The two that Number Six and Viajero mentioned plus one more. Let me give three examples. The exact quoted rules are in there somewhere.

Trip #1 (Number 6 rule).
ORD-DEL-LHR-HKG-LAX-ORD

This breaks the rule that you can only enter/exit Asia once (rule regarding Aussie flights aside). You enter Asia when you go to Delhi, you exit Asia when you go to London, you enter Asia again when you go to Hong Kong and you exit Asia again when you go to Los Angeles. Thus, you have two entries/exits from Asia, which isn't allowed.

Trip #2 (Viajero rule).
ORD-DEL-HKG-JNB-SYD-LAX-ORD

North America is in TC1, Europe and Africa are in TC2, and Asia and the SWP are in TC3. There is no problem with the aforementioned entry/exit rule. But the trip goes from TC1 through TC2 to TC3, back to TC2, back to TC3 and up to TC1. Or more specifically, TC1-TC2-TC3-TC2-TC3-TC1. While the fare gives a lot of latitude, you must go TC1-TC2-TC3 or v.v.

Trip #3 (one trans-atl/pac flight rule)
ORD-DEL-LHR-ORD

Barring a minor exception, the rules say you have to make one transatlantic and one transpacific crossing. ORD-DEL is transatlantic and LHR-ORD is transatlantic, so you have two transatlantic flights and no transpacific flight.


As far as whether the rules say that ORD-DEL is transatlantic or transpacific, I don't think they explicitly do. However, there are two things that lead me to believe that AA clearly is interpreting this as a transatlantic. First, anectodal evidence from the board. It was a bit unknown at first, but the flight is now consistently being interpreted and quoted as transatlantic. Second, AA has listed their surcharges as "AA TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHTS EXCEPT ORD-DEL" separately from their surcharges for "AA TRANSPACIFIC FLIGHTS EXCEPT: TICKETS ORIGINATING IN JAPAN, FOR FLIGHTS BETWEEN JAPAN - US." I believe a logical reading of AA's categorization leads to the conclusion that AA wants this to be a transatlantic flight.

As I said, I don't agree with the interpretation for the exact reasons that this is being debated in this forum. You pay for a continent you don't touch and it makes things that much more complicated. But AA has their reasons and more power to them. Really, imo, what needs to happen is in their next rule update to add a rule stating, "ORD-DEL IS A TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT" if in fact they want it to continue that way. Makes me wonder if they are not still considering the issue and might eventually make it transpacific. I don't know. But from my logic, if a nonstop flight begins in TC1 and ends in TC2 (or v.v.), it should be transatlantic. If the flight begins in TC1 and ends in TC3 (or v.v.), it should be transpacific. Every other flight follows this logic and it makes sense from a practical point of view that this one would too, irrespective of the actual flight path.