Needing Clever ticketing solution

M

Maunder1

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Joined
Oct 11, 2018
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9
Hi,

I am needing someone to suggest a clever ticketing solution to minimise flight costs for travel in 2024.

We need to fly from Adelaide to Hong Kong to board a cruise which terminates in Vancouver Canada. From there we need to fly to Denver (to stopover) & then back to Adelaide. We'd like to do this in business class.

In the past we have use a Round The World (RTW) Lufthansa fare through Europe & then to the USA & back home. They run at approx. $6700 business class.
However, I have been told that this fare can't be used with an open jaw between continents:(

One option is to Fly UA from ADL > DEN >ADL. (but UA are very expensive right now). Then take a side trip using a 1 way ticket to HKG & another from YVR to DEN. (DEN>HKG is also expensive).

Does anyone have some innovate ideas? If so, Ide be delighted to hear from you.

John
 
Welcome @Maunder1
What approx dates for each sector (does not have to be exact) are you travelling and do you have any Frequent flyer status or points that you can use?
What is your ceiling budget?
Do you need actually DEN in your itinerary? Would you consider another US city with a separate side trip to DEN?
 
Quickstatus said:
Welcome @Maunder1
What approx dates for each sector (does not have to be exact) are you travelling and do you have any Frequent flyer status or points that you can use?
What is your ceiling budget?
Do you need actually DEN in your itinerary? Would you consider another US city with a separate side trip to DEN?
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply,

Dates. HKG arrive 8th April YVR arrive 14th May

FF Points. We have QF & UA points. Are 1K in UA

Budget $10K ceiling/person

Side trip to DEN is fine. DEN is mandatory destination.
 
I think $10K might not be doable for revenue J flights

Maybe a RTW so follow @RooFlyer recommendations to always consider looking at bricks and mortar round the world specialist travel agent for this type of booking using ✸A ecosystem.

General question for the AFF brains trust:
what is a valid open jaw - is oceania and asia considered the same region for open jaw?
 
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One way tickets are typically more expensive, but in past I've used multi-city tool to construct return open jaw tickets which have then just priced more reasonably. I assume you have tried this with United, Singapore, Air NZ to see what is on offer? To do Lufthansa you will need to go via Germany at some point.
 
Quickstatus said:
Maybe a RTW so follow @RooFlyer recommendations to always consider looking at bricks and mortar round the world specialist travel agent for this type of booking using ✸A ecosystem.
Click to expand...

That's kind, @Quickstatus . I do think its a job for a travel agent to do it efficiently and to get all options considered. I can't send you a Private Message (PM - 'conversation') @Maunder1 until you have 5 posts, I think, so do a couple more posts and I'll PM you the TA firm I use, which is a mixed individual-corporate firm in Melbourne who do LH RTWs, cruises etc so may have some useful ideas. They will probably charge you a fee these days, so ask about that up-front but realise the time and maybe stress you are saving, plus they then deal with any re-scheduling hassles that may come up before or en-route. (I get no commission for these referrals :) )

There is a small chance that a TA can get the 'no open jaw between continents' rule waived (if it exists). Never tried it, but they have won me exceptions from OneWorld RTW fare rules in the past (such as returning to Nth America from a dip down to Sth America)
 
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RooFlyer said:
That's kind, @Quickstatus . I do think its a job for a travel agent to do it efficiently and to get all options considered. I can't send you a Private Message (PM - 'conversation') @Maunder1 until you have 5 posts, I think, so do a couple more posts and I'll PM you the TA firm I use, which is a mixed individual-corporate firm in Melbourne who do LH RTWs, cruises etc so may have some useful ideas. They will probably charge you a fee these days, so ask about that up-front but realise the time and maybe stress you are saving, plus they then deal with any re-scheduling hassles that may come up before or en-route. (I get no commission for these referrals :) )

There is a small chance that a TA can get the 'no open jaw between continents' rule waived (if it exists). Never tried it, but they have won me exceptions from OneWorld RTW fare rules in the past (such as returning to Nth America from a dip down to Sth America)
Click to expand...
Great suggestion RooFlyer. Very keen to receive your Private Message of the TA firm. I have used RoundAboutTravel todate & found them to be exceptionally good. However, it was they who stated that I couldnt do a RTW ticket with that Open Jaw.
I really like the idea of getting a waiver, as you say, if the rule exists.
Also, more than happy to pay for a TA's expertise given they could save me thousands!!

john
 
Lynda2475 said:
One way tickets are typically more expensive, but in past I've used multi-city tool to construct return open jaw tickets which have then just priced more reasonably. I assume you have tried this with United, Singapore, Air NZ to see what is on offer? To do Lufthansa you will need to go via Germany at some point.
Click to expand...
Lynda,

In the past the Multi City option has worked out to be more expensive but I will try it.
I am not locked into LH at all. However, Ide like to stick with *A carriers for miles & lounge reasons (we are 1K in UA = *A Gold so makes lounge access easy).
Air NZ are an interesting option & mentioned above because they fly ADL>AKL. Also AKL> HKG. The may have restarted ORD>AKL. So, maybe, if they will accept the Open Jaw, I could by an RTW with them.

John
 
RoundAbout to sell themselves as the experts in the LH type fare, so they are likely on-the-money.

Just sent a PM ... seemed to go OK. I found this re LH RTW - its a few years old though.

1681191182591.png

Pretty definitive about no OJs between continents but the TA will hopefully have some economical alternative suggestions.
 
Maunder1 said:
AKL> HKG. The may have restarted ORD>AKL
Click to expand...
AirNZ wont do this as OJ - their multicity function won't allow..

But what about this as a comparison:

SYD-NRT // NRT-SYD (with tag on ADL-SYD-ADL and NRT-HKG-NRT) flying NH

YVR-DEN one way (revenue/redemption)
DEN-NRT one way (redemption ticket)

....

Or ADL-AKL return (Air NZ)
AKL-HKG open jaw NRT-AKL (Air NZ/)
North America component as above?
 
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Maunder1 said:
Great suggestion RooFlyer. Very keen to receive your Private Message of the TA firm. I have used RoundAboutTravel todate & found them to be exceptionally good. However, it was they who stated that I couldnt do a RTW ticket with that Open Jaw.
I really like the idea of getting a waiver, as you say, if the rule exists.
Also, more than happy to pay for a TA's expertise given they could save me thousands!!

john
Click to expand...
Post automatically merged:

RooFlyer,

Received your PM & will speak to your contact.

Thank you so much.

john
 
Quickstatus said:
@Maunder1

What about this as a comparison:

SYD-NRT // NRT-SYD (with tag on ADL-SYD-ADL and NRT-HKG-NRT) flying NH

YVR-DEN one way (revenue/redemption)
DEN-NRT one way (redemption ticket)

Or ADL-AKL return (Air NZ)
AKL-HKG open jaw NRT-AKL (Air NZ/)
North America component as above?
Click to expand...
Quickstatus,

You have an inventive mind! That's why I posted to tap into the knowledge of people like you.
The Air NZ option is very appealing. I will explore in more depth. Hopefully they will accept an open jaw.

john
 
Maunder1 said:
open jaw.
Click to expand...
I suspect each carrier defines its regions for open jaw.
Worth checking out both NH, AirNZ

I think as HKG and NRT are in Asia, the open jaw from AKL should be valid but not AKL-HKG then US-AKL
The achilles heel is of course the US-Asia one way which is best booked via a redemption ticket

And completely out of left field:
Dont forget that DEN-HNL is considered a US domestic flights.
If you cant get a redemption ticket USA mainland back to NRT maybe a HNL-NRT redemption is possible
Or do a no show on the NRT-SYD or NRT-AKL flight and get a redemption ticket USA-SYD/MEL, or a USA-HNL redemption and a either a JQ HNL-SYD revenue or QF redemption
 
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You can do this itinerary on a CX or SQ return fare on a half return basis with a separate ticket for YVR-DEN. No need for RTW.
 
Quickstatus said:
View attachment 323129


@Maunder1
Interesting comment by @madrooster.

I lookedup CX and SQ using their multicity tool:

CX SYD-HKG // LAX-HKG-SYD, 2024 $10k - and SQ SYD-SIN-HKG // LAX-SIN-SYD around $7k

Amazing fare!
Click to expand...
QuickStatus,

Brilliant solution! I swapped SYD for ADL & SFO for LAX the resultant fare was $5920!!! Pity I cant book until our return from the USA in May 24. Hope the fare holds at that price.

That just leaves me to buy YVR>DEN>SFO. Happy to do that in Y class or use UA points.

I very much appreciate everyone's contribution to this discussion.

john
 

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