Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[sojourningtemporarily]

Yes this should be easy, and you can't make this change after your first flight leaves (I'm sure you already knew this!).

Actually it would need to be altered to:

SYD-NAN-SFO-JFK-MAD-AMS-HKG-BKK- some random segment/s -MNL-SYD

Since you said I can't cut the married SYD-NAN segment which is part of the SYD-NAN-SFO initial flight, correct?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Actually it would need to be altered to:

SYD-NAN-SFO-JFK-MAD-AMS-HKG-BKK- some random segment/s -MNL-SYD

Since you said I can't cut the married SYD-NAN segment which is part of the SYD-NAN-SFO initial flight, correct?

Depends if SYD-SFO are married. If they’re not they could short segment the ticket. But if NAN-SFO is generally not available otherwise, it suggests married segments.

Are there any other options? Could you start your ticket from SIN… so SIN-HKG-LAX etc, or even DPS

 

[sojourningtemporarily]

Depends if SYD-SFO are married. If they’re not they could short segment the ticket. But if NAN-SFO is generally not available otherwise, it suggests married segments.

Are there any other options? Could you start your ticket from SIN… so SIN-HKG-LAX etc, or even DPS

Just to clarify how is “married” defined for the OWA?

It would be most ideal to be able to alter syd-Nan-sfo to Nan-sfo, but I really don’t want to mess up the booking.

But I definitely need to get this ticketed by later this evening

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just to clarify how is “married” defined for the OWA?

It would be most ideal to be able to alter syd-Nan-sfo to Nan-sfo, but I really don’t want to mess up the booking.

But I definitely need to get this ticketed by later this evening

Married segments applies to award and revenue tickets. It’s a form of inventory control employed by airlines to restrict sales or availability on certain routes.

For example, Singapore Airlines may not want to give away award seats SIN-SYD, because it thinks it can sell them for $$$. However, if someone is starting in Bangkok, they may well allow that person to fly BKK-SIN-SYD, and make an award available.

In that case, BKK-SIN has been married to SIN-SYD. You cannot get SIN-SYD by itself.

So it depends how FJ has constructed their awards. They may not want anyone to only fly NAN-SFO, but are haply to allow pax to originate in other cities and fly NAN-SFO.

Generally speaking you cannot break married segments (or divorce them). Award systems simply won’t allow it, and for revenue fares, if travel agents atte ot to break the married segments they usually get a telling off and are billed the higher fare!

The sure fire way to find out is to call and ask if you can drop the SYD-NAN sector. Hiwever… given there’s no availability NAN-SFO, you can probably assume the sectors are married And do you want a call centre agent playing around with the booking? And potentially mucking it up? It’s a big risk unkess you have alternative award space somewhere else.

That’s not to say the agent that mucks it up isnt technically responsible to fix it… but getting them to fix it, in time, can be problematic.

 

[sojourningtemporarily]

Married segments applies to award and revenue tickets. It’s a form of inventory control employed by airlines to restrict sales or availability on certain routes.

For example, Singapore Airlines may not want to give away award seats SIN-SYD, because it thinks it can sell them for $$$. However, if someone is starting in Bangkok, they may well allow that person to fly BKK-SIN-SYD, and make an award available.

In that case, BKK-SIN has been married to SIN-SYD. You cannot get SIN-SYD by itself.

So it depends how FJ has constructed their awards. They may not want anyone to only fly NAN-SFO, but are haply to allow pax to originate in other cities and fly NAN-SFO.

Generally speaking you cannot break married segments (or divorce them). Award systems simply won’t allow it, and for revenue fares, if travel agents atte ot to break the married segments they usually get a telling off and are billed the higher fare!

The sure fire way to find out is to call and ask if you can drop the SYD-NAN sector. Hiwever… given there’s no availability NAN-SFO, you can probably assume the sectors are married And do you want a call centre agent playing around with the booking? And potentially mucking it up? It’s a big risk unkess you have alternative award space somewhere else.

That’s not to say the agent that mucks it up isnt technically responsible to fix it… but getting them to fix it, in time, can be problematic.

Thank you for the clear explanation. I was aware of this, just not that it was considered "married" for OWA purposes, but clearly I was mistaken.

You're right, I definitely do not want them messing up the booking... so likely I will replace the CDG-PER with AMS-HKG-BKK- some random segment/s -MNL-SYD.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thank you for the clear explanation. I was aware of this, just not that it was considered "married" for OWA purposes, but clearly I was mistaken.

You're right, I definitely do not want them messing up the booking... so likely I will replace the CDG-PER with AMS-HKG-BKK- some random segment/s -MNL-SYD.

I mean it should be a simple case of you asking if you can drop the SYD-NAN and the agent doing a couple of click and saying ‘no’. But unfortunately sometimes the agent will do things like try and delete the segment, or delete the whole thing and try and rebook NAN-SFO… and of course by the time they’ve done that there’s no getting it back!

Yeah, married segments and other inventory control are applied to award and revenue bookings, and a OWA is just a series of award trips cobbled together.

 

[Mr_Tee]

Thank you for the clear explanation. I was aware of this, just not that it was considered "married" for OWA purposes, but clearly I was mistaken.

You're right, I definitely do not want them messing up the booking... so likely I will replace the CDG-PER with AMS-HKG-BKK- some random segment/s -MNL-SYD.

I think you are incredibly brave in attempting to do what you are seeking to do with just a couple of days until departure. This forum, and elsewhere, is littered with accounts of travellers having their entire booking nuked for the sake of simple single changes to OWA itineraries months out from departure and it taking months to reinstate the booking/fix up the mess.

Whilst what has been described to you above is all possible and feasible in a world where everything is perfect it is unfortunately true that you will be dealing with the imperfect when it comes to making the requests into the call centre.

Let us all know how it goes.

 

[Bluemeeru]

I would give it a day or two to see how the points end up.

Patience Grasshopper

Phew! Points sorted themselves out this afternoon. Thanks

Have I messed up my Oneworld Classic Flight Reward booking?

today I called the call centre to add a flight to my existing booking and the points have gone haywire since. The booking looks fine and I have received the updated eticket but has this flight caused the issue?

IB1099 Madrid to Bilao - I can now see that it is operated by subsidiary, 'Flight Operated by Air Nostrum For Iberia'

Is this a problem? even though it has an IBERIAN flight number.
Grateful for expert advice. I was feeling so chuffed with myself for managing to get 10 flights booked!

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Update to thank those who advised patience, points sorted themselves out this afternoon. I panicked unnecessarily