Flying Blue (Air France, KLM, and Other Partners) - Award booking open jaw question

This question is very specific but maybe someone can shed some light on it before I tackle FB helpdesk.

I have been looking at an open jaw award ticket using the multiple destinations option on the award website. What I want to do is to fly from either AMS or an Asian city, for example CAN into AKL and out of MEL. After selecting AKL as the first destination the departure field offers all possible cities, SYD, BNE, a few others but not MEL. If one selects SYD as destination, it offers BNE, AKL and others as departure points but never MEL. If one enters MEL as first destination it offers no departure points other than MEL itself. I see no logical explanation for this other than a bug in the system. As a former business travel agent and qualified IATA ticket agent albeit many years ago, I know that SYD, MEL, and BNE were always comon rated for fares purposes, and I just can't see why MEL is now left out. And yes, there are flights to/from MEL which are offered if one books a simple return, and it is exactly the same story for a ticket originating in TPE or AMS.

Does anyone know anything about this anomally? One way round it, and the booking site seems to allow it, is to book a one-way to AKL and a one-way back from MEL but I thought one-ways were not allowed on CZ.

Thanks in advance for any help on this issue.

I tried to book a multi city award online some months ago and had the same problem, I finally called FB call center I had the award ticket issued by them, I told about the online issue so they did not charge me the extra $20 for calling them.

Simple workaround: make two separate one-way bookings.

Simple workaround: make two separate one-way bookings.
That would be the simple solution, but the FB pages on the KL website say that oneways are only allowed on these airlines(sorry it is in Dutch but you can see which airlines):

'Op vluchten met KLM, AIR FRANCE, onze partners Air Europa, Kenya Airways, Aircalin en TAROM en met Delta en Malaysia Airlines kunt u voor de helft van de prijs van een award retourticket profiteren van een award ticket voor een enkele reis'

I want to use CZ or CI and although the booking tool seems to allow a oneway, I wonder if it would confirm the flight after the payment page.

Oh - yes indeed, one-ways can only be booked on certain airlines, so starting from MEL/AKL won't be possible as a one-way.

I guess you'll have to call. Alternately, you could consider paying for a cheap MEL-SYD (for instance) one way flight on Qantas, Virgin, Jetstar or Tiger (there are up to 78 direct services a day! Very competitive route, very cheap prices) if you can find a suitable AMS-AKL//SYD-AMS routing on the website.

Oh - yes indeed, one-ways can only be booked on certain airlines, so starting from MEL/AKL won't be possible as a one-way.

I guess you'll have to call. Alternately, you could consider paying for a cheap MEL-SYD (for instance) one way flight on Qantas, Virgin, Jetstar or Tiger (there are up to 78 direct services a day! Very competitive route, very cheap prices) if you can find a suitable AMS-AKL//SYD-AMS routing on the website.
I would avoid purchasing a separate nonSkyTeam ticket except as a last resort. If the flight is delayed or cancelled, you want to be reaccommodated without a big hassle and without having to purchase a further ticket.

I would avoid purchasing a separate nonSkyTeam ticket except as a last resort. If the flight is delayed or cancelled, you want to be reaccommodated without a big hassle and without having to purchase a further ticket.

Intended in the context of allowing plenty time to connect (with the frequency of flights on the route, this is certainly no problem), or even better, taking time to enjoy some time in Sydney as well as in Melbourne.

Intended in the context of allowing plenty time to connect (with the frequency of flights on the route, this is certainly no problem), or even better, taking time to enjoy some time in Sydney as well as in Melbourne.
I know Sydney well, I also know not to connect DOM-INT there if it can be avoided! I could stop off but really want a simple trip this time. I will talk to FB, but does anyone have experience with booking one ways on airlines not listed as able to book them? The award booking tool offers it right up to the screen where you have to commit to it, does it go ahead and confirm it, and are there any repercussions afterwards?

I know Sydney well, I also know not to connect DOM-INT there if it can be avoided! I could stop off but really want a simple trip this time. I will talk to FB, but does anyone have experience with booking one ways on airlines not listed as able to book them? The award booking tool offers it right up to the screen where you have to commit to it, does it go ahead and confirm it, and are there any repercussions afterwards?

The only repercussion is that you will be charged the return rate.

Or, if the tool allows you to book a one-way for half the rate, you may later get a call from an FB agent telling you that they will either have to cancel the ticket, or charge you the return rate. (Someone reported, in the Aerolineas Argentinas thread here in the Flying Blue section, that they managed to get a phone agent to mistakenly book them a one-way award on AR - which is a new airline partner but of course is not one of the airlines that qualifies for one-way bookings - and was quickly rang back to be told that one-ways were not possible and the booking would have to be cancelled.)

My advice - just ring up and ask them to book the precise itinerary you want over the phone. Please report back on your experiences. I've not yet booked a trip to Aus/NZ with FB miles, but I would love to know if, as I suspect, the phone agents may be able to suggest alternate routings (ie different airlines) and better availability than is reported by the booking tool. I just have the feeling the online booking tool isn't particularly adept at suggesting all available options for travel in that part of the world.

The only repercussion is that you will be charged the return rate.

Or, if the tool allows you to book a one-way for half the rate, you may later get a call from an FB agent telling you that they will either have to cancel the ticket, or charge you the return rate. (Someone reported, in the Aerolineas Argentinas thread here in the Flying Blue section, that they managed to get a phone agent to mistakenly book them a one-way award on AR - which is a new airline partner but of course is not one of the airlines that qualifies for one-way bookings - and was quickly rang back to be told that one-ways were not possible and the booking would have to be cancelled.)

My advice - just ring up and ask them to book the precise itinerary you want over the phone. Please report back on your experiences. I've not yet booked a trip to Aus/NZ with FB miles, but I would love to know if, as I suspect, the phone agents may be able to suggest alternate routings (ie different airlines) and better availability than is reported by the booking tool. I just have the feeling the online booking tool isn't particularly adept at suggesting all available options for travel in that part of the world.
That example with AR is exactly what I want to avoid, putting together a long haul itinerary with award tickets is difficult at the best of times, so I don't want it falling apart after I think something is confirmed! I will report back, another option for me is MH or at least for as long as they remain a KL partner. They are listed for one-way tickets but don't appear in the booking tool! There are more and more options for AUS/NZ with the entry of the various Chinese carriers and VN into Skyteam, and there is also KE but they don't seem to show up in the booking tool either! Thanks for the input

I will report back, another option for me is MH or at least for as long as they remain a KL partner. They are listed for one-way tickets but don't appear in the booking tool!

Indeed! I've often played around with AU/NZ itineraries on the FB booking tool, but I've never seen MH, or the AF-coded Qantas flights (if they're even bookable??), etc, showing up. I'd also personally prefer an option like that than the options that tend to show up (CI, CZ etc). I really think ringing up and talking to an agent (or ringing back and trying a new one if the first doesn't seem too helpful/clued in) is the way to go for any booking that's not a straightforward all AF/KL/DL metal redemption.

Good luck!

That example with AR is exactly what I want to avoid, putting together a long haul itinerary with award tickets is difficult at the best of times, so I don't want it falling apart after I think something is confirmed! I will report back, another option for me is MH or at least for as long as they remain a KL partner. They are listed for one-way tickets but don't appear in the booking tool! There are more and more options for AUS/NZ with the entry of the various Chinese carriers and VN into Skyteam, and there is also KE but they don't seem to show up in the booking tool either! Thanks for the input
I'd definitely call and ask about KE. I used them for the Europe to Australia portion of my December trip. DL had them blacked out for my return date, so I used MH. Both great carriers.