Best place to begin a DONE4

[Skyring]

I'm back in DONE4 territory, planning one for April with the intention of climbing back into the WP comfy seats. Looking at the excellent resources provided by Wandering Aramean here, I can see a lot of places that look to be better starting points than Canberra. For example, a DONE4 from JNB is $6053 and from BOM $8219. Copenhagen at $8018 looks pretty good.

However, on looking into these things, there seems to be all sorts of problems. A hefty tax for luxury products out of India. South Africa requires a DONE5 if I plan to include Australia. That Denmark price has got to be a furphy!

My current thinking is to do a positioning flight to wherever, do a few longish flights in Asia and Europe, make a long leg over the Atlantic to LAX or SFO, do my six legs in the USA where the D seat maps into A, including one transcontinental flight to JFK and then jump on the Sydney plane JFK-LAX-SYD, which counts as one leg. Maybe something like SYD-DRW-CBR, where I'll take a break for eleven months or so before resuming the trip back to my starting point with the intention of starting another from the same spot.

I've got to be in Gothenburg in Sweden in mid April, but that's about the only restriction. I'd also like to hit Chicago, but I figure that any six flights bouncing around the US are going to hit ORD at some point, so that's not a problem.

An intriguing possibility opens up of doing a DONE3 out of CPH ($7426) or BUD ($6569), including both the long JFK-SYD and SYD-LHR (via DXB) legs and having fourteen more flights to play with, once the Emirates thing begins.

I've been browsing threads here and on FT, but some of them go back a long way, and some of them pour cold water on my dreams (like the 12% tax out of India). Knowing this group, I'm sure that many are thinking along the same lines, so I'm wondering if I've missed anything recent by a member here contemplating (or having flown) a xONEx commencing somewhere interesting.

 

[Mwenenzi]

One option is not to have Aust in the xDONx. Start - end in Africa or Asia with positioning flights either paid $ or award / JASA's

 

[v8Statesman]

One does have to ask the question is an AONE4 for $3762++ correct!?!?!

RTW Fares Finder from Seychelles (SEZ)

 

[moa999]

The Seychelles price is a furphy... No oneworld airline flies there so you can't actually book it...
(It is actually a fare from many years ago that would undoubtedly change if a oneworld airline commenced services)

 

[djfuzz]

Very curious as to what you end up doing, Skyring. Had such a pleasant experience booking my DONE4 using the planner and ticketing out of ICN on AA during the 10 year OW sale - seems like those days are very far behind us though.

 

[Sprucegoose]

i am watching this thread very closely!!

 

[Newk]

gawd Skyring, no wonder I didn't come here when we first discussed all "this stuff" years ago. Your post does my head in. Lol I'm still a mere beginner

Catch ya and good luck with the trip planning. It's just a trip too far for me this year

 

[Skyring]

I'm leaning towards a flight to Copenhagen, doing Europe, the US, home to Canberra, and then finishing the trip next year via Asia. That will need a positioning flight to Europe, costing around a thousand in Y, but the plan is to repeat the trip each year. Have to check whether that's enough for WP.

 

[Newk]

I'm leaning towards a flight to Copenhagen, doing Europe, the US, home to Canberra, and then finishing the trip next year via Asia. That will need a positioning flight to Europe, costing around a thousand in Y, but the plan is to repeat the trip each year. Have to check whether that's enough for WP.

nah, get some points in ways discussed here and elsewhere (old Parliament House for example ) and do a JASA.

 

[pmk]

You can still include Australia in a DONE 4 out of South Africa if you omit Asia. This also allows you more flights in Europe than starting fom CPH would if you go SA-EUROPE-USA-AUST-SA. I am just about to book my second from SA and am amazed at the value. I particularly like it because I can fly west all the way and it allows a second holiday with 4 sectors in Australia/Pacific. I will the using the last segment of my previous trip to get me back to SA.

 

[serfty]

Started an ex CMB DONE4 in 2005 for ~USD6000 all up (AA "plated").

Used an economy QFF award for MEL-(QF)-SIN-(CX)-CMB to position.

 

[Skyring]

Thanks all! This thread and this one proved very illuminating, and there are several more that I missed over the past few months that I'm also looking at. The attraction of JNB, apart from the low price, is that yes, i can do a DONE4 from there, include Australia and miss Asia. I've pencilled in a rough draft, run it through mileage monkey and found enough SC to make WP on the second last flight. I'll do some more research and refine it. One problem is that I don't particularly want to fly long out of Heathrow, but I would like to make it to SFO or LAX from Europe so as to max out the mileage there.

 

[BensAdventures]

I'm also in the initial stages of planning a DONE4 out of JNB. I have to be in JNB in May (paid by others in whY), and I was planning to book a J Swiss or Lufthansa Quasi RTW ticket in Nov to do LA & FRA, but now I'll start it in JNB, it will cost me less and get me much closer to LTG! Currently I'm looking at JNB-SYD-MEL-LAX-ORD-LAS-DFW-FRA-LHR-JNB. Depending on final timings, I might try to add another flight in and around the USA, to get as many SC's as possible. My last DONE4 I used every possible USA leg! I really wanted Asia included, but couldn't get it done, mainly due to time constraints. Now to get approval for it!

 

[pmk]

One problem is that I don't particularly want to fly long out of Heathrow, but I would like to make it to SFO or LAX from Europe so as to max out the mileage there.

Skyring, you could consider flying LHR to Seattle, only (9.5 Hours). It is shorter than LHR-LAX etc. and you fly over Greenland (great views if you are lucky). Then you can fly back to anywhere on East Coast as long as you do it 2 sectors (or more) eg via DFW or ORD. You can then fly directly back to LAX from East coast if you want. Did this last year as part of DONE4 and it adds lots of miles!!

Am planning 2 DONE 4s for 2013 at the moment both ex JNB.

 

[Skyring]

Skyring, you could consider flying LHR to Seattle, only (9.5 Hours). It is shorter than LHR-LAX etc. and you fly over Greenland (great views if you are lucky). Then you can fly back to anywhere on East Coast as long as you do it 2 sectors (or more) eg via DFW or ORD. You can then fly directly back to LAX from East coast if you want. Did this last year as part of DONE4 and it adds lots of miles!!

The reason I don't want to fly long out of Heathrow is the extra cost! The longer the flight the better, otherwise. FRA-LAX looks pretty good.

 

[Kangol]

The saving won't be huge, but how about NZ?

 

[Skyring]

The saving won't be huge, but how about NZ?

According to this site (RTW Fare comparison for DONE4), there's a $2 500 saving. Not to be sneezed at, by any means, but compared to the $6 500 saving to be had by starting from South Africa, it kinda pales in comparison. That's $4 000 I can use for other things like car hire, hotels, meals and excursions. There's the cost of positioning flights needed, which offsets the savings a little, but even then it's still a bargain.

And, as I plan to do at least one of these things a year, I just keep on heading back to Joburg as the last leg of the previous DONE4 to start on the next one.

Having said that, I'm a little concerned about conditions in South Africa. I keep hearing about massive security problems, violence, theft and so on. For those who have recently travelled via JNB, what can I expect on arrival? Should I arrange my onward flight so that it's just a transit and I can cower inside the terminal? Or am I going to have to deal with corrupt officials, criminal taxidrivers, hotel staff who will cheat me etc.?

 

[BensAdventures]

The reason I don't want to fly long out of Heathrow is the extra cost! The longer the flight the better, otherwise. FRA-LAX looks pretty good.

I did FRA-DFW to avoid LHR last year on a DONE4, but that's AA, not BA, and I prefer BA's J service. I'd love to avoid LHR at any cost, but a JNB DONE4 doesn't give me that option unfortunately if my 2nd last leg is in Europe.

 

[Danger]

nah, get some points in ways discussed here and elsewhere (old Parliament House for example ) and do a JASA.

Could you share some info on this old Parliament House thingy?

 

[Kangol]

According to this site (RTW Fare comparison for DONE4), there's a $2 500 saving. Not to be sneezed at, by any means, but compared to the $6 500 saving to be had by starting from South Africa, it kinda pales in comparison. That's $4 000 I can use for other things like car hire, hotels, meals and excursions. There's the cost of positioning flights needed, which offsets the savings a little, but even then it's still a bargain.

...

Having said that, I'm a little concerned about conditions in South Africa. I keep hearing about massive security problems, violence, theft and so on.

Only you can decide if $4k is worth your personal safety and wellbeing and convenience of a short hop to NZ.

I haven't checked, but is the $2500 saving in AUD or NZD? Currency conversion would reduce it a bit more, as would booking via the AA desk.

I guess if you want to live your life on the edge by positioning to South Africa, might as well go all out and go somewhere more hostile where there is a war/significant conflict - if it gets you better prices.