RTW booking question

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Hi,

I'm looking at maximising a rtw booking but wanted to confirm the allowable stopover/transits/oj. My current plan is as follows:

MEL-HKG (transit)
HKG-JFK (stop)
JFK-MIA (destination, stop)
MIA-DOH (stop)
DOH-SYD (transit)
SYD-MEL (stop)

Now my questions are as follows:

In the above itinerary, I think I have 2 transits and either 3 or 4 stops, depending on if returning to Melbourne counts as a stop?

Is it possible, by turning SYD into a stop (for 6 months), to then use any remaining open jaws/transits/stops outside of Australia (i.e. adding on a SYD-AKL-MEL or SYD-HKG-MEL) or does CX consider Australia to be your final destination and you can't leave? Would I be able to fly anywhere inside Australia domestically to use them?

Finally, open-jaws (they do my head in). If I change JFK-MIA above into an o/j because there's no award space, does that mean I gain back the stop that MIA is currently taking (if that makes sense?)

Thanks guys
 
Your current plan seems fine, assuming you can get award availability. Note that the final destination (MEL) doesn't count as a stop.

I don't think you can return to Australia mid-way through the trip. You'd need to return to somewhere else (i.e. New Zealand/Singapore/etc.) mid-way and then position back to Australia if you were to do that.

I believe you get two open-jaws, but I'm unsure whether these count as stopovers/sectors. I think they might with CX. With QF they only count as one stopover but do count as a sector.
 
Your current plan seems fine, assuming you can get award availability. Note that the final destination (MEL) doesn't count as a stop.

I don't think you can return to Australia mid-way through the trip. You'd need to return to somewhere else (i.e. New Zealand/Singapore/etc.) mid-way and then position back to Australia if you were to do that.

I believe you get two open-jaws, but I'm unsure whether these count as stopovers/sectors. I think they might with CX. With QF they only count as one stopover but do count as a sector.

Thanks - I appreciate the reply. I *think* the open jaw "replaces" (for lack of a better word) the stop, as otherwise you'd use a stop and an open jaw...but I'll have to ask when I can get through (been having problems with phone service).

I suspected as much regarding the return to Australia. Not surprising, maybe I can change it to NZ and then tag a few additional flights on to make things interesting...Any idea if there are restrictions on internal trips in Australia once you're in country? Might be useful to position to an expensive local destination...

Anyway, thanks
 
It would see you're talking about a oneworld five stop award that's being utilised to fly around the world, not a RTW ticket, in which case the definitive information is here: Oneworld Award (140K/280K/420K) Planning.

Danger - thanks for the reply and yes you are correct that it’s a Oneworld Award however the link you’ve included is Qantas’ award program and I’m using Asia Miles. Is there something similar for AM?

Cheers
Calgarychris
 
Danger - thanks for the reply and yes you are correct that it’s a Oneworld Award however the link you’ve included is Qantas’ award program and I’m using Asia Miles. Is there something similar for AM?

Cheers
Calgarychris

My apologies. I missed the sub-forum that you've posted in. I would have a look in that thread for some guidance but, as you're obviously aware, they are different programs so the rules are likely different too.
 
Gday

CalgaryChris you should post your itinerary on the flyertalk forum. There is a very very useful 'oneworld multi carrier award' thread in the Cathay Pacific forum. The experts over there will give you the low down very quickly. I am no expert but for what it is worth i think your itinerary is fine. The AsiaMiles one world multi carrier awards are way way better than the QANTAS RTW awards. Much better rules and heaps cheaper. Good luck and tell me how you go. I have partially booked an AsiaMiles multi carrier award and am hoping to book the rest of it later in the year.

Pele.
 
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Gday

CalgaryChris you should post your itinerary on the flyertalk forum. There is a very very useful 'oneworld multi carrier award' thread in the Cathay Pacific forum. The experts over there will give you the low down very quickly. I am no expert but for what it is worth i think your itinerary is fine. The AsiaMiles one world multi carrier awards are way way better than the QANTAS RTW awards. Much better rules and heaps cheaper. Good luck and tell me how you go. I have partially booked an AsiaMiles multi carrier award and am hoping to book the rest of it later in the year.

Pele.

Now that's a great idea. I'll do that - I haven't spent much time on FT, as I found the interface a little clunkier than AFF and with so many blogs to read I just haven't gotten it figured out, but I will for this.

I finally got the above ticket sorted - for reference, here's my Pros' and Cons for Asia Miles

Pro's
The mileage prices are better than QF
Flexibility in the oneworld ticket
Putting award tickets on hold (they held my QR flights for two weeks and my CX flights for 5-6 weeks!!!)

Con's
Getting through - calls to 4 international call centres all said "we're too busy, call back later"
Agents who couldn't find the flights I could see online (I ultimately got one that could) - and it was a SYD-MEL flight!
They actually cancelled the QR sections of the ticket when rebooking the whole thing and forgot to (or screwed it up) sending me a partially ticketed itinerary, after confirming on the phone everything was okay and sending me an itinerary that said as much
So so many phone calls

Good luck to all - I will lick my wounds from the above experience and perhaps in six months brave the possibility of piggybacking another trip onto this one.

Regards
 
CalgaryChris,

Good to hear it worked out well. For what its worth my experience with the CX call centre has been very good. Quicker and less errors/waiting time//incompetence than QF.

A word of warning about adding in flights at a later date that require reticketing- QR are notorious for not reissuing the award ticket you originally had. I dont 100% understand it but there are horror stories on the above mentioned flyertalk thread about people changing itineraries at a later date which requires a reissue of all previously issued tickets and QR taking it back then not reissuing it for the multi carrier award.

Pele.
 
CalgaryChris,

Good to hear it worked out well. For what its worth my experience with the CX call centre has been very good. Quicker and less errors/waiting time//incompetence than QF.

A word of warning about adding in flights at a later date that require reticketing- QR are notorious for not reissuing the award ticket you originally had. I dont 100% understand it but there are horror stories on the above mentioned flyertalk thread about people changing itineraries at a later date which requires a reissue of all previously issued tickets and QR taking it back then not reissuing it for the multi carrier award.

Pele.

Hmmm, that's disconcerting. Maybe I shouldn't be too clever with this after all...I've been thinking, given it's ticketed in May, if I cancel and rebook does travel need to be completed within a year (i.e. to April?)
 
The AM oneworld multi-carrier award is incredibly good value.

Except for the incredible frustration of having to call AM and deal with the variously trained agents...I struggled to get a SYD-MEL flight booked for the final leg. They couldn't see the flight I wanted at their end in spite of my being able to have booked it (separately) on their website. Took four calls.

But yes, unbeatable value.
 
Except for the incredible frustration of having to call AM and deal with the variously trained agents...I struggled to get a SYD-MEL flight booked for the final leg. They couldn't see the flight I wanted at their end in spite of my being able to have booked it (separately) on their website. Took four calls.

But yes, unbeatable value.

Yes, some of the English-speaking agents in the Manila call centre are hopeless - I have had the same experience you have had. I find that asking to speak to a supervisor helps, or the dreaded HUACA method which you are familiar with.
 
Yes, some of the English-speaking agents in the Manila call centre are hopeless - I have had the same experience you have had. I find that asking to speak to a supervisor helps, or the dreaded HUACA method which you are familiar with.
Gday

I must be lucky cause the agents i have had in the past couple of months have been able to book the flights i want straight away. Also the waiting times are basically zero. Makes a pleasant change from QF where you basically need to take a day off work when you ring them.

CalgaryChris in terms of completing the travel yes it is 1 year from the initial issue date. For example if you started booking your one world multi carrier award on 5th Feb then you rang up and added more flights in last week then you will still need to have completed your travel by 5th Feb next year.

Pele.
 
Gday

I must be lucky cause the agents i have had in the past couple of months have been able to book the flights i want straight away. Also the waiting times are basically zero. Makes a pleasant change from QF where you basically need to take a day off work when you ring them.

CalgaryChris in terms of completing the travel yes it is 1 year from the initial issue date. For example if you started booking your one world multi carrier award on 5th Feb then you rang up and added more flights in last week then you will still need to have completed your travel by 5th Feb next year.

Pele.

So, in the simplest terms, if my flight was booked 355 days out then I really can't add flights six months after I finish that trip? Is that still the case if I pay the $120 to re-ticket?

Out of curiosity were your tickets fairly straight forward? One thing that I will say coloured me impressed was that CX put tickets on hold to four weeks (QR segments) and six weeks (CX) while waiting for the QF and AA segments to open up. I eventually had to book the QR segments however as they were telling me I couldn't extend them (needed two extra days) but in all the faffing about I don't think they charged me the $120 cancellation fees...

Anyway

Thanks
 
So, in the simplest terms, if my flight was booked 355 days out then I really can't add flights six months after I finish that trip? Is that still the case if I pay the $120 to re-ticket?

Out of curiosity were your tickets fairly straight forward? One thing that I will say coloured me impressed was that CX put tickets on hold to four weeks (QR segments) and six weeks (CX) while waiting for the QF and AA segments to open up. I eventually had to book the QR segments however as they were telling me I couldn't extend them (needed two extra days) but in all the faffing about I don't think they charged me the $120 cancellation fees...

Anyway

Thanks

QR only allow you 11 days to ticket so you don't have a choice but to ticket the QR flights if you really want them. CX in J will let you hold for months. This holds true irrespective of who the ticketing carrier is.
 
QR only allow you 11 days to ticket so you don't have a choice but to ticket the QR flights if you really want them. CX in J will let you hold for months. This holds true irrespective of who the ticketing carrier is.

Good to know - I was happy they were able to hold as I was outside the availability window for Qantas and AA. Shame AA doesn't actually have any award flights, but never mind...It's less than 5hrs, so Mrs. Calgarychris isn't allowed to complain if we fly in Y
 
I believe if you make JFK-MIA an open Jaw you gain the stop back for both JFK and MIA! That's from what I've read on flyer talk.
Can you let me know the total taxes paid for your booking? Was it just the sum of the individual flights?
 
I believe if you make JFK-MIA an open Jaw you gain the stop back for both JFK and MIA! That's from what I've read on flyer talk.
Can you let me know the total taxes paid for your booking? Was it just the sum of the individual flights?

I think you're right about the stopovers. With the recent AM devaluation (and the comment about QR not rebooking) I doubt I'll risk it and tack on another trip....

Total taxes were $965.70/pp - no idea how they came up with that number, as they screwed up the booking and so the taxes came through a couple of times but that's the total that I've paid...
 
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