LONE4 Itinerary Help!

[angek]

Hi All,

I've just joined this forum after weeks of going through the forum and learning about RTW. I've decided to go with a LONE4 for my upcoming trip.

A bit of a background about myself, I'm a student who will be going on an exchange to the US for a semester to study. I plan to do a bit of travelling in the US before semester starts in August and also some travelling in Europe and Asia before coming back next year. This led me to go with a LONE4, but any suggestions of other products would be kindly appreciated.

I am with QFF and would like to maximise my mileage and SC. I will achieve Gold after the JFK-ORD trip which would be my first time. As I've also been working whilst studying the past year, I've been lucky to be sent domestically quite a few times the past year which has resulted in me achieving Silver, and subsequently Gold in America. So I've jumped from NB to SG in one year and my reassessment is Oct. Does that mean once I hit Gold, I'll be able to attain Gold till October 2011? Anything I should be expecting differently with Gold apart from lounge access which would be good for domestic travel for work once I come back from my trip.

This is what I have thought of as my itinerary:
SYD-JFK-ORD-ANC-ORD-SFO-JKF-xMAD-CAI-MAD-PRG -LHR-SIN-NRT-HKG-PER-SYD

I have some questions about RTW tickets.
- Do I have to book all segments in order to issue the RTW ticket. Right now, I know the dates that I would like to depart for the following sections SYD-JFK-ORD, JFK-xMAD-CAI-MAD, but do I need to know all the dates for each trip in order to have tickets issued? Trips such as ORD-ANC-ORD depends on when I have a break at uni in order for me to do the trip and I will only know when I arrive in Chicago and enrolled in my courses.
-From Syd to JFK, I get to have two baggage travelling on Qantas. Do I have to pay extra baggage for the JFK-ORD leg travelling on AA? Also, what are the airline policy of RTW ticket free checked luggage, in particular, would like to know about Iberia and Cathay.
- I read about purchasing RTW tickets from AA RTW desk which is cheaper. Is that true and what would be the process? Is there other way in getting the ticket cheaper?

I'm pretty sure I will have more questions, so please be patient with me. Thanks

 

[Danger]

Hi angek. I'm no expert but it's been a few hour since you posted so I'll have a go at your questions.

So I've jumped from NB to SG in one year and my reassessment is Oct. Does that mean once I hit Gold, I'll be able to attain Gold till October 2011?

Yes, indeed.

Anything I should be expecting differently with Gold apart from lounge access which would be good for domestic travel for work once I come back from my trip.

Business class check-in counters, regardless of the class of travel. In theory (and pretty much in practice, it would seem), a better choice of seats/seating allocation, business class baggage tags on Qantas domestic flights, 50% points bonus. A full list can be seen here Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Gold Benefits.

This is what I have thought of as my itinerary:
SYD-JFK-ORD-ANC-ORD-SFO-JKF-xMAD-CAI-MAD-PRG -LHR-SIN-NRT-HKG-PER-SYD

Some initial comments. First, you may be able to avoid some higher fuel fines by booking the AA codeshare (AA7365) SYD-JFK. This may also allow you to book through AA, potentially avoiding fairly hefty charges levied by Qantas, but that's a more advanced lesson for professors, not lay teachers like myself!

Second, make sure you book on the AA flight number (eg. AA5678) JFK-MAD or on AA itself (eg. AA94). In other words, avoid IB flight numbers (IB metal itself is fine) to ensure you get a 50% points bonus that applies to QF, AA and BA flights.

Third, if you can, make LHR a transit (less than 24 hours) to reduce their big taxes.

Fourth, you may prefer the routing LHR-NRT-SIN-HKG-PER as NRT-PER is only operated by a 767 meaning no personal IFE (if that's an issue for you). You'll get the same SCs are your proposed routing but slightly less miles.

I have some questions about RTW tickets.
- Do I have to book all segments in order to issue the RTW ticket. Right now, I know the dates that I would like to depart for the following sections SYD-JFK-ORD, JFK-xMAD-CAI-MAD, but do I need to know all the dates for each trip in order to have tickets issued? Trips such as ORD-ANC-ORD depends on when I have a break at uni in order for me to do the trip and I will only know when I arrive in Chicago and enrolled in my courses.

No, you do not need to have dates confirmed. However, you must have the routing confirmed at the time of ticketing as changes to ports (including their order visited) incur charges. Provided your first couple of flights are dated, open dates are permitted. Remember, though, your entire journey must be completed within 12 months of the date of departure.

-From Syd to JFK, I get to have two baggage travelling on Qantas. Do I have to pay extra baggage for the JFK-ORD leg travelling on AA? Also, what are the airline policy of RTW ticket free checked luggage, in particular, would like to know about Iberia and Cathay.

The oneworld Explorer fare operates on the piece system, meaning you are entitled to two pieces of luggage when travelling through North America. The weight of each bag, however, is up to the individual airline. As a general rule, though, two bags at 23kgs each will be fine. Of course, on the Qantas international legs once you're Gold (eg. Asia-PER), you get an extra piece of luggage bringing your total to three - handy if you want to fit in some last minute shopping in Asia before coming back home.

- I read about purchasing RTW tickets from AA RTW desk which is cheaper. Is that true and what would be the process? Is there other way in getting the ticket cheaper?

Correct and as I mentioned above, if you ticket on the AA codeshare SYD-JFK, AA might handle the booking for you, potentially saving you some decent dollars. However, someone else more experienced with AA RTW bookings ex-Australia will need to offer their advice on this.

I'm pretty sure I will have more questions, so please be patient with me. Thanks

That's why we're all here!

 

[angek]

Danger, thanks for such a thorough advice. Though I still some questions from your answers.

Some initial comments. First, you may be able to avoid some higher fuel fines by booking the AA codeshare (AA7365) SYD-JFK. This may also allow you to book through AA, potentially avoiding fairly hefty charges levied by Qantas, but that's a more advanced lesson for professors, not lay teachers like myself!

Thanks for the advice, I shall keep this in mind. Is this Qantas levy applicable to all Qantas flights or just the first leg? I am thinking of travelling LHR-SIN on Qantas, will that attract a higher cost oppose to using other airlines?

Second, make sure you book on the AA flight number (eg. AA5678) JFK-MAD or on AA itself (eg. AA94). In other words, avoid IB flight numbers (IB metal itself is fine) to ensure you get a 50% points bonus that applies to QF, AA and BA flights.

I will also keep this in mind while making my itinerary. I think I should post it up here once I'm happy with it so that the more experienced travellers can comment on it.

Third, if you can, make LHR a transit (less than 24 hours) to reduce their big taxes.

I've read about LHR charging hefty taxes but I'm not sure right now whether I'll go and meet my friend who will be in Edinburgh. Would it be cheaper flying in and out of Edinburgh from other European cities on Easyjet and use the LHR as a transit to SIN? If it is a transit, would it be possible to go out for a day trip or something to take photos?

Fourth, you may prefer the routing LHR-NRT-SIN-HKG-PER as NRT-PER is only operated by a 767 meaning no personal IFE (if that's an issue for you). You'll get the same SCs are your proposed routing but slightly less miles.

I was hoping to try the A380 between LHR and SIN and therefore routed it that way. I am aware of the 767 for NRT-PER, but since I will be doing HKG-PER, that should be A330 right?

No, you do not need to have dates confirmed. However, you must have the routing confirmed at the time of ticketing as changes to ports (including their order visited) incur charges. Provided your first couple of flights are dated, open dates are permitted. Remember, though, your entire journey must be completed within 12 months of the date of departure.

So what I do now is just confirm the places that I want to go and confirm the first few segments. Later on whilst I'm on the trip, do I just call up the RTW desk to book myself on the subsequent flights? And what should be the latest I should book any of the subsequent flights?

The oneworld Explorer fare operates on the piece system, meaning you are entitled to two pieces of luggage when travelling through North America. The weight of each bag, however, is up to the individual airline. As a general rule, though, two bags at 23kgs each will be fine. Of course, on the Qantas international legs once you're Gold (eg. Asia-PER), you get an extra piece of luggage bringing your total to three - handy if you want to fit in some last minute shopping in Asia before coming back home.

Since the oneworld Explorer fare operates on piece system as you say, does that mean on the European legs I'm allowed two pieces of luggage? OR does it depend on the airline itself?
Thanks for the tip on the extra luggage on the ASIA-PER trip, I think I will find that of very good use.

Correct and as I mentioned above, if you ticket on the AA codeshare SYD-JFK, AA might handle the booking for you, potentially saving you some decent dollars. However, someone else more experienced with AA RTW bookings ex-Australia will need to offer their advice on this.

I read somewhere in this massive forum of information that once I know the cities I want to go, I will need to ring AA to book my flights and have the first few legs of the trip with confirmed dates and flights. Then I'll have to call up to enquire about cost. This is the part that I'm not sure. Would the ticket be issued in AUD or USD? If someone could shed a light on a more detailed process, that would be great!

Another question I had was to do with my JFK-ORD flight. I think from doing some searches, AA operates only one direct flight from JFK to ORD where as they operate far more direct services from either EWR or LGA. Is there a way to do EWR or LGA to ORD without counting JFK- EWR or LGA as a surface sector since I will be flying into JFK from SYD?

Also, whilst in America, I wanted to visit my relatives in Vancouver during beginning of August. So far, I've seen cheap flights on Air Canada from Detroit to Vancouver. I'll be in Chicago at the start of August, a flight to Detroit would be cheapest on Delta/United. Should I join another airline program and which one should I join as I envision that I'll be taking more flights to other places on carriers other than AA during the semester as AA seems to be quite higher priced then other airlines.

 

[Danger]

Danger, thanks for such a thorough advice.

No problem. I'm happy to help but will have to rely on the others to intervene if my advice is not quite correct.

Thanks for the advice, I shall keep this in mind. Is this Qantas levy applicable to all Qantas flights or just the first leg? I am thinking of travelling LHR-SIN on Qantas, will that attract a higher cost oppose to using other airlines?

I believe it's applicable to all Qantas flights. However, AA won't charge you the QF fines, even on the QF legs. Strange, but true. I don't think travelling LHR-SIN on QF will incur a QF fine, provided you book through AA.

I will also keep this in mind while making my itinerary. I think I should post it up here once I'm happy with it so that the more experienced travellers can comment on it.

Definitely.

I've read about LHR charging hefty taxes but I'm not sure right now whether I'll go and meet my friend who will be in Edinburgh. Would it be cheaper flying in and out of Edinburgh from other European cities on Easyjet and use the LHR as a transit to SIN? If it is a transit, would it be possible to go out for a day trip or something to take photos?

First, I would think EDI would charge lower taxes than LHR. However, there is no oneworld service JFK-EDI, meaning you'd still need to enter Europe by another port (such as MAD, as you've planned). There is also no direct oneworld service MAD-EDI and I doubt Easyjet would fly direct either. This means you might be better off flying to EDI from one of your other ports (eg. CAI, PRG), if you can find another carrier.

As for Easyjet, I think most people would advise you to avoid them at all cost. While they may suit a UK resident who can throw a small carry-on together in five minutes for a quick trip to Dublin for the weekend, they really seem to create headaches for other passengers. I'm no expert but I reckon I could almost guarantee you'd get slugged hefty bag fees, particularly having done some shopping in the US.

And second, yes, it's very easy to leave LHR for a few hours and head into central London using the Heathrow Express. I think it's about 15 pounds each way and takes 25-odd minutes.

I was hoping to try the A380 between LHR and SIN and therefore routed it that way. I am aware of the 767 for NRT-PER, but since I will be doing HKG-PER, that should be A330 right?

Yes, HKG-PER is always scheduled as an A330.

So what I do now is just confirm the places that I want to go and confirm the first few segments. Later on whilst I'm on the trip, do I just call up the RTW desk to book myself on the subsequent flights? And what should be the latest I should book any of the subsequent flights?

First, yes, that's pretty much it. A great tool can be found on the oneworld website at oneworld - oneworld Explorer (click on 'Plan and Book Your Itinerary' on the left). This allows you to plan your entire journey and get prompts if there are any rule violations.

Second, yes, simply call the airline you end booking with. It's most unlikely that QF would, for example, make changes to a ticket booked through AA and vice versa. They all have worldwide contact numbers but the AA round the world desk in Dallas is fairly widely thought to be fantastic at RTW fares.

Third, when to book the flights is the tough one. The oneworld Explorer fare in economy books passengers into what's called an L fare 'bucket'. There are only a limited number of seats available in L class on any flight. For a free service use SeatCounter - The Booking Class Availability Machine and for a more comprehensive service use Flight Availability | Upgrades | Frequent Flyer Information which has a free trial and otherwise is USD5 per month. Using either tool you enter your departure and arrival city, airline and date and you'll be presented with something like F8 A8 J9 C9 D9 I7 W9 R9 T9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9 XC E0 (this, for example, is the current load for QF32 LHR-SIN 19/7/10). Understanding the codes is not that tricky but for your purposes all you need to know is two things. First, you're always checking L class; if there's no availability there (ie. L0) there's no seats for you on that flight. Second, no airline shows greater than nine seats in any fare bucket. So in this case, L9, there are a minimum of nine seats in the L fare bucket but there are, most likely, plenty more. Note also AA will only ever show a maximum of four seats, even if there are plenty more. Basically, as soon as you can confirm your date, book a seat. And in fact, as date changes are permitted without penalty, book a date that might suit and then at least you've got a seat sometime!

Since the oneworld Explorer fare operates on piece system as you say, does that mean on the European legs I'm allowed two pieces of luggage? OR does it depend on the airline itself?

Airlines can get tricky but, no, the piece system is applied across oneworld airlines, provided it is a oneworld Explorer fare. And an itinerary involving North America entitles you to two pieces. What is airline dependent is the maximum weight per bag but as I mentioned, 23kg maximum is a good rule of thumb.

 

[Danger]

I read somewhere in this massive forum of information that once I know the cities I want to go, I will need to ring AA to book my flights and have the first few legs of the trip with confirmed dates and flights. Then I'll have to call up to enquire about cost. This is the part that I'm not sure. Would the ticket be issued in AUD or USD? If someone could shed a light on a more detailed process, that would be great!

Try using the online booking tool (link above) first as this will give you an indication as to cost. Also, try searching this forum for threads with phrases like "round the world" etc. for some tips on this.

Another question I had was to do with my JFK-ORD flight. I think from doing some searches, AA operates only one direct flight from JFK to ORD where as they operate far more direct services from either EWR or LGA. Is there a way to do EWR or LGA to ORD without counting JFK- EWR or LGA as a surface sector since I will be flying into JFK from SYD?

Correct, AA operate only one daily service JFK-ORD. Technically it's not possible to do what you're suggesting, although posts on AFF in just the past few days have suggested it maybe possible by including the city code rather than a specific airport code on a paper ticket (eg. NYC instead of JFK, EWR or LGA). One option, however, would be to fly SFO-JFK and then make your own way NYC-ORD by taking a separate flight.

Also, whilst in America, I wanted to visit my relatives in Vancouver during beginning of August. So far, I've seen cheap flights on Air Canada from Detroit to Vancouver. I'll be in Chicago at the start of August, a flight to Detroit would be cheapest on Delta/United. Should I join another airline program and which one should I join as I envision that I'll be taking more flights to other places on carriers other than AA during the semester as AA seems to be quite higher priced then other airlines.

First, try to work out what some of the places are you're likely to visit. Second, check to see if AA flies to these cities. If they don't, it might be worth joining another program, provided it can offer you something. Unfortunately, I can't offer any advice on other programs.

 

[Happy Dude]

Great effort with the replies Danger. Very handy info.....

 

[MAX_1]

Great effort with the replies Danger. Very handy info.....

I agree. A treasure chest of information. Now you got me thinking about RTW.

Can points be used? or points and cash?

 

[serfty]

The APD (UK tax) is chargeable for all journeys departing the UK. LHR-SIN is such a journey, PRG-xLHR-SIN is not.

Note the a discounted APD is payable for LHR-SIN due to it being in the "Lowest Class Cabin" as a LONE4. It would be £55 for being over 6000 miles.

If you can fly PRG-EDI for significantly less than that it may be worth it.

As for fuel "fines", Qantas and BA charge them for all segments where they (QF/BA) have a published charge; AA only charge them for those segments on AA flight numbers where AA havea published charge.

Note that LAN do not charge fuel "fines" at all.

 

[Danger]

Can points be used? or points and cash?

Qantas points? Sort of, but their standard round the world fare will only get you five stops, nothing like the maximum 16 stops permissable under the oneworld Explorer fare. So technically, I guess, the answer really is no, the oneworld Explorer fare cannot be completed using (Qantas) points.

 

[Grooba]

Danger - the replies you have provided are awesome and your effort is appreciated not only by the OP, but also by myself (and I'm sure lots of others).

Thank you and great work.

 

[ellen10]

Yes Danger very valuable and interesting information

Storing for future refernce

 

[ellen10]

oops! sorry for the typo

 

[Fifa]

Danger - the replies you have provided are awesome and your effort is appreciated not only by the OP, but also by myself (and I'm sure lots of others).

Thank you and great work.

I agree 100% !

You answered quite a few questions which I had wondered about but wasn't going to ask until I'm finally am able to book a (hopefully) DONE4.

Thank you to the OP for asking such appropriate questions and to Danger for the simple and useful answers.

 

[angek]

After playing with the oneworld planner for a while, i've got a few more questions.

Firstly, I've taken into account of the higher LHR tax and therefore have changed all my flights into and out of LHR within 24hours. But, i've noticed the tax is around 40 dollars more if i take the A380 rather then the 747 with the same itinerary. Is there a premium(tax wise) taking the A380?

Secondly, if i use AA codeshare for the SYD-JFK leg, will that only earn 0.5 per mile? And for all subsequent AA legs, I only earn 0.5 mile?

I'm sure i have more questions but can't remember right now as I'm too busy being disappointed with the Socceroos....

thanks in advance!

 

[Dave Noble]

Secondly, if i use AA codeshare for the SYD-JFK leg, will that only earn 0.5 per mile? And for all subsequent AA legs, I only earn 0.5 mile?

You would earn at 50% if crediting to QF. If you credit to AA, you will get 100% and definitely worth considering sending miles there; plus if you take the platinum challenge, you can get AA Platinum status ( OW Sapphire ) and have lounge access for the rest of the trip. If you can take an AA codeshare flight to connect to SYD-JFK you would attain platinum on the SYD-JFK and get the 100% platinum bonus on that flight giving 20,000 AA miles just on the trip to JFK ; 20,000 points is enough for a r/t from anywhere in AU/NZ to anywhere else in AU/NZ. Does cost USD150 to sign up but could be well worthwhile for 12-18 months of lounge access

 

[angek]

So I've had another play with my trip and was thinking of something like the following:

SYD-LAX-ORD-ANC-ORD-SFO-JKF-xMAD-CAI-xLHR-PRG-xLHR-SIN-NRT-HKG-PER-SYD
Going by the AA website, this gives a grand total of $4,541.6 ($3,704+$873.6 tax). Just wanted to know if that sounds about right? And if I book it using the AA RTW desk, is this the amount that I expect to be paying with?

Will also be going to Vancouver and doing a YUP run which would get to SG. My question is, if I do a YUP run, how long does it take for Qantas to credit the SC earned from AA? Reason I am asking is I want to access the lounges on a flight 2-3 days after I complete the YUP which brings me to SG. Wondering if the 2-3 days will be enough time for the systems to recognise and apply OW Sapphire so I can access the lounges!

Having a look at the Platinum Challenge after David mentioned it, I would easily reach 10,000 miles after the LAX-ORD. I understand that I would be able to earn to 100% Bonus which would give me around 26k miles for the following ORD-ANC-ORD-SFO-JKF-xMAD. My questions regarding this is
a) Can I split my RTW to credit to AA for the first half of my trip (SYD-LAX-ORD-ANC-ORD-SFO-JKF-xMAD) and to QF for the second half of my trip (CAI-xLHR-PRG-xLHR-SIN-NRT-HKG-PER-SYD)?
b) As I will make SG and have lounge access, would paying to do the plantinum challenge be worthwhile? The only reason I can think of is to increase my miles earned rather than crediting the AA trips to QF at 0.5. I will probably do a few more trips in the US, and travelling AA, I can credit it to AA and get more miles?

Thanks in advance to all those who can answer my questions!

 

[Dave Noble]

a) Can I split my RTW to credit to AA for the first half of my trip (SYD-LAX-ORD-ANC-ORD-SFO-JKF-xMAD) and to QF for the second half of my trip (CAI-xLHR-PRG-xLHR-SIN-NRT-HKG-PER-SYD)?

You can if you want but I would suggest that you could get much better points value crediting it all to AA

b) As I will make SG and have lounge access, would paying to do the plantinum challenge be worthwhile? The only reason I can think of is to increase my miles earned rather than crediting the AA trips to QF at 0.5. I will probably do a few more trips in the US, and travelling AA, I can credit it to AA and get more miles?

Thanks in advance to all those who can answer my questions!

The much better value on points would do it for me for premium travel. Redemption costs for business and 1st award travel are so much better than on QF. e,g, SYD-LON r/t in business at 120k vs 256k and 1st class at 160k vs 384k . If you can get a decent earning on AA then the points will do well

Also, once platinum on AA, you earn electronic upgrade credits which you can use to upgrade AA flights within North America from economy to business/first ; also you can pre-select exit row seats on AA flights