Congratulations!

I'd suggest cutting out LAX-SFO, and flying LAX-LHR (on either AA or BA). If you also cut out the last sector (back into KRT) and flew LHR-xxx to end the trip, you'd now have two extra sectors to play with for North America, which should allow you to fly to the Caribbean on AA to some place directly served by JFK or DFW.

Another option would be to fly YVR-LHR, or DFW-LHR, freeing up more sectors. E.g., HKG-JFK-MIA-CUR-MIA-DFW-YVR-LHR-xxx (I'm quite fond of Curaçao). Or maybe HKG-JFK-DFW-CAN-DFW-YVR-LHR-xxx or even HKG-JFK-DFW-CAN-DFW-YVR-DFW-LHR-xxx if you wanted to fly DFW-LHR. The fact that OneWorld considers the Caribbean part of North America (even Curaçao, which is right off the coast of Venezuela) makes it very tempting to include in xONEx fares. On the other hand, since it's domestic two-class AA flights, you'd be in A even on a DONEx, so it's a bit of a waste on an AONEx.

Useful tip. Also keep in mind that you can look up the itinerary by the PNR on aa.com and it shows you much of this, and there is a "print receipt" button that shows you the e-ticket number.

Awesome NDFan ! Thanks.
I'm currently booking a DONE4 with my girlfriend leaving early November ex KRT as well. Your post has been more than useful. Thanks.
Seeing the price we were thinking of getting an AONE4 after that as well ;) Is it worth getting now and not in a year ?

I live in Paris France, do you think I should through Canada as well ? (exchange rate is pretty good too)

I'll update here if I learn anything new in the process of buying the ticket.

Buy it as soon as possible. The fares can change with little or no notice. BKK used to sell a DONE4 for around $7000 - then it went up by several thousand. As soon as the volume of tickets originating Sudan changes dramatically, I'd be confident that OW will close off this deal.

I would definitely book now, as we never know when the price will change. And these prices are outstanding. Remember that if you have to cancel prior to first flight, you can get a full refund less 5% (A or D class) or 10% (L class).

You will have to pay through Canada to get those prices, unless you can find a ticketing agent in Khartoum. If you pay in Paris, you will pay the (much higher) European price.

Please do - we all benefit from other people's experiences. Your experience entering Sudan, and in Khartoum, would be welcome too.

Happy Travels.

Thanks a lot NDFan.
I'll keep you guys posted.

I am very close to booking the AONE4 ex Khartoum but with the current political situation and US recalling the embassy staff from Sudan I am a bit concerned.

What are your thoughts? Will it affect your travel plans??

Depends when you plan to travel. If it's in the next few days, you should monitor the ongoing situation carefully. If it's a few weeks/months from now, I wouldn't worry; who knows if/when something will trigger unrest in which country next.

Happy Travels.

Well, look at the good side - perhaps we'll be spared that price increase for a while longer. And might meet some interesting diplomatic staff on the outbound leg.:D

I almost booked an ex-KRT AONE* for this month and am really glad I just booked an ex-CMB A fare instead. It's really hard to know how things will change though. For example, last summer I had planned on going to Syria and had decided against visiting Egypt due to the political situation. However, when I actually got to the Middle East I ended up going to Egypt which was then safe for Americans and had to cancel my plans in Syria.

Nonetheless, I would not book any travel to the middle east right now just because everything is so uncertain. Of course, if you end up having to cancel it's only a 5% charge...

DONE3 ex-KRT -- optimisation ?
 

Hey guys,
In the end, I chose a DONE3 ex-Khartoum (leaving november 6).
I've probably spent over 30 hours just reading and learning from FlyerTalk this week (I'm new here). I've saved SO much money thanks to you guys ! Thank you so much.

I was wondering if someone could take a look at my itinerary and maybe suggest a way I could optimise anything.
- I'm travelling wife my girlfriend, choosing to spend time in most the cities we stay in.
- Dates starting august 1st are false (since you can only book 330 days in advance)
- I'm booking through AA RTW desk and ticketing through canada (thanks for the tip, already talked with Naeem) -- I live in Paris France.

DONE3 : KRT-xAMM-HKG-PNH/SIN-TYO-xNGO-HNL-LAX-LAS-LAX-SFO/JFK-LHR-xAMM-KRT

Sector 1
From/To: KRT - AMM
Stops: 0
Depart Date: 11/07/2012
Arrive Date: 11/07/2012
Flight No: RJ 511 (operated by Royal Jordanian) Depart Time: 06:25
Arrive Time: 08:15 Booking Class: D

Sector 2
From/To: AMM - HKG
Stops: 1
Depart Date: 11/08/2012
Arrive Date: 11/08/2012
Flight No: RJ 182 (operated by Royal Jordanian) Depart Time: 01:05
Arrive Time: 19:00 Booking Class: D

Sector 3
From/To: HKG - PNH
Stops: 0
Depart Date: 12/16/2012
Arrive Date: 12/16/2012
Flight No: KA 208 (operated by Dragonair) Depart Time: 08:55
Arrive Time: 10:30 Booking Class: D

Sector4
Other means or transportation chosen for this leg of your itinerary From/To: PNH, KH - SIN, SG
-> we'll take a low cost back to Singapour and interrupt the journey one month with 3 weeks in Paris France (sister's first baby) -- way to get EQM/EQPs on AA ?

Sector 5
From/To: SIN - TYO
Stops: 0
Depart Date: 04/16/2013
Arrive Date: 04/16/2013
Flight No: JL 710 (operated by JAL) Depart Time: 01:40
Arrive Time: 09:25 Booking Class: D
Sector 6
From/To: TYO - HNL
Stops: 0
Via: NGO
Depart Date: 06/01/2013
Arrive Date: 06/01/2013
Flight No: JL 3087/JL 0794 (operated by JAL) Depart Time: 18:25
Arrive Time: 11:05 Booking Class: J/D

Sector 7
From/To: HNL - LAS
Stops: 0
Via: LAX
Depart Date: 06/10/2013
Arrive Date: 06/10/2013
Flight No: AA 270/AA 0752 (operated by American Airlines) Depart Time: 07:25
Arrive Time: 19:00 Booking Class: A/A
-> partyyyy

Sector 8
From/To: LAS - SFO
Stops: 0
Via: LAX
Depart Date: 06/13/2013
Arrive Date: 06/13/2013
Flight No: AA 793/AA 1936 (operated by American Airlines) Depart Time: 10:15
Arrive Time: 13:30 Booking Class: A/A

Sector9
Other means or transportation chosen for this leg of your itinerary From/To: SFO, US - NYC, US
-> buy car / drive from San Fran to NY / sell car.(month and a half)

Sector 10
From/To: NYC - PAR
Stops: 0
Depart Date: 08/05/2013
Arrive Date: 08/06/2013
Flight No: AA 120 (operated by American Airlines) Depart Time: 20:45
Arrive Time: 10:35 Booking Class: D

Sector 11
From/To: PAR - KRT
Stops: 0
Via: AMM
Depart Date: 08/07/2013
Arrive Date: 08/08/2013
Flight No: RJ 118/RJ 0510 (operated by Royal Jordanian) Depart Time: 12:15
Arrive Time: 04:00 Booking Class: D/D
-> back to KRT in october 2013. (and a new RTW Ticket starts ;)


Final price on online tool :
$2410 + $868.83 (taxe) = $3 278.83
(I'll add to that a 560€ ($728) one way ticket to CDG-KRT

What do you think ? (We'll both be signing up for AAdvantage)
Would love your input in you see potential improvements. (plan to buy in 24 hours tops)

I'll post updates about how it goes with ticketing and the specifics through Kartoum.

Thanks a lot !

I debated an ex-KRT for a 2013 status run, but chickened out and went with ex-JNB DONE4. This was before the successful reports of people who've managed to get the airport entry permit and so forth. If the ex-KRT prices hold, I may go for it for a 2014 status run and try to do a same-day turn in KRT to start it. I guess February would be the earliest I could book it (assuming a 1/1/14 start). I'm still nervous about problems entering and transiting, being an American, having Israeli stamps in my passport, etc., as well as making the same-day turn work.

Middle East unrest
 

Where and when to travel in the Middle East safely is hard to call.

I too transited Egypt after the uprising before order was restored. The people involved in the tourism business: Taxi cab drivers, desk clerks, tour guides and every one who makes their living from tourism were very very protective of us and went out of their way to welcome us.

We have also traveled extensively in Libya. The people were very friendly and helpful, but there was also a noticeable police presence. However, I would not travel to Libya now, there are too many people running around with guns and mortars.

A close friend transited Saudi Arabia some years ago. I will never bring my wife through there. These folks are suppose to be friendly to us, but his wife was rudely treated and both were detained and almost missed their flight (yes his wife was conservately dressed and kept to her self)

I have been considering Sudan for an RTW starting point because it is cheap. I still question the hassle of transit VS money saved. I do not know if I would go to that part of the world (except Egypt) with an Israeli stamp in my passport.

I think a transit through the airport may be ok for an American, but I do not know if I would exit the airport.

I am still planning an AONE3 or AONE4 from KRT, but I think I will wait until 2013. I will first go without my wife.

From the US State Department website:
From the Sudan Embassy website(US):

Does Israel no longer issue arrival/departure stamps on sheets that can be separated from the passport? I suppose that's ancient history due to security issues...

You have (or had) to ask for that. Some don't.

I was in Israel a year ago and was able to ask not to have a stamp.

I didn't even think of it.

To position for the beginning of an xONEx: if one were to arrive in KRT on ET-470 (landing @ 1h50), I suppose this would leave ample time for a TWOV to RJ-511 (departing that same morning @ 5h25).

Two questions:

1) How can I find out it ET has an interline baggage agreement with RJ? (In order to stay airside, I'd need for my bags to be checked straight through).

2) In the (unlikely?) event of a misconnection - what would become of me without a visa at KRT?

Checked bags
 

From what I hear and read, the folks who transit KRT do so with just a carry on.
Please chime in here if I am wrong, for I am planning to leave my bags in London or Frankfurt and pick them up on the way back.

I would call the ET office directly for interline baggage.

I planned on coming in from IST, when I start my Aone3-4.

I would love to be able to interline baggage, but I would not want to have to chase them all around the world!

That would be my approach: no checked bags and minimal carry-on (just fly in and out to officially start the xONEx).

A post in the Iberia forum http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19373984-post1.html has me pondering if it would be possible to buy an ex-KRT RTW and not show up for your KRT-AMM-MAD flights. Who will be the guinea pig for commencing the journey in MAD?

If you don't show up for your first flight (much less first two), won't the airline cancel the rest of your flights?

That's the point of the link: A Spanish court ruled that practice illegal.

WOW a KRT Aone3 from MAD
 

WOW! I guess if Sudan is politiclly too hot and you have already bought the ticket it may be worth a try…

You go first!

Hey guys, I just booked my DONE3 ex-KRT, smooth as can be. (I live in Paris, France)

Here's how it went:

- Used the oneworld online tool to simulate the whole trip (using false dates)
- Spent way too much time on FlyerTalk to optimise the .... out of my ticket. (I can't thank you enough :)
- Had some trouble with certain flights (e.g. Osaka - Honolulu) which disappeared on last simulation.
- Called AA RTW desk in US -> asked for ticket to be issued in Canada, priced in Canadian dollars (said I'd be there to buy it)
(for the KIX-HNL, AA RTW desk told me it looked like they had an error as well, but booked it anyway. Added a note for those pricing it)
- 24hours later, called back AA RTW desk, ticket was priced, KIX-HNL validated. (means that even if the flight is cancelled, they'll find a way to get me to HNL for same price)
--- BONUS: the ticket was $250 cheaper than on oneworld !! (already a steal)
- Sent a mail to Naeem Thaver at GalaTravels (AWESOME guy. Knows what he's doing, and super helpful) to have the ticket issued. (all I had to do was to give my locator)
- Scan Credit Card + Passport (use Turbo scan on Iphone) sent to Naeem.
- 24 hours later, and 84.75CAD for GalaTravels, I get my confirmed e-ticket from Naeem.

Final price :
RJ 00511 KHARTOUM CIVIL - AMMAN QUEEN ALIA
RJ 00182 AMMAN QUEEN ALIA - HONG KONG INTL
CX 00797 HONG KONG INTL - JAKARTA SOEKARNO
(jakarta-singapour-jakarta : $200)
JL 00726 JAKARTA SOEKARNO - TOKYO NARITA
JL 00792 KANSAI INTL - HONOLULU INTL
AA 00270 HONOLULU INTL - LOS ANGELES INTL
AA 00752 LOS ANGELES INTL - LAS VEGAS MCCARRAN
renting/buying a car here. 2months to get to NY.
AA 00269 NEW YORK NY/NEWARK KENNEDY - SEATTLE/TACOMA SEA/TAC
(going to anchorage from here)
AA 06127 SEATTLE/TACOMA SEA/TAC - LONDON HEATHROW
AA 06556 LONDON HEATHROW - PARIS DE GAULLE
(I get to spend a month in Paris to see friends/family before starting over again)
RJ 00118 PARIS DE GAULLE - AMMAN QUEEN ALIA
RJ 00510 AMMAN QUEEN ALIA - KHARTOUM CIVIL
(Haven't decided if I buy my next RTW ticket ex-KRT now or later)

Fare: CAD 2,386.00
CAD 175.26 YR Insurance / Fuel Charges
CAD 193.60 YQ Insurance / Fuel Charges
CAD 276.22 XT Combined Taxes
Sub-Total: CAD 3,031.08
+ CAD 84.75 (Gala Travels)
TOTAL : 3 170 USD (2 450€)

All this thanks to flyer talk (and then Naeem.)

Thank you for all your help, I hope this might help some in return.

About KRT:
Since I have a French Passport, I'm probably going to get a visa for Sudan (50€) even if I'm planning on staying less than 8 hours in KRT, just in case.

I'll post an update around 7-9 November with details on entry and departure at Khartoum.

Tristan

ps: Naeem's info : naeem [at] galatravels [dot] com / phone : 905.940.4646

Love to see some FTer tests this ruling. :)


+1 :D

Deleted.

Even with the move from SIN to DXB the direct will still be classed as a AONE4 per rule 2k under the current rules.

Indeed even when QF gets the air rights to enable a stopover in DXB, would still be a SWP-MidEast fare and thus be considered as travelling through Asia.

---

As for the Spanish court ruling....
might be applicable for an Iberia issued ticket, but tough for anything else

When the new QF schedules were loaded last week (SYD/MEL-DXB-LHR and return) I tried a simple itinerary in the booking tool - it was something like LHR-DXB-SYD-LAX-LHR (therefore 3 continents: Europe-SWP-Nth America)

And alas it priced as an xONE4
IMHO, now that there will be a non-stop SWP-Middle East flight, it's time to revisit this rule

They don't yet have traffic rights for DXB-AU, so such a flight can't be sold yet.

Not yet but QF probably will within a few weeks - plenty of capacity for IASC to hand out.

Either way the current rule (per 1 Oct 12 release) will still treat a direct SYD-DXB flight as counting Asia.

Oneworld has no reason to review that rule until March, though being able to book xONE3s from SWP would be nice.

They appear to be updating, or at least re-releasing, the rules monthly.

Unrelated to the question and assuming poster has something more creative to do with a freed first-class rtw segment, SFO-LAX-SFO can often be had on a separate ticket for ~$120 a/i r/t (in coach, but there's nothing compelling about flying that short segment in "luxury").

Deleted.

I guess that I'm confused about one aspect of this ---- was a Canadian credit card and/or a Canadian credit card billing address required for ticketing while physically in Toronto?

If not, tauphi's experience raises an important question for me:

To achieve the Canadian exception, would it not be feasible to forward one's booking tool login, password, and credit card details to a trust-worthy friend based in Canada, and have them complete the booking there? Wouldn't that eliminate both the excessive amount of time and confusion required in either booking via telephone with AA's RTW desk (and then forwarding to a Canadian-based agent) or via extensive emails back and forth starting from scratch with a Canadian-based TA?

[One of the greatest advantages of DIY online booking is that one can virtually eliminate the enormous risks involved in having another human being trying to replicate one's itinerary exactly --- and when we're speaking about 16 segment itineraries (with lots of code-share alternatives), the risks only multiply. The potential for time savings is huge as well.]

Advise would be appreciated!

When I recently booked an ex-KRT xONEx (while physically in South America), the booking tool accepted my credit card details, gave me a confirmation number, but no ticket was ever issued.

After a week, I called the issuing carrier (AA), who advised that the ticket was not able to be issued, because of the billing address on my credit card. They offered to issue it over the phone (at the ex-USA price).

I declined that offer, and instead had the booking set up so a Canadian travel agent could issue it on my behalf. Since it didn't cost any more to do so, I have no real complaint about this. Sure, it was slightly inconvenient, but so is going to Sudan to start a trip!

You're describing exactly the DIY flexibility that I'm seeking. You made, reviewed, and locked-in all the choices/decisions, and were then issued a locator. You were then able to get someone in Canada to do the ticketing, someone who didn't need to even look at the itinerary, and therefore didn't mess it up by accidental input errors. The only info you had to send to the Canadian was your locator and your credit card details (and because you used a TA, a small fee).

The "problem" that I would like to explore is how to generate a locator on the tool. Has anyone else beside tauphi and checkerboard been successful in getting an ex-KRT ticket issued based only on what they had input into the OneWorld online tool? If so, could you please share the details on how this was accomplished? TIA!

I've had ex-NRT and ex-ICN DONE3's issued by QF and CX via the online tool at the proper NRT/ICN prices despite being in AU and having an AU card.

i recently used the Canadian exception to purchase a xCIRC29SA ticket starting HKG. I set it up through the AA RTW desk and told them I would physically purchase the ticket at the AA YYZ ticket desk (ie check-in counter) at the HKG price converted to CAD. My CC has an Australian address. The whole process was painless and tickets issued on the spot.