SkyTeam - Around the world with Skyteam

Hello,

We like to fly around the world with Skyteam starting from the Seychelles. That country seems the cheapest place in the world to buy a LRTWSKY3.
Is this correct or can't you buy a worldticket overthere?
They already told us it's not possible with oneworld

THX Whaleshark

Have you considered what it will cost for you to get to and from the Seychelles for your RTW?

I doubt that anyone who's active here has specifically done that, but a good starting point is to read everything on the SkyTeam website about RTWs. You might also consider whether it would be worthwhile to work with a real human travel agent for this trip. However, the typical travel agent hasn't mastered all the rules of RTWs, so be sure to find an experienced professional expert who wants to work with complex itineraries and is willing to learn. Another useful way to start is to find out whether your airline (do you have status?) has a RTW desk. If so, you might be able to call them during the business day and get quick answers to some of your questions.

Have you considered what it will cost for you to get to and from the Seychelles for your RTW?

I doubt that anyone who's active here has specifically done that, but a good starting point is to read everything on the SkyTeam website about RTWs. You might also consider whether it would be worthwhile to work with a real human travel agent for this trip. However, the typical travel agent hasn't mastered all the rules of RTWs, so be sure to find an experienced professional expert who wants to work with complex itineraries and is willing to learn. Another useful way to start is to find out whether your airline (do you have status?) has a RTW desk. If so, you might be able to call them during the business day and get quick answers to some of your questions.

The oneway from Belgium to the Seychellen costs less than 400 euro,
The problem is ofcource finding a travelagency in the Seychellen who sells the ticket.
In the history off this site in 2004 the cheapest place was Cairo ( Egypt ) but after 2004 there insn't an update anymore,
In 2003 we bought or ticket in Cairo spending 250 euro for an onewayflight but saving more than 1000 euro

The oneway from Belgium to the Seychellen costs less than 400 euro,
The problem is ofcource finding a travelagency in the Seychellen who sells the ticket.
In the history off this site in 2004 the cheapest place was Cairo ( Egypt ) but after 2004 there insn't an update anymore,
In 2003 we bought or ticket in Cairo spending 250 euro for an onewayflight but saving more than 1000 euro



Which options does Skyteam have to go from New Zealand to America passing the Pacific Islands Like Tahiti?

AF has a few flights to Pacific Islands, IIRC from LAX. (DL has a daily 777 nonstop SYD-LAX.) I don't think any Sky Team carrier serves NZ, so you need either to find partners of the airline whose miles you're using (for DL miles, Virgin Australia, which also has SYD/BNE/MEL non stops to LAX; for other SkyTeam airlines, check if there's a mideast partner such as Emirates or Etihad) or to purchase a transTasmanian flight, most conveniently to SYD. (DL miles can also be redeemed on Air Tahiti Nui.)

The bottom line in my confusing attempt at an answer is that SkyTeam miles can be used on any SkyTeam member's flights if available in the right (lowest) award inventory class, but SkyTeam airlines generally have additional partners for redemptions. Some FF programs impose restrictions on whether alliance and other partners can be combined in a single award ticket (DL doesn't currently), so you need to check the rules carefully. Similarly, you need to check what happens if you want to use a codeshare operated by a non partner or non alliance member. RTW award tickets have additional rules, but sometimes it's better to patch together award tickets and even purchase a few segments rather than getting a RTW. Remember that a partner of a partner isn't necessarily a partner, either for earning or spending miles.

AF has a few flights to Pacific Islands, IIRC from LAX. (DL has a daily 777 nonstop SYD-LAX.) I don't think any Sky Team carrier serves NZ, so you need either to find partners of the airline whose miles you're using (for DL miles, Virgin Australia, which also has SYD/BNE/MEL non stops to LAX; for other SkyTeam airlines, check if there's a mideast partner such as Emirates or Etihad) or to purchase a transTasmanian flight, most conveniently to SYD. (DL miles can also be redeemed on Air Tahiti Nui.)

The bottom line in my confusing attempt at an answer is that SkyTeam miles can be used on any SkyTeam member's flights if available in the right (lowest) award inventory class, but SkyTeam airlines generally have additional partners for redemptions. Some FF programs impose restrictions on whether alliance and other partners can be combined in a single award ticket (DL doesn't currently), so you need to check the rules carefully. Similarly, you need to check what happens if you want to use a codeshare operated by a non partner or non alliance member. RTW award tickets have additional rules, but sometimes it's better to patch together award tickets and even purchase a few segments rather than getting a RTW. Remember that a partner of a partner isn't necessarily a partner, either for earning or spending miles.

Thanx for the effort to explain, you known something about buying the ticket in the Seychelles, is there a partner present?

Thanx for the effort to explain, you known something about buying the ticket in the Seychelles, is there a partner present?
I have no idea. Have you tried to just book it on a local on line site, just to check if it will accept a foreign credit card?

Another idea would be to ask a major travel agency such as AmEx if they can write the ticket for you; there will be a ticketing fee for this. In the past, AmEx PTS advertised that they routinely tried to save moey by writing a RT as two one ways whenever, for instance, the return was especially cheap starting from that point, so they seem to know and practice writing plane tickets from wherever if it's legal and cost effective.

I assume the plan is to abandon your RTW in AMS on the return rather than going to the Seychelles to complete the trip and then purchasing the return from there. I don't know whether this is allowed or whether it would be better to do a RT to/from the Seychelles for your positioning flights. Have you compared RT versus OW fares? Being forced to visit the Seychelles twice rather than only once might not be bad.

I don't think any Sky Team carrier serves NZ

Actually Korean Air (from ICN), China Southern (from CAN) and China Airlines (from TPE via BNE) all provide service to Auckland, just not through the Pacific islands.

Actually Korean Air (from ICN), China Southern (from CAN) and China Airlines (from TPE via BNE) all provide service to Auckland, just not through the Pacific islands.
You're right. I guess I forgot about these flights because they don't seem to be legal routings from the USA, although there's been some discussion about whether this would be allowed. KE would be nice, although it's the farthest and has so many blackout dates for award tickets with DL miles. (KE's own blackout dates aren't quite so bad.)

You're right. I guess I forgot about these flights because they don't seem to be legal routings from the USA, although there's been some discussion about whether this would be allowed. KE would be nice, although it's the farthest and has so many blackout dates for award tickets with DL miles. (KE's own blackout dates aren't quite so bad.)
KE and CZ are definitely legal to route to Australia/New Zealand from the US with DL miles. (Add in MU if just talking Australia.) There are many reports of success doing this. The trick always comes down to following a valid routing. This can be tricky with some of the minor airports in the US, and you generally won't be able to use VA/DJ to get to an airport outside of SYD/MEL/BNE/AKL/PER.

We like to fly around the world with Skyteam starting from the Seychelles. That country seems the cheapest place in the world to buy a LRTWSKY3.
Is this correct or can't you buy a worldticket overthere?
They already told us it's not possible with oneworld


This has been discussed in a couple of other threads in this Forum, such as:
AF FRTWSKY1 ex-SEZ, worth it? (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/skyteam/1312031-af-frtwsky1-ex-sez-worth.html)
RTW on SkyTeam? (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/skyteam/356933-rtw-skyteam-22.html)

However, I am not sure whether anyone has reported success in actually booking such a ticket yet. Do let us know if you manage it!

Which options does Skyteam have to go from New Zealand to America passing the Pacific Islands Like Tahiti?

If i remember correctly that for an extra fee you can use AirCalin flights ex AKL/SYD/BNE via NOU to PPT where you can catch the AF flight to LAX

Hello,
I've been in contact with a skyteammember and they said it's possible to start from Mahe in the Seychellen.

This could be a start

Mahe - Kenia - Bangkok

But afterwards i want to go Denpassar ( Bali ) - New Zealand - Frans Polynesia - Los Angeles - Brussels- Mahe via...

Anyone suggestions?

Greetz Whaleshark

This could be a start

Mahe - Kenia - Bangkok

But afterwards i want to go Denpassar ( Bali ) - New Zealand - Frans Polynesia - Los Angeles - Brussels- Mahe via...

Anyone suggestions?

If you want to build up a complex routing like this, it's probably best to use either:
a) The SkyTeam Round-the-World planner at www.skyteam.com/en/your-trip/Round-the-World-Planner/; or:
b) The SkyTeam downloadable PC timetable, available at: www.skyteam.com/en/your-trip/Services/Download-Timetables/

I've never used the RTW planner (although I think there's a thread on it, somewhere on FT). However, I use the downloadable timetable for nearly all my trip planning. It includes all SkyTeam flights, and allows you to search city-pairs (direct or connections) by day or by week. However, be aware that it includes SkyTeam-coded flights operated by non-SkyTeam members, which may not be eligible on RTW tickets.

Unfortunately, New Zealand and the Pacific are still a bit of a white spot for SkyTeam.

For BKK-DPS, you'd probably have to do BKK-VN-SGN/HAN-VN-SIN-KL-DPS.

I think AKL is the only SkyTeam destination in New Zealand, and DPS-AKL would require DPS-KE-ICN-KE-AKL or something. You could leave AKL again on KE, CI or CZ (I don't think the KL codes-shares operated by MH, or MU code-shares operated by QF would be eligible). However, I'm not aware of any sensible routing to then get you to French Polynesia*. You may need to use a separate ticket for that leg. (Note that AFAIK 'surface' sectors (a term which includes sectors flown on other tickets) still count towards your total mileage on the RTW ticket... To avoid this, you'd have to fly back to the point where you left your RTW routing.)

* EDIT: Unless you can use the AirCalin flights, as suggested by sh1982.

From PPT onwards, it's fairly straightforward, eg:
PPT-AF-LAX-DL-ATL-DL-BRU-KL-AMS-KQ-NBO-KQ-SEZ

Obviously, for the TATL section there are all sorts of variations possible with AF/KL/DL/AZ.

DPS is served by KLM, IIRC from SIN.

The only real problem is to get from DPS to PPT via AKL.
Depending on when you fly, Garuda might be part of Skyteam.
Without Garuda, the best thing is probably to fly from DPS to BNE one-way with VA, have a return from there to AKL and back, and then continue with BNE-NOU-PPT using Air Calin. This means that DPS-BNE would be a surface sector within the RTW ticket, and you would pay for DPS-BNE-AKL-BNE extra.
Alternatively you could just have the DPS-BNE one-way ticket and fly BNE-NOU-AKL-NOU-PPT within the RTW-ticket. The surface sector would remain the same.
Avoiding the surface sector and the ticket at all would be too expensive in MHO.