jmr50

I booked a round-the-world ticket pre-merger with UA. I've made quite a few changes as availability has improved, etc. I called in today and was told they had to transfer me to some round-the-world desk. After an hour of listening to music, I gave up. What's the deal with the round-the-world desk? Are they only open a few hours a day like the PMCO RTW desk?

Also, do the PMCO RTW rules apply now (no mileage limit, 6 stopovers not 5 permitted, etc)? Changes permitted after departure?

SFO_FT

The RTW fare rules wouldn't be affected by the merger. As a freq user of these, I found the CO RTW desk was actually faster/more efficient than UA (which didn't have a specific desk for doing these).

I'd imagine that they transfered you to the "CO RTW desk" which likely is getting swamped as ticket changes to CO issued RTW tix will now need to be issued on UA ticket stock and the reissue prob takes some extra time.

sfonorth

I was wondering if you can purchase an Around the World Fare that has mixed classes?

Specifically, I've already purchased & had ticketed an itinerary but one leg includes an overnight flight from SEZ-ADD-BKK and would prefer business class only on that leg.

I know trying to get through the Rate Desk before 3/3 with UA was at best slow but probably is worse now.

Anyone know if you can purchase economy and business on different legs of the RTW ticket?

100countrygoal

I believe you have to purchase a biz rtw ticket in order to book biz on any segments. . .

SFO_FT

You cannot.

jmr50

Finally got back through. It's a small group, but they do at least have their own phone number. They handled my change just fine, I hope, it takes 24 hours for them to confirm changes on partners like this.

Seriously, United? Are you contacting them via radio tele-gram?

kenn0223

They essentially are, they send a message thought the GDS which goes to the other airline's (OA) queue to be worked. Once someone at the OA works it they send a response back to UA though the GDS. For non-critical requests it's actually fairly efficient. If I recall, IATA sets response times for various forms of GDS requests.

For requests that involve a person at the OA to intervene I can't image a much more efficient process. For requests that require real-time interaction they will generally call, but most requests do not require real-time responses.

jmr50

Perhaps I'm just spoiled by being able to make changes in real-time, with an exchange processed and something in my inbox by the time I got off the phone. For the trip I'm working on, the only airline which couldn't do this before was Singapore (though I usually got the updated confirmation within 4 hours). Perhaps the new United is simply setting my expectations as low as possible?

redtop43

I would like to take my wife RTW in F. I fly very little, I understand it requires 350K points per ticket, and I can accumulate that in a few years from credit cards. I can often buy Chase points from co-workers for 1.25 cents, which makes the cost a reasonably $4,375 per ticket.

My concern is that I'll save the points and then try to use them and be told "Thank you Mr. Redtop, we'd be happy to take you, we can get you from London to Copenhagen in F, from Istanbul to Singapore in J, and the rest of your trip will be in Y, and it'll be a mere 350K points plus $3,850 in taxes and fees."

Does anyone have experiend/advice? I'm by no means wedded to UA for the trip, Chase points are the easiest for me to get but I could also get Amex or even possibly AA.

I will be leaving from RDU or YYZ, the only stops I really insist on are OTP (Bucharest) and SYD. I will probably go over the winter holidays or in August. Obviously there are no guarantees - I could accrue all the points and the day before I go to book, whatever airline/alliance I've accumulted them on could cease transfers, boost the miles for RTW, or whatever. I just want to make the best plan I can.

chinatraderjmr

Finding F space is usually not a problem. But remember not all airlines have F. (UA/LH/LX/TG/NH/OZ) (and QR) SQ does not allow F award seats but do in business

Sometimes it costs less miles to go around the world using 3/4 separate tkts. It depends how many stops you want to make but you can find F space on most flights, just not all days

PapaSmurf

IMO, RTW award tickets are not a good value unless you actually do want to travel around the world and make multiple stops along the way. If you only have two destinations, why not book it as RT and have a stopover in one of your stops? It would save your some miles.

jmr50

I can also cite my recent experience: working with the Round the World desk means your ticket is never automatically re-issued on changes and elite status means nothing -- you can easily spend an hour waiting to talk to an agent.

wcalvert

No more TG F :-: The 777s went off lease

Also, take the advice above and choose two destinations instead of 5 and save yourself a boat load of miles. You can get an open jaw integrated as well (fly into Tokyo and out of Seoul or something like that). I'm not sure if UA will allow you to transit to SYD via Europe, but it could definitely be possible.

goodeats21

You are not suggesting that Thai Airways has no more First Class? Simply not true...

If there was another meaning, I do not get it.

chinatraderjmr

That's what I was thinking. Plenty of F space all over the place on 744's. Those leased 777's were great in F. (I used to fly them when they were in Jets fleet EWR-BRU-BOM). TG only had a few of them anyway. A VERY FEW