Which route for RTW trip

[auspal]

Towards the end of next year or the following year we are planning to do a RTW trip from Brisbane and would like to include the following stopovers - Tokyo, Hoi Ann, Nairobi, Cuba and Nashville. First question, is this even possible and secondly, which order should it be done in please ? Hopefully someone can give us advice.

 

[Lynda2475]

WRT Cuba, it may be easier to just pay for the flights to/from HAV and then resume your RTW trip. Its also a lot less hassle to enter Cuba from outside the USA.

CUN-HAV return on Air Cubana is really economical (short 45 min flight and generous 60kg of luggage even in Y) and there are sometimes good fares on Air Canada for YYZ to HAV too.

 

[auspal]

WRT Cuba, it may be easier to just pay for the flights to/from HAV and then resume your RTW trip. Its also a lot less hassle to enter Cuba from outside the USA.

CUN-HAV return on Air Cubana is really economical (short 45 min flight and generous 60kg of luggage even in Y) and there are sometimes good fares on Air Canada for YYZ to HAV too.

Thanks, have added this to my notes.

 

[JohnM]

This is what I need to find out. I will be booking by phone, so hopefully will get to speak to someone who is helpful and knows what they are doing. I did book a RTW on points quite a few years ago and the staff member got very frustrated with me, but we got there in the end and it was a fabulous trip. Hopefully I know what I am talking about when I book .

Highly advisable to cease referring to a OneWorld Award as 'RTW' (ie. A OneWorld Explorer paid fare - aka a LONEx, DONEx, AONEx in whY, J and F, respectively and where x is 3, 4, 5 or 6 continents).

It causes confusion on this forum and no doubt with booking agents because you could end up talking at cross purposes.

They are two completely separate things.

Be careful about getting to HAV. When I went a couple of years ago, it was not possible to travel from the US to HAV as a tourist. So, despite AA having flights MIA-HAV, they were unavailable for tourism pax. The rules may have changed post-Trump, but make sure.

As mentioned, it was easier to get between CUN and the US and buy an el cheapo CUN-HAV-CUN. I flew Interjet and it was very good whY offering, but I think it may have gone bust because of Covid.

 

[RooFlyer]

@auspal , the service is suspended at the moment, but I advise you to send a PM to @Mattg inquiring about Award Flight Assist: Award Flight Assist - Frequent Flyer Solutions . If its working, it's invaluable for points redemptions!

 

[auspal]

@auspal , the service is suspended at the moment, but I advise you to send a PM to @Mattg inquiring about Award Flight Assist: Award Flight Assist - Frequent Flyer Solutions . If its working, it's invaluable for points redemptions!

Thanks RooFlyer, this is something I will definitely do nearer the time.

 

[motef]

Thanks RooFlyer, this is something I will definitely do nearer the time.

Be aware that if you are using points for a Qantas Oneworld Classic Award due to limited availability of award seats you generally have to lock those in approx 1 year out from the date of intended travel.

 

[Jacques Vert]

In relation to Cuba, I made some comments back in Dec 2019; see here: "oneworld" award (132.4K/249.6K/318K/455K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Note that LATAM is not longer part of OneWorld.

 

[auspal]

In relation to Cuba, I made some comments back in Dec 2019; see here: "oneworld" award (132.4K/249.6K/318K/455K) Planning - The Definitive Thread

Note that LATAM is not longer part of OneWorld.

Thank you, will check this out.

 

[Waypoint]

Towards the end of next year or the following year we are planning to do a RTW trip from Brisbane and would like to include the following stopovers - Tokyo, Hoi Ann, Nairobi, Cuba and Nashville. First question, is this even possible and secondly, which order should it be done in please ? Hopefully someone can give us advice.

There are SO many ways to do trips like this. We've done 3 One World redemptions in F- such good value, but the fourth got scuttled by the pandemic. Fabulous little add-ons for very few points (or low cost cash flights) add local and connecting flights not available on OW awards. One of best was a paid 'companion" QF business fare MEL-HNL, LAX -MEL, effectively 2 for 1. And got us status credits.
We then paid HNL-OGG (stop)-SEA on Hawaiian in W - 6hrs OGG-SEA in total comfort for MEL-SYD prices, SEA-ANC on Delta Y, and then a combo of ferries, one way rental cars and short local flights to LAX (SFO-Lax was a very low cost redemption on QF points), over 6 weeks.
Get creative! Reward seats are the most difficult to leave and return to Australia. Once out of here, it's not that hard to get around on points, or a combo including cheap flights, and always look out for unusual routes - we once went MEL-HKG-JNB-LHR and had this amazing safari experience at no extra airfare, and our 'RTW' 4 was MEL-SIN-DIA-HEL-DUB-ORD-HND-MEL - yes, up to Scandinavia for a Norwegian ferry trip, via the Middle East, then to Ireland, across to the USA, back to Japan, then home - QF,BA,Qatar,Finnnair,JAL. This all fitted into the OW rules, all in F. July 2020 - never happened of course.The biggest limiter sometimes is baggage weights when looking at fill-in connectors- but why drag too much stuff around!
Oh, and talk to AFF rewards assistance on how to create these gems. Don't expect to create it all in one sitting. Start it, and just expect to pay change fees (less than $100) as seats open up 350 or so days ahead.

 

[auspal]

There are SO many ways to do trips like this. We've done 3 One World redemptions in F- such good value, but the fourth got scuttled by the pandemic. Fabulous little add-ons for very few points (or low cost cash flights) add local and connecting flights not available on OW awards. One of best was a paid 'companion" QF business fare MEL-HNL, LAX -MEL, effectively 2 for 1. And got us status credits.
We then paid HNL-OGG (stop)-SEA on Hawaiian in W - 6hrs OGG-SEA in total comfort for MEL-SYD prices, SEA-ANC on Delta Y, and then a combo of ferries, one way rental cars and short local flights to LAX (SFO-Lax was a very low cost redemption on QF points), over 6 weeks.
Get creative! Reward seats are the most difficult to leave and return to Australia. Once out of here, it's not that hard to get around on points, or a combo including cheap flights, and always look out for unusual routes - we once went MEL-HKG-JNB-LHR and had this amazing safari experience at no extra airfare, and our 'RTW' 4 was MEL-SIN-DIA-HEL-DUB-ORD-HND-MEL - yes, up to Scandinavia for a Norwegian ferry trip, via the Middle East, then to Ireland, across to the USA, back to Japan, then home - QF,BA,Qatar,Finnnair,JAL. This all fitted into the OW rules, all in F. July 2020 - never happened of course.The biggest limiter sometimes is baggage weights when looking at fill-in connectors- but why drag too much stuff around!
Oh, and talk to AFF rewards assistance on how to create these gems. Don't expect to create it all in one sitting. Start it, and just expect to pay change fees (less than $100) as seats open up 350 or so days ahead.

Fantastic post, thank you !

 

[downtheback]

Not sure if you've booked yet or not.

If you don't have to be in any particular city on any particular date, I would travel the same direction as the sun around the globe where possible. It reduces jetlag, any long flight will be overnight (take off in the evening, land in the morning).

Tokyo, Hoi Ann, Nairobi, Cuba and Nashville

so BNE-NRT-DAD-NBO-HAV-BNA-BNE

Flying with Qantas/Oneworld you'd be looking at

BNE-NRT
NRT-HAN/SGN-DAD (might need to buy a separate domestic ticket inside of Vietnam)
DAD-HAN/SGN-DOH-NBO
NBO-DOH/MAD/LHR-MIA-HAV (might need to buy a separate return flight from MIA to HAV)
HAV-MIA-BNA
BNA-LAX-BNE

 

[auspal]

Not sure if you've booked yet or not.

If you don't have to be in any particular city on any particular date, I would travel the same direction as the sun around the globe where possible. It reduces jetlag, any long flight will be overnight (take off in the evening, land in the morning).

Tokyo, Hoi Ann, Nairobi, Cuba and Nashville

so BNE-NRT-DAD-NBO-HAV-BNA-BNE

Flying with Qantas/Oneworld you'd be looking at

BNE-NRT
NRT-HAN/SGN-DAD (might need to buy a separate domestic ticket inside of Vietnam)
DAD-HAN/SGN-DOH-NBO
NBO-DOH/MAD/LHR-MIA-HAV (might need to buy a separate return flight from MIA to HAV)
HAV-MIA-BNA
BNA-LAX-BNE

Thank you for those suggestions, very helpful