xONE4 estimates - are they reliable?

[thegurio]

Hi all, just playing around with the OneWorld site and noticed that from JNB the fare is ZAR18,500 LONE4, ZAR39,950 DONE4. Are these reliable or should i take them with a pinch of salt? As the conversion means its around $2600 for the LONE4 and $5400 for the DONE4.

My routing so far is JNB-CDG-LHR-FCOxMIA-JFK-ORD-LAX-SFO-HNL-AKL-BNE-HOB-PER-SIN-JNB.

I thought i may as well max out the 16 segment rule! Naturally i would book it through AA (assuming there is a office that i can book from there) so am i on the right track or have i missed something, which is what i am assuming.

As a side point it, the routing checks out with the OneWorld site so i assume it valid?

 

[Evan]

Yes very real !
But add taxes (my AONE5 16 segments was about $750 in taxes)
And currency concersion fees of say $200
So a DONE4 should be around $6500 or a bit less (i had lots of premium cabin LHR taxes)

Yes, AA all the way !

LONEx taxes will be less, since you dont get the 40 quid premium cabin tax each time you visit LHR.

E

 

[Febs]

(my AONE5 16 segments was about $750 in taxes)

You got off lightly! My ~14 segment DONE4 was over $1,080 in taxes! :shock:

 

[Evan]

Well its possibly because it was AA and i had one AA over water segment. so really only 1 flight with any YQ surcharge. (Since AA only charge there small YQ on there flights, if you have non AA flights, no fuel surcharges)

I am sorry i don't know the breakdown since they never sent it to me.

I also pass through LHR twice in a premium cabin so that must be about $200 of the $750

FARE ZAR 66040 TAX 1103YQ TAX 252US TAX 4404XT
TOTAL ZAR 71799

So lets update the tax estimate from $700-$1200 DONE4/AONE5 pretty much the same, both 16 segments etc so would not expect taxes to be too different.

E

 

[Evan]

One other thing to take into account it getting to South Africa...
Can be expensive and not a lot of cheap or award seats !
I managed to get an award seat on SQ SIN-JNB using my SQ miles.
E

 

[serfty]

... LONEx taxes will be less, since you dont get the 40 quid premium cabin tax each time you visit LHR. ...

That's the £80GB UK departure tax charge, it's still £40 for "lowest class" departures.

 

[thegurio]

One other thing to take into account it getting to South Africa...
Can be expensive and not a lot of cheap or award seats !
I managed to get an award seat on SQ SIN-JNB using my SQ miles.
E

I was going to say somehting about this. I was looking, far too late last night so i had to go to bed, for flights from HBA - JNB. Now not only do i not have enough points for the three of us to get there, even if i did i couldnt find anything within a week of when we want to go.

Now to get paid flights is easy but they're also 2.5k one way which would almost defeat the purpose of starting in JNB as i would have to purchase either a open-ended or 2 one way tickets at around 2 - 2.5k each, therefore bringing it up to the $10k DONE4 estimates from Aus anyway

 

[serfty]

Hmmm.. for a DONE4 ex S/A you cannot include Oz; it would need to be a DONE5.

If you did that, you could simply have Oz-JNB as your last segment - use this to commence your next DONEx.

The base for a DONE5 ex S/A is ZAR45,300.00 South African Rands (~AUD6,101).

 

[NM]

My routing so far is JNB-CDG-LHR-FCOxMIA-JFK-ORD-LAX-SFO-HNL-AKL-BNE-HOB-PER-SIN-JNB.

I thought i may as well max out the 16 segment rule!

Note there will need to be some connecting segments, which count towards the total. There are no OneWorld direct services between:
JNB-CDG (need to route via LHR)
FCO-MIA (need to route via LHR, ORD, or JFK)
HNL-AKL (need to route via SYD)
BNE-HBA (Assume HOB is supposed to be Hobart, TAS) (need to route via SYD or MEL)
HBA-PER (need to route via SYD or MEL)
SIN-JNB (need to route via LHR)

Also note you have Five continents included (Africa, Europe, North America, SW Pacific, Asia) so its a DONE5 fare not a DONE4. Leave out SIN and its a DONE4 fare. but you have to keep it under 16 sectors.

 

[serfty]

Also, Air Mauritius can get you PER-MRU-JNB/CPT for ~AUD1800 return.

 

[NM]

Hmmm.. for a DONE4 ex S/A you cannot include Oz; it would need to be a DONE5.

If you did that, you could simply have Oz-JNB as your last segment - use this to commence your next DONEx.

The base for a DONE5 ex S/A is ZAR45,300.00 South African Rands (~AUD6,101).

Can be a DONE4 if not using Asia. Can route Africa -> Europe -> North America - SW Pacific -> Africa.

 

[serfty]

Can be a DONE4 if not using Asia. Can route Africa -> Europe -> North America - SW Pacific -> Africa.

:idea: Yup! That there be true ...

 

[Evan]

Still a DONE5 is still fantastic value ex SA.
I plan on ordering my next one soon. (Make the most of the cheap travel since i dont see it being cheap forever there, i am already supprised we have not seen a significant increase)

But don't forget one reason for starting in JNB/CPT is South Africa is good to visit, well i think so anyway. Be alert for you own safety but still well worth a look.

E

 

[thegurio]

To be brutally honest it isnt high on my places to visit, sure there are some places that would be good but there are alot of other places i want to visit first. The only reason why i want to go from there is because it is cheaper than elsewhere although that is not withstanding the fact that the difference between getting one here or there is no more expensive when you take into account the price to get there.

 

[Evan]

To be brutally honest it isnt high on my places to visit, sure there are some places that would be good but there are alot of other places i want to visit first. The only reason why i want to go from there is because it is cheaper than elsewhere although that is not withstanding the fact that the difference between getting one here or there is no more expensive when you take into account the price to get there.

You could also investigate Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, even Japan as start locations, the costs to get there could be less.
If it means the DONE4 costs $1000 more but to get there you spend $1200 less you still in front.

E

 

[thegurio]

You could also investigate Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, even Japan as start locations, the costs to get there could be less.
If it means the DONE4 costs $1000 more but to get there you spend $1200 less you still in front.

E

Alrighty then... seeing as there is less geographically challenged people around. I need to go to Rome, New york and wouldnt mind paris or london. I need to get to rome first, but am quite happy to spend a week or so lookiing at Paris, London etc. We will be going from Rome to Miami on the cruise so that sector is looked after. Is there anywhere one the Oneworld site that i could look for that info or do i need to keep some rules in my head to work it out?

EDIT: Indonesia would be prefered starting point at this stage.

EDIT Mk2: Ive just found http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/open-discussion/my-2nd-done-12990.html so that is answering most of my question!

 

[Mwenenzi]

Rules are here in the OW site. Click on Please refer to the rule sheet for the full technical product details

Plug your intinerary into the unoffical Milage Monkey Not 100% perfect but still very good