I just got off the phone with AA RTW desk while changing my DONE3 ticket, and to my surprise, the agent informed me that they were closing the Canada loophole in the next 60 days if he had to guess.

I havent heard other anywhere else, has any heard anything about this or can confirm?

If its true, I need to book my ex-KRT RTW soon!

If true (and I've heard comparable - not the same, but comparable in scope) comments from the RTW desk before, which came to naught - then it would sound like OW is putting a lot of emphasis on the online booking tool. That's unfortunate as long as the tool is as buggy as it seems.

Hope it does not come to past. May have to rush and book a RTW before it shuts down.

Isn't the "Canadian Exception" because of a legal requirement in Canada?

That was my understanding as well.

What is this "Canadian Exception" that all of you are referring to?

eg: If I am buying a ticket in Australia (country of sale) for travel starting in Japan (country of origin), I would ideally pay the Japan price converted to AUD. However, as the Australia price is more then the Japan price, I instead have to pay the Australian price.

The "Canadian Exception" voids that - if the country of sale for the same ticket was Canada instead of Australia, I would pay the JPY price converted to CAD.

In 2010, I booked a DONE3 departing Tokyo from Australia via the online tool. I paid the the Japan price in JPY.
Early in 2011, some bugs popped up in the online tools booking system related to different systems talking to each other (eg, Amadeus and Sabre) which prevented a booking from completing. As a result, I was unable to book my 2011 DONE3 (departing Korea) via the tool. I instead had to make use of a travel agent in Canada to process the booking and I paid the KRW price converted into CAD (which my bank then converted to AUD).

Thanks for the explanation.

It may be a rule, but it can be changed.

Airlines like *A, used to have this ruling but they changed it. So did other RTW fares. So ultimately, that may be the case for OW too.

I don't know the history of the *A rules for RTW tickets
but the current rules simply make no mention of country of sale vs country of origin - so one always pays the country of origin price, and no need for the Canada or Europe exceptions
(and I believe ST RTW rules are similar)

So basically, making the Canada exception apply across the world?

Previously, to quote an earlier example, I buy in Australia ex Japan, I pay the Australia price even though Japan is cheaper, even though leaving from Japan. (This is morally wrong).

Canada exception allowed me to purchase in Canafa ex-Japan at ex-Japan rates. (This is morally right).

If there is no longer a mention of country of sale vs country of origin, is there finally a recognition that we have a global economy, and that it doesn't matter where we buy our tickets from?

Dave

But to be honest its such a stupid rule given (in most countries) you can just call up a travel agent (or a well know oneworld airline) and book from the country of origin without an issue.
In fact just did this today.

It's a bit tricky when the country in question is Sudan or Saudi Arabia.

Personally I'm more comfortable with directly booking with an airline like AA rather than through an agent as subsequent ticketing changes are so much easier.

So am I - and these days, it is ridiculously easy to circumvent point-of-sale rules, it isn't funny.

Dave

It does appear so

Here's the relevant text from the *A ticket rules (source KVS):And no rider like the OneWorld Explorer ticket has, namely: