Now THAT is service!

Thanks for the updates pandaperth and NDFan. I have my DONE4 at the beginning of August, good to hear they're going "smoothly".

Interesting, I wonder whether the same thing would be possible re: luggage if not originating from AMM. I'm currently booked on FlyDubai for DXB-KRT with a 5 hour layover in KRT. However, Id prefer to travel on RJ DXB-(AMM)-KRT (would rather stay on RJ metal in case anything goes wrong), although this may end up complicating things.

AONE4 from Khartoum
 

Thanks your post NDFan. Good to hear that it went so well. I will try it "your" way when I start my next AONE in June...

After KRT are you connecting in AMM to another destination (XXX)? If so, I very much doubt that you could check your luggage with RJ at DXB for DXB-AMM-XXX. If you have time at AMM, you could check your luggage DXB-AMM, collect your luggage and re-check for AMM-XXX, provided you get a helpful agent at AMM who will do that. Technically you are not supposed to be voluntarily separated from your luggage, but because you cannot check-in at AMM for the KRT-AMM segment, I effectively checked-in at AMM for: 1) AMM-KRT without luggage, and (2) AMM-LHR with luggage.

However, when I met the KRT agent who had my BP on the air-stairs, he asked me if I had any checked luggage. From that, I assume he was prepared to ensure any checked luggage would be either left on the plane, or returned to the plane prior to departure.

Good luck!

Thanks NDFan

I have subsequently changed my bookings around. Whereas I was previously flying: DXB-KRT (FlyDubai), KRT-AMM-IST (DONE4); I am now flying: DXB-AMM (FlyDubai), [1 Day Layover], AMM-KRT (RJ Award), KRT-AMM-IST (DONE4).

I emailed RJ in advance and received a reply from their KRT station manager advising that it would all be ok (as was your experience).

Ended up costing me a bit to change flights, etc. but has de-risked that part of the flight, and means I get to spend a day here: http://www.kempinski.com/en/dead-sea...shtar/welcome/

AONE4 from Khartoum
 

Great to hear that you got a reply by email - I somehow never managed to get an answer to the ones I sent. Which of the 5 email addresses in the RJ website did you use? Krtkzrj?

For those who have transited in KRT, how feasible would flying the following itinerary be?

http://i.imgur.com/Mt7dgqk.png

Well, it's a tight 1 hour connection which could be problematic anywhere if your inbound is delayed. I don't know how quick the transit process is at KRT because my transit was in and out on the same plane, so I wasn't concerned about delays, and RJ let me stay on the plane while it was on the ground.

You should definitely find out if you can be checked in for the ET flight when you check-in with MS in either AMM or CAI. If not, you will probably not meet minimum check-in time at KRT. When I was in AMM, RJ told me they could not check me in for their own flight KRT-AMM, and IIRC somebody said that it was a Sudanese Government requirement, as opposed to some limitation of RJ's system. They had to call their station manager in KRT and ask him to check me in and print my BP and give it to me when I arrived at KRT. Not sure that MS/ET would be able to do that for you.

Good luck!

I haven't transited there, but I wouldn't risk a one-hour connection on an international-to-international pretty much anywhere.

The bigger question in my mind is: why would you want to do this? The ex-KRT deal ended a while ago. Or did you buy the ex-KRT flight a year ago and are now trying to figure out your positioning flight?

i would strongly recommend against it. See my experience above connect ET to TK with 1hr 20 min. ET is pretty bad with interfacing with other airlines. They may be part of Star, but their systems are not connected and the general attitude is not helpful. The kind of "going above and beyond" attitude i'm seeing here from RJ does not exist with ET. I don't have any experience with MS, but they don't inspire confidence in me either.
For practicalities, i refer you to my report above as well. Departures and arrivals are two separate buildings and you need to wait for a van to take you from one to another. The airport is not setup for transfers well.
the only chance you have of making the connection is if MS gives you a boarding pass, which sounds like it can't be done remotely. I wouldn't rely on ET to check you in, print a pass and bring it to you airside.

Given that you're flying out of KRT with Ethiopian Air, you're clearly not positioning yourself for a xONEx ex-KRT. So why do you need to go to Sudan at all? :)

maximise last 3 flights on a DONE ex Khartoum
 

Hi everyone
I am finishing a DONE4 that I started ex Khartoum. I have 3 segments left from HKG(and no stopovers left in Europe - so these flights connect the same day). My last stopover was in HKG so I need to start there.

I am ending in UAE rather than Sudan under the exception - the exception doesn't seem to apply to Amman otherwise I could do HKG-TOK-DEL-AMMAN. It seems that the only choices I have are CX or JAL. BA would be an option but I expect the taxes will be enormous?

At present I have following flights:

CX 289 Hong Kong (HKG) - Frankfurt (FRA)
airberlin AB 6562 Frankfurt (FRA) - Berlin (TXL)
airberlin AB 7494 Berlin (TXL) - Abu Dhabi (AUH)

I then have to make my own way to London. At the time I chose this to maximise mileage but now it seems an expensive waste of 3 segments.

Questions:
1. I notice that AA.com shows $971 in "taxes and fees" for the above flights ("Taxes & Fees Adult $971.74"). This seems quite a lot. If I choose flights with lower taxes, would I get refund of taxes already paid?

2. If the answer to the above is yes, please could some one suggest a more efficient itinerary. Should I be using JAL rather than CX

Grateful for any suggestions from the experts - as always
Joe

Amman is in the Middle East
 

Amman is a valid ME destination to end one's DONE4. One could use 2 of the 3 remaining flights to go HKG-XXX-HKG then add HKG-AMM. CX also flies direct to AUH/DXB/BAH, other valid ME destinations.

Could you do an HKG-xXXX-xLHR-AUH with an overnight (below 24 hours) in LHR, get food poisoning in London and miss your flight to AUH?