QF award pricing, mix of QF and single oneworld airline

[MEL_Traveller]

Apologies as I can seem to find a thread on this...

If I combine Qantas with another oneworld airline, do I have to pay sector fares for the total journey?

I had thought i just took the total distance, but paid the higher partner award price for the total journey.

Seems on line it is pricing the QF sector, then the tag as a separate journey (with a hefty premium).

 

[trixydoza]

Apologies as I can seem to find a thread on this...

If I combine Qantas with another oneworld airline, do I have to pay sector fares for the total journey?

I had thought i just took the total distance, but paid the higher partner award price for the total journey.

Seems on line it is pricing the QF sector, then the tag as a separate journey (with a hefty premium).

I have also noticed this lately for all but AA and EK. Not sure if it was always thus, but suspect not.

So adding SYD-CBR in J at the end of any trip costs an extra 16,000, even if it leaves the total distance within the same zone as the xx_-SYD trip.

Example in Y:

HKG-SYD QF: 30,000
HKG-SYD CX: 35,000

HKG-SYD-CBR all on QF: 30,000
HKG-SYD-CBR CX-QF: 43,000

 

[eosphoros]

I noticed this doing an award booking a month ago. Ticket had AB, EK and QF. The EK and QF sectors seemed to be priced as one based on total distance, and the AB sector then added on top.

I too am not sure if it was always so. If there was a change, perhaps it was when they changed the name of award seating to 'reward'?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

seems this might be the answer... definition of 'trip' changed in 2013... and change in airline between the various tables (qantas, jetstar, or partner) will result in a new 'trip'... (see (c))

Definition of "Trip" with effect from 1 September 2013
Note: The above definition of "Trip" will be effective until 31 August 2013. Please see below for the new definition of "Trip" that will be effective from 1 September 2013.
"Trip" means a series of one or more consecutive Flight Segments within an Itinerary:
(a) that does not include:
(i) a Stopover; or
(ii) a Flight Segment whose arrival city is the same as the departure city of any other Flight Segment in that series (in this instance the Trip will be broken at the farthest point from the departure city for that series);
(b) not exceeding the maximum permitted miles in the Qantas, Jetstar or Partner Classic Flight Reward tables as applicable (see qantas.com for the tables); and
(c) not broken by a change to or from any airline included in the Partner Classic Flight Reward table (see qantas.com for the table)

 

[trixydoza]

Very nicely found.

A marketing opportunity missed: "Now you no longer need to find flights within 24 hours!"

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Very nicely found.

A marketing opportunity missed: "Now you no longer need to find flights within 24 hours!"

Haha! Too true!

I also suspect there was a change in the calculation of mileage... but I'm not entirely sure...

I'm fairly sure MEL-SYD-HKG (through connection) used to be charged at the MEL-HKG rate of 60K points in business class. That's now gone to 72K with MEL-SYD and SYD-HKG being added separately, and now just sneaking in to the higher zone. (Actually this has probably been discussed before in relation to some domestic flights.) Still... it's a hefty increase. Guess you only notice these things when you want to use them!

 

[casanovawa]

Do they ever miss a trick to make the program less appealing??