Jun 5, 2025, 12:53 am
Oneworld booking and pricing experiences
Apr 13, 2026 | 2:48 pm
#3556
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 22,953
Well, that was fun. I've spent the best part of two hours on the phone to a Qantas agent who I think, from their accent, was probably in South Africa. I was making a really simple change to a round-the-world ticket, the first segment of which has already been flown. I needed to change one flight by two days, between the same points. That should be free. I was charged a small amount for ticket re-issuing because the price had changed; that should not happen. Despite my trying very hard to make her understand what this, from the ticketing rules, meant:
They thought that "ticketed points" was something to do with using points to buy the ticket.
They insisted that I additionally owed a change fee of USD 125 despite the fact that there were no changes to the ticketed points.
And they thought that changes if the ticketed points remained the same required a re-pricing of the ticket.
All of the above is nonsense of course. I wouldn't have minded her not knowing, but I was given long, long waits while somebody else, I do not know who, was giving advice. If they didn't know they should have asked me to call back during the Australian day.
To cap it all, at the end, when I said that I would pay the money under protest because I needed the change made, I was then left on hold for half an hour because they could not find out how to charge me in yen (the first flight was from Tokyo) for the alleged repricing and in dollars for the alleged change fee. And then they said that there was an error and could I find another card? I found two other cards. All three of them were declined, they said, but it turned out that notwithstanding all that the first card had been charged anyway.
I accept that the mistake was mine in using the OneWorld website which then sent the booking to Qantas to ticket. But even so if it is the last thing I do on Earth, I will get this money back as a matter of principle.
Be careful, people!
They thought that "ticketed points" was something to do with using points to buy the ticket.
They insisted that I additionally owed a change fee of USD 125 despite the fact that there were no changes to the ticketed points.
And they thought that changes if the ticketed points remained the same required a re-pricing of the ticket.
All of the above is nonsense of course. I wouldn't have minded her not knowing, but I was given long, long waits while somebody else, I do not know who, was giving advice. If they didn't know they should have asked me to call back during the Australian day.
To cap it all, at the end, when I said that I would pay the money under protest because I needed the change made, I was then left on hold for half an hour because they could not find out how to charge me in yen (the first flight was from Tokyo) for the alleged repricing and in dollars for the alleged change fee. And then they said that there was an error and could I find another card? I found two other cards. All three of them were declined, they said, but it turned out that notwithstanding all that the first card had been charged anyway.
I accept that the mistake was mine in using the OneWorld website which then sent the booking to Qantas to ticket. But even so if it is the last thing I do on Earth, I will get this money back as a matter of principle.
Be careful, people!
The QF agents in South Africa (Mindpearl) are better than some other QF agents around the world. The chances of talking to a QF agent in AU is low. Unless top tier QF status.
For the same points should not charge the US$125 fee. As you noted base fare cannot change if first flight flown. They may have recalculated real taxes for that segment or maybe all the flights yet to be flown on the complete ticket. A recalculation of QF's YQ/YR maybe. The application of YQ-YR needs to be writing by Oneworld. A big failing by OW.
In your quote of the rules you missed the "local service fees".
QF change fees --- https://www.qantas.com/en-au/book/fl...hedule-of-fees
Rule 3015 16. VOLUNTARY CHANGES / REROUTING / PENALTIES
<snip
Local service fees may apply on rebooking, rerouting, reissue or refund
<snip>
2. After departure:
a. Changes are permitted provided ticketed points remain the same.
b. Changes to ticketed points are permitted at a charge of USD 125 per transaction.
c. No Show requires rebooking at a charge of USD 125.
d. If the rerouting results in an increase to the number of continents previously charged, the
ticket shall be recalculated. Ticket may be reissued to any applicable Explorer fare
validating all rules of the new fare except for restrictions on retroactive use. Rerouting fee
applies when the resulting fare is less than or equal to the original fare. No refund applies.
See Upgrading provisions when recalculation results in a new fare basis at a higher value.
<snip>
Local service fees may apply on rebooking, rerouting, reissue or refund
<snip>
2. After departure:
a. Changes are permitted provided ticketed points remain the same.
b. Changes to ticketed points are permitted at a charge of USD 125 per transaction.
c. No Show requires rebooking at a charge of USD 125.
d. If the rerouting results in an increase to the number of continents previously charged, the
ticket shall be recalculated. Ticket may be reissued to any applicable Explorer fare
validating all rules of the new fare except for restrictions on retroactive use. Rerouting fee
applies when the resulting fare is less than or equal to the original fare. No refund applies.
See Upgrading provisions when recalculation results in a new fare basis at a higher value.
<snip>
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Apr 13, 2026 at 3:10 pm
Apr 14, 2026 | 4:27 am
#3557
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QRPC PLT/OW EMD; Bonvoy LT Titanium
Posts: 14,600
The QF agents in South Africa (Mindpearl) are better than some other QF agents around the world.
Apr 14, 2026 | 5:45 pm
#3559
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 7,243
Apr 14, 2026 | 7:03 pm
#3560
Join Date: Dec 2024
Programs: BA Gold, SAS EBD
Posts: 303
Yeah violating the traffic restrictions for US domestic flights seems especially risky even just as a passenger... US DOT is notoriously twitchy about cabotage and there have been reports of people getting denied boarding if the airline catches it.
Apr 14, 2026 | 9:23 pm
#3561
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 2,057
his is a conflation of cabotage with fare construction rules.
Cabotage concerns a foreign carrier operating domestic service. That is not the case here the US segments are operated by American Airlines, regardless of whether they carry a Qatar Airways or Finnair flight number.
Regulatory enforcement focuses on the operating carrier, not the marketing code.
At most, this touches on fare rule language (e.g., TFC ONLY), not cabotage. A properly priced and ticketed itinerary with AA-operated domestic segments remains compliant and nobody gets denied boarding.
Cabotage concerns a foreign carrier operating domestic service. That is not the case here the US segments are operated by American Airlines, regardless of whether they carry a Qatar Airways or Finnair flight number.
Regulatory enforcement focuses on the operating carrier, not the marketing code.
At most, this touches on fare rule language (e.g., TFC ONLY), not cabotage. A properly priced and ticketed itinerary with AA-operated domestic segments remains compliant and nobody gets denied boarding.
Apr 15, 2026 | 1:07 am
#3562
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 4,287
nufnuf77 , I know flights can be booked that way (LAX-JFK to AY, JFK-DFW to QR, DFW-LAX to AY), but really just out of curiosity, you don't think the airlines will fine you for violating the "INTL ONLINE CONEX/STPVR TFC ONLY" restriction on some of these flights?
Apr 15, 2026 | 1:12 am
#3563
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: London
Programs: BAEC GGL; FB PLAT
Posts: 35
all of these flights are still part of a broader international trip its just that there may be some rather significant stop overs. Is your point that if for example, the American Airlines code share was with Qatar, that the rule would be violated if the international component before or afterwards was not also on Qatar?
Apr 15, 2026 | 3:57 am
#3564
Join Date: Dec 2024
Programs: BA Gold, SAS EBD
Posts: 303
his is a conflation of cabotage with fare construction rules.
Cabotage concerns a foreign carrier operating domestic service. That is not the case here the US segments are operated by American Airlines, regardless of whether they carry a Qatar Airways or Finnair flight number.
Regulatory enforcement focuses on the operating carrier, not the marketing code.
At most, this touches on fare rule language (e.g., TFC ONLY), not cabotage. A properly priced and ticketed itinerary with AA-operated domestic segments remains compliant and nobody gets denied boarding.
Cabotage concerns a foreign carrier operating domestic service. That is not the case here the US segments are operated by American Airlines, regardless of whether they carry a Qatar Airways or Finnair flight number.
Regulatory enforcement focuses on the operating carrier, not the marketing code.
At most, this touches on fare rule language (e.g., TFC ONLY), not cabotage. A properly priced and ticketed itinerary with AA-operated domestic segments remains compliant and nobody gets denied boarding.
Airlines are eager to avoid anything that might be construed as cabotage and there's at least one example of an airline (Delta) expanding the legal definition to also encompass foreign codeshares.
Apr 15, 2026 | 3:59 am
#3565
Join Date: Dec 2024
Programs: BA Gold, SAS EBD
Posts: 303
all of these flights are still part of a broader international trip its just that there may be some rather significant stop overs. Is your point that if for example, the American Airlines code share was with Qatar, that the rule would be violated if the international component before or afterwards was not also on Qatar?
Apr 15, 2026 | 12:28 pm
#3566
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 7,243
his is a conflation of cabotage with fare construction rules.
Cabotage concerns a foreign carrier operating domestic service. That is not the case here — the US segments are operated by American Airlines, regardless of whether they carry a Qatar Airways or Finnair flight number.
Regulatory enforcement focuses on the operating carrier, not the marketing code.
At most, this touches on fare rule language (e.g., “TFC ONLY”), not cabotage. A properly priced and ticketed itinerary with AA-operated domestic segments remains compliant and nobody gets denied boarding.
Cabotage concerns a foreign carrier operating domestic service. That is not the case here — the US segments are operated by American Airlines, regardless of whether they carry a Qatar Airways or Finnair flight number.
Regulatory enforcement focuses on the operating carrier, not the marketing code.
At most, this touches on fare rule language (e.g., “TFC ONLY”), not cabotage. A properly priced and ticketed itinerary with AA-operated domestic segments remains compliant and nobody gets denied boarding.
all of these flights are still part of a broader international trip… it’s just that there may be some rather significant stop overs. Is your point that if for example, the American Airlines code share was with Qatar, that the rule would be violated if the international component before or afterwards was not also on Qatar?
Agreed.
Apr 15, 2026 | 12:52 pm
#3567
Join Date: Dec 2024
Programs: BA Gold, SAS EBD
Posts: 303
Since this is the booking thread, I'll just add that the AA RTW desk does not seem to care too much about the "online" aspect of those traffic restrictions... In fact I've once even had the rates desk change a valid codeshare into a different codeshare that violated the "online" restriction 🤷🏼♂️ (never figured out why they did it)
The one policy about codeshares that they do appear to enforce very strictly is that AA-operated services must be booked on the prime code. But that's an AA specific thing and not a traffic restriction.
The one policy about codeshares that they do appear to enforce very strictly is that AA-operated services must be booked on the prime code. But that's an AA specific thing and not a traffic restriction.
Apr 15, 2026 | 12:56 pm
#3568
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 7,243
Since this is the booking thread, I'll just add that the AA RTW desk does not seem to care too much about the "online" aspect of those traffic restrictions... In fact I've once even had the rates desk change a valid codeshare into a different codeshare that violated the "online" restriction 🤷🏼♂️ (never figured out why they did it)
Apr 15, 2026 | 4:04 pm
#3569
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 22,953
This is definitely not an issue with fare construction rules. xONEx allows any flight marketed and operated by oneworld carriers. To me the problem is potentially violating the rules on how flights should be booked (airlines' booking policies for travel agencies).
<snip>.
<snip>.
Apr 20, 2026 | 3:56 am
#3570
Join Date: Jul 2025
Posts: 201
These code-share flights can definitely be booked singly. I know how to do it and did it a decade ago. However, airlines are becoming a lot stricter on travel agents these days, so I don't think I would risk it. Airlines themselves, however, can violate rules and not be fined (I suppose) by another airline.