darren
thanks! is what you said based on AA's interpretation? or have you tried other airlines as well?
----
this is from fewmiles' site
TO/FROM/VIA AFRICA (EXCEPT NAMIBIA/
SOUTH AFRICA/ZAMBIA/ZIMBABWE)
2 PERMITTED IN EUROPE. 1 MUST BE A
TRANSIT WITHOUT STOPOVER BETWEEN
AFRICA AND ANOTHER CONTINENT.
so hypothetically (say if the oringin is asia, might not be relevant to my proposed itin) one can do
asia-lhr-(4 in EUR)-lhr-MRU-lhr(x)-LOS-lhr-america
OR, MRU-lhr-LOS-lhr----R.T.W.---lhr-MRU
is this legitimate?
--------------------
now look at the old version, prior 5/2001, also from fewmiles' site
EXCEPTION 3-- /APPLICABLE TO JOURNEYS ORIGINATING IN AFRICA EXCEPT SOUTH AFRICA
AND ZIMBABWE/ TWO INTERCONTINENTAL ARRIVALS AND TWO INTERCONTINENTAL DEPARTURES
ARE PERMITTED IN EUROPE. ONE OF THE INTERCONTINENTAL ARRIVALS/ DEPARTURES MUST
BE A TRANSFER /WITHOUT STOPOVER/ IN LONDON OR MADRID ENROUTE BETWEEN AFRICA AND
ASIA/AUSTRALIA/NORTH AMERICA/SOUTH AMERICA.
the difference in wording is that the old version emphasize "oringinating", while the new version is simply a list of the 4 countries.
there could be 2 interpretations.
1. 'bad one': once you touched one of these 4 countries, you can't have 2 LHR-transit. but then you cannot get out of these countries to the rest of africa at all, since there is no such flight in OW without using LON/MAD.
2. "more reasonable one" (perhaps my wishful thinking): you cannot use LHR to go within these 4 countries, because you can do it with Comair.
so if you want to go from JNB to SEZ, it is traveling outside these countries (say SEZ/MRU), you can use LHR as transit.
the first interpertation basically divides the african continent into 2 disjoint continents. one is called the Comair continent, with 4 countries. the second is "rest of Africa" where LON?MAD serve as the 'virtual' hub
is there other way to go intra-africa?
i know eventually it is up to the airline staff's interpertation. but if you are saying this is what AA says, i should probably start with other airlines
[This message has been edited by pegasus8228 (edited 12-10-2001).]