Since I found this forum while in Seoul (bored in a dull hotel in the suburbs) early this month I have been addicted. There is a fantastic depth of information here and great tools. But most importantly, some of you know far more about travel than any airline person I’ve ever spoken to.

I have an annual business meeting in Nairobi in February, and since that is the second equal cheapest place in the world to start a RTW Explorer, I thought I’d see if I could take in a few of next year’s business trips and some personal travel on a single itinerary using an AONEx or DONEx. And I have been using a reliable travel agent in Nairobi to book client travel for several years, and she says she can ticket this no problem.

I go to Korea/Japan several times a year, and various spots in Europe, but the dates are fixed, and combing them without breaking the RTW rules doesn’t seem easy. And since I live in Tampa, and money is an issue, then I need to minimize the cost of getting back to Tampa between blocks on the Explorer ticket.

I’ve sunk quite a few hours into this, and this is what I’ve come up with:


(meeting in Nairobi on FEB 11)

1. NBO-JNB FEB 12 BA
2. JNB-HKG FEB 13 CX
3. HKG-DPS FEB 14 CX }Optional mileage run
4. DPS-HKG FEB 14 CX }

(return to Tampa on cheap HKG – TPA – HKG ticket)

5. HKG-ICN MAR 09

(meeting in Seoul on MAR 13)

6. ICN-HKG MAR 14 CX
7. HKG-SYD MAR 14 QF or CX

(visit family in Sydney)

8. SYD-WLG MAR 16 QF

(visit rest of family in Wellington)

9. WLG-SYD MAR 18 QF
10. SYD-JFK MAR 18 QF
11. LGA-TPA MAR 18 AA

12. TPA-MIA APR 07 AA }
13. MIA-LAX APR 07 AA }
14. LAX-LHR APR 07 AA }Indirect to London for more miles
15. LHR-AMS APR 07 BA

(meeting in Rotterdam APR 13)

16. AMS-LHR APR 11 BA
17. LHR-DXB APR 11 BA }Optional mileage run
18. DXB-LHR APR 12 BA }

(return to Tampa on cheap LHR-TPA-LHR ticket, with return for Feb 2006)

19. LHR-NBO FEB 06, 06 BA

(meeting in Nairobi in Feb 2006)

5 CONTINENT EXPLORER, $6099 BUSINESS, $7199 FIRST in Nairobi

TICKETS to BUY
TPA-LHR-TPA, DEP FEB 05 RETN APR 12
LHR-NBO oneway FEB 06, 2005
HKG-TPA-HKG DEP FEB 14 RTN MAR 08
TPA-LHR-TPA DEP FEB 05. 06 RTN FEB 12 06
NBO-LHR oneway FEB 11, 2006


I ran this though the OneWorld validator (thanks Hauteboy & Mark Bolton) and it seems OK.

Any comments? Any suggestions for improvements - to maximize use of coupons and minimize dollars spent?

If I can afford it I’ll do a AONE5, since I’ve seen plenty of J cabins by upgrading economy fares, but would love to know what it is like up front…