Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[elanshin]

Hi All / Experts

First time trying to book the classic rewards ticket, however confused about surface sectors.

In their rules it states that the distance counts between airports, however no mention that it counts as an additional stop over. So apologies if this has been clarified before but is counting surface sectors as stop overs definitive?

As an example I have tickets already booked:
Mel to Hanoi, transit tokyo - 1 stop
Hanoi to Tokyo - 2 stops
Sapporo to Paris, transit tokyo - 3 or 4 stops?

Surface sector of Tokyo to Sapporo.

Would the above be counted as 4 stop overs of the 5 or 3?

Thanks

In terms of stops it would be 3. But you're playing with fire in terms of stops and transits. In theory, it's fine (2 transits and one stop) but sometimes the computer might not be able to correctly get it because it's a surface sector too.

You can have the Sapporo to Paris via Tokyo but be ready to drop the Sapporo to Tokyo leg if its causing issues in getting it ticketed.

 

[sifntdaz]

In terms of stops it would be 3. But you're playing with fire in terms of stops and transits. In theory, it's fine (2 transits and one stop) but sometimes the computer might not be able to correctly get it because it's a surface sector too.

You can have the Sapporo to Paris via Tokyo but be ready to drop the Sapporo to Tokyo leg if its causing issues in getting it ticketed.

Thanks

I already have all those legs ticketed with the remainder being:

London to Hk
Hk returning to Mel

These tickets are not yet available, but will be soon.

I am just trying to figure out if I can do London to Hk and then Hk to Mel and be within the rules, or if I have to make my way back to Paris given I have already landed there and counted it as a stop over to facilitate Hk to Mel.

Just to add the Sapporo to Tokyo leg was required in order to get Business from Tokyo to Paris. From what I have read it is some sort of married leg? So therefore we will arrange for our own transport from Tokyo to Sapporo as a surface sector

 

[elanshin]

Thanks

I already have all those legs ticketed with the remainder being:

London to Hk
Hk returning to Mel

These tickets are not yet available, but will be soon.

The problem here is anything can be ticketed but until the whole itinerary is pieced together, it may or may not qualify for OWA. When many agent say they can't ticket it what they're actually saying is they can't get it ticketed with 318k cap. They CAN ticket it, but if its 400 or 500k points, that's not what the customer is after.

I am just trying to figure out if I can do London to Hk and then Hk to Mel and be within the rules, or if I have to make my way back to Paris given I have already landed there and counted it as a stop over to facilitate Hk to Mel.

it should be fine to do Sapporo > London (Stopover) then Paris > HK > Mel.
No problems there as long as your sector count and distance count is fine.

Just to add the Sapporo to Tokyo leg was required in order to get Business from Tokyo to Paris. From what I have read it is some sort of married leg? So therefore we will arrange for our own transport from Tokyo to Sapporo as a surface sector

Ah I was afraid of that. Often the case that Tokyo > xx_ city is not available but an extra Domestic leg in Japan makes it possible.

I still think it should in theory be ok, but i've had trouble before using Sydney doing similar things with you (stopover, 2 transit with a surface sector in there) and the system didn't like it until i got rid of one syd-mel leg.

 

[WilsonM]

Just to add the Sapporo to Tokyo leg was required in order to get Business from Tokyo to Paris. From what I have read it is some sort of married leg? So therefore we will arrange for our own transport from Tokyo to Sapporo as a surface sector

Yeah - this is common practice from Japan Airlines.

I recently booked a successful J OWA, but could only get Y from Japan-YVR - there was a married segment available from NGO-NRT-YVR in J, but it wouldn't process with an Australian Point of Sale either. So good job getting it ticketed so far