Hey everybody! I've learned a lot on this and other threads here as I've been working on booking a LONE4 for leisure travel starting in August and going through the following June. I have some questions I haven't been able to find answers to, so taking it to the experts. If anyone has general advice/comments on the below routing, that would of course be appreciated as well!
Current routing: (which the online tool prices at $3991 + $532 = USD$4523) (
great circle map)
- YYZ
- GRU (JJ8103, via JFK)
- EZE (JJ8018)
- IPC (LA450 xSCL LA833)
- SCL (LA842)
- PEK (AA940 xDFW AA263)
- NRT (JL860)
- DEL (JL749)
- HKG (CX694)
- BKK (CX713)
- AMM (RJ183)
- IST (RJ165)
- MAD (IB3003)
- LAX (IB6171)
- OGG (AA271)
My specific questions are:
(1) I am U.S.-based, and would typically depart from the NYC area, but happy to make YYZ my departure point since the online tool prices this itinerary as ~$2000 USD less than one departing from JFK. Will I actually be able to book with this lower price? I know the below is in the fare rules sheet, but I don't really understand its implications.
When travel originates in a country for which a specific local currency fares is published and the ticket is sold in another country, the fare will be that published for the country of origin converted to the currency of the country of sale at the bank selling rate. The resultant fare must not be lower than from the country of sale.
(2) The online tool errors out when I try to proceed to the payment screen, which from other threads I understand is most likely because I am starting in Canada and ending in the U.S.. Given that, how would I actually book this ticket? Call AA, or would I have to go through TAM since they're the first carrier? If calling AA, how do I actually pay given the YYZ start?
(2a) The online tool does not error if I switch the final destination from OGG to YYZ. If nothing else, I could book this online and then call up (who? AA?) and incur the $125 change fee to switch it back, right?
(3) Codeshares. I don't have status on any airline and have minimal AA miles, but would assume it makes sense to earn AA miles on this ticket since I do most of my travel in domestic US. Are there any codeshares I should be trying to take advantage of on this itinerary? I admit I don't understand how these can be advantageous...
(4) What are the pros of leaving the out flights open-dated? My travel will be flexible, but it seems like picking random dates out in the future and then just moving them up to when I want them as I go is the same number of calls from the road and protects me more if they change their routes in the meantime, right?
(5) What else am I doing wrong/failing to think about?
Thank you very much - both for any advice here and all the helpful posts I have already read!