is the MH/VS RTW fare as stupid as it seems?

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aspro2

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Nov 26, 2004
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Hi all. Until today, I've been considering an MH/VS RTW business fare ex MEL which is a real bargain at a little more than AUD5000. I noticed a point in the fare rules which says that KUL can only be transited once. I assumed that this meant one could transit once and would have to do a stopover on the way back (as MH serves MEL and VS doesn't, KUL is the only option). I checked with my TA today and she spoke to MH. Apparently my assumption is wrong, and the *only* viable routing for this fare is SYD-HKG-LON(VS) -LAX-KUL-MEL(MH) or vv.

I had also thought originally about doing a bit of mileage maximisation by trying:
MEL-KUL-TYO(MH)-LON-LAX(VS)-KUL-MEL(MH)
but they claim that flying via TYO would be backtracking!

Any wisdom from folks here, or is this a truly bullsh1t fare?
 
Its a good fare if all you need to visit are HKG, LON, LAX and KUL (in that order of the exact reverse). Adding a separate MEL-SYD or SYD-MEL is not going to add much to the cost, but will be a separate ticket to could have some issues around baggage and connection protection.

If you want to visit other places then its not looking so good. So its not going to be of much use to many people, and anyone outside Sydney is going to have the same problem with an open-jaw.
 
Interesting, on Best Flights this fare is listed, but it states:
Fly in business class with Malaysia Airlines up to Kuala Lumpur and then onto the UK/Europe. You will then fly Virgin Atlantic from London to the USA and back to Australia via Kuala Lumpur

Could be an error, as that is just in the publicity blurb.

Also of note is a RTW fare available solely on SQ (+MI), for around $6K, which definitely does allow transits of SIN twice (.... well there ain't any alternative...)
 
Thanks for your comments NM!

dajop said:
Interesting, on Best Flights this fare is listed, but it states:
Fly in business class with Malaysia Airlines up to Kuala Lumpur and then onto the UK/Europe. You will then fly Virgin Atlantic from London to the USA and back to Australia via Kuala Lumpur

Could be an error, as that is just in the publicity blurb.

Yes, dajop, i think that was what originally made me interested in the fare :x
 
Does the fare allow codeshare flights? VS codeshares some SQ & NZ flights.
 
Kiwi Flyer said:
Does the fare allow codeshare flights? VS codeshares some SQ & NZ flights.

A large swathe of VS codeshares are excluded, including the SYD-MEL vv DJ flights which VS uses as feeders for its Sydney dep/arr. Haven't checked the specifics routes for the full codeshare range.
 
I was thinking more in terms of longhaul codeshares which may open up more routing options.
 
aspro2 said:
... and the *only* viable routing for this fare is SYD-HKG-LON(VS) -LAX-KUL-MEL(MH) or vv.

The only other routing from Australia I could think of was PER-KCH-BKI-HKG-LHR-LAX-KUL-PER/SYD/MEL/ADL/BNE.
 
Kiwi Flyer said:
I was thinking more in terms of longhaul codeshares which may open up more routing options.

Yes, i realised that Kiwi Flyer:). The DJ flights were the only ones I knew concretely at the time of my last reply. The exclusion is VS2000-5999 AND VS7000-9999, which encompasses the SQ flights to LON/MAN. Haven't yet found which NZ flights also have VS numbers.

Dajop: nice routing, thanks... pity about the gap between MEL and PER but still interesting.
 
NM said:
Its a good fare if all you need to visit are HKG, LON, LAX and KUL (in that order of the exact reverse).
Note that MH will/ should (?) throw in a free sidetrip to Penang or Langkawi if you stop-over in KUL. For a bit of sun & sand, it's a nice extra.
 
Hi aspro, I'm not sure if you've told us where you really want to go and what you would like to do with any FF points gained.

If you could be a bit more specific we could probably turn up some quite interesting options for you (might be a bit unconventional though).

As a matter of interest, I'm currently sitting in the SQ Silver Kris lounge in Singapore awaiting my flight to SYD, the last leg of an (almost) round the world trip in business class.

It was round the world in the literal sense, but not in the accepted sense.
Routing was SYD-SIN-CMB-MLE-DXB-BKK-LAX-JFK-BKK-CMB-SIN-SYD, You might wonder what happened to Europe. Well on the JFK-BKK sector, we did fly over Greenland, Finland, Norway, Russia, etc, but not sure if that counts.

:)
 
clifford said:
Hi aspro, I'm not sure if you've told us where you really want to go and what you would like to do with any FF points gained.

If you could be a bit more specific we could probably turn up some quite interesting options for you (might be a bit unconventional though).:)

Hi Clifford:) Thanks for your response. Loved the routing! I want to hit LAX or SFO and a European port in France, Italy, UK or Germany in Sept/Oct (intraeurope can be LCC or others, so not as big an issue). The biggest problem is the budget--very tight if I want to fly J--which is why the MH/VS fare looked interesting at first. There's an LHUATG fare which is only a little more (and possibly works out similar in total to the MH/VS one, as MH's surcharges seem to be considerably higher than some other carriers, while the LHTGUA includes two coupons in Europe).

Had a look at the rather uninspiring idea of an upgradeable Y ticket MEL-LAX-LON on UA (AUD 3676, H class), and applying my measly miles balance to MEL-LAX-MEL for upgrades. Not feeling enthusiastic about that.

None of these options permit much flexibility in routing so I guess the best I might do out of it is enough for an intraeurope or AU-NZ award.
 
Hi Aspro,

Your best bet might be to go through BKK where you can get a BKK-LHR return ticket in Bus class for approx USD 1694 on Emirates (a very nice airline). A cheap Y class ticket to BKK should set you back approx AUD 900. If you really want to go to the USA, you could probably get a cheapish ticket LON-LAX-LON from one of the UK bucket shops (eg eBookers.com).

Have a look at http://www.traveltech2000.com, might give you a few ideas.

Regards,
clifford.
 
clifford said:
Your best bet might be to go through BKK where you can get a BKK-LHR return ticket in Bus class for approx USD 1694 on Emirates (a very nice airline).

Thanks again clifford. Looks like some very creative planning is in order:)
 
Hi Guys,

Sorry to revive an old thread :) But i am actually looking at this fare now. For my end of 2007 holidays. Sadly the fare has gone up quite a bit but i think still not a bad deal. its $7799 ex tax.

Anyone been on this fare before and could anyone tell me what the taxes are? $700?

Now i think it might be still unclear on what routes are allowed, but maybe someone on here who has bought this ticket can help. Calling MH and bestflights i get 2 different answers!

The route i am thinking of doing is:

SYD-KUL-NRT with MH
NRT-LHR-SFO with VS
Make my own way to lax
LAX-TPE-KUL-SYD with MH

Do you think this routing is possible? Also the exact opposite:

SYD-KUL-LAX with MH
LAX-LHR-NRT with VS
NRT-KUL-SYD with MH

Cheers,
Kenn.
 
Given this fare was available over 17 months ago, it may no longer be around. If it is still available, its price may have altered significantly.
 
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The $7999 fare is a standard MH fare. Rules from EF are

Code:
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED . NOTE - A- ALL TRAVEL MUST BE ON THE SERVICES OF MH/VS. 

EXCEPTIONS - VS CODESHARE SERVICES - FLIGHTS VS 2000-5999/ VS 7000-9999 CAN NOT BE 
USED. 
B- PASSENGERS MAY ENPLANE AND DEPLANE AT THE FOLLOWING POINTS VIA THE SERVICES OF
MH INDICATED BELOW SUBJECT TO THE STOPOVER CONDITIONS AND ROUTING CONDITIONS. 
POINTS OF ENPLANEMENT AND DEPLANEMENT FOR CXR 
MH. 1- NORTH AMERICA- LAX/NYC 
2- EUROPE- LON/MAN/AMS/FRA/PAR/IST/ROM/VIE/ZRH 
3- MIDDLE EAST- DXB/BEY/CAI 
4- ASIA- BKI/BKK/CEB/cough/HKG/KHH/KUL/KCH/MNL/NGO/ 
OSA/PEN/SEL/SIN/TPE/TYO/SHA/DEL/MAA/BLR/ BOM/HYD 
5- S.W. PACIFIC- ADL/BNE/MEL/PER. /I/-SYD-APPLICABLE TO SIDE TRIPS AS PER PARAGRAPH
 /A/ /2/ /B/. /II/ AKL- APPLICABLE TO SIDE TRIPS AS PER PARAGRAPH /A/ /2/ /B/. 
6- AFRICA- JNB/CPT C- FARES GOVERNED BY THIS RULE ONLY APPLY TO THE SERVICES OF MH. 
PASSENGERS MAY BE ENPLANED AT POINTS NAMED IN THE ROUTING CHART PARAGRAPH 
/L/ /1/ /B/ HOWEVER TRAVEL AT THESE FARES MAY ONLY ORIGINATE AT THE POINTS NAMED IN 
PARAGRAPH /A/ /2/ /A/. 

2- TRAVEL MUST BE IN A CONTINUOUS GLOBAL DIRECTION AROUND-THE-WORLD- EITHER 
EASTBOUND OR WESTBOUND. NORTHBOUND AND/OR SOUTHBOUND DEVIATIONS WILL BE 
AT THE CARRIERS DISCRETION. THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL CANNOT BE REVERSED - 
BACKTRACKING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED AND NO CITY IS TO BE TRANSITTED MORE THAN 
ONCE UNLESS AN ADDITIONAL SIDE TRIP ASSESSED. 

EXCEPTION 1- FOR TRAVEL TO/FROM- BKK/PEN/SIN VIA- KUL ONLY ONE SIDE TRIP WILL BE 
PERMITTED WITH NOT MORE THAN ONE STOPOVER PERMITTED AT KUL. 
EXCEPTION 2- FOR TRAVEL ORIGINATING/TERMINATING BKI/KCH/PEN/ SIN/AUSTRALIA- KUL 
MAY BE TRANSITTED TWICE BUT ONLY ONE STOPOVER PERMITTED AT KUL. 

3- TRAVEL MUST BE ON SECTORS OPERATED BY MH AS INDICATED IN /L/ /1/. 
ALL TRAVEL IS SUBJECT TO CARRIERS CURRENT OPERATED SCHEDULES AND AUTHORISED 
ROUTE AUTHORITY. PASSENGERS MAY NOT BE BOARDED OR DEPLANED BETWEEN POINTS 
WHERE CARRIERS HAVE NO TRAFFIC RIGHTS. 

4- TRAVEL MUST COMMENCE AND TERMINATE IN THE SAME COUNTRY EXCEPT WHERE THE 
APPLICABLE ROUTING DOES NOT PERMIT A COMPLETE ROUND-THE-WORLD JOURNEY DUE 
TO CURRENT OPERATED SCHEDULES OR CURRENT ROUTE AUTHORITY. 

5- TRAVEL MAY BE VIA CARRIERS OTHER THAN THOSE PARTICIPATIONG IN THIS RULE OR VIA 
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION - HOWEVER SUCH TRAVEL IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE THROUGH FARE 
AND IS SOLELY AT THE PASSENGERS EXPENSE. THE POINT AT WHICH TRAVEL RESUMES ON THE 
THROUGH FARE - AFTER THE EXCLUDED TRAVEL- MUST BE A POINT WHICH CONTINUES IN THE SAME 
GLOBAL DIRECTION TRAVEL ORIGINATED.
 
aspro2 said:
Hi all. Until today, I've been considering an MH/VS RTW business fare ex MEL which is a real bargain at a little more than AUD5000.. ...
$7999 :shock:

Well, it certainly has gone up in price.
 
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