Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[BP.]

Might be a silly question, but is updating the initial departure flight any harder than updating any other part of the itinerary?

It's looking likely my ex-HKG J class will be made available before a J class from MEL-HKG. So I'm planning on book a Y class ticket from MEL-HKG to get my ticket priced in AUD along with the ex-HKG flight. Then hoping to change the first flight to a different J class flight later, once that becomes available.

Thanks in advance

 

[elanshin]

Might be a silly question, but is updating the initial departure flight any harder than updating any other part of the itinerary?

It's looking likely my ex-HKG J class will be made available before a J class from MEL-HKG. So I'm planning on book a Y class ticket from MEL-HKG to get my ticket priced in AUD along with the ex-HKG flight. Then hoping to change the first flight to a different J class flight later, once that becomes available.

Thanks in advance

If you already have MEL - HKG in Y thrn changing it to J then there's not too much difficulty. If you're doing ex HKG to ex MEL, in theory it shouldn't be hard but sometimes the systems or the agent may have troubles doing it.

 

[BP.]

If you already have MEL - HKG in Y thrn changing it to J then there's not too much difficulty. If you're doing ex HKG to ex MEL, in theory it shouldn't be hard but sometimes the systems or the agent may have troubles doing it.

Great, thank you. Might not be the same flight from MEL-HKG per se, but that will definitely be the departure and arrival destination.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Would appreciate advice from the brains trust on reaching an acceptable resolution to this scenario please.

As outlined here, I had a fully ticketed Oneworld Classic Flight Award for 3 pax.

Hoping to remove a 36 hour stopover in TYO, I requested seat release on QF metal ex. LHR or CDG for flights back to Australia. Both were declined. However the agent made an error by adding an "auto cancel" to the booking.

About a week later the whole trip disappeared.

QF requested the other Oneworld airlines reinstate the seats. Two agreed, but BA declined on YVRxLHR-MUC.

I have deliberately tried to be constructive with QF on this one and have proposed some solutions via the escalations email.

First, I found alternative routing with award inventory YVRxLHR-VIE. This would mean cutting our time in Vancouver from 4 days to 2. It would also mean serval changes (additional time and cost) to our plans in Germany and Austria. I put this option to QF as being acceptable if we could get a later return from Europe on QF via LHR or CDG.

QF said no seats were available for release, despite available inventory in I class. In any case I was suggesting QF convert revenue seats because it was a QF stuff up.

I also proposed QF purchase J revenue seats from BA on the original YVRxLHR-MUC to reinstate our original itinerary. I had no response on this.

Instead, QF has made a second attempt to have BA reinstate the original seats. It's now been a week since that request to BA and I've heard nothing further.

Any suggestions for how to progress this with QF so that the whole trip is not lost?

 

[Daver6]

Would appreciate advice from the brains trust on reaching an acceptable resolution to this scenario please.

As outlined here, I had a fully ticketed Oneworld Classic Flight Award for 3 pax.

Hoping to remove a 36 hour stopover in TYO, I requested seat release on QF metal ex. LHR or CDG for flights back to Australia. Both were declined. However the agent made an error by adding an "auto cancel" to the booking.

About a week later the whole trip disappeared.

QF requested the other Oneworld airlines reinstate the seats. Two agreed, but BA declined on YVRxLHR-MUC.

I have deliberately tried to be constructive with QF on this one and have proposed some solutions.

First, I found alternative routing with award inventory YVRxLHR-VIE. This would mean cutting our time in Vancouver from 4 days to 2. It would also mean serval changes (additional time and cost) to our plans in Germany and Austria. I put this option to QF as being acceptable if we could get a later return from Europe on QF via LHR or CDG.

QF said no seats were available for release, despite available inventory in I class. In any case I was suggesting QF convert revenue seats because it was a QF stuff up.

I also proposed QF purchase J revenue seats from BA on the original YVRxLHR-MUC to reinstate our original itinerary. I had no response on this.

Instead, QF has made a second attempt to have BA reinstate the original seats. It's now been a week since that request to BA and I've heard nothing further.

Any suggestions for how to progress this with QF so that the whole trip is not lost?

In my mind, QF are on the hook to figure this out. You shouldn't have make compromises.

As an aside, would travel insurance cover this?

 

[Mr H]

As an aside, would travel insurance cover this?

Definitely not - they would simply say that the ticket is fully refundable.

 

[cambriamarsh]

Would appreciate advice from the brains trust on reaching an acceptable resolution to this scenario please.

As outlined here, I had a fully ticketed Oneworld Classic Flight Award for 3 pax.

Hoping to remove a 36 hour stopover in TYO, I requested seat release on QF metal ex. LHR or CDG for flights back to Australia. Both were declined. However the agent made an error by adding an "auto cancel" to the booking.

About a week later the whole trip disappeared.

QF requested the other Oneworld airlines reinstate the seats. Two agreed, but BA declined on YVRxLHR-MUC.

I have deliberately tried to be constructive with QF on this one and have proposed some solutions.

First, I found alternative routing with award inventory YVRxLHR-VIE. This would mean cutting our time in Vancouver from 4 days to 2. It would also mean serval changes (additional time and cost) to our plans in Germany and Austria. I put this option to QF as being acceptable if we could get a later return from Europe on QF via LHR or CDG.

QF said no seats were available for release, despite available inventory in I class. In any case I was suggesting QF convert revenue seats because it was a QF stuff up.

I also proposed QF purchase J revenue seats from BA on the original YVRxLHR-MUC to reinstate our original itinerary. I had no response on this.

Instead, QF has made a second attempt to have BA reinstate the original seats. It's now been a week since that request to BA and I've heard nothing further.

Any suggestions for how to progress this with QF so that the whole trip is not lost?

Email the escalation email, mentioned elaewhere. Hope that can resolve it.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Email the escalation email, mentioned elaewhere. Hope that can resolve it.

Yep, that was first step. Everything outlined above has been via that method. Will update that post.

 

[elanshin]

Would appreciate advice from the brains trust on reaching an acceptable resolution to this scenario please.

As outlined here, I had a fully ticketed Oneworld Classic Flight Award for 3 pax.

Hoping to remove a 36 hour stopover in TYO, I requested seat release on QF metal ex. LHR or CDG for flights back to Australia. Both were declined. However the agent made an error by adding an "auto cancel" to the booking.

About a week later the whole trip disappeared.

QF requested the other Oneworld airlines reinstate the seats. Two agreed, but BA declined on YVRxLHR-MUC.

I have deliberately tried to be constructive with QF on this one and have proposed some solutions via the escalations email.

First, I found alternative routing with award inventory YVRxLHR-VIE. This would mean cutting our time in Vancouver from 4 days to 2. It would also mean serval changes (additional time and cost) to our plans in Germany and Austria. I put this option to QF as being acceptable if we could get a later return from Europe on QF via LHR or CDG.

QF said no seats were available for release, despite available inventory in I class. In any case I was suggesting QF convert revenue seats because it was a QF stuff up.

I also proposed QF purchase J revenue seats from BA on the original YVRxLHR-MUC to reinstate our original itinerary. I had no response on this.

Instead, QF has made a second attempt to have BA reinstate the original seats. It's now been a week since that request to BA and I've heard nothing further.

Any suggestions for how to progress this with QF so that the whole trip is not lost?

I'd be firm that Qantas solve this without compromising your itinerary. If you find a better "solution" that fits your schedule better, I'd angle for that otherwise just push for QF to reinstate your original itinerary even if its at their cost (and hey you might even get more points/SC out of it).

 

[Daver6]

Definitely not - they would simply say that the ticket is fully refundable.

Out of interest, would they at least cover non-refundable components? Eg, hotels or anything else you might have booked?

 

[05flyer]

I also proposed QF purchase J revenue seats from BA on the original YVRxLHR-MUC to reinstate our original itinerary. I had no response on this.

This seems an entirely reasonable request. That QF won't oblige, despite the agent's negligence, is quite disappointing (even if unsurprising). I'd keep pushing them on this.

A relief to see their mission of re-building trust continues to go from success to success.

 

[Mr H]

Out of interest, would they at least cover non-refundable components? Eg, hotels or anything else you might have booked?

Never say never, but I'm not sure what coverage would cover such an event. Normally they would only cover cancellation if something occurred that prevented travel, not just one part of the itinerary falling through.

 

[Daver6]

Never say never, but I'm not sure what coverage would cover such an event. Normally they would only cover cancellation if something occurred that prevented travel, not just one part of the itinerary falling through.

In this case, QF cancelled their entire ticket without consent.

 

[Mr H]

In this case, QF cancelled their entire ticket without consent.

Yes, but that’s unlikely to be an insured event since travel has not yet started. The insurer would probably just tell the passenger to buy another ticket with another carrier.

 

[Kefci2000]

Just out of interest has anyone ever had fully ticketed award booking cancelled close to flight dates?
Never happened to me domestically but always wary on overseas flights when you won’t have too may options.