Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[ellen10]

Thanks @PointsTraveller! for your information. So they originally sent you a re scheduled flight that didn't work?
How far out was this change offered? Do you have any status? I don't have any status.

So you didn't call you just used twitter and messenger?

 

[PointsTraveller!]

Thanks @PointsTraveller! for your information. So they originally sent you a re scheduled flight that didn't work?
How far out was this change offered? Do you have any status? I don't have any status.

So you didn't call you just used twitter and messenger?

Correct they sent me my updated scheduled flights and I arrived from my first flight bagged my connecting flight departed. No status - Bronze but PC+. Took me around a week to have all sorted again.

Didn’t call, was just working the online portals and being very persistent that it was their issue not mine.

 

[frodo]

I have JAL Business reward flights next April, from Singapore to Budapest, via Tokyo and Helsinki to Budapest.

Because of the no flying over Russian airspace, at the moment, these flights and this route is not really happening. If I look at these flights in this direction most are going via Tokyo and then via London to Budapest, up until the end of March 2024. My concern is that the "no flying" over Russian airspace will not be resolved by next April.

What do you mean? JL47/48 is still operating, although with a reduced schedule (4 or 5 times a week rather than daily), so this could potentially be an issue.

JAL's schedule for the Northern summer (i.e from 30 March 2024 onwards) is also yet to reflect the longer flying time or the reduced flights.
JL47 is scheduled for a 8.25am departure and a 2.40pm arrival from Nov 2023 to March 2024, but after 30 March 2024, it is scheduled for a 10.40am departure and 2.55pm arrival which is highly unlikely - I expect they will change the timing soon when they finalise the Summer 2024 schedule.

Finnair flights from Helsinki to Budapest seem to be operating as per normal as it isn't really affected by the Russian airspace closure.

Edit:

https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/info/2023/inter/europe-russia/

Just saw from the JAL website that they are suspending flights to Helsinki from October 29, and yet, they are still selling flights.
Can the ACCC fine them too?

Or am I reading that website wrong and it's just suspended on Oct 29 for 1 day only? Confusing...

 

[ellen10]

Thanks for your reply @frodo , yes you are right JL47 is still operating but not on our scheduled flight day, a Thursday, according to the current schedule it will not operate on our flight date 25 April. If you try to book flights on that date via Helsinki it is not offered. So I think they may continue this schedule for the Northern summer.

So my concern is how they will address this and when a change may be made to our flights. We need to be in Budapest by Friday 26 April. I will make a flexible booking for my Budapest night of the 25 April. We don't want these award flights cancelled as it will mess up the rest of our ongoing award flights.

Our return flights are via London JL42 to Tokyo, so I think that connection may be ok.

 

[soarer]

Fellow frequent flyers
I have a current OWA booking that I will reluctantly
cancel at 9pm Queensland time tonight 29Sept2023.
Not sure when they will appear available on the website
Hopefully this will give a heads up to members who are interested in these flights.

13/10/23 00:55 BNE-HKG CX156 Prem Eco x2
14/10/23 00:45 HKG-YVR CX888 BUS x2
30/10/23 13:40 NY(JFK)-HND JL5 BUS x2
03/11/23 10:55 HND-SIN JL37 BUS x2
06/11/23 16:45 SIN-HKG CX734 BUS x2
07/11/23 18:35 HKG-SYD QF128 BUS x2
09/11/23 07:30 SYD-BNE QF506 BUS x2

Good Luck.

 

[ShelleyB]

Fellow frequent flyers
I have a current OWA booking that I will reluctantly
cancel at 9pm Queensland time tonight 29Sept2023.
Not sure when they will appear available on the website
Hopefully this will give a heads up to members who are interested in these flights.

13/10/23 00:55 BNE-HKG CX156 Prem Eco x2
14/10/23 00:45 HKG-YVR CX888 BUS x2
30/10/23 13:40 NY(JFK)-HND JL5 BUS x2
03/11/23 10:55 HND-SIN JL37 BUS x2
06/11/23 16:45 SIN-HKG CX734 BUS x2
07/11/23 18:35 HKG-SYD QF128 BUS x2
09/11/23 07:30 SYD-BNE QF506 BUS x2

Good Luck.

Sorry to hear that Soarer. Thanks for the heads up to everyone though.

 

[Des1801]

So I have finally managed to piece together my itinerary, as follows (all in J):

QF MEL-HKG (stopover)
BA HKG-LHR (stopover)
BA LHR-AMS (stopover)
Surface sector to Rome
BA FCO-LHR-JFK (stopover)
Surface sector to Philadelphia
AA PHL-LAS (Stopover)
Surface sector to Mexico then back to LA
QF LAX-MEL

Whilst it only comes to a bit over 26k miles (including surface sectors), so well under the 35k allowed, I am pretty sure that if I added anymore legs I’d go over the 318k points cost due to exceeding 5 stopovers, is that correct ?

 

[Warragul]

So I have finally managed to piece together my itinerary, as follows (all in J):

QF MEL-HKG (stopover)
BA HKG-LHR (stopover)
BA LHR-AMS (stopover)
Surface sector to Rome
BA FCO-LHR-JFK (stopover)
Surface sector to Philadelphia
AA PHL-LAS (Stopover)
Surface sector to Mexico then back to LA
QF LAX-MEL

Whilst it only comes to a bit over 26k miles (including surface sectors), so well under the 35k allowed, I am pretty sure that if I added anymore legs I’d go over the 318k points cost due to exceeding 5 stopovers, is that correct ?

Yes.

 

[Must...Fly!]

You could get Eurostar from London to Amsterdam instead.

 

[Des1801]

You could get Eurostar from London to Amsterdam instead.

Did consider that, but then I read there is going to be no trains on that route next year whilst they do upgrade works

 

[Must...Fly!]

Did consider that, but then I read there is going to be no trains on that route next year whilst they do upgrade works

Would just mean necessitating a change in (probably) Brussels instead of direct. Anyway it would be a way to remove a stopover if you wanted to use it elsewhere

 

[yaziyo]

Even booking a regular cash flight to Amsterdam would be an option. A lot of the time when I look at points flights in Europe, just the surcharges alone cost more than paying cash for a ticket, before you even consider the value of the points.

 

[ufoken]

I attempted to create a 16-flight itinerary on the website, but it seems that the website restricts me from entering more than 6 segments (7130). Interestingly, when I contacted the call center, their agents said that the website should allow up to 10 flights, but of course, it aint working.

As a result, I have to break them into batches with 6 flights max or into one by one. All these flights are available and bookable according to Qantas website. What is the best way to do it?

 

[Mr H]

All these flights are available and bookable according to Qantas website. What is the best way to do it?

 

[Cynicor]

Typically, reading the last few pages of a massive thread is also helpful before posting

 

[DC3]

Typically, reading the last few pages of a massive thread is also helpful before posting

Agree. But, someone will probably take the bait

 

[Cerveza]

Given that Qantas is now only releasing award seats in batches, what is everyone's strategy around booking their OWA tickets? It feels impossible to me now without booking it sector by sector and incurring a change fee each time. Even then I feel like you would have no idea if an award seat for a particular sector will ever show up.

 

[levelnine]

what is everyone's strategy around booking their OWA tickets?

If you're not Platinum or above (and can therefore request a release of award seats):
1. Start your OWA outside of Australia
2. Try to find award seats on routes that have semi-reliable availability with QF or partners (eg CGK, BLR, DEL, KUL)
3. Have complete flexibility and be willing to build a whole OWA itinerary around a random dump of award seats
4. Give up

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Given that Qantas is now only releasing award seats in batches, what is everyone's strategy around booking their OWA tickets? It feels impossible to me now without booking it sector by sector and incurring a change fee each time. Even then I feel like you would have no idea if an award seat for a particular sector will ever show up.

I booked mine during the last release in February. I jumped on, calendar view, secured the AU to London and then USA to AU flights. Got that ticketed.

Spent the next couple of days working out what i would do in between, called up and added the flights… TATL, couple of Euro hops, couple of US domestic hops.

BA TATL is pretty wide open, and not prohibitively expensive if part of a OWA, and in conjunction with a connection ex EU rather than originating in the UK.

All pretty easy. I wasn’t that quick off the mark when the awards were released… maybe an hour or two after the first rush. Still had several sets of AU-UK and US-AU flights available with a one, two or three week stay away.

 

[levelnine]

I wasn’t that quick off the mark when the awards were released.l. maybe an hour or two after the first rush.

LOL that really says something about the dismal state of award availability. If you aren't able to be at your computer in the first couple of hours of an award release, say goodbye to your OWA dreams.