Dog250

Had a play around this evening and was able to get better OTAs (Expedia, booking.com) by using sky scanner.
I seem to remember seeing the option to book the open jaw directly with LATAM via a Google flights link but I don't see LATAM having a multi city booking option... So I could be imagining it.

I'll probably end up booking this tomorrow 😁

Thanks!

jbalmuth

Star Alliance ex-Cairo RTW fares remain available at very low prices. I just purchased ours from the Star Alliance Book and Fly website, an exceedingly simple westbound Business Class itinerary (i.e. CAI - FCO/BLQ - FRA - JFK - HND/NRT - AKL - SYD - SIN - LHR - CAI) mostly on SQ, NH and NZ, for USD 3,700 per person (of which USD 2,700 was attributed to the fare, the rest being taxes and surcharges). The online payment service was down, but an agent from Lufthansa just telephoned from Germany (we are NYC based) for the credit card details, and ticket numbers were issued immediately. Our previous OneWorld RTW trips were always much, much more complicated to arrange --- the StarAlliance website puts anything developed by OneWorld to shame --- but my main purpose of writing was to alert you to the fact that the good fares are still available. The website is https://roundtheworld.staralliance.c...ound-the-world, and requests for telephone payment should be made to [email protected]

We've always enjoyed overnighting at the Le Meridien at the Cairo airport before ex-CAI flights, and expect to do so this time as well.

AaronS123

looking at that website.... yea ow cant even compare. I really should look into branching out of OW, and into star alliance considering FRA is my home haha. Thanks for the seemingly good starting point!

LilZeppelin

It's funny but I much agree with you having spent countless sleepless hours to do the same before they adjust their fares: both Oneworld DONE3 at 2642.28USD and Star Alliance CRWSPCL at 2364 make the propositions very alluring. My observations are that if you can find availability in required classes (Z and D) on Star Alliance their process is truly efficient. Their RTW desk emails you back within hours with the itinerary they create (or you create if going through the credit card step which does not work, but it creates a "deep booking"). Whereas my experience with Oneworld consists of calling BA which are more than happy to book you into the flights, but then pressurize you to pay for them right away and pressurize you not to cancel within 24hrs if you want to optimize it. It so happens that I hold several return flights to Cairo so I need to jump onto the opportunity as these RTW fares are very competitive across the two alliances and even more competitive in comparison to starting the journey anywhere else! Also, LeMeridien rocks - great breakfast and the Lebanese restaurant. And much thanks to cruser1 for alerting about the deval.

cruser1

Thank you for the great information!

SqKiwi

I have booked 7 or 8 RTW's ex CAI through the Star Alliance website. The process is as described - build the itinerary, generate the booking code (not PNR) and email the team. They'll call for a credit card and it's done. They are experts on the product - so no back and forth if you know the rules as well.
Changes use the same process - email the team and in my experience, changes are made within an hour or two. Free if no change in routing, $150 if a routing change is required and they will charge the card on file.
One interesting aspect of the Star RTW ticket is it's valid for a year from the first flight flown (not ticket issuance). So you can book a placeholder itinerary for a year out and change flights closer to the date.
The email process seems tedious, but in my view, much, much better than a phone call.
The new ex-CAI fares will apparently stick - the last ticket I bought the agent mentioned they as the of devaluation charge in USD not EGP. But you never know.

LilZeppelin

Great info on ticket validity. I would need another Oneworld ticket for BAEC Gold re-qual after Apr2025. The change fees are 125USD and cancel fees before travel are 150USD per ticket, however the date change of the first segment triggers re-fare. "A date change can be done free of charge, provided the routing and operating carrier remain unchanged. Routing changes are possible at a charge of USD 125 per person/transaction. This also results in a recalculation of the fare, taxes and carrier imposed fees. In case the first flight is changed, the price guarantee is no longer given and a recalculation of the fare, taxes and carrier imposed fees is necessary". Basically, if you are able to find routes with a good carrier-dependent D/Z availability you can get nice free flexibility with the fare purchased. I wouldn't choose the Eva Air JFK-TPE unicorns for example.

altalk08

Hello, does anyone know why 30 January 2025 is the latest possible date I can book the first flight for this RTW? Thanks.

cruser1

Depends on the airline, but some only let you book about 330 days out.

altalk08

Appreciate it, thanks. Would you happen to know which one would allow booking the most days out? Specifically, I am trying to book what was suggested above: a placeholder itinerary that I can rebook later on as far into 2025 as possible.

sony2012

for RWT fares, which airlines offer cheaper options? Without looking at each leg price, it seems like I have to do it many times to figure out which airlines are cheaper. I see ANA, UA, LH, TK, Air China, Thai, Eva, etc. avianca does not seem to come up...

danger

If you're looking at a oneworld Explorer, date changes are permitted free of charge, provided ticketed points remain the same. My suggestion is to finalise your routing, then work backwards with dates, beginning with, say, 30 January 2025. It's best to have your intended stopovers as stopovers (rather than transits) in your placeholder itinerary, too. I tend to plan the itinerary with three days in each stop.

Importantly, the date of your first flight coupon (which I take to mean the flight(s) to the first stopover point) as set in stone, to avoid a reprice if the whole itinerary, including the base fare.

Chogori K2

May I know what does OMNI / PR stand for ?

cruser1

Here -

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/omni-pr-652/
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/omni-366/

Maple Red

Thanks for the information. The ex-Cairo fares look great.

I have never purchased an around the world fare before; this may be my first. Obviously to get the lowest fare, the ticket's itinerary must begin and end in Egypt and the actual trip must begin in Egypt. But, what would be the penalty/consequence of not completing the journey in Egypt? For example, simply not flying the final segment into Cairo if the penultimate destination was a more convenient.

Might Star Alliance annul all the airmiles earned from the entire itinerary? Might Star Alliance block the traveler from purchasing future RTW itineraries?

Thanks in advance for sharing info with a RTW rookie.