Should I book two one-way international fares?

[bussyboy]

Wondered if anyone had advice on the pitfalls of booking separate international tickets in and out of Australia.

Scenario: I can find an outbound Classic Rewards seat in Business on a date that suits me, but there's no classic reward seats coming back available and so just want to book a paid business seat back to Australia. The Qantas site doesn't seem to allow this on one booking - once I select a reward seat outbound it refuses to give options to choose paid tickets.

Is it necessary to make two bookings (one would end up being foreign site/currency) or can I call up the service center to avoid any issues?

 

[Pushka]

Wondered if anyone had advice on the pitfalls of booking separate international tickets in and out of Australia.

Scenario: I can find an outbound Classic Rewards seat in Business on a date that suits me, but there's no classic reward seats coming back available and so just want to book a paid business seat back to Australia. The Qantas site doesn't seem to allow this on one booking - once I select a reward seat outbound it refuses to give options to choose paid tickets.

Is it necessary to make two bookings (one would end up being foreign site/currency) or can I call up the service center to avoid any issues?

The only issue in doing separate bookings with one being an award is that the one way paid flight may be more expensive. Do a check to see if the value is in paying for a return ticket.

 

[VPS]

Wondered if anyone had advice on the pitfalls of booking separate international tickets in and out of Australia.

Scenario: I can find an outbound Classic Rewards seat in Business on a date that suits me, but there's no classic reward seats coming back available and so just want to book a paid business seat back to Australia. The Qantas site doesn't seem to allow this on one booking - once I select a reward seat outbound it refuses to give options to choose paid tickets.

Is it necessary to make two bookings (one would end up being foreign site/currency) or can I call up the service center to avoid any issues?

can you do something creative with other routes and alternative airlines

 

[Pushka]

can you do something creative with other routes and alternative airlines

True. Often checking for the multi city itinerary brings up so many more options.

 

[AussieDisneyFan]

I have two separate bookings. A rewards in first out and paid business with KLM (Etihad metal) back.

In the grand scheme of things it isn’t a lot more for a return business than one way. I think when I h booked it was $4900/$6200 .
I didn’t have enough points s for a return business ticket and decided it was more economical to pay return and get more points for next time. I’m only doing it now because I was able to snag a first rewards seat over.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Another idea would have been to have your Classic Rewards J for the outbound leg and then buy a Y ticket for the return leg and hope you get an upgrade to J (or any existing Premium Economy?).

 

[bussyboy]

Another idea would have been to have your Classic Rewards J for the outbound leg and then buy a Y ticket for the return leg and hope you get an upgrade to J (or any existing Premium Economy?).

Does the existence of a Classic Rewards seat translate into an available upgrade?? I'm not liking my chances as QFF Bronze

Post automatically merged: Jan 28, 2022

I have two separate bookings. A rewards in first out and paid business with KLM (Etihad metal) back.

In the grand scheme of things it isn’t a lot more for a return business than one way. I think when I h booked it was $4900/$6200 .
I didn’t have enough points s for a return business ticket and decided it was more economical to pay return and get more points for next time. I’m only doing it now because I was able to snag a first rewards seat over.

And Sale fares on Qantas right now makes this a little more palatable just to pay and save the points...

 

[bussyboy]

True. Often checking for the multi city itinerary brings up so many more options.

Yes - this was true! Found an option on a BA flight back to SYD

 

[RichardMEL]

Does the existence of a Classic Rewards seat translate into an available upgrade?? I'm not liking my chances as QFF Bronze

For domestic flights - yes

For international it is not quite as simple because upgrades are processed from 7 days out (depending on status) so obviously an reward seat on a flight in 3 months means nothing for upgrade availability within a week of departure.

And, of course, as a Bronze you wuld be at the bottom of the heap (sorry, no offense intended!) in terms of upgrade processing with the P1/CL's, Platinums, Golds, Silvers, QC's all ahead in the queue.

It doesn't mean zero chance, specially in these days of lower loads on some routes, but usually it would be unlikely.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Wondered if anyone had advice on the pitfalls of booking separate international tickets in and out of Australia.

The majority of my longhaul redemptions are done as two one ways rather than as a single return ticket whether it made via Krisflyer or QFF or Velocity. . Especially to Europe so that I can fly in and out of different countries.

If say Thailand it is more likely to be return as my trip duration is less, and may not need the advantage of a different airport which minimises backtracking.

I like the greater flexibility to change one of the bookings, if my plans change (I often book almost a year out) and also to have a much greater choice of when and where I can fly. This includes that if I am say off for 8 to 10 weeks, that if I wait to book it as a return that there will be a lot less choice of J/F flights at popular travel times.

I have often had each direction from a different program. ie Booked via Velocity to Nairobi Kenya... then to get back booked via QFF from Johannesburg to Melbourne as this was lot more direct than via my preferred Krisflyer Program.

 

[Mr H]

I have two separate bookings. A rewards in first out and paid business with KLM (Etihad metal) back.

In the grand scheme of things it isn’t a lot more for a return business than one way. I think when I h booked it was $4900/$6200 .
I didn’t have enough points s for a return business ticket and decided it was more economical to pay return and get more points for next time. I’m only doing it now because I was able to snag a first rewards seat over.

When I emigrated to Australia in 2010 I wanted to get a one way paid business class ticket. Some airlines charged almost as much for the one way as for a return. Some charged barely more than half the return fare. It is well worth looking at SkyScanner for options as some of the best deals may not be obvious. In 2010 I opted for NZ (EDI-LHR-LAX-AKL-MEL) as the best option but who knows how things will have changed since then?

 

[Seat0B]

My experience has also been that a one way paid ticket can be very expensive compared to a return paid ticket. I would check that very carefully before making any bookings.

 

[SYD]

Wondered if anyone had advice on the pitfalls of booking separate international tickets in and out of Australia.

Scenario: I can find an outbound Classic Rewards seat in Business on a date that suits me, but there's no classic reward seats coming back available and so just want to book a paid business seat back to Australia. The Qantas site doesn't seem to allow this on one booking - once I select a reward seat outbound it refuses to give options to choose paid tickets.

Is it necessary to make two bookings (one would end up being foreign site/currency) or can I call up the service center to avoid any issues?

Where are you trying to fly to? The mix of award/paid on one return booking is possible via Qantas.com but I have found some destinations don’t work.

eg right now I can book SYD-LAX (Ret) with J award outbound and paid J return (and v.v) but a few weeks ago I just couldn’t get SYD-NAN (Ret) to do same (I wanted paid out and award back).

 

[bussyboy]

As a matter of closure for the thread, my ultimate destination was India for a wedding mid April in Jaipur, and at first I was seeking to get on QF metal to/from SIN, but the rewards option eventually dried up.

I did however get BA flights through QFF: business class return SYD/SIN for 150k points + $500 - happy with this, though the calendar shows First availability, and it came up for me a couple of times to book, I've had trouble getting the options since - probably a lowly Bronze member thing.

Coupled with SIN-BOM and DEL-SIN flights on SQ in PE at around $1400, all up think I worked it out well. And much better off than the Economy return QF flights SYD/MEL-DEL option being marketed for about $2,500, and no reward seat availability the dates I wanted.

 

[justinbrett]

One way international is a guaranteed way of getting SSSS on your boarding pass

 

[Seat0B]

As a matter of closure for the thread, my ultimate destination was India for a wedding mid April in Jaipur, and at first I was seeking to get on QF metal to/from SIN, but the rewards option eventually dried up.

I did however get BA flights through QFF: business class return SYD/SIN for 150k points + $500 - happy with this, though the calendar shows First availability, and it came up for me a couple of times to book, I've had trouble getting the options since - probably a lowly Bronze member thing.

Coupled with SIN-BOM and DEL-SIN flights on SQ in PE at around $1400, all up think I worked it out well. And much better off than the Economy return QF flights SYD/MEL-DEL option being marketed for about $2,500, and no reward seat availability the dates I wanted.

Well that sounds like a very satisfactory outcome!

 

[dajop]

One way international is a guaranteed way of getting SSSS on your boarding pass

I wouldn't say that's the case. 3 of my 4 last trips to US involved different tickets into and out of the country, mostly redemptions, although one was redemption + paid. Not an SSSS in sight.

 

[dajop]

As a matter of closure for the thread, my ultimate destination was India for a wedding mid April in Jaipur, and at first I was seeking to get on QF metal to/from SIN, but the rewards option eventually dried up.

I did however get BA flights through QFF: business class return SYD/SIN for 150k points + $500 - happy with this, though the calendar shows First availability, and it came up for me a couple of times to book, I've had trouble getting the options since - probably a lowly Bronze member thing.

Coupled with SIN-BOM and DEL-SIN flights on SQ in PE at around $1400, all up think I worked it out well. And much better off than the Economy return QF flights SYD/MEL-DEL option being marketed for about $2,500, and no reward seat availability the dates I wanted.

Sorry to rain on your parade, but currently Singapore does not allow transits on different carriers on different tickets. And BA certainly wouldn't through check luggage to SQ.

The only way you could proceed with this itinerary, under current rules, is to ensure they are VTL (Vaccinated Travel Lane) flights and plan some time in Singapore. This will involve applying for Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP), paying for pre-departure and arrival testing and whatever other rules that are in place.

You may need to rethink, or hope that rules change (possible, although perhaps not probable), if you want to be able to board your flight in SYD.

 

[justinbrett]

I wouldn't say that's the case. 3 of my 4 last trips to US involved different tickets into and out of the country, mostly redemptions, although one was redemption + paid. Not an SSSS in sight.

It's commonly reported as the main cause and the only time I've had it I was on a one way international.

Obviously I didn't mean guaranteed literally. But it certainly makes it more likely.

Other factors play into it especially age and gender - my female partner on the same ticket didn't get it.

 

[bussyboy]

Sorry to rain on your parade, but currently Singapore does not allow transits on different carriers on different tickets. And BA certainly wouldn't through check luggage to SQ.


You may need to rethink, or hope that rules change (possible, although perhaps not probable), if you want to be able to board your flight in SYD.

3 day stop was the plan on the way, 12 hour layover coming back, definitely all VTL flights, but will keep an eye on the details