Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Warragul]

Would anyone be able to shed some light as to if this is a possibility?

Plan B won't work - multiple stopovers in Tokyo. Only one stopover per city is allowed. The wording in the conditions regarding stopovers says city not airport.

 

[pjm99au]

Hi all I am really in need of advice. I have successfully booked 4 x OWAs in J for 2 people over the past 5 years spending a lot of time etc as you all know. Setting alarms to wake up at 12 when seats are released etc.

However now it seems near impossible to get to Europe via Asia. No QR options show I get an error. There are no CX flights and hardly any JL and only economy. From HKG I can get to Helsinki and then Rome in J but no way to get to HKG except via China Air

What I am trying to do is go to Italy / France / Spain (via Helsinki if necessary) from Melbourne next year in June so seats are starting to open. Want to avoid London and MH.

I had planned to use the Award Flight Assist service as I am having no luck and they are not taking requests for travel until after October now.

I then thought I will just go on Emirates to one key city say Rome and back and do land travel in Europe but even that doesn't seem an option.

Any advice welcome thanks Kate

Have you tried QF to BLR or DEL or UL via CMB? Not great options admittedly but with QR out of the mix limited options

 

[melbkate]

Have you tried QF to BLR or DEL or UL via CMB? Not great options admittedly but with QR out of the mix limited options

thanks India would be good and I hadn't thought of that but I took a look and the only flights to India in june 2024 are with MH via KL or UL via CMB nothing at all on QF that I can find leaving Australia to Asia. Not keen on MH or UL. And UL then goes to europe via London on BA which I also wanted to avoid. Hmmmmmmmm I am quietly freaking out as I have so many points to use and had my flights for this year drop off booking - they were with QR and I could not get them back on my itinerary.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

thanks India would be good and I hadn't thought of that but I took a look and the only flights to India in june 2024 are with MH via KL or UL via CMB nothing at all on QF that I can find leaving Australia to Asia. Not keen on MH or UL. And UL then goes to europe via London on BA which I also wanted to avoid. Hmmmmmmmm I am quietly freaking out as I have so many points to use and had my flights for this year drop off booking - they were with QR and I could not get them back on my itinerary.

At a pinch I think you should consider UL.

MH i totally agree with you.

UL isn’t too bad… flat beds, tasty food, good service.

Try searching using AA.com for awards, see if there’s anything that comes up and then try and replicate on the QF system.

 

[ellen10]

Ok so I know this is not a Oneworld reward yet and it may not turn into one but I am excited!!

After reading many suggestions and lack of any J options from Sydney, I decided to start my flights from SIN.
I managed to get two J JL reward flights from SIN to Helsinki in late April. The month map showed only economy flights every day except this one date, which had J options. (I was thinking too good to be true and probably phantom flights), or maybe just lucky and someone had cancelled a reward and it went back into inventory.
So I have booked the following flights so far:

SIN to Helsinki via Haneda JL
HEL to Budapest AY
AMS to Bordeaux KLM
LHR to SIN via HAN to SIN

Hoping to fill in a couple of internal Europe flights but not sure of all our plans yet.

My only concern, is my transit time in Helsinki is 50mins. I googled Schengen transit times and it says min 40mins. And it did allow me to book this flight and it was the only direct flight. Of course that is if our arrival is on time. So if my flight is delayed will I be protected?

My delight in getting these flights is peppered with some doubt now, but I have already received the ticket 5 minutes after booking and I am loathe to change anything at this time. Should I be concerned?

 

[k_sheep]

Well I have now finished my 318k award, I feel safe to post here.

Had huge numbers of issues, along with most people. The worst was the loss of my WAW-xDOH-DEL QR flights (along with multiple others). Unfortunately, this happened after I had already commenced my journey so according to the rules I could not make any changes to the route. Given QR refused to release any seats, I thought that I was done for - and best case scenario, thought I'd have to make them surface sectors and pay through the nose to get those as one way seats.

I talked to what seemed like a fairly clueless Fiji agent, who I managed to convince to change the routing to WAW-xLHR-DEL. She did, but it never ticketed of course. I phoned again, and they said would ticket within 24 hours, didn't of course. Fortuitously this was when QF started their email to fix stuffed reward flight bookings. It ticketed very soon after that, no questions asked.

My final routing was syd-dfw-eze-mad-prg-hel-waw-lhr-del-mel-syd-mcy with stops only in EZE and PRG as it turns out. I was meant to have further stops in WAW, DOH and DEL but all the flight changed put a stop to that. I had <24 hour stops in WAW, LHR and DEL which at least allowed some sightseeing.
A map from the Great Circle Mapper .. which at 34996 miles is perilously close! I suspect since the QF calculators often go over gcmap, I reckon I might have fallen foul of that rule too!

Did I get the best value out of this? Definitely not, too many compromises. Will I do it again? Not until they fix the difficulties in booking and changing.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Ok so I know this is not a Oneworld reward yet and it may not turn into one but I am excited!!

After reading many suggestions and lack of any J options from Sydney, I decided to start my flights from SIN.
I managed to get two J JL reward flights from SIN to Helsinki in late April. The month map showed only economy flights every day except this one date, which had J options. (I was thinking too good to be true and probably phantom flights), or maybe just lucky and someone had cancelled a reward and it went back into inventory.
So I have booked the following flights so far:

SIN to Helsinki via Haneda JL
HEL to Budapest AY
AMS to Bordeaux KLM
LHR to SIN via HAN to SIN

Hoping to fill in a couple of internal Europe flights but not sure of all our plans yet.

My only concern, is my transit time in Helsinki is 50mins. I googled Schengen transit times and it says min 40mins. And it did allow me to book this flight and it was the only direct flight. Of course that is if our arrival is on time. So if my flight is delayed will I be protected?

My delight in getting these flights is peppered with some doubt now, but I have already received the ticket 5 minutes after booking and I am loathe to change anything at this time. Should I be concerned?

With KLM in the booking you won’t be able to turn it into an OWA because KLM is not a OneWorld member.

On your transit question: Yes if it’s all on the one PNR you should be protected if the flight to HEL is delayed.

 

[ellen10]

Thanks for your reply @Captain Halliday , my bad in adding the KLM flight, it was a last minute thought and I wanted to get to the payment page to see if the flights would actually stick and get ticketed. If I decide to turn it into a OWA I can change that flight.

 

[melbkate]

At a pinch I think you should consider UL.

MH i totally agree with you.

UL isn’t too bad… flat beds, tasty food, good service.

Try searching using AA.com for awards, see if there’s anything that comes up and then try and replicate on the QF system.

Thanks I did look on AA which showed a good QR leg and as the QF online search using Doha on always comes back with http 400 ERROR I called the call centre and suprise and was told there was nothing. Also I am concerned with UL's state atm as they seem to having a lot of financial issues and am worried that will flow on to safety and cancellations.

 

[Mr H]

Thanks I did look on AA which showed a good QR leg and as the QF online search using Doha on always comes back with http 400 ERROR I called the call centre and suprise and was told there was nothing. Also I am concerned with UL's state atm as they seem to having a lot of financial issues and am worried that will flow on to safety and cancellations.

Hi Kate - QR is [effectively] not available using Qantas points. I do feel like you maybe need to broaden your criteria to include airlines that may not have been your first preference, or routes that may not have been your first preference.

 

[melbkate]

Hi Kate - QR is [effectively] not available using Qantas points. I do feel like you maybe need to broaden your criteria to include airlines that may not have been your first preference, or routes that may not have been your first preference.

Thanks I am happy to broaden criteria could you suggest other routes to try at all? The only options I can see is MH or UL or China Air with extra stops and not appealing. Qantas and Cathay and JL don't show up in my searches at all for say MEL-HKG or MEL-ICN or MEL-NRT or even via SYD it is definitely a different playing field and I really don't know how people are managing to book.

 

[levelnine]

The only options I can see is MH or UL or China Air with extra stops and not appealing.

That's probably all you're going to get if you're not Qantas Platinum (and therefore able to request the release of award seats on Qantas flights).

Note: China Air is not part of oneworld, so cannot be used on a OWA.

If you're prepared to pay change fees, you could book a non-ideal route to have something locked in then keep an eye out for better options as they open up.

One other suggestion is to look at BA SYD-SIN-LHR. They reliably open up 2 seats in business on every flight, but they are usually snapped up in seconds by British people trying to use their 2-for-1 vouchers, so you have to be super quick and grab them the second they're released.

May need to split up search into individual sectors:

 

[pjm99au]

Thanks I am happy to broaden criteria could you suggest other routes to try at all? The only options I can see is MH or UL or China Air with extra stops and not appealing. Qantas and Cathay and JL don't show up in my searches at all for say MEL-HKG or MEL-ICN or MEL-NRT or even via SYD it is definitely a different playing field and I really don't know how people are managing to book.

Hi. Do you have any status with Qantas? This affects the timing of visibility for awards on Qantas.

 

[Mr H]

Thanks I am happy to broaden criteria could you suggest other routes to try at all? The only options I can see is MH or UL or China Air with extra stops and not appealing. Qantas and Cathay and JL don't show up in my searches at all for say MEL-HKG or MEL-ICN or MEL-NRT or even via SYD it is definitely a different playing field and I really don't know how people are managing to book.

People have suggested some routes but you came back with problems with all of them. Basically, you look at the routes flown by One World airlines and search on them. You seem to want everything served on a plate.

 

[melbkate]

Hi. Do you have any status with Qantas? This affects the timing of visibility for awards on Qantas.

Lowly bronze

Post automatically merged: Jun 15, 2023

That's probably all you're going to get if you're not Qantas Platinum (and therefore able to request the release of award seats on Qantas flights).

Note: China Air is not part of oneworld, so cannot be used on a OWA.

If you're prepared to pay change fees, you could book a non-ideal route to have something locked in then keep an eye out for better options as they open up.

One other suggestion is to look at BA SYD-SIN-LHR. They reliably open up 2 seats in business on every flight, but they are usually snapped up in seconds by British people trying to use their 2-for-1 vouchers, so you have to be super quick and grab them the second they're released.

May need to split up search into individual sectors:

View attachment 333762
View attachment 333763

 

[melbkate]

thank you levelnine that is great to know as that is how I got my seats often by seeing the release pattern in the run up and jumping in the second they were released. This time there seems to be no releasing that I can see I will look at BA althogh really wanted to avoid London but it is the only lead I have so far thanks.

 

[pjm99au]

As a bronze you will only be able to see and book QF award seats 297 days out. Other OW will be earlier but limited services to get out of Oz so more competition for the seats especially as QR are unavailable. Think you should consider all OW airlines given you will have a low chance of securing QF seats.

 

[melbkate]

People have suggested some routes but you came back with problems with all of them. Basically, you look at the routes flown by One World airlines and search on them. You seem to want everything served on a plate.

I love this forum it has helped me so much with my previous bookings and I am just looking for more information. I wish these seats were on a plate! It just seems so different this year and I feel I am out of the loop so any info I can get or other ways of looking is helpful

Post automatically merged: Jun 15, 2023

As a bronze you will only be able to see and book QF award seats 297 days out. Other OW will be earlier but limited services to get out of Oz so more competition for the seats especially as QR are unavailable. Think you should consider all OW airlines given you will have a low chance of securing QF seats.

thanks for the info I didn't realise this

 

[Mr H]

I love this forum it has helped me so much with my previous bookings and I am just looking for more information. I wish these seats were on a plate! It just seems so different this year and I feel I am out of the loop so any info I can get or other ways of looking is helpful

My top tip would be to follow this thread closely (read back many pages) and browse other Qantas threads - the information is there. The bit about releasing QF seats at different times is surely in the basic information at the top of this thread.

In terms of routes, you just have to keep looking until you get a workable route.

Last year my routes to and from Europe were

MEL-CMB-DEL-LHR (UL and BA)​

LHR-HEL-DEL-MEL (AY and QF)​

This year my route from Asia was

LHE-CMB-MEL (UL)​

Next year my routes to and from Asia are:

MEL-SYD-HKG-DXB (QF and CX)​

MLE-CMB-KUL-NRT-MEL (UL and JL)​

Look at what other people are doing and learn from them. Most of us are not redeeming MEL-SIN-LHR on QF.

 

[melbkate]

My top tip would be to follow this thread closely (read back many pages) and browse other Qantas threads - the information is there. The bit about releasing QF seats at different times is surely in the basic information at the top of this thread.

In terms of routes, you just have to keep looking until you get a workable route.

Last year my routes to and from Europe were

MEL-CMB-DEL-LHR (UL and BA)​

LHR-HEL-DEL-MEL (AY and QF)​

This year my route from Asia was

LHE-CMB-MEL (UL)​

Next year my routes to and from Asia are:

MEL-SYD-HKG-DXB (QF and CX)​

MLE-CMB-KUL-NRT-MEL (UL and JL)​

Look at what other people are doing and learn from them. Most of us are not redeeming MEL-SIN-LHR on QF.

Thanks for those routes well done on getting them. I shall investigate esp via Sydney. Believe me I have spent many hours on this forum and after seeing such limited avails had decided to go with the paid Award Assist and now they are not taking any requests. I shall persevere however!