DONEx questions, particularly re ticketing

[tuapekastar]

Seeking a little assistance here – I need to book a DONE3/4 pretty quicksmart (I have had ages to do this, but things have a habit of getting in the way). I’ve looked at MEL, JNB and AKL (all DONE4) and CGK (DONE3) as starting points.

Taking into account positioning flights:
JNB works out cheapest but it’s a long way (in Y) to get there.
CGK is next best, but still 5 or 6 hours to get there
AKL is next..
MEL of course brings up the rear.

There is a QF sale on (due to finish imminently I think) which may help with positioning flights if I get in quick enough

I’m just looking to save a few bucks on the base fare and the taxes.

I did a dummy DONE4 ex-AKL last night via OW (up to the ‘passenger name’ page) and the fares came out at NZL prices, though I suspect I may get caught a little further down the track with the ‘higher price’ rule.

I did a dummy DONE3 from CGK recently and it ended up at a QF page, but at Indonesian prices…I imagine this would be ok as DONE3 is not offered ex-AUS, but of course the taxes were at QF rates (just over AUD1000 IIRC)

Does anyone have experience with DONEx from CGK and/or AKL (I think I’ve seen ex-CGK reported here before)?

At a high level, is the following a reasonable scenario, or am I likely to run into hurdles (I’m happy to pay a little more for convenience and peace of mind, but preferably not standard ex-AUS prices:

DONE4 ex-AKL (direction: SWP-ASIA-EUR-NA-SWP, precise routing TBC) or…

DONE3 ex-CGK (ASIA-EUR-NA-ASIA)

Book via AA ATW desk (for DONE4 can fly AA metal TATL – LHR-LAX, or AA codeshare TPAC – LAX-AKL, or both, if AA requires it in order to book/issue – for DONE3 can do AA TATL)

Ring AA NZ (or Indonesia for DONE3) contact number to ticket

Any insights or comments?

I’m trying for a balance between keeping it simple and saving some money.

Thanks

 

[serfty]

...
I did a dummy DONE4 ex-AKL last night via OW (up to the ‘passenger name’ page) and the fares came out at NZL prices, though I suspect I may get caught a little further down the track with the ‘higher price’ rule.

...

Should not be an issue

...
I did a dummy DONE3 from CGK recently and it ended up at a QF page, but at Indonesian prices…I imagine this would be ok as DONE3 is not offered ex-AUS, but of course the taxes were at QF rates (just over AUD1000 IIRC)

Does anyone have experience with DONEx from CGK and/or AKL (I think I’ve seen ex-CGK reported here before)?
...

We're ½ way though an ex AKL LONE4 at the moment ...

...
At a high level, is the following a reasonable scenario, or am I likely to run into hurdles (I’m happy to pay a little more for convenience and peace of mind, but preferably not standard ex-AUS prices:

DONE4 ex-AKL (direction: SWP-ASIA-EUR-NA-SWP, precise routing TBC) or…

DONE3 ex-CGK (ASIA-EUR-NA-ASIA)

Book via AA ATW desk (for DONE4 can fly AA metal TATL – LHR-LAX, or AA codeshare TPAC – LAX-AKL, or both, if AA requires it in order to book/issue – for DONE3 can do AA TATL)
...

If you book far enough in advance you can use AA SWU's or AAdvantage miles to have confirmed upgrades to A class on inter continental AA segments + 2 other AA flights in sequence. (These upgrade classes become available about 315 days out, albeit briefly as they are generally snapped up.)

...
Ring AA NZ (or Indonesia for DONE3) contact number to ticket

Any insights or comments?

I’m trying for a balance between keeping it simple and saving some money.

Thanks

AA in Brisbane, "New Zealand" will charge you NZD60 each for the privilege of ticketing. But that's been it - any re-validation I have done has been without any additional service fee.

Do all initial reservations using the AA ATW desk in Texas. I tried to use skype, but it was not always convenient so - I purchased a $10 "Hello Europe" phone card for this - 6¢ per minute call for USA calls + 20¢ per day after first use.

Once ticketed, continue to use the AA NZ number. Once you have flown your first international segment the AA in OZ 'phone number works fine.

I needed to book for flights from March 2010 thru March 2011. I commenced the process in September 09, booking segments for dates that I was not going to use; but the actual route was set. As block of flights for my later planned dates became available 330 days I called and adjusted.

It is important to ensure you get your transits/stopovers right before ticketing in order to avoid issues which may trigger reissue rather than re-validation. (FWIW, once initially ticketed, AA re-issue for every change)

Finally, ExpertFlyer was (and still is) an invaluable tool (or KVS).

 

[tuapekastar]

Thanks muchly serfty, just the sort of info I was after .

I shall book positioning MEL-AKL-MEL flights promptly, then get into the AA bit tomorrow.

Just to clarify, regarding:

AA in Brisbane, "New Zealand" will charge you NZD60 each for the privilege of ticketing. But that's been it - any re-validation I have done has been without any additional service fee.

and...

It is important to ensure you get your transits/stopovers right before ticketing in order to avoid issues which may trigger reissue rather than re-validation. (FWIW, once initially ticketed, AA re-issue for every change)

When you say "re-issue for every change" do you include changes of date/time etc. which I thought were supposed to be free of charge (as opposed to changing to route through different cities).

If you do mean every change involves a re-issue, then what triggers "just" a re-validation?

Despite a lot of reading of this site over a few years, most of my travel has been relatively straightforward, and I'm not quite sure re re-issue versus re-validation. Maybe it's just the lingo!

Thanks.

 

[serfty]

OK, changes like:

• From AKL-xLAX-JFK-xDFW- (Stopover in New York) to AKL-LAX-JFK-xDFW- (Stopover in Los Angeles, then New York) or
  
• From AKL-xLAX-JFK-xDFW- (Stopover in New York) to AKL-xLAX-xDFW-JFK- (right though to New York)

... are re-routes and require Re-issue. After departure the Airline is entitled to charge you USD125 (plus any service fee) for this; before departure it may be more complicated.

A re-validation is simply a change to date/carrier/time without changing the routing. Only a service fee may be charged by the airline.

AA have a policy with ANY changes, whether re-validation or not, to re-issue the tickets; even though for a revalidation it should not ordinarily be required.* I believe this is to ensure SABRE correctly feeds the correct information, such as ticket number etc to each of the airlines operating the segments. It's not a good idea if a ticket number is not existing on an Airlines system for a booked flight segment they operate - Airlines have been known to cancel the booked segment in such cases.

Note that an xONEx may have several PNR's for one or more the various carriers operating the entire routing and not all PNRs will have the entire itinerary.

*In the old days of Paper tickets, a re-validation could be as simple as sticking a industry standard piece of paper with new flight numbers and dates onto a coupon, over the top of the original flight information. A re-issue was a complete rewrite of the vouchers.

 

[tuapekastar]

OK thanks. I think I have it.

Any transit that becomes a stopover and vice-versa, even though strictly speaking (in non-airline speak) the same route, is in fact a change to routing (in airline-speak) and incurs a $125 re-issue fee.

If I do not change a transit to a stopover or vice-versa, and do not alter the cities I fly through (or the order in which I do so), but alter times/dates/carriers otherwise, I should not incur a fee?

I don't plan to change anything after I book, but who knows...