Impending Star Alliance Rtw Fare Increase

[Bundy Bear]

What is the price for business class, if there is a special for business class.

Ok well here is the scoop. Continent based OneWorld round the worlds go on sale from 1 Feb for 10 weeks, in conjunction with OW's 10th anniversary. Have a guess at the percentage off discount??
This means you can get a 4 continent RTW with up to 16 segments for around $3800 with taxes in low season. great value considering the Star fare will now be $4200+ taxes! so around $5k for a 5-10 stop, 29000 mile fare.

FYI They always count Aus/South West Pacific as a continent because you can stopover domestically/NZ/Fiji

NB this sale doesn't include the 26k mile global explorer which is their 3-5 stop itinerary which usually comes in around $3500 with taxes in low season, unless you do it on the Qantas/OW website where Qantas has paid huge amount of dollars in technology to try and get you to pay their fuel surcharges, i can help you avoid these tho.

[OW high season add $300 to explorer fares, $200 to continent fares. for departures 28/5 - 15/8 and 1/12-24/12.]

 

[serfty]

... I have moved posts relevant to the oneworld 10% sale to a new thread:

• http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/travel-news/10-discount-oneworld-rtw-fares-16138.html

 

[Ozzy-Don]

Probably a silly question, but how long does it take, from zero to book a RTW? I have my Starting date, an almost solid itinerary and the money - can I just front up to an agent and book? The unfortunate part is I only have 30th and 31st Jan left!

 

[mat1984]

Probably a silly question, but how long does it take, from zero to book a RTW? I have my Starting date, an almost solid itinerary and the money - can I just front up to an agent and book? The unfortunate part is I only have 30th and 31st Jan left!

takes 5 mins if you know what you are doing what's your route?

 

[simongr]

Having checked the route and availability it once took me 7 mins on the phone to book a RTW trip.

 

[Ozzy-Don]

Just put my itinerary into the SA RTW on-line calculator (works well) and have a trip that's VALID and 26,346 miles. Now for the money side of things. I take it these things are not very negotiable... My itinerary is:

MEL>BOS>LGA, PHL>BHX>CDG>SIN>MEL

Thanks for all your help!

 

[mat1984]

J
MEL>BOS>LGA, PHL>BHX>CDG>SIN>MEL

Thanks for all your help!

as long as you did this route and made your own way from BHX - PAR [LCC?] then u can get it under 26k miles which shaves off $500.
route would be
MEL AKL LAX [NZ]
LAX BOS [UA]
BOS NYC [UA]
NYC PHL [US]
PHL BHX [US]
surfare to PAR
PAR SIN MEL [SQ]

we can do it for you for $3447 with taxes but today is the last day.

 

[docjames]

Doesnt UA do MEL-LAX diect at the moment?
Would that shave some miles off?

 

[mat1984]

UA fly MEL - LAX as a direct flight number but it transits via Syd. that shaves off miles but the easier way is to make own arrangements BHX - PAR and that way you can fly Air NZ who are much much better than UA. saying that MEL LAX on UA is 7944 miles, MEL AKL LAX is 8165 so it still wouldnt quite be enough miles to bring him under 26k if he wanted to fly BHX PAR via DUS/FRA/ZRH I'm assuming as no Star Alliance direct flights from LON or BHX. Damn British Midlands pulling out of the LON PAR route...

FlyBe would have a cheap direct flight BHX - PAR as well

 

[Ozzy-Don]

The deed is done and the CC has been swiped so all WILL be well.

MEL>BOS>LGA, PHL>BHX>CDG>SIN>MEL

MEL>BOS>LGA with UA, PHL>BHX by US Airways, BHX>CDG by LUF and CDG>FRA by LUF then FRA>SIN>MEL by SG

Total is 25,485 miles and ticket cost, inc taxes = $3,549

Apparently ther is a US$500 surcharge for using the A380 hence the need to return via FRA in a 747.

Again thanks for your help - it was as easy as you all advised!

 

[mat1984]

Apparently ther is a US$500 surcharge for using the A380 hence the need to return via FRA in a 747.

Again thanks for your help - it was as easy as you all advised!

That's not quite right, the surcharge only exists if you are in business or first class. Spewing you'll miss out on the A380! quick call them and get them to change it before it gets ticketed!

u could have got it for $3400... -Air NZ via AKL is much more comfy than UA via Syd...just having a TV alone is worth it and AKL is easier to transit than Syd...

with UA ask for a free upgrade to premium economy at check in. its always empty and gives you 5 inches more legroom

 

[SeaWolf]

That's not quite right, the surcharge only exists if you are in business or first class. Spewing you'll miss out on the A380! quick call them and get them to change it before it gets ticketed!

u could have got it for $3400... -Air NZ via AKL is much more comfy than UA via Syd...just having a TV alone is worth it and AKL is easier to transit than Syd...

with UA ask for a free upgrade to premium economy at check in. its always empty and gives you 5 inches more legroom

Isn't UA in the process of upgrading its long-haul fleet with TV's and better Business seats etc.?

 

[mat1984]

Isn't UA in the process of upgrading its long-haul fleet with TV's and better Business seats etc.?

yeah currently on about 20% of their planes so its pot luck...their new business class is still 5 yrs behind other airlines. even then u still get the burly old bitties for hosties who are the only US based service people to be in a service job but not get tips so they take it out on the customers....

check out the horror stories

UNITED AIRLINES Reviews and United Airlines Passenger opinions about UAL United Airlines standards

 

[clifford]

with UA ask for a free upgrade to premium economy at check in. its always empty and gives you 5 inches more legroom

Sorry, but there is next to no chance you will get a FREE upgrade to Economy Plus. UA is very strict on this, and will ask you to pay for the upgrade (maybe $100-200?). As for upgrading their 747's with PTV's, this is not being done for any seats in any economy class section. They are only upgrading F/C classes.

FWIW, I have booked a Star "RTW" in C class using my Mileage Plus miles (have to fly on JQ to HNL to start it though). Total cost is only a few hundred dollars.

Itinerary is HNL-LAX-YVR-LHR-FRA-BLR-SIN-SYD. My choice of cities...

 

[aybee]

Total is 25,485 miles and ticket cost, inc taxes = $3,549

Apparently ther is a US$500 surcharge for using the A380 hence the need to return via FRA in a 747.

That surcharge is only for Business Class though. I'd use the free change permitted and swap to the A380 if that floats your boat.

 

[NYCguy]

yeah currently on about 20% of their planes so its pot luck...their new business class is still 5 yrs behind other airlines. even then u still get the burly old bitties for hosties who are the only US based service people to be in a service job but not get tips so they take it out on the customers....

check out the horror stories

UNITED AIRLINES Reviews and United Airlines Passenger opinions about UAL United Airlines standards

Ahh, SkyTrash, the home of the bitter-and-twisted economy passenger who is disgusted that they didn't get treated like the Sultan of Brunei just because they paid the princely sum of US$600 for a return ticket from ORD to CDG. And the indignation of having to sit in a cabin with 9-abreast seats and only 31" of leg-room! Horror! "My husband is 6'3 and was very uncomfortable for the entire flight". Well, that's economy for you. If you want a deluxe ride, buy a more expensive ticket. Airlines treat you better when you buy expensive tickets.

As a two-million-miler on UA, I'm constantly bemused by the folkloric tales of wicked-stepmother-type FAs. Sure, a lot of them are old and a little crusty, but a smile in their direction and a general demeanor of being a civilised human being (including "please" and "thank-you") when dealing with them goes a long way. There are lots of great characters working the cabins on long-haul UA routes, and they can be much more entertaining than the synthetically-affable robots on many Asian carriers.

The new first class 'suite' is a vast improvement on the old one and is, in my opinion, superior to the QF seat on the 744 fleet. I have done a IAD-EZE sector in C, and it's very comfortable. It is noteworthy that even the "newest generation" C seats aboard SQ and CX and the like have their detractors, and are variously described as being very uncomfortable in the sitting position (SQ) or too narrow for anglo-saxon shoulders and posteriors (CX).

UA's services between MEL/SYD and SFO/LAX are pretty-much exclusively reconfigured aircraft these days. Avoid the 777 fleet if you wish to avoid the "old" C, but keep in mind that even that is much more comfortable than Y. Or Y+. United might not be a "perfect" airline, but it's no Iberia or Alitalia either.

 

[Evan]

<..>
As a two-million-miler on UA, I'm constantly bemused by the folkloric tales of wicked-stepmother-type FAs. Sure, a lot of them are old and a little crusty, but a smile in their direction and a general demeanor of being a civilised human being (including "please" and "thank-you") when dealing with them goes a long way. There are lots of great characters working the cabins on long-haul UA routes, and they can be much more entertaining than the synthetically-affable robots on many Asian carriers.
<..>

Don't a lot of people say the same sort of thing about LH crew ? and i have never had a problem with them, i am sure UA would be the same. Be polite and get treated like a human be an asshole and expect to get treated like one.

E

 

[NYCguy]

Don't a lot of people say the same sort of thing about LH crew ? and i have never had a problem with them, i am sure UA would be the same. Be polite and get treated like a human be an asshole and expect to get treated like one.

E

Precisely. I have witnessed innumerable episodes of puerile, brattish behavior from passengers, the majority of which have been dealt with diplomatically and professionally by crews who are otherwise derided on the basis of anecdotal reports read on notoriously subjective and unreliable websites.