Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[MEL_Traveller]

I believe AA domestic 'first class' counts as business for the purposes of an OWA.

I had no issues with flying MCO-DCA, EWR-PHX and LAS-ORD in AA first as part of an OWA (in business) about 2.5 years ago.

Yes, but flyingfiona was responding to the OP’s question about NYC-LAX in F.

This is almost certainly going to be a three-class transcon on a 321T with flagship F, flagship business, and economy.

Flagship F for select transcons is considered true F for the purposes of points costs.

For regular domestic F travel in the USA is maps as business class.

 

[elanshin]

Seeking confirmation on interline baggage through-check for separate tickets: What are the chances / your experiences of baggage being allowed through-checked when travelling on separate tickets?

Specifically:
domestic QF flight on a separate ticket
then first OWA flight with JL (next day 7:20am out of MEL)

Q website says it's not possible to through-check baggage:

and particularly not over to the next day:

Not possible for next day at MEL in your scenario.

In general same day QF domestic to OW carrier with classic rewards is possible depending on the carrier. Definitely possible QF-QF on separate tickets.

 

[elanshin]

Does anyone know if you can book a domestic first class on AA on a RTW business class ticket without changing ticket to first...
NYC - LAX?

A few potentially confusing answers but the way to look at it is: US domestic "First" is really business class anywhere else in the world with the exception of select flights on trunm routes (JFK <> LAX is one such route). If your flight sells both First and Business, then this is more akin to real first and will be charged as such. This would be on the A321T (or XLR going forward) or the 777.

 

[KingHuang]

Hi!

What would be the best way to find award seats (from a routes point of view) to go from Geneva or Lyon (or maybe even Paris) back to Sydney? I will be stopping in Singapore on the way to Europe, what's another route we can go on the way back to change things up? Prefer flying in J but also ok to fly in PE and Y!

Thanks!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi!

What would be the best way to find award seats (from a routes point of view) to go from Geneva or Lyon (or maybe even Paris) back to Sydney? I will be stopping in Singapore on the way to Europe, what's another route we can go on the way back to change things up? Prefer flying in J but also ok to fly in PE and Y!

Thanks!

Geneva or Lyon is pretty much going to limit you to BA, back via London, or Finnair back to helsinki. Then you’d have to pick a carrier from there.

From paris you could take your pick of sri lankan, cathay, qantas, japan airlines.

 

[SunnyS]

Hi All,

I’m a complete newbie to the classic reward booking process and am trying to book two round the world tickets (business class) for two people from Australia - Africa - Europe - North America - Australia for the March to late May/early June 2026 period. The flights are for my parents who would like to see the National Parks in California and spend some time in London, France and Switzerland before visiting family in South Africa.

Ideally the itinerary would be:
BNE - JNB
JNB - LHR
LHR - LAX
LAX - BNE

I’ve checked the Oneworld site and this appears to be a valid trip itinerary.

Has anyone had any luck booking seats between these cities? Or using the Point Hacks Concierge service when booking rtw flights? I’ve found very little availability departing and returning to Australia. I’m also struggling with British Airways flights from JNB to LHR, it appears these are released <11.5 months in advance.

My thinking is to book as many of the flights as I can now and add the JNB to LHR flight when it becomes available (fingers crossed).

Any suggestions regarding route options or the best time to book would be greatly appreciated. I’m mindful that the entire trip may need to be moved to later in the year (2026) to allow me to find better seats departing Australia.

 

[MelbFlyer]

I’ve found very little availability departing and returning to Australia.

This is pretty standard these days and unfortunately a fact of reward seats - availability outside of Australia is generally better and seats are easier to find, of course there are some exceptions though.

From the UK to the US though (London to NY, then NY to other parts of the country), there should be a plethora of reward seats on AA / BA.

My thinking is to book as many of the flights as I can now and add the JNB to LHR flight when it becomes available (fingers crossed).

Yes, this would be the option for now to book what you can see, but it may be hard to add flights later on - it will depend on your luck on who you get when you call up to add legs.

 

[KingHuang]

Geneva or Lyon is pretty much going to limit you to BA, back via London, or Finnair back to helsinki. Then you’d have to pick a carrier from there.

From paris you could take your pick of sri lankan, cathay, qantas, japan airlines.

Ahh so might be better if i got out of GVA/LYS into CDG and then go from there into Asia/aus? Or perhaps I may have to see what routes I can fly from Velocity awards instead?

 

[SunnyS]

This is pretty standard these days and unfortunately a fact of reward seats - availability outside of Australia is generally better and seats are easier to find, of course there are some exceptions though.

From the UK to the US though (London to NY, then NY to other parts of the country), there should be a plethora of reward seats on AA / BA.



Yes, this would be the option for now to book what you can see, but it may be hard to add flights later on - it will depend on your luck on who you get when you call up to add legs.

Thanks MelbFlyer, is your experience that reward seats out/in of Australia get snapped up as soon as they become available (~ a year out) and then can’t be found… or does Qantas release reward seats sporadically?

My parents are retired so can travel during off peak seasons (and prefer to). Are there any times during the year which are easier to book in/out of Aus?

 

[nickfromeastryde]

Is there a date yet when FJ can be selected as part of a OWA?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Ahh so might be better if i got out of GVA/LYS into CDG and then go from there into Asia/aus? Or perhaps I may have to see what routes I can fly from Velocity awards instead?

Or take the train

 

[FlyingFiona]

Hi!

What would be the best way to find award seats (from a routes point of view) to go from Geneva or Lyon (or maybe even Paris) back to Sydney? I will be stopping in Singapore on the way to Europe, what's another route we can go on the way back to change things up? Prefer flying in J but also ok to fly in PE and Y!

Thanks!

Do you mean as part of a OWA ticket? Or in general? (Your mention of all classes for this route raises suspicions that you mean the latter, in which case, you're in the wrong forum and will only have answers pertaining to OWA tickets.)

 

[Mumanddad]

Doing some initial planning for a trip late next year and trying to get from eastern Canada to Vancouver. Am I guessing right that I cannot use Westjet or other AA coded flights which are not on AA metal?

The other option is to get to Seattle, then train or bus back into Canada from there.

 

[KingHuang]

Do you mean as part of a OWA ticket? Or in general? (Your mention of all classes for this route raises suspicions that you mean the latter, in which case, you're in the wrong forum and will only have answers pertaining to OWA tickets.)

Yep the latter - I completely misread the forum title!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Doing some initial planning for a trip late next year and trying to get from eastern Canada to Vancouver. Am I guessing right that I cannot use Westjet or other AA coded flights which are not on AA metal?

The other option is to get to Seattle, then train or bus back into Canada from there.

Correct.

You *might* be able to find a connecting service via the USA, but depending on how short the connection it would be considered cabotage, so could be risky.

If you could overnight it there might be some connections… for example fly into LAX PM and out to YVR the next morning.

 

[bobcat]

Is there a date yet when FJ can be selected as part of a OWA?

I've heard and read mixed reports re this but also very interested to know the answer (assuming there is a concrete one!). Hoping to tack on to an existing OWA booking.

Meanwhile ... how alarmed should I be about the below?

I booked one leg a month ago (104,500 points per person). Called up last night and added a few different flights. Few false starts but all seemed to go relatively well.

Additional taxes were charged to my card (still sitting as pending now, as they normally would be the day after). Total points correctly capped at 954k for the booking (two adults, one child).

Additional points were deducted.

I could - and still can - see the added flights on the booking shell. Status is 'confirmed' for all of them. Can access the booking using reference number on JAL/Cathay's website too.

But the e-ticket hasn't been updated. And curiously my points balance is now what it was prior to last night's call .... plus two lots of 104,500:
CANCELLED - CLASSIC FLIGHT REWARD REWARD POINTS DEDUCTION 1 CHD +104,500
CANCELLED - CLASSIC FLIGHT REWARD REWARD POINTS DEDUCTION 1 ADT +104,500

All very odd. Especially given there were - and are - 3 pax on the booking.

Has anybody had a similar experience? Will likely call up on Monday if nothing's shifted by then ... but from memory it isn't that unusual for the e-ticket to take some time to be processed? Does the debiting of points ever match that timeline, or is this a major red flag?

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

But the e-ticket hasn't been updated. And curiously my points balance is now what it was prior to last night's call .... plus two lots of 104,500:
CANCELLED - CLASSIC FLIGHT REWARD REWARD POINTS DEDUCTION 1 CHD +104,500
CANCELLED - CLASSIC FLIGHT REWARD REWARD POINTS DEDUCTION 1 ADT +104,500

More Red Flags than a North Korean Military Parade…

I suggest that you send a detailed unemotional email to the escalation team today - [email protected]

 

[MEL_Traveller]

More Red Flags than a North Korean Military Parade…

I suggest that you send a detailed unemotional email to the escalation team today - [email protected]

IIRC it’s normal for the old award to be cancelled, and a new one issued?

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

IIRC it’s normal for the old award to be cancelled, and a new one issued?

Yes, but my main concern is that the ‘old points’ have been returned, but the ‘new points’ haven’t been deducted. That suggests that the itinerary may not have been ticketed yet.

 

[DC3]

Yes, but my main concern is that the ‘old points’ have been returned, but the ‘new points’ haven’t been deducted. That suggests that the itinerary may not have been ticketed yet.

The thing is that QF deduct the points when they choose. In some cases (one of mine) the points were never deducted but the ticketing was no issue.

In any case, issuing of a new e-ticket needs to be closely monitored, especially if there are non-QF flights involved.

Also, sometimes, Call Centre staff totally mess up simple flight changes.