Travel agent recommendation?

[4lex]

I'm finding booking a RTW rather tiresome and would sooner pay someone else to do it. I'm flying out of PER and want to go to DFW and LON in either direction in J. I have a metric tonne of QF miles but no status. I'm prepared to pay cash instead and would like to bag some SCs if that were possible, hoping there'll be a DSC shortly. Any recommendations?

 

[JohnM]

Well, if you pay cash for a DONEx (where x is 4, 5 or 6 continental zones) (and what is the true RTW fare in J), you will of course earn SCs and points - like, a lot. One DONEx, by itself, every year for 16 consective years kept me WP constantly.

You won't if it's a J OWA (OneWorld Award in J) - which is not necessarily a RTW fare.

Your post is a touch ambiguous on that.

Any competent TA should know how to book a DONEx, but it's easy to do yourself trough the QF website if the itinerary isn't too complicated and you understand the basic rules.

But a really competent TA will know how to book a DONEx that saves you a considerable amount of money by not booking through QF.

 

[4lex]

Don't know what a donex is, will search.

 

[JohnM]

Don't know what a donex is, will search.

It is simply a Oneworld RTW business class airfare. It books into the dicount D bucket of Business Class fares.

So, D bucket must be available on a sector for it to be bookable into the RTW fare. Because it is a discounted bucket, it may not always be available.

However, D bucket does earn full J SCs and points.

And, as I said, x simply indicates the number of continental zones.

Here's the link from the QF website: Enjoy great savings on your Round the World flights.

The OW website: RTW Flights: Round The World Airline Tickets - RTW

There are rules, but once you get your head around them, they are not too complicated.

Basically (OneWorld Explorer):

16 flight sectors max
One way between continental zones; any direction within
4 flight sectors in each continental zone, except for North America, where it is 6
Only one full coast-to-coast trans-continental flight allowed in each continental zone.

Caveat: they were the rules in my day before covid stuffed up my ongoing plans. They may be different now.

 

[4lex]

Thanks very much John. Not the first time you've offered solid advice, I feel like I owe you a beer
I'll get amongst that knowledge tomorrow

 

[4lex]

PER not even available for selection as a departure on the OW page you linked though, is it broken?

 

[JohnM]

PER not even available for selection as a departure on the OW page you linked though, is it broken?

No idea. Can't see why not. But the OW RTW tool is known to be a bit flaky.

Thta's where a knowledgeable TA can come in handy.

But I mostly positioned separately to SYD or MEL for departures on DONEx's - for no special reason; generally only because I was heading E first and maximising sectors outside Australia.

 

[justinbrett]

If booking a cash DONE4 you save a significant amount money commencing your ticket in Japan. If you can get yourself from PER-HND/NRT and fly to LHR from there it will definitely be worth it.

I’d find a travel agent now before the DSCs commence as they are probably going to be too busy to reply to new clients contacting them during the promo - best tell them now what you want to do and that you want to wait for DSCs and they can have it all ready to go for when the promo hits.

I strongly advise against booking these tickets yourself, it’s simply not worth it as they are very complex - even for HBA staff. You won’t get an airline employee to monitor your trip the way a good TA will. They can also optimise your trip with codeshares for max SCs and points.

 

[Cynicor]

Try round about travel, I think they are based in Adelaide.
While I can book these, there’s no commission so we need to charge pretty high fees. No idea how roundabout does it, but they’ll be cheaper than I.

 

[JohnM]

Ah, yes - I had forgotten about RoundAbout Travel. My brother used them several years ago for the Finnair 'mini DONEx'and said that they were very good.

RoundAbout Travel

RoundAbout Travel is Australia's only round the world travel and multi-stop specialist. Speak to our experts to book you the best round the world tickets or multi-stop trip on quality airlines.

roundabouttravel.com.au

I disagree with @justinbrett about DONEx's being very complex. Certainly OneWorld Award itineraries are highly complex because it involves snaring a string of award flights, but a revenue DONEx is an entirely different beast. All that it needs is D bucket availability, which is usually readily available if booking well ahead.

Of course, you could always book an AONEx and go F - but you then need to choose airlines and birds that have an F cabin to maximise that...

It's easy enough to do yourself, but a knowlegeable TA can save substantial $$ by booking through one of the other OneWorld airlines, rather than QF. As a customer based in Australia, doing it yourself would automatically funnel you through QF.

 

[RooFlyer]

TA can save substantial $$ by booking through one of the other OneWorld airlines, rather than QF.

Yes, that's a key thing too; an airline that won't pass on other airlines carrier charges. Edit: see below.

 

[Cynicor]

Ah, yes - I had forgotten about RoundAbout Travel. My brother used them several years ago for the Finnair 'mini DONEx'and said that they were very good.

RoundAbout Travel

RoundAbout Travel is Australia's only round the world travel and multi-stop specialist. Speak to our experts to book you the best round the world tickets or multi-stop trip on quality airlines.

roundabouttravel.com.au

I disagree with @justinbrett about DONEx's being very complex. Certainly OneWorld Award itineraries are highly complex because it involves snaring a string of award flights, but a revenue DONEx is an entirely different beast. All that it needs is D bucket availability, which is usually readily available if booking well ahead.

Of course, you could always book an AONEx and go F - but you then need to choose airlines and birds that have an F cabin to maximise that...

It's easy enough to do yourself, but a knowlegeable TA can save substantial $$ by booking through one of the other OneWorld airlines, rather than QF. As a customer based in Australia, doing it yourself would automatically funnel you through QF.

Tbh i would suggest they are quite complex if you are trying to maximise them, and simple if you just want to fly around the world.
But either way the online engine is pretty terrible and also will funnel almost everyone to Qantas, for some reason. And then changes are a hassle.
I’d definitely find a TA for these unless you thought you were likely to make a lot of changes, in which case service fees may add up significantly.

 

[justinbrett]

Ah, yes - I had forgotten about RoundAbout Travel. My brother used them several years ago for the Finnair 'mini DONEx'and said that they were very good.

RoundAbout Travel

RoundAbout Travel is Australia's only round the world travel and multi-stop specialist. Speak to our experts to book you the best round the world tickets or multi-stop trip on quality airlines.

roundabouttravel.com.au

I disagree with @justinbrett about DONEx's being very complex. Certainly OneWorld Award itineraries are highly complex because it involves snaring a string of award flights, but a revenue DONEx is an entirely different beast. All that it needs is D bucket availability, which is usually readily available if booking well ahead.

Of course, you could always book an AONEx and go F - but you then need to choose airlines and birds that have an F cabin to maximise that...

It's easy enough to do yourself, but a knowlegeable TA can save substantial $$ by booking through one of the other OneWorld airlines, rather than QF. As a customer based in Australia, doing it yourself would automatically funnel you through QF.

Oh you misunderstand me - they can be simple, if you want a vanilla trip.

A good TA can make them very complex in order to optimise the ticket and maximise SC and points earn. But also the chances of a disruption during your trip can be very high and a TA may be able to beat your airline in booking the last remaining seats on a direct flight.

That agency you mention isn’t the only specialist - my TA is an active member here and doesn’t work for them, I would be surprised if you found someone who knew more about this stuff than him. On a recent trip QF1 was cancelled and he got me on the last EK seat to CDG, where QF said there was no oneworld or EK option that would get me there same day.

In my case I prefer the ticket to be issued by QF as I get bonus points on my Amex card. The prices are the same as far as I’m aware. If you book through the website the quoted fare will be issued by a random airline - I’ve had reports of many Brits departing LHR not touching Australia or QF getting their tickets issued by QF. It’s the individual flights themselves and starting port that define the fare and taxes, not the issuing airline. If the fare and taxes changed by the issuing airline the online tool wouldn’t make any sense.

 

[justinbrett]

Yes, that's a key thing too; an airline that won't pass on other airlines carrier charges.

I’m not sure that’s correct - for award bookings yes, but for selling revenue tickets under the other airline’s code, as far as I’m aware it’s the currency of the ticket and origin port that matters, and the marketing airline of the flight, not the ticket issuer.

Marketing carrier is really important, for example it’s much better to book on AA codes transatlantic vs BA, even when on BA metal.

 

[RooFlyer]

I’m not sure that’s correct - for award bookings yes, but for selling revenue tickets under the other airline’s code, as far as I’m aware it’s the currency of the ticket and origin port that matters, and the marketing airline of the flight, not the ticket issuer.

I was having some hybrid thoughts between a 2020 OW RTW MR booked me ex SYD on QF but on AA paper (I recall a discussion on whether AA or JL paper would be best) and a later *A RTW ex Japan that we looked at. I thought the discussion was which airline's paper was best to avoid fuel fines; my e-mail has changed a couple of times since then so can't check but you are likely right.

I'm on 100% on board for using a good TA - the one I use now has been booking for me for 15 years. The only RTW I've done in recent years is the Finnair type.

 

[justinbrett]

I was having some hybrid thoughts between a 2020 OW RTW MR booked me ex SYD on QF but on AA paper (I recall a discussion on whether AA or JL paper would be best) and a later *A RTW ex Japan that we looked at. I thought the discussion was which airline's paper was best to avoid fuel fines; my e-mail has changed a couple of times since then so can't check but you are likely right.

I'm on 100% on board for using a good TA - the one I use now has been booking for me for 15 years. The only RTW I've done in recent years is the Finnair type.

Ex Japan is definitely the hack. On QF, reduces the total cost from circa $17K to circa $10-11K.

And for optimising, I’ve seen a trip with almost all sectors marketed by QF, which together with a DSC promo, goes most the way of awarding P1 status. I think the trans atlantic segment is the only one you can’t get marketed by QF. And to think that QF P1 status gives you almost 3 years of OWE, plus giving a guest up to two years of OWE, it’s nothing to be sneezed at.

 

[JohnM]

I think @madrooster could clarify much of this, if inclined to join in.

 

[Drakecula]

I've used Ministry of Travel to book some of my stuff recently, and while I could have easily managed myself, I trust that I've got someone on the other end who can help with suggestions for better options to save money or earn points.

 

[justinbrett]

I think @madrooster could clarify much of this, if inclined to join in.

He is my TA.

I didn’t name him as I know he is busy and may not be able to take on new clients at the moment - he’ll post here if he wants to.

 

[encryptededdy]

I've had a positive experience with roundabout travel in the past booking a DONE4, however I've talked to them about booking an ex-Japan ticket before and they weren't interested.