Tips with booking RTW tickets with CX?
Mar 18, 2024, 3:54 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: PEK, AUS, WAS, HKG
Programs: CX Gold
Posts: 1,123
Tips with booking RTW tickets with CX?
I need to visit Frankfurt and Las Vegas this summer. I figure that I may want to utilize Oneworld's RTW tickets. However, since I have never done it before, I would appreciate some tips from you. I will start from NRT and plan to go: NRT-HKG-FRA-LAS-LAX-NRT. I have some questions:
- I understand that the ticket will be issued by the first operating carrier, which is CX in my case. Is this correct?
- What is the best way to book this ticket? Should I call CX directly to book it (I am Diamond)? Or should I directly book it on Oneworld's website?
- If the outbound trip via HKG is a mere connection (< 24 hours), can I do LAX-HKG-(stopover)-NRT on the way back?
Mar 18, 2024, 6:39 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: HKG
Programs: Marriott Ambassador (Titanium Lifetime), BA Gold, Ex-Hertz 5* PC, Ex-HH Diamond, Ex-BD*G
Posts: 3,062
At the moment the RTW website offers you the ability to ticket it via Qantas (automatically) or offline with the first carrier (CX in this case). As someone who has booked 2 RTW tickets recently through first QF and then CX I would advise that neither is a great option, as they don't really seem to have proper ticketing desks or those who understand the ticket. I have spent a lot of time on calls with CX with relatively simple requests and even had easy things like changing a flight blocked as "system says no". I think that trying to get BA or AA who seem to have better staff may make your life easier in the long run unless you expect few if any changes**. Strangely the CX WhatsApp seems to be better at this, but it can often take 24-48 hours. QF was way worse than CX btw.
To (2) - ideally you book it via the oneworld website, and then it is passed to CX, who will call you to reconfirm and take payment. This makes sure you get the exact flights you want more quickly than reading out 16 flights, which can take a long time
To (3)... better to ask on the RTW ticketing group in the oneworld forum (Oneworld booking and pricing experiences), so my understanding is you can have 2 stopovers in your starting continent, but at the same time, there are limits on transfers at the same time.
**I can explain more on what a pain this is but I don't want to distract too much from your core question, as mine were not always simple asks. But QF cancelled a flight and basically refused to rebook me into the same class even when there was availability in "D" on their rescheduled flight (They downgraded my ticket to economy), it took too much hassle to fix for a basic involuntary change.
To (2) - ideally you book it via the oneworld website, and then it is passed to CX, who will call you to reconfirm and take payment. This makes sure you get the exact flights you want more quickly than reading out 16 flights, which can take a long time
To (3)... better to ask on the RTW ticketing group in the oneworld forum (Oneworld booking and pricing experiences), so my understanding is you can have 2 stopovers in your starting continent, but at the same time, there are limits on transfers at the same time.
**I can explain more on what a pain this is but I don't want to distract too much from your core question, as mine were not always simple asks. But QF cancelled a flight and basically refused to rebook me into the same class even when there was availability in "D" on their rescheduled flight (They downgraded my ticket to economy), it took too much hassle to fix for a basic involuntary change.