Detail on using the AA RTW Desk

[serfty]

OK, it was queued. I sent another fax asking and was promptly contacted. No problems, it's gunna require paper ticketing and they are getting around to it either later this week or next.

It seems the pricing and rules will hold due to whatever action causes 'ticketed <no date>' being applied last week.

 

[simongr]

Good work - once you have done it once and got past the stress of the unknown in future it will be a lot easier

 

[Dave Noble]

OK, it was queued. I sent another fax asking and was promptly contacted. No problems, it's gunna require paper ticketing and they are getting around to it either later this week or next.

It seems the pricing and rules will hold due to whatever action causes 'ticketed <no date>' being applied last week.

With a paper ticket, it will not go to 'Ticketed - mm/dd/yy' , that is only for etickets. Once paid for and the status changing from "on hold" to "purchased" or "ticketed", you should be fine

Dave

 

[serfty]

I received a call from AA in SYD yesterday afternoon. The agent was quite relieved that she had finally writeen out the paper ticket (17 segs, 3 'surface" - JFK-LGA, LHR-LGW & LGW-LHR).

It took just over two weeks for them to write the ticket and hit my CC (that I confirmed this morning.)

FWIW, our routing for this is:

June: MEL-{N/A}-{Eur}-SIN (Upgradeable fare SIN-MEL-SIN on QF ~AUD850 pp)

Apr: SIN-{Asia}-SYD (red e-deals SYD-MEL,MEL-SYD)

May: SYD-CNS-MEL (Oz Fest VI?)

 

[Chucksta]

MEL-xSYD-JFK,
JFK-xORD-SEA,
SEA-xDFW-ORD-LHR,
LGW-DBV,
DBV-xLGW/xLHR-SIN

(A separate SIN-MEL-SIN will get us home)

April 2009 (will book dummy dates and change in May):

SIN-HKG-BKK,
BKK-HKG,
HKG-NRT,
NRT-SYD

(Separate SYD-MEL-SYD red e-deal)

SYD-CNS
CNS-MEL

Hi Serfty,

Have you worked out how many SC you will get for each trip? Looks like you have split up a DONE4 into 3 different trips? Well done!!!... looks like something I would want to do.

 

[serfty]

Hi Serfty,

Have you worked out how many SC you will get for each trip? Looks like you have split up a DONE4 into 3 different trips? Well done!!!... looks like something I would want to do.

The bookings are actually LHONE4's. Confirmed upgrades on AA flight (15k x 2 x 2 AAdvantage points) and waitlisted for Upgrades on QF SYD-LAX,LAX-JFK,LHR-SIN & SIN-MEL (if all come through, that's 192K QFF points per person). Only concern is BA from ORD-LHR, but we have exit row seats "preselected".

 

[serfty]

The tickets have arrived!

Each is actually made up of 5 x 4 voucher booklets stapled together.

Stuck onto the back of each voucher and the carbon is the basic fare/tax construction:

BASE FARE               TAXES     TOTAL
AUD3484.00              369.10XT  AUD3853.10ADT
XT 33.80US 6.00YC 7.70XY 5.50XA 11.00AY 38.00AU 15.04QR 6.92QR 9.06QR 9.00WG 45.28WY
58.70UB 21.30HR 16.60SG 34.00HK 25.20TS 21.00SW 5.00XF

MEL QF X/SYD QF NYC AA X/CHI AA SEA AA X/DFW AA X/CHI BA X/
LON BA DBV BA X/LON QF SIN CX HKG CX BKK Q4.70 CX HKG CX TYO
QF SYD QF CNS QF MEL3470.00LHONE4 AUD3483.70END XFORD4.5

It's interesting to see to use of co-terminals where available (e.g. CHI rather than ORD). That would make any necessary changes easier (e.g. depart JFK rather than LGA as booked).

 

[serfty]

With a paper ticket, it will not go to 'Ticketed - mm/dd/yy' , that is only for etickets. Once paid for and the status changing from "on hold" to "purchased" or "ticketed", you should be fine ...

Cheers ... Given that I have the tickets in my mits and it's still showing "Ticketed {no date}" online, this would appear the be the case.

 

[Petch]

AA RTW Desk - from go to woe

Thanks serfty for this go to woe "trip report style" thread on booking with AA... very inspiring stuff!

 

[serfty]

... go to woe ...

While it may be inspiring, I hope you mean Whoa rather than woe .. :shock:

 

[Petch]

While it may be inspiring, I hope you mean Whoa rather than woe .. :shock:

2 B sure

 

[serfty]

OK, got 60K AAdvantage points ready to be spent on upgrading across the USA and back.

Two calls, even armed with ticket numbers, have produced no luck as the people at AAdvantage in the USA cannot "SEE" any image of the tickets. They can see the booking and the segments, but until they can "SEE" an image of the tickets, they cannot complete the task.

Everything else is fine to go.

The last guy has put the upgrades in with a 24 hours hold while I try to contact AAdvantage in Oz.

The IndiAAn nubmer is hopeless for this; I've tried twice and abandoned each time, both in frustration and concern they might stuff up the bookings some how.

Can someone advise (PM) me a direct phone number for AA in Sydney so I can contact them for assistance? I have one number but it goes to voice mail with a direction to either call IndiAA or leave a message. I have left two messages but have had no reply.

 

[NM]

Two calls, even armed with ticket numbers, have produced no luck as the people at AAdvantage in the USA cannot "SEE" any image of the tickets. They can see the booking and the segments, but until they can "SEE" an image of the tickets, they cannot complete the task.

Is this an e-ticket or paper ticket? I assume its 001 ticket number. If so, its strange they cannot see it.

 

[serfty]

Both paper tickets with 001- prefixes.

(20 Seg: 17 flight, 3 co-terminal)

 

[NM]

Both paper tickets with 001- prefixes.

(20 Seg: 17 flight, 3 co-terminal)

Then the paper may well be the problem. Be sure to note to the AAgent that its paper ticket as they may be looking for an e-ticket. But I somehow expect you already know that and have made it clear.

 

[serfty]

... But I somehow expect you already know that and have made it clear.

Yup!

I'm not panicking yet, all segments are still showing A7's (&P7's).

I have sent a fax to them; I hope this generates a response ...

 

[serfty]

A response it did ...

Nice call from them, they immediately knew what the problem, was.

What seemed to make it easier was that the AAdvantage AAgent I spoke to this morning had 'set the whole thing up' and all that was required was for an AA Staff member to have physical access to sight the coupons and to revalidate/attach stickers.

Two option were offered:

1. Show the tickets to an AAgent ASAP after arriving in the USA, or
2. Send the paper tickets back to AA in Sydney.

I chose the latter as there is still 9 weeks before we travel - plenty of time.

The upgrades are already showing on AA.com and I have reselected first class seating.

The tickets have been returned by mail; should be back some time next week.

Somehow in all this we have moved a flight; now have a 1 hour cnx in DFW rather than 2¼ with the additional time now scheduled for ORD. I'll ponder whether to fix it; this does give additional time for the ORD F/L and maybe a shower ether at the ORD A/C or BA Flounge in T5. (Of course I need to balance that with the greater risk of a mis-connection).

 

[Will]

Sorry to ask a question that goes back to the beginning, but can I book a LONE4 over the phone with AA that leaves from MEL? I thought there were some restrictions on what currency and price the product was sold at, based on the country of departure, ie if it originates in Aus, it must be ticketed in AUD at Australian prices. :?:

 

[Keith009]

Sorry to ask a question that goes back to the beginning, but can I book a LONE4 over the phone with AA that leaves from MEL? I thought there were some restrictions on what currency and price the product was sold at, based on the country of departure, ie if it originates in Aus, it must be ticketed in AUD at Australian prices. :?:

It doesn't matter where you book the itinerary, what's important is where your ticket is purchased.

As serfty has described, simply call the ATW Desk in Dallas to book your seats. Tell them that you're purchasing the ticket in Australia and it'd be priced at the Australian fare. Then call AA Sydney to purchase and ticket your itinerary.

Do as much of the complicated stuff with Dallas as possible as the ATW desk agents are specially trained on such products. The only thing you should be getting AA SYD to do is take payment and issue the ticket.

 

[serfty]

Sorry to ask a question that goes back to the beginning, but can I book a LONE4 over the phone with AA that leaves from MEL? I thought there were some restrictions on what currency and price the product was sold at, based on the country of departure, ie if it originates in Aus, it must be ticketed in AUD at Australian prices. :?:

The LHONE4 booking process described in this thread is ex MEL! And it has been ticketed "in AUD at Australian prices".

The thing about LONEx's ex Oz is that they are generally less expensive than most others originating other parts of the world. Any difference is minimal (e.g. Starting in NZ is ~AUD400 less expensive; however it may cost more to get there to start).

Here a link to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet with some good comparison information:

• WearyBizTrvlr's RTW comparison spreadsheet

Now pricing ex Oz for Business/First Class ATW's are relatively high and can be several thousand dollars more expensive than commencing elswhere. (MNL for example).