Last night I spied some availability to complete my Buenos Aires redemption next year. I was planning to go there via QR/DOH and come back with BA/LHR. Using BAEC/QFFFP, I observed QR is stingy with availability and BA only releases their availability via 355 days (I’m worried about losing out to AAdvantage members who can book one-way 360 days out).

At 10PM I called Tsuen Wan and the agent (who did not offer his name) managed to piece together the itinerary I wanted after 30 minutes of talk time (excluding wait time), in redemption J for two:

HKG-(CX)xDOH-(QR)xGRU-(QR)oEZE-(JJ)xGIG-(BA)oLHR-(CX)HKG

QR GRU-EZE is artificial – for some reason I can’t redeem DOH-EZE directly but since this is an OW redemption I have stopovers to share.

I plugged the itinerary into gcmap while he was working – I realise I’m just 322 miles into Zone 12 of the OneWorld redemption chart http://www.asiamiles.com/am/en/redeem/charts#4, and there was an opportunity to use an open jaw to move down to Zone 11. I asked for EZE-GIG in JJ to be changed to an open jaw, and I will pick up the EZE-GIG flight by Avios (being OW-OW I will be able to check-through and may even retain protection)

“No sir, you are not allowed two OW partners plus CX/KA. This itinerary cannot be redeemed.”
“But you allow me three OW partners plus CX?”
“Yes sir. JJ must stay in”

I searched and re-read the rules:

“This awards chart is applicable when you redeem a round-trip award ticket with an itinerary which covers:
• Two oneworld alliance airlines, where Cathay Pacific or Dragonair is not included; or
• Three or more oneworld alliance airlines when Cathay Pacific or Dragonair is included.”

I wasn’t convinced. I quickly Whatsapped two other FTers. They all quickly replied the rule should be interpreted as two OW carriers whether CX/KA was included or not.

That was my understanding too – although I didn’t recollect it before the end of the phone call, my first OW redemption was precisely two OW carriers (JL and AA) plus CX . And that redemption also required supervisor intervention for different reasons.

I told the agent I respectfully disagreed with his interpretation and asked he check with a supervisor. He refused the request.
At that point I saw little point asking for a hold either. I decided to HUACA.

On reflection I should have taken his name.


The DOH-GRU availability on QR was gone by the time I managed to get another agent. The availability on BAEC/QFFFP for the flight fluctuated between 2 and 0 all night, prompting me to call Marco Polo at 12 midnight – 1am, 2:00am, 4:00am and 5:30am (I'm expecting a whtf are you doing calling our call centres like that email from Steve Rackstraw). Both Tsuen Wan and Manila agents were able to see the availability but unable to book it, or claiming the availability has just disappeared right in front of them. I swore all sorts of death threats to the first agent every time the later agents came up empty on the DOH-GRU flight.

I finally had a longer sleep until 7:30am. Saw the availability on BAEC again and called Tsuen Wan, can see but unable to book again. Decided to try Manila one last time before going to work, surprising the agent was able book the itinerary when his Tsuen Wan counterparts can’t.

This agent couldn’t book me QR GRU-EZE, but was able to offer me a JJ GRU-AEP which I accepted in lieu (the first Tsuen Wan agent didn’t proactively offer me this).

Since we’ve just passed 08:00 I saw a new BA flight going straight from EZE skipping the GIG transit becoming available. The agent was unable to include the BA flight but he held the itinerary til tomorrow 17:00 for me to try later. One more HUACA and I had the whole HKG-(CX)xDOH-(QR)xGRU-(JJ)oAEP/EZE-(BA)oLHR-(CX)HKG itinerary sent to ticketing successfully.

The missus's took a bit longer - CX sent an email to JJ:

"**** PLEASE REINSTATE FLT JJ8008/1XOCT ***
*** PROTECTION OCCURRED AFTER TICKETING ****"

Ticket issued a day after mine's.