An award RTW in Y on OW

[gilly]

It must be that time of year again because I'm brewing up plans for the next big holiday. I've been playing with Qantas award bookings pages and come up with an itinerary to suit me but I would welcome any comments or suggestions. This will be in Aug/Sep 2011.


PER-SFO/LGA-YYZ/YUL-MUC-NRT-PER
(I'll be making my own way across the US and from Toronto to Montreal.)


This requires me to pass through LHR twice which I'm guessing explains the fairly high Charges/Taxes of $888.23. Any idea how I might reduce that such as a way to fly from Europe to NRT without going through LHR?
Would I be right in saying that that with those fines the value of my 140 000 points works out to around $1200 comparing to a fully paid RTW?

Cheers!

 

[gilly]

Also the LGA-YYZ could easily be JFK-YYZ if I want but does JFK generally have higher taxes of the two? Are there any other significant pros and cons between those two? I've never been to either.

 

[dfcatch]

The fines are applicable on top of a paid RTW as well. So your 140,000 points value is the base cost of the RTW ticket if that helps you compare.

Although IIRC a paid OW Explorer is more flexible than an award, is more easily available (books into L inventory rather than award X), and if course allows up to 16 segments and unlimited stopovers.

I've done both JFK and LGA to YYZ. Not sure of a big cost difference on fines but LHR is a big one. JFK is a much nicer airport to fly from, but is a zoo compared to LGA. IIRC there are more flights to YYZ from JFK.

 

[gilly]

Thanks for that dfcatch!

I have just found that substituting MUC with FRA means I can go via MAD when crossing the Atlantic and avoid LHR on that segment and this reduces fines to $748.23.

Frankfurt is more central to where I want to go anyway but will certainly still be timing a visit to Munich right in the middle of Oktoberfest.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Are you able to fly out of Europe on a JAL flight from another city, such as Paris or Frankfurt?

 

[gilly]

Are you able to fly out of Europe on a JAL flight from another city, such as Paris or Frankfurt?

I thought that would be available but the Qantas booking engine kept trying to send me via LHR on BA - I phoned Qantas and discovered that's because JAL don't participate in the online booking so don't show up there.

I might just end up having to sacrifice the $60 to book it over the phone with the experts rather than online. Hard to know which works out better but I'll keep mucking around with options.

 

[Cocitus23]

Hi gilly,

I get the impression that you have only been using the Qantas site, and not the One World site. I have researched numerous RTW itineraries, using the tools on the One World site, and I have found them to be extremely useful. You can quickly see which airports are served by a OW carrier, and which airports are directly connected to any given airport. I rarely get a complete itinerary correct first time, but with a little play it is not too difficult. Then when I have what I think is an itinerary which suits me and obeys all their rules, my practice has been to take into Qantas and work through it with my preferred Qantas agent. Maybe this last step is unnecessary, as I could simply make reservations there and then on the OW site. But I am always anxious that I might have screwed something up.

By the way, I recently did the link MUC-MAD-JFK, not specifically to avoid LHR, but I was glad that's the way it worked out.

Concerning JFK/LGA etc, just be aware that OW considers (unfairly, in my opinion) a transit between two airports in the same city to be one of your 16 allowable legs.

By the way, maybe I am just an irritable old sod, but I found the continual reference in this thread to fees and taxes as "fines" just silly and annoying. I know, I know, it started as a joke, but it's becoming a little tedious, at least to me. And I don't like paying them any more than you do!

Happy planning,

Cocitus23.

 

[dfcatch]

Hi gilly,

I get the impression that you have only been using the Qantas site, and not the One World site. I have researched numerous RTW itineraries, using the tools on the One World site, and I have found them to be extremely useful. You can quickly see which airports are served by a OW carrier, and which airports are directly connected to any given airport. I rarely get a complete itinerary correct first time, but with a little play it is not too difficult. Then when I have what I think is an itinerary which suits me and obeys all their rules, my practice has been to take into Qantas and work through it with my preferred Qantas agent. Maybe this last step is unnecessary, as I could simply make reservations there and then on the OW site. But I am always anxious that I might have screwed something up.

By the way, I recently did the link MUC-MAD-JFK, not specifically to avoid LHR, but I was glad that's the way it worked out.

Concerning JFK/LGA etc, just be aware that OW considers (unfairly, in my opinion) a transit between two airports in the same city to be one of your 16 allowable legs.

By the way, maybe I am just an irritable old sod, but I found the continual reference in this thread to fees and taxes as "fines" just silly and annoying. I know, I know, it started as a joke, but it's becoming a little tedious, at least to me. And I don't like paying them any more than you do!

Happy planning,

Cocitus23.

The fees and taxes are indeed fees and taxes.

However the QF-imposed fuel fines (AKA levies), are in fact fines for booking through QF.

No such fines are imposed when booking through AA. Naturally, all taxes still apply

 

[JohnK]

It must be that time of year again because I'm brewing up plans for the next big holiday.

And some of us are constantly dreaming of/planning our next holiday.

This requires me to pass through LHR twice which I'm guessing explains the fairly high Charges/Taxes of $888.23. Any idea how I might reduce that such as a way to fly from Europe to NRT without going through LHR?

I believe it is possible to go MUC-HEL-NRT and avoid LHR.

Would I be right in saying that that with those fines the value of my 140 000 points works out to around $1200 comparing to a fully paid RTW?

I value a Oneworld award at ~$3,000 not including additional taxes and surcharges especially if travelling during peak times.

I know a Oneworld Explorer is more flexible but can cost $4,500+ if started from Australia. I seem to max out Oneworld awards anyway so I get good value out of them. YMMV....

 

[gilly]

Thanks for everyone's help.
I have booked it all up a few days ago now so it's just a waiting game.

PER-SFO/surface sector/LGA-YYZ/surface sector/YUL-TXL/surface sector/FRA-NRT-PER

It was a cost of 140 000 points plus $730.83 taxes and the $60 phone booking fee.

I will do a brief trip report once it's finished if anyone's interested.

Cheers

 

[Grooba]

Trip reports are always appreciated.