One more DONE* for comment

[turtlemichael]

TMSO and I are planning a new DONE*, our third, and would appreciate any input as I'm struggling a bit with the itinerary.

First, the needs and desires:

Essentials:
1. To be in Bangkok for business in November 08.
2. To be in Cape Town for a conference July 09.
3. Cut the travelling down to manageable chunks - no more than 6 weeks at a time.
4. No convoluted mileage runs or TMSO will divorce me. So no more than 2 flights back to back.

Desires:
Earn around 2000SC's to preserve WP status for another year and also reach lifetime SG during the course of the trip. With first class US travel and the JQ star class flights, this itinerary earns well over that mark.

See more of South America - BA, Macchu Picchu, Sao Paulo.
See a game park in South Africa.
Visit one of the Baltic states
Visit friends in Tel Aviv, Nagoya and Salt Lake City and San Francisco.

The draft I have at the moment is:

NGO-xBKK-xHKG-xMEL-xCNS in November.
(CNS-NGO on JQ *Class)

CNS-xSYD-xSCL-xGRU-xLIM-xEZE-xJFK-xSFO-oORD-xSLC-oORD-xLAX in April/May.
(LAX-CNS on VS points [NZ to SYD] or QF points)

LAX-xLHR-xTLV-oMAD-xHEL-NRT in July/August.
(CNS-LAX on VS or QF points. LHR-JNB/CPT-LHR on VS/QF points. JNB-CPT paid. Paid side trip HEL-RIX-HEL. NRT-CNS on QF points or maybe to NGO then JQ to CNS).

The issues at the moment are it's a 20 segment itinerary so for an eticket only part can be booked and then fleshed out as the segment numbers come down. After our current experiences I definitely do not want a paper ticket.

I guess too timing of a booking is important so that I avoid rumoured reductions of the *ONE* limit to 16 segments.

I'm concerned that I'm making a mess of the route. Is there a better way?

So much again is outside the DONE5. If I make it a DONE6 I dilute where we can go and have to use busier routes with less flexibility for D class fares eg HKG-JNB maybe. As well using points to break the trip and return home could be more difficult from some places eg JNB or SCL

So any pearls of wisdom would be appreciated.

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/pc/1/en/hotel/atlbh/transportation

 

[JohnK]

Looks like a very good attempt at having 3 trips on the one DONE*.

Sorry I do not have any advice to offer but I am quite surprised that one of the experts has not offered any suggestions. Maybe the routing is OK and does not need any refining.

 

[simongr]

Certainly not an expert here but it looked ok to me at first glance - mileage mopnkey is dead at the moment for me so can't check it there but I assume you have done that already?

Not sure I would bother with the booking and reissue to get an eticket - what happens if the missing segments are booked out and you miss somewhere you want to go?

The JQ *class got me for a second but I am assuming that is a "paid" for positioning flight?

 

[serfty]

... Sorry I do not have any advice to offer but I am quite surprised that one of the experts has not offered any suggestions. Maybe the routing is OK and does not need any refining.

I was going to respond, but noted turtlemichael had received advice on this thread's sibling over on FT:

• One more DONE* for comment - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[turtlemichael]

Thanks JohnK and the others. After I posted it I thought it might be better placed on FT anyway to get me access to the "non-OZ" experts too. Got some good advice.

I have moved on a few paces since and have now reluctantly dropped South America. I stated to think of the cost not only of the air but also when on land.

Here is the current itinerary. Not final yet but getting near it.

CNS-NGO 7/11*
NGO-BKK 8/11
BKK-HKG 15/11
HKG-MEL 18/11
MEL-CNS 24/11
CNS-SYD 12/6
SYD-JFK 14/6
JFK-SEA 21/6
SEA-ORD 24/6
ORD-ABQ 24/6
ABQ-ORD 29/6
ORD-SFO 29/6
SFO-LHR 4/7
LHR-TLV 6/7
TLV-MAD12/7
MAD-HEL12/7
HEL-RIX 15/7*
RIX-HEL 18/7*
HEL-LHR 18/7
LHR-CPT 18/7
CPT-JNB 26/7
JNB-HKG 31/7
HKG-NRT 1/8
NRT-CNS 4/8*

non-DONE5 flights with an * It's worth 1960 SC's plus US F class and non-DONE5 SC's.

I was trying to work out how I could save a flight so that I could go to BOS (SFO-BOS-Europe) but can't see a way.

 

[serfty]

... I was trying to work out how I could save a flight so that I could go to BOS (SFO-BOS-Europe) but can't see a way.

Just book a separate AeAgle ER3 return trip JFK-BOS-JFK.

Costs from ~USD170 pp inclusive.