While this question is arising from planning a RTW ticket, I believe it is applicable beyond that (including potentially to other *A partner bookings) so I have made a separate post.
The ANA RTW page describes one limitation of the booking as "a maximum of 12 flight sectors". I am trying to discern exact what ANA/*A qualifies as a single flight sector.
More common terms used are flight segment/leg, which are defined by the IATA
Definition of Flight Segment
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the international trade body for airlines around the world, defines a flight segment as the operation of a flight with a single flight designator between the point where passengers first board an aircraft and the passengers' final destination. A flight designator includes an airline code, which has two letters or a number and a letter in combination, and a flight number of up to four digits. A flight segment can include any number of stops where passengers board and deplane the same aircraft operated by a single airline.
Comparison of Flights and Legs
A flight is defined by the IATA as the operation of one or more flight legs with the same flight designator. Unlike a flight segment, a flight may involve one or more aircraft. The IATA defines a leg as the operation of an aircraft from one scheduled departure station to its next scheduled arrival station. A flight segment can include one or more legs operated by a single aircraft with the same flight designator.
• A flight is defined by the IATA as the operation of one or more flight legs with the same flight designator.
SQ operates their flagship JFK-FRA-SIN route. Both legs operate using the same plane and flight designator (SQ025). You are able to book either leg separately in addition to the full route (JFK-FRA operates as a fifth freedom route).
1. If you book JFK-FRA-SIN through ANA with just the short layover (getting off and back on the same plane), would this count as 1 or 2 sectors? (ANA's website lists it as a nonstop flight with one-stop?!)
TK operates a JRO-ZNZ-IST route. Both legs operate using the same plane and flight designator (TK564). Unlike the SQ examples, TK does not have traffic rights to transport passengers between just JRO-ZNZ. (Since both destinations are within the same foreign country, this qualifies as "cabotage", the eighth freedom of the air). But you can book both JRO-ZNZ-IST and ZNZ-IST via ANA.
1. If you book JRO-ZNZ-IST through ANA with just the short layover (getting off and back on the same plane), would this count as 1 or 2 sectors? (ANA's also website lists this as a nonstop flight with one-stop?!)
