So the new fare rules have been published on the Oneworld web site
But AA has obviously decided it is right and Oneworld is wrong
This is what AA's new fare rule looks like in ExpertFlyer (apologies for the crappy formatting and for SHOUTING)
4E. ONLY ONE INTERCONTINENTAL DEPARTURE AND ONE
INTERCONTINENTAL ARRIVAL PERMITTED IN EACH
CONTINENT EXCEPT AS FOLLOWS -
1. TWO PERMITTED IN NORTH AMERICA WHEN ONE IS A
TRANSFER WITHOUT STOPOVER.
2. TWO PERMITTED IN ASIA WHEN ONE IS A TRANSFER
WITHOUT STOPOVER OR ON DIRECT SINGLE PLANE
SERVICE BETWEEN SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AND EUROPE /
MIDDLE EAST.
3. TWO PERMITTED IN EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST
A. FOR TRAVEL ORIGINATING IN AFRICA
//AFRICA-EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST-RTW-EUROPE/MIDDLE
EAST-AFRICA//
- ONE OF THE VISITS TO EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST MUST
BE A TRANSFER WITHOUT STOPOVER BETWEEN AFRICA
AND THE PREVIOUS/NEXT CONTINENT.
B. FOR TRAVEL ORIGINATING OTHER THAN AFRICA
//EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA-EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST//
- IF TRAVEL TO/FROM EUROPE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS
THE ITINERARY MAY NOT INCLUDE MAURITIUS/SOUTH
AFRICA.
---
---
H.A MINIMUM OF 3 AND MAXIMUM OF 16 SEGMENTS
INCLUDING SURFACE SEGMENTS BETWEEN ANY 2
AIRPORTS ARE PERMITTED FOR THE ENTIRE
JOURNEY.
FREE FLIGHT SEGMENTS WITHIN EACH CONTINENT ARE
LIMITED AS FOLLOWS -
AFRICA 4
ASIA 4
EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST 4 - NOT MORE THAN 2 OF WHICH
MAY BE BETWEEN THE UK AND ALBANIA/ALGERIA/
BULGARIA/CROATIA/CYPRUS/GREECE/LIBYA/ISRAEL/
MIDDLE EAST/MOROCCO/ROMANIA/RUSSIA WEST OF THE
URALS/TUNISIA/TURKEY/UKRAINE.
SEGMENTS BETWEEN MIDDLE EAST AND EUROPE ARE NOT
PERMITTED IF TRAVEL INCLUDES AFRICA AND THE
ITINERARY UTILISES THE BACKTRACKING PROVISIONS
IN PARAGRAPH FL.E.3.A AND E.3.B
NORTH AMERICA 6
SOUTH AMERICA 4
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC 4
My
emphasis
Note this is new wording - previously paragraph 4(h) referred to "3.1.3 and 3.2.3" not "FL.E.3.A and E.3.B"
So it looks like AA will still refuse Europe-Middle East flights on backtracking itineraries
The Qantas fare rules do not have the
red text in paragraph 4(h)