oneworld - UK-Asia + internal Asia options on OW?

Hi all.

Your expert help and personal experiences would be most appreciated with a trip I am trying to organise.

I'm looking at a trip in Jan. or Feb. 2011 from the UK to Asia, including a few flights across Asia - it would need to be in Y, and price is the key consideration (client is very price sensitive, which indeed is one of the reasons why I am doing the legwork on the booking myself).

The trip will likely include (starting from the UK) visiting Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand (and maybe a couple of other spots, most likely of all being HKG). I may also be going to Australia myself a few weeks earlier (in Dec/Jan, on a personal trip), so an option of combining the two may also be of significant interest to me.

I have done quite a lot of searching on this Forum and on the OW website, but (despite being a long time FTer), I just seem to have a total inability to grasp RTW/multi-continent/continent pass type tickets (I know, shame on me :o;)) and so would really appreciate any pointers (re. doing such a trip with OW) any of you may have.

Specifically, is getting to Asia and then using something like the OW 'Visit Asia' ticket going to be the way to go, or am I missing something better/more creative/etc?

Is an RTW ticket (or something like it) going to be an option, or will this not work with so many stops needed within Asia?

Oh, and it also seems that I can't really get to the likes of Jakarta, Manila or KL from the UK on an OW carrier. Should I thus be asking this question on the *A forum instead :eek:;) ?!? (Would a *A RTW or Asia pass equiv. be a much better option for me). I would so rather do it with OW if I can, but if other options are better I'll have to go with them I guess.

Thanks everyone.

You can buy LCC fares between those points. OW, as you note, radiates well from HK, but has very little between SE Asian cities (BKK-SIN is about the extent of it).

A RTW might work for core long haul sectors and one or two regionals, but I'd look at toping it up with LCCs rather than a Visit Asia (which is generally more expensive than the LCCs).

Look at: Air Asia, Cebu Pacific, JetStar, ... No miles of course.

Ta christep.

I should have been clear though that, while I need it to be cheap, that the client understands that I will only travel on 'proper' airlines (I'm an FTer afterall, don't get on a plane if I don't get miles out of it ! :D) so I should be able to avoid LCC's unless there is little option.

That said, as I am a QF FF I would certainly consider JetStar/Valuair (JQ, 3K or VF) if need be, as I’d at least get (on the right fares) miles and Status credits - can (all or some of) these be booked as part of an OW RTW/Visit Asia ticket/etc?

Unfortunately not (http://www.oneworld.com/ow/member-airlines/oneworld-airline-affiliates).

thanks.

And if any one else has any other ideas, options, observations on this matter they would be most appreciated too ;)^

Should I be asking this q. on the *A Forum, or is the answer there going to be a similar one?

Thanks all!

*A is much simpler due to plenty of *A airlines in Asia - SQ, TG, OZ, NH, CA, FM (UA & CO also have plenty of 5th freedom routes in the region too).

They also have more passes, both regional and country specific.

The trip will likely include (starting from the UK) visiting Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand (and maybe a couple of other spots, most likely of all being HKG). I may also be going to Australia myself a few weeks earlier (in Dec/Jan, on a personal trip), so an option of combining the two may also be of significant interest to me.

One option would be a LONE4 economy RTW ticket. Priced at GBP 2049++.

You could do something like this:

LHR-North America (lots of flying there if you want)-SYD(flying in Australia)-CGK-SIN(separate ticket on Jetstar Asia)-BKK-HKG-MNL-NRT-LHR

KL can be done as a side trip from SIN as well.

This way you can do quite a few of your Asia trips, visit Australia and do some time in North or South America. The big problem is that L class doesn't earn much on QFF.

Thanks all. Most appreciated.

I'll look into all those options, but may have to [let me sit down for this...] just do it on *A instead (for the reasons Kiwi Flyer highlighted). Eeekkkkk !a