DONE 4 queries.

[gilby08]

Hey Guys,

I am currently looking to do a RTW trip some time next year.
At the moment i have got the current routing;

AKL-SYD-SIN-LHR-HEL-LON--LHR-YVR-LGA-DFW-COS-DFW-AUS-LAX-MEL-AKL

Just wondering if there was a way to maximise the SC's and also the cheapest way to purchase this, have checked out a few of the xONE tools. When i do this trip i will only be a SG, but it seems this won't even make me WP again?

Have done it from AKL as it seems to be the cheapest routing as it is all self-funded, and have limited funds

Areas i want to go to are, SIN, LHR, TXR, JFK(lga), DFW, COS, YVR.

 

[tuapekastar]

gilby08, not sure what HEL-LON-LHR-YVR is supposed to represent, I think you've doubled up on London. Also, no OW service YVR-LGA AFAICT.

So, dropping out the extra London, and changing LGA to JFK, the trip as is should earn you 1380 SCs, which of course is 20 SCs shy of WP.

Your routing is reasonably good for maximisation of SCs, and you have 2 extra segs to add. If you have to go to LGA then you will need to fiddle things a little.

As for purchasing in NZ, I managed to do so, but only after some anxious moments regarding rule interpretation.

Anyway, have another play with adding a couple of segments somewhere, then if you really want to squeeze it for more SCs then I'm sure we can assist. If you just want WP out of it you're pretty much there (in fact, if you position to NZ using QF, then you already have it, assuming your FF anniversary does not fall during the trip)

PS. To purchase, validate your routing and availability via OW tool, then ring AA around the world desk (I don't have the number handy, but it's out there), and barring problems, 10 or 15 minutes should have it booked. They will then send it for 'pricing' (request it in NZD) and you need to call back ~24 hours later to get the price. Next comes the interesting bit. Call AA NZ (again the number is out there ) and say you want to ticket it (i.e. pay for it), The first person I got wanted to charge me the ex-AU price (this is where the 'contentious' rule is up for interpretation). I said hang five, and called a couple of days later and got someone else who said 'fine',and did it without question.

 

[gilby08]

gilby08, not sure what HEL-LON-LHR-YVR is supposed to represent, I think you've doubled up on London. Also, no OW service YVR-LGA AFAICT.

Yer with the LHR and similar still playing around with it all.

So basically play around with the OW tool, find the avails, then call up the AA desk and book it through them.

As it's not possible to do it all on the OW tool with the AA codeshare as the 1st flight?


One more thing, to change the flight dates around what costs are associated with this?

Sorry if i'm sounding stupid!

And to avoid the QF fuel fines, do all other sectors (barring the 1st) have to be codeshare legs or can they then be the QF number?

 

[tuapekastar]

Yer with the LHR and similar still playing around with it all.

So basically play around with the OW tool, find the avails, then call up the AA desk and book it through them.

As it's not possible to do it all on the OW tool with the AA codeshare as the 1st flight?


One more thing, to change the flight dates around what costs are associated with this?

Sorry if i'm sounding stupid!

And to avoid the QF fuel fines, do all other sectors (barring the 1st) have to be codeshare legs or can they then be the QF number?

I'm not sure at the detailed level as far as fuel fines go. My higher level understanding is simply that they're not as much if booked via AA. Someone else may have (and post) that knowledge.

Date changes, AFAIK, are free. But I believe if your date changes actually change a transit into a stopover or vice versa, it counts as an itinerary/routing change and triggers a ticket reissue, which triggers a fee (USD150?) and a repricing, which in turn can mean extra fuel surcharges, depending on who is reissuing the ticket. I'm not being deliberately vague , I just don't know the rules and practises that well. I have simply not touched my ticket (apart from a points upgarde to F on 2 legs) since it was issued.

I could have booked my ticket through AA with only domestic US segments flown on AA (i.e. no AA ocean crossings), there was no apparent requirement to have AA ocean crossings.

I would simply select the flights that suit you (on whichever code), ring and try and book, and have plan B if you can't do what you wish. No pressure to decide on the spot, just take the info on board, re-plan and ring back.

 

[serfty]

... As it's not possible to do it all on the OW tool with the AA codeshare as the 1st flight?...

Correct, the oneworld explorer online tool rejects routings using an AA codeshare as the first SWP segment these days - even though the routing may be valid.

... One more thing, to change the flight dates around what costs are associated with this? ...

If you ticket though AA, and it's simply date/time/carrier changes - none, as long as you continue to use AA. (BTW, AA "NZ" charge an NZD77 service on the initial ticketing.)

...
And to avoid the QF fuel fines, do all other sectors (barring the 1st) have to be codeshare legs or can they then be the QF number?

To avoid QF "Fuel Fines", don't ticket though Qantas.

You can ticket though AA, they will only charge YQ on the segments they market and for which they have a defined YQ charge.

Of course, LA do not have Fuel Fines.