Mini RTW Questions
Aug 20, 2018, 5:43 am
#5791
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: aeroplan, starwood, fairmont
Posts: 32
arrive yvr 1030 dep 0230
arr pek 0430 dep 0010 [approx]4
it would be great if they were checked through.
I worry that they will either end up on a flight ahead of us and disappear somewhere or if they hold them back to get them on our flight they never make it on - hopefully being paranoid. It would be hard to be reconnnected with them if they are lost at start of trip and we are always on the move
arr pek 0430 dep 0010 [approx]4
it would be great if they were checked through.
I worry that they will either end up on a flight ahead of us and disappear somewhere or if they hold them back to get them on our flight they never make it on - hopefully being paranoid. It would be hard to be reconnnected with them if they are lost at start of trip and we are always on the move
Aug 20, 2018, 10:17 am
#5792
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 13
Trying to plan a mini-rtw and have a question regarding South African Airways and taking their old A340-300s in business. I am going to HKG to JNB and have a choice between a direct flight on SAA (13 hours) but will be on an old A340-300s. The other choice would be on Air China would a stopover in Beijing which is not as ideal as the stopover is 4h35m making the whole flight duration 22h but(?) it's on a Boeing 777.
Anyone have any advice or personal experience on SAA A340-300s? I've read some reviews and youtube videos and some are alright with it but some really dislike it. I don't expect it to be Singapore business class level or anything but I would like to sleep on the 14 hour flight.
Tried to post on the SAA forum but it's not very active there... any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Edit: Also, another question. I will be heading to Taipei (JNB to TPE) afterwards, and plan to have a 13h stopover in HKG just to extend our stay to visit relatives a bit. Does anyone know if you have to take your luggage out or will SAA transfer it to EVA automatically? Sorry if this has been asked before.
Anyone have any advice or personal experience on SAA A340-300s? I've read some reviews and youtube videos and some are alright with it but some really dislike it. I don't expect it to be Singapore business class level or anything but I would like to sleep on the 14 hour flight.
Tried to post on the SAA forum but it's not very active there... any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Edit: Also, another question. I will be heading to Taipei (JNB to TPE) afterwards, and plan to have a 13h stopover in HKG just to extend our stay to visit relatives a bit. Does anyone know if you have to take your luggage out or will SAA transfer it to EVA automatically? Sorry if this has been asked before.
Last edited by kw0921; Aug 20, 2018 at 10:23 am Reason: additional questions
Aug 20, 2018, 2:03 pm
#5793
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: All Accor Plat, 1865 Voyager, AE E35K, HH Gold,Hyatt, Hrtz Gold, Marriott Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 1,670
Trying to plan a mini-rtw and have a question regarding South African Airways and taking their old A340-300s in business. I am going to HKG to JNB and have a choice between a direct flight on SAA (13 hours) but will be on an old A340-300s. The other choice would be on Air China would a stopover in Beijing which is not as ideal as the stopover is 4h35m making the whole flight duration 22h but(?) it's on a Boeing 777.
Anyone have any advice or personal experience on SAA A340-300s? I've read some reviews and youtube videos and some are alright with it but some really dislike it. I don't expect it to be Singapore business class level or anything but I would like to sleep on the 14 hour flight.
Tried to post on the SAA forum but it's not very active there... any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Edit: Also, another question. I will be heading to Taipei (JNB to TPE) afterwards, and plan to have a 13h stopover in HKG just to extend our stay to visit relatives a bit. Does anyone know if you have to take your luggage out or will SAA transfer it to EVA automatically? Sorry if this has been asked before.
Anyone have any advice or personal experience on SAA A340-300s? I've read some reviews and youtube videos and some are alright with it but some really dislike it. I don't expect it to be Singapore business class level or anything but I would like to sleep on the 14 hour flight.
Tried to post on the SAA forum but it's not very active there... any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Edit: Also, another question. I will be heading to Taipei (JNB to TPE) afterwards, and plan to have a 13h stopover in HKG just to extend our stay to visit relatives a bit. Does anyone know if you have to take your luggage out or will SAA transfer it to EVA automatically? Sorry if this has been asked before.
Aug 20, 2018, 5:58 pm
#5794
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 13
I would take the direct on SAA. I have flown them quite a bit and had new 350s and beat up old 330s and 340s. Service is always pretty good and so is food and bev. Seats may be worn but my recollection is in flight entertainment works okay with decent but not great selection. I have also flown a 777 on Air China and it exceeded my expectations, but I think it was on its initial flight from PEK to CDG.
Aug 21, 2018, 4:48 am
#5795
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
Feels like I should know the answer to this, but I don't. Has anyone tried splitting a RT into two oneways, and refunding half? I am thinking of NRT-DBV, SPU-HND, but I may need to cancel either the outbound or the return and keep the other piece. Would Aeroplan do it?
(reason I'd prefer to book as a RT initially is because if it's a "ticket from Japan", Japanese YQ rules apply, so it ends up being like $150 cheaper...)
(reason I'd prefer to book as a RT initially is because if it's a "ticket from Japan", Japanese YQ rules apply, so it ends up being like $150 cheaper...)
Aug 21, 2018, 5:06 am
#5796
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SEMM / HH Diamond
Posts: 3,167
Feels like I should know the answer to this, but I don't. Has anyone tried splitting a RT into two oneways, and refunding half? I am thinking of NRT-DBV, SPU-HND, but I may need to cancel either the outbound or the return and keep the other piece. Would Aeroplan do it?
(reason I'd prefer to book as a RT initially is because if it's a "ticket from Japan", Japanese YQ rules apply, so it ends up being like $150 cheaper...)
(reason I'd prefer to book as a RT initially is because if it's a "ticket from Japan", Japanese YQ rules apply, so it ends up being like $150 cheaper...)
Overall, it seems like a painful process just to avoid $150.
The Aeroplan rules are here: https://www.aeroplan.com/helpcenter/...-flight-reward
What is the difference between cancelling and getting a refund?
Cancelling:
Up to two hours before departure, you can cancel your itinerary and your unused reward tickets will remain valid for travel for one year from the date of their original issue. If you have already flown a portion of your flight reward, the portion of the flight that you haven't flown will remain valid for travel for one year from the date of the first flown flight. There is no fee to cancel a flight reward, but a non-refundable change fee will apply when you rebook your flight. Flight rewards that are not cancelled or changed two hours prior to the scheduled departure time will be forfeited and considered no longer valid for travel.
Getting a refund:
When you cancel your booking a minimum of 22 days prior to departure, the miles from unused flight rewards will be refunded to your account. A non-refundable refund fee applies.
Cancelling:
Up to two hours before departure, you can cancel your itinerary and your unused reward tickets will remain valid for travel for one year from the date of their original issue. If you have already flown a portion of your flight reward, the portion of the flight that you haven't flown will remain valid for travel for one year from the date of the first flown flight. There is no fee to cancel a flight reward, but a non-refundable change fee will apply when you rebook your flight. Flight rewards that are not cancelled or changed two hours prior to the scheduled departure time will be forfeited and considered no longer valid for travel.
Getting a refund:
When you cancel your booking a minimum of 22 days prior to departure, the miles from unused flight rewards will be refunded to your account. A non-refundable refund fee applies.
Aug 21, 2018, 5:57 am
#5797
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
Depends very much on when you may need to (or decide to) cancel the return. If it's at least 22 days before travel, you can get a refund on the miles (after a fee). If it's less than 22 days, you can't refund the miles, but you can change the ticket.
Overall, it seems like a painful process just to avoid $150.
The Aeroplan rules are here: https://www.aeroplan.com/helpcenter/...-flight-reward
Overall, it seems like a painful process just to avoid $150.
The Aeroplan rules are here: https://www.aeroplan.com/helpcenter/...-flight-reward
Aug 21, 2018, 6:21 am
#5798
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SEMM / HH Diamond
Posts: 3,167
Right, the standard cxl process is fine, but I'm wondering if you cancel "half" of a ticket, whether they'd refund you "half" of the miles. So in this case, 150K RT ticket becomes a 75K oneway - would they refund the oneway piece and the miles, or am I best off not risking it? The rules aren't clear on that.
If you have not flown any portion, and you are more than 22 days before travel, then you can cancel and get a complete refund. If you're within 22 days of departure, which of course includes if you have already flown a portion of your flight reward, then you can't cancel and you won't get any miles back at all - your only option is to change the dates; the portion of the flight that you haven't flown will remain valid for travel for one year from the date of the first flown flight.
Unless you're saying that you don't want to cancel at all, you just want half a refund, more than 22 days in advance? (note the answer I quoted above explaining how Aeroplan distinguishes between the word cancel and the word refund).
If that's your question then you'd probably need to check with Aeroplan - but if you're doing all of this just to avoid $150 in fees, then your question also needs to encompass how much of the taxes & fees you get back. There's certainly a risk that they will apply the one way YQ fee, and of course there's now a refund fee ($100 if you have status, $150 if not) ... so I think it's almost a certainty that you'll send up paying more via this route.
Aug 21, 2018, 7:55 am
#5799
Join Date: May 2018
Location: YYZ
Programs: AA Plat, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Golden Circle Jade
Posts: 126
Trying to plan a RTW for my parents, I am new to the RTW,
YYZ->PEK (Stop)
PEK->SIN (Destination)
SIN->city 1 in Japan i.e. osaka (Stop)
city 2 in Japan i.e. tokyo -> YYZ
Would something like this work, it seems quite straightforward compared to some other posts here, with a small open jaw in Japan
Could the YYZ->PEK side be designed for something in Europe isntead?
Thanks
YYZ->PEK (Stop)
PEK->SIN (Destination)
SIN->city 1 in Japan i.e. osaka (Stop)
city 2 in Japan i.e. tokyo -> YYZ
Would something like this work, it seems quite straightforward compared to some other posts here, with a small open jaw in Japan
Could the YYZ->PEK side be designed for something in Europe isntead?
Thanks
Aug 21, 2018, 8:13 am
#5800
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
It seems pretty clear to me.
If you have not flown any portion, and you are more than 22 days before travel, then you can cancel and get a complete refund. If you're within 22 days of departure, which of course includes if you have already flown a portion of your flight reward, then you can't cancel and you won't get any miles back at all - your only option is to change the dates; the portion of the flight that you haven't flown will remain valid for travel for one year from the date of the first flown flight.
Unless you're saying that you don't want to cancel at all, you just want half a refund, more than 22 days in advance? (note the answer I quoted above explaining how Aeroplan distinguishes between the word cancel and the word refund).
If that's your question then you'd probably need to check with Aeroplan - but if you're doing all of this just to avoid $150 in fees, then your question also needs to encompass how much of the taxes & fees you get back. There's certainly a risk that they will apply the one way YQ fee, and of course there's now a refund fee ($100 if you have status, $150 if not) ... so I think it's almost a certainty that you'll send up paying more via this route.
If you have not flown any portion, and you are more than 22 days before travel, then you can cancel and get a complete refund. If you're within 22 days of departure, which of course includes if you have already flown a portion of your flight reward, then you can't cancel and you won't get any miles back at all - your only option is to change the dates; the portion of the flight that you haven't flown will remain valid for travel for one year from the date of the first flown flight.
Unless you're saying that you don't want to cancel at all, you just want half a refund, more than 22 days in advance? (note the answer I quoted above explaining how Aeroplan distinguishes between the word cancel and the word refund).
If that's your question then you'd probably need to check with Aeroplan - but if you're doing all of this just to avoid $150 in fees, then your question also needs to encompass how much of the taxes & fees you get back. There's certainly a risk that they will apply the one way YQ fee, and of course there's now a refund fee ($100 if you have status, $150 if not) ... so I think it's almost a certainty that you'll send up paying more via this route.
Trying to plan a RTW for my parents, I am new to the RTW,
YYZ->PEK (Stop)
PEK->SIN (Destination)
SIN->city 1 in Japan i.e. osaka (Stop)
city 2 in Japan i.e. tokyo -> YYZ
Would something like this work, it seems quite straightforward compared to some other posts here, with a small open jaw in Japan
Could the YYZ->PEK side be designed for something in Europe isntead?
Thanks
YYZ->PEK (Stop)
PEK->SIN (Destination)
SIN->city 1 in Japan i.e. osaka (Stop)
city 2 in Japan i.e. tokyo -> YYZ
Would something like this work, it seems quite straightforward compared to some other posts here, with a small open jaw in Japan
Could the YYZ->PEK side be designed for something in Europe isntead?
Thanks
Aug 21, 2018, 8:38 am
#5801
Join Date: May 2018
Location: YYZ
Programs: AA Plat, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Golden Circle Jade
Posts: 126
Thanks for the quick reply, I searched up each side of the trip on aeroplan and seems like it is relatively easy to find direct flights / availability. I vaguely recall reading about being able to do an open jaw during your stopover? And the distance between the two open jaw would still count towards your MPM, unless what I was reading was outdated information?
Aug 21, 2018, 8:40 am
#5802
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
Thanks for the quick reply, I searched up each side of the trip on aeroplan and seems like it is relatively easy to find direct flights / availability. I vaguely recall reading about being able to do an open jaw during your stopover? And the distance between the two open jaw would still count towards your MPM, unless what I was reading was outdated information?
Aug 21, 2018, 9:00 am
#5803
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,198
Also as another datapoint: SAA has comfortable seats on their A330s, worn out A340 seats and I would go our of my wsy and add a stop to fly any other carrier. My last 2 longhaul widebody flights on SAA smelled horrible. Overwhelming pungent stale urine stench from the front lavs that made it all the way past the front galley and to about midcabin. Think monkey cage at an indoor zoo level... Not possible to be this bad from 1 or 2 missed cleanigs, far more than a few. Other passengers noticed as well, and as we were in their JNB headquaters/hub I tried to insist they have a cleaning crew address it before the doors were to close in an hour. Crew agreed about the smell but cleaners did nothing.
Aug 21, 2018, 9:26 am
#5804
Join Date: May 2018
Location: YYZ
Programs: AA Plat, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Golden Circle Jade
Posts: 126
Thanks - how long ahead do you guys think I need to book for the june-july 2019 period?
I know as early as possible is the right answer, but I need some time to gather the miles required and also work out the dates that they are available to travel.
Some context - these feel like decently popular routes with big planes, but I don't have a good idea of availability/reward space in general
YYZ->PEK (Stop)
PEK->SIN (Destination)
SIN->NRT/HND (stop)
NRT/HND-> YYZ
I know as early as possible is the right answer, but I need some time to gather the miles required and also work out the dates that they are available to travel.
Some context - these feel like decently popular routes with big planes, but I don't have a good idea of availability/reward space in general
YYZ->PEK (Stop)
PEK->SIN (Destination)
SIN->NRT/HND (stop)
NRT/HND-> YYZ
Last edited by cennis; Aug 21, 2018 at 9:53 am
Aug 22, 2018, 8:46 am
#5805
Join Date: May 2018
Location: YYZ
Programs: AA Plat, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Golden Circle Jade
Posts: 126
I am looking at YYZ-x-SIN-CDG-YYZ, , I am noticing the only direct flight between SIN-CDG is SQ, however, there seems to be no business class award on even the latest released days?
Is the only option transfer through IST for business class?
I am noticing roughly 770 CAD in YQ just for SIN-CDG-YYZ in business, while 491CAD if I chose SQ economy for the SIN-CDG leg (same business class flights on other legs).
Is the only option transfer through IST for business class?
I am noticing roughly 770 CAD in YQ just for SIN-CDG-YYZ in business, while 491CAD if I chose SQ economy for the SIN-CDG leg (same business class flights on other legs).