Also, you are under the 35,000 mile limit aren’t you (including land/own means segments)?

Since edited

<32,000 miles. I'll try the CC when the flights become available in a few weeks.

 

[jaseb]

Hi all, have flight release times changed in the past few months?
At 9:45AM I could see MEL-HKG-DOH for 01.08.2021 & DOH-CDG for 02.08.2021

I would expect that at 10:00AM MEL-HKG-DOH for 02.08.2021 and DOH-CDG for 03.08.2021 would become available but that hasn't happened. Any insights? Thanks

edit: I should add, MEL-HKG is on CX and HKG-DOH-CDG on QR

 

[Maybloomer]

In relation to your BTW, until 31October 2020, changes to classic award bookings do not incur a fee and the QF site says nothing about this being one-off.

However, I seem to recall that changes to revenue bookings are limited to one free change only. Some CSOs may be confusing the two.

I just finalized my RTW Classic Award itinerary with the last 2 legs booked over the phone. I added one leg last week with no change fee and one today with 5000 points per person change fee (2 travellers) so it seems we only get one bite of the apple.

 

[flapper]

I just finalized my RTW Classic Award itinerary with the last 2 legs booked over the phone. I added one leg last week with no change fee and one today with 5000 points per person change fee (2 travellers) so it seems we only get one bite of the apple.

I would call back and try and get change fee removed. I have had some operators try to charge it but when I queried it they didn't charge it. I made another change on Monday and there was no mention of the change fee. When you call, ask them where it says it's for only one change. I haven't been able to find that anywhere but 1 operator did tell me that.

 

[Maybloomer]

Maybe a new newbie question.
But other then gaining the potential to get her status higher, Whats the benefit of doing this? (if the flights and seats are already showing as bookable)

It sure helped when calling to add legs to the itinerary, less than 5 minutes wait time and Qantas called back next day when there were some pricing confirmation to be done with other carriers. I did dummy bookings with my Bronze vs her Gold accounts and some flights were only available with Gold.

Anyway, all booked and ticketed, good J class itinerary with all direct flights bar one and only $849 taxes.
SYD-DOH via HKG with Qatar and Cathay. DOH-DME with Qatar. CPH-MAD and MAD-MEX with Iberia. DFW-HND and HND-SYD with JAL. Pretty happy with $849 taxes. Cost 5000 points each to add the last leg as I got the 2nd last leg free due to pre OCT 31 allowance.

 

[DC3]

I just finalized my RTW Classic Award itinerary with the last 2 legs booked over the phone. I added one leg last week with no change fee and one today with 5000 points per person change fee (2 travellers) so it seems we only get one bite of the apple.

No, there is no “one bite”. As already posted, the QF website does not mention limiting of free changes prior to the end of October. I have made numerous changes recently for no penalty. However, a CSO that I spoke with, about two weeks ago, had to check to confirm, as she was unaware. After checking, she agreed that there is no change fee at this time.

Edited

 

[acinod]

I have a OneWorld award flight that I have booked last year for December this year.

Currently the only option when I try to cancel my booking is a Flight Credit. What does a flight credit mean?
Do I get back the points and cash used for taxes? What about any points I used to add flights to my award booking in the past?

 

[DC3]

I have a OneWorld award flight that I have booked last year for December this year.

Currently the only option when I try to cancel my booking is a Flight Credit. What does a flight credit mean?
Do I get back the points and cash used for taxes? What about any points I used to add flights to my award booking in the past?

Is this a Qantas oneworld award booking? Award flights may be cancelled for a refund of points and taxes paid. You need to phone the Call Centre and they will cancel the booking for you. Taxes will be re-credited to your credit card and points will be returned to your QFF account.

 

[Maybloomer]

No, there is no “one bite”. As already posted, the QF website does not mention limiting of free changes prior to the end of October. I have made numerous changes recently for no penalty. However, a CSO that I spoke with, about two weeks ago, had to check to confirm, as she was unaware. After checking, she agreed that there is no change fee at this time.

Edited

Thanks, will give them a call, maybe I got one of the unaware agents.

 

[DC3]

Thanks, will give them a call, maybe I got one of the unaware agents.

So, did you end up calling QF about this?

 

[DC3]

Thanks appreciated- will call next week to ask.

How did you go with calling back about extending the validity?

 

[jasyoung]

re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

And from what I can tell, this fare is impossible to book over the net so you can automatically add the 2500 pt phone booking fee too.

I've never paid the phone booking fee BUT the airport I want to fly through (Montevideo in Uruguay) cannot be booked online through the Qantas website hence they waive the fee. If it is a straightforward booking, you should be able to do it online

 

[monzandpete]

How did you go with calling back about extending the validity?

Hi DC3- I was unable to extend. I had to cancel and obtain refund of unused legs (which was calculated on distance already flown at normal redemption rates- so not an efficient use of points compared to RTW).