2019 Travel Plans

[JohnM]

I've just put the final touches to my DONE4 plus extra flights for June-October this year.

32 flights, 62,047 miles, 17 weeks... .

 

[JessicaTam]

I've just put the final touches to my DONE4 plus extra flights for June-October this year.

32 flights, 62,047 miles, 17 weeks... .

View attachment 163891

You are missing a couple of continents there, @JohnM!

 

[JohnM]

You are missing a couple of continents there, @JohnM!

Oops.

Memo to self: must try harder next time .

 

[Toula92122]

That's a lot of flying JohnM. How long did it take to figure out that routing and find the available flights?

 

[JohnM]

That's a lot of flying JohnM. How long did it take to figure out that routing and find the available flights?

It obviously takes a bit of organising, but it's not hard. Fun, really! I do a DONEx every year (this will be the 15th in succession) and I build that around things I want to do (and vice-versa - eg. last year I made sure I built in QF10 LHR-MEL to try out the direct service). The OW RTW planning tool makes it easy to work up the DONEx itinerary, while other tools like Rome2Rio are good for seeing positioning options in the one place.

This year, I wanted to do a 5 Stans tour and a voyage in the Russian far east to the Arctic Ocean, so they were core things to work around. After working out timing and routing for those, it was a matter of looking at other things to fit in to a routing that made the most of the DONEx (where x=4 in this case), picking well-timed long-hauls on good birds and airlines (eg. avoid BA and AA long-haul!), adding el-cheapos where necessary to position for activities where using a sector of the DONE4 would either not work or be a waste (eg. whY-only short flights) and picking flights/airlines/aircraft types that I want to try (eg. more Qsuites and A350s please!).

So I just join things like beads on a string. I have an endless list of places that I'd like to visit, so if some place works, I just look for things to do there. This year, a brief visit to some friends in the US, followed by Mexico and Cuba, then up to Alaska and over to Anadyr by charter on a local operator to join the voyage, back down to LAX to ride (again) the Qsuited B777 on the nice long perfect afternoon departure to DOH, a bit of playing around for a few days by detouring up to Finland before getting to DEL the long way to try out some AY and JL hospitality and aircraft.

Separate flights to and from DEL to do the 5 Stans, followed by a bit of whY flitting around India (Mumbai, Ajanta temples, Ellora caves, Hill Country, Goa) before picking up the DONE4 again DEL-CMB for a couple of weeks in Sri Lanka, then home via HKG.

The DONE4 cost less than it would to fly J QF9/10 return PER-LHR, it comfortably keeps me WP and brings in about 100K points plus offers great choices of airlines and birds. A no-brainer IMO! Obviously one has to have the time. In the beginning my DONExs were 6 weeks; I'm stretching them out a bit now as I'm running out of time on life's steepening slippery slope downhill .

 

[Drakecula]

I agree with the planning being fun thing. I just wish MrD was more of a travel bug than he is. Need a travel partner like you so I can see more of the world!

 

[JohnM]

I agree with the planning being fun thing. I just wish MrD was more of a travel bug than he is. Need a travel partner like you so I can see more of the world!

We need to meet .

 

[Drakecula]

This year though we're indulging some of the things I wanted to see on our first RTW trip and first trip to Europe, so I'm very excited for that. But my to-visit list is so long, not enough time, or savings, haha. But luckily I still have many years ahead of me yet.

 

[JohnM]

But luckily I still have many years ahead of me yet.

Even more reason why we need to meet... .

 

[leadman]

i would love to be able to plan a trip like that; thoughtful, unhurried and do what you like. I'm currently on another one of those crazy trips. Last years one was supposedly a 4 - 6 week turned into a 4 month long jaunt. Now this one has already entered its third month on what was supposidly a three week trip. A typical scenario was played over the weekend; Urgent call means instead of head down south, now from BKK i have to get to Athens. Customer will pays Y. Scrambled around got QR on points in J, so will bill customer Y fare. But now have to reshuffle the return home from TPE with BR, so get slugged another change fee.

 

[rock86]

The DONE4 cost less than it would to fly J QF9/10 return PER-LHR, it comfortably keeps me WP and brings in about 100K points plus offers great choices of airlines and birds. A no-brainer IMO! Obviously one has to have the time.

That is interesting, I really need to learn more about this as I must be using that tool wrong or I probably have use expensive ports because every time I go to price trips on the OW RTW program the prices always come back astronomical (much much higher then a return PER-LHR trip)

 

[JohnM]

That is interesting, I really need to learn more about this as I must be using that tool wrong or I probably have use expensive ports because every time I go to price trips on the OW RTW program the prices always come back astronomical (much much higher then a return PER-LHR trip)

PER-LHR return in J on QF is c. $14K.

Here is the base pricing for DONEx (and other) RTW and Circle fares from EF, based on purchase at QF:



So, a DONE4 base purchased from QF is $11999, to which needs to be added variable surcharges - maybe around $1.5-2K.

Back in the day, people would position to all sorts of places to start very cheap DONEx fares. I think those super-deals have largely evaporated.

However, it is now possible for a travel agent in Australia to push a DONEx booking to one of the other airlines in the itinerary (subject to some (moderate) minimum involvement of that airline in the itinerary), with the opportunity to save considerably either, or both, through reduced base price and certainly reduced surcharges.

There is at least one TA on this forum who is expert on this - I believe preferably if you do not dither or not need your hand held all the way.

You may wish to take up further discussion at this thread: Oneworld Explorer ticketing to avoid taking this thread OT.

 

[Toula92122]

It's interesting how certain birthdays trigger that feeling of the sand running through the hour glass way quicker than one would like. Past 16 months we have been confined to home due to Immigration issues which never seem to be coming to an end. It's made me so eager to get on a plane and just go anywhere. I'm supposed to be going to Germany next month but that's looking like it's going to be cancelled and I have my fingers crossed that Morocco and Turkey later in the year are still on.

 

[Hux]

May - one more trip through BNE
June - week in SIN
July - week in SYD
AUG - week in BNE
SEP - week in NAN, first trip to Fiji! Also a vacation with the family as opposed to work so that will be good.

I'm sure October and November will fill up. Will likely spend 2-3 months in Aus around Xmas as I do VISA and passport renewals, not looking forward to that process.

 

[Toula92122]

I did book a flight to Morocco for September. I was happy to get a redemption seat on TAP SFO-LIS-RAK for 80k miles in business class all the way, with low fuel surcharges. Boy, I am going to miss UA miles, glad that I'm down to the bottom of the barrel on those. Now I have a flight to get there I need to fill in the rest of the details.

 

[OZDUCK]

I just booked an 'Open-Jaw' ticket in Qatar J for August/September. We will fly into Stockholm from Singapore and then return from Oslo. The plan is currently something like 4 days in Stockholm, train to Oslo, a couple of weeks in a car and then a few nights in Oslo before we return to Singapore.

The Per - Sin tickets have yet to be booked but will probably be in ScootBiz (No robbing I hope). With a couple of days "margin for error" on each side of the trip in Singapore.. This will still leave us about $4,000 better off than flying out of Perth.

 

[amaroo]

Can't help ourselves - Hong Kong next month.

 

[Himeno]

Had one trip in Feb. Another coming next week. Both short 6-9 day trips to Japan for events.

Still need to work out my main trip for the year. The loss of the oneworld Circle Asia fare is problematic.

 

[tgh]

Off to the Arctic in a few days.. will try to do a tr ( my first)

 

[Dr Ralph]

10 nights in Taiwan award booking made for early Oct 2019.