Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Amanad78]

Hi. I'm new to this site but a long time Qantas FF (was Platium now Gold). I'm trying to book a One World Classic round the world trip (Business Class) but really struggling with available seats. We are very flexible regards itinerary and timing (although would prefer to avoid teh Middle East).but I can't find ANYTHING in business class from Australia/Asia to Europe (best is Finnair Premium Economy) or even Australia to South Africa or from the US back to Australia.

Any tips?

We only managed it by using seats.aero (not affiliated) which was fantastic to see various different options.
We even managed 2 trips to Europe on the one ticket, with repositioning to Singapore, using SQ. We used QF, MH and AY only.

That was just over a year ago now though so the availability may just not be there anymore.

Good luck!

 

[Mr H]

Hi. I'm new to this site but a long time Qantas FF (was Platium now Gold). I'm trying to book a One World Classic round the world trip (Business Class) but really struggling with available seats. We are very flexible regards itinerary and timing (although would prefer to avoid teh Middle East).but I can't find ANYTHING in business class from Australia/Asia to Europe (best is Finnair Premium Economy) or even Australia to South Africa or from the US back to Australia.

Any tips?

You need to jump on the seats as soon as they are released.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

How exactly are you booking Oneworld Classic Flight Awards with partners?

You can’t. I’m not sure if these responses are ‘generated’?

 

[Captain Halliday]

You can’t. I’m not sure if these responses are ‘generated’?

I know. I was curious to understand what the OP was on about.

Like you I was suspicious it was an AI posts.

It's now been deleted, so perhaps that confirms it.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I know. I was curious to understand what the OP was on about.

Like you I was suspicious it was an AI posts.

It's now been deleted, so perhaps that confirms it.

Yeah, i reported that one plus others by the same poster… all seemed AI generated

 

[Jimmy B]

Thank you all for this excellent information.

I have a question on my one-world classic flight reward.

I have completed most of the sectors and have only 2 remaining sectors. I am now unable to take these flights.

My question is, should I:
- no show for these flights and i assume I’d then lose the taxes (AY flights so taxes are low); or
- call and cancel these sectors. I’m not sure I’m allowed to do this and would assume there is a 5,000 point change fee

Thank you

 

[Jacques Vert]

- call and cancel these sectors. I’m not sure I’m allowed to do this and would assume there is a 5,000 point change fee

Cancellations are 6,000 points per person. I've never cancelled a OWA after taking the first few flights but I suspect this is what they'll charge you.

 

[koze]

We're planning a business Zone 10 trip starting in March next year and over 11-12 months. Obviously its best to book the first flights ASAP while reward seats are available, however, as subsequent legs i.e. in June or September will only be released later and we can't book them yet, I imagine it will not recognise the itinerary as a Zone 10 deal until we get the third airline involved?

We don't have spare points available to spend until the itinerary caps out, so I am wondering - do people usually just risk it and wait until more of their legs are released to book together and 'cap out' at the ~365k points or do they book two 'bogus' legs to meet the criteria and cop the 7k points change fee or am I missing something?

 

[Captain Halliday]

We don't have spare points available to spend until the itinerary caps out, so I am wondering - do people usually just risk it and wait until more of their legs are released to book together and 'cap out' at the ~365k points or do they book two 'bogus' legs to meet the criteria and cop the 7k points change fee or am I missing something?

Yes.

If the flights you want become available later in the year, you will have to pay the change fee to add them.

 

[MelbFlyer]

The old days of reliable seat releases a year (almost) in advance are gone.

Times have changed - these days airlines can't reliably forecast demand that far in advance anymore, therefore relying on seat releases a year in advance is not as reliable.

A few exceptions though - namely FJ to the U.S. - they still seem to be releasing business reward seats a year out.

I personally think it's a positive thing, as it reduces the chances of all QF business / first seats being taken exclusively by higher tiered members, even if they have an entitlement to them earlier thanks to status.

This is probably a contributing reason as to why there seems to be little to no premium cabin seats remaining - it's because they've all already been snapped up by higher tiered members before lower tiered members can even see them.

However, for popular routes they appear to be released at more random intervals, if at all.

This is why whenever I want to plan something, I'm on the Qantas website multiple times a day.

Having the new reward seat finder tool helps with this as well.

 

[Shipsong]

Do you need to have a Qantas flight in your itinerary? The rules say at least 2 OW airlines other than Qantas which seems to say you don't need a Qantas flight.

 

[Mr H]

Do you need to have a Qantas flight in your itinerary? The rules say at least 2 OW airlines other than Qantas which seems to say you don't need a Qantas flight.

Correct, you don’t need a Qantas flight. My guess is most OWAs don’t have one.

 

[Shipsong]

This new Qantas tool https://flightrewardfinder.qantas.com/ is very helpful for trying to organise the OWC flights but it highlights how many Frequent Flyer Classic flights aren't eligible for the OWC (eg Emirates, Jetstar).

It would be great if we could filter by airline so just look at the ones we could use for OWC.

 

[pjm99au]

Hi. I’m building a OWA for my son and tried to add a leg (QF SIN to SYD) by calling today and received the dreaded I can’t see the flight as available in the system
I said I could book it and whilst the consultant said it would error at the payment step it went through fine whilst I was on the phone with a new PNR. They then “consulted” and advised that the system that they used couldn’t see it but another system could. They went away to figure out what they could do and now I’ve been told the “that award seat is only available for new bookings”. I know that is BS but couldn’t get any traction. Are there any words / terms to use to cut through the “new bookings only” response?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi. I’m building a OWA for my son and tried to add a leg (QF SIN to SYD) by calling today and received the dreaded I can’t see the flight as available in the system
I said I could book it and whilst the consultant said it would error at the payment step it went through fine whilst I was on the phone with a new PNR. They then “consulted” and advised that the system that they used couldn’t see it but another system could. They went away to figure out what they could do and now I’ve been told the “that award seat is only available for new bookings”. I know that is BS but couldn’t get any traction. Are there any words / terms to use to cut through the “new bookings only” response?

Potentially a point of commencement (POC) issue.

See:

These are almost always point of commencement issues. JL is a known heavy user of POC.

When you search on the QF website for say SIN-HND, it uses POC SIN as that would be the booking origin.

However, if your PNR starts in SYD, then your PNR's POC is SYD. If JL hasn't made the inventory available to POC SYD, then you won't be able to use that inventory.

I explained how POC works in a post over on FT:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/37256452-post26.html

 

[pjm99au]

Potentially a point of commencement (POC) issue.

See:

I could imagine that on other OW airlines but this is a QF metal from SIN to SYD being added to an existing booking that originates in SYD on QF metal to HKG and then HKG to LHR on CX. Would POC apply?

 

[flossu]

I've never booked tickets using Qantas FF points but my partner and I have accumulated enough to do the OneWorld Classic in Business Class.

I know it's possible to split it into two trips by having the origin city different from my home city. I'm hoping to do this. For e.g. doing the first leg around September and second leg in June the next year. How do I book flights for the second leg when a lot of business class awards seats only become available a few months out from the departure date. So I possibly won't be able to see any available flights for the second leg until after I've already started the first part of the trip in Septmeber. How does this work? Can I start my trip then buy the later flights when they become available later on? How do I make sure it still registers as OW Classic Reward in the booking system? Is this one of those things that require calling Qantas (which I'd really like to avoid based on what I've read).

 

[logos 01]

I could imagine that on other OW airlines but this is a QF metal from SIN to SYD being added to an existing booking that originates in SYD on QF metal to HKG and then HKG to LHR on CX. Would POC apply?

I biggest hassles I had with the "not available for existing bookings" in my OWA were QF flights. Despite showing up on the website the agent couldn't add a HND-SYD to my booking (which commenced in MEL). Got nowhere with that one. Eventually found a HKG-BNE with CX. And then later adding a domestic connection from BNE back to MEL at the end my trip was a pain. Plenty of classic award availability on the website but apparently not bookable. The agent eventually found one going BNE-SYD-MEL. So got there in the end, but annoying.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've never booked tickets using Qantas FF points but my partner and I have accumulated enough to do the OneWorld Classic in Business Class.

I know it's possible to split it into two trips by having the origin city different from my home city. I'm hoping to do this. For e.g. doing the first leg around September and second leg in June the next year. How do I book flights for the second leg when a lot of business class awards seats only become available a few months out from the departure date. So I possibly won't be able to see any available flights for the second leg until after I've already started the first part of the trip in Septmeber. How does this work? Can I start my trip then buy the later flights when they become available later on? How do I make sure it still registers as OW Classic Reward in the booking system? Is this one of those things that require calling Qantas (which I'd really like to avoid based on what I've read).

Once you commence travel you can’t add flights.

What most people do is book any initial flights they can, now. As availability opens they add sectors. 5000 points per person for each call when you make change(s).

But once travel has commenced, that’s it. You can only change existing sectors, under limited circumstances, depending on the carrier.

 

[elanshin]

I've never booked tickets using Qantas FF points but my partner and I have accumulated enough to do the OneWorld Classic in Business Class.

I know it's possible to split it into two trips by having the origin city different from my home city. I'm hoping to do this. For e.g. doing the first leg around September and second leg in June the next year. How do I book flights for the second leg when a lot of business class awards seats only become available a few months out from the departure date. So I possibly won't be able to see any available flights for the second leg until after I've already started the first part of the trip in Septmeber. How does this work? Can I start my trip then buy the later flights when they become available later on? How do I make sure it still registers as OW Classic Reward in the booking system? Is this one of those things that require calling Qantas (which I'd really like to avoid based on what I've read).

You really can't. So the way I do it is i lock in most of the first half (assuming trip 2 or 3 can't be booked yet). Then closer to departure of the first flight (or whenever they're available) i book it.

Unfortunately you need to have them all available.

The closest I've done is 2 days before departure I turned a 3 leg itinerary into a full OWA.