I am trying to piece together a DONE4, ex-JNB. A red inverted triangle flag occurred when I try to transit (less than 24 hours connection) LHR the second time, on way to complete the last flight to JBN.
Here was my preliminary itinerary that did not pass validation online.

JNB-xLHR-xLAX-SCL-LIM-GRU-GRU-EZE-xJFK-xLAX-SYD-PER-HKG-NRT-DEL-xNRT-SIN-xLHR-JNB

NOTES:
x : < 24 hour transit
xJFK-xLAX-SYD is under 1 flight #, namely QF108
xLHR: this leg has a red flag. Therefore can�t validate the itinerary.

Questions:

1. What I have above is a DONE4?
2. Is this (xJFK-xLAX-SYD) allowed?
3. Is xLHR-xLAX-SCL allowed? I recall some Fters had done something similar, by quoting certain rule (which I forgot now).
4. Can someone PM me with contact info of a TA in JNB?
5. First flight is AA codeshare (BA metal), second flight is on AA metal. Can this be ticketed by AA?
6. How can I get this DOEN4 to work?

All suggestions welcome. Thanks.

The rules of the Oneworld Explorer ticket are here

Your itinerary is:
JNB-xLHR-xLAX-SCL-LIM-GRU-GRU-EZE-xJFK-xLAX-SYD-PER-HKG-NRT-DEL-xNRT-SIN-xLHR-JNB

MAIN POINT
Rule 4(e)3 states:
You have two arrivals and departures for Europe
At least one of these MUST be to or from one of the countries listed
Neither of yours are

Other points:

• what do you mean by GRU-GRU?
• your JFK-SYD flight is just that - no need to show xLAX, if you do show it then the tool will probably consider it an extra segment
• there no longer is a OW flight GRU-EZE (BA used to fly it, but stopped some time ago)
• one of your two entries to Nth America can be a stopover (you have two transits) - as can be your entry to Europe (the one that does make use of the exception quoted above)

Happy planning

ps I just plugged to following into the online tool:
JNB-LHR-LAX-SCL-LIM-GRU,EZE-xJFK-SYD-PER-HKG-NRT-DEL-NRT-SIN-xLHR-NBO
The only flights I selected were: EZE-xJFK-SYD and SIN-xLHR-NBO
the tool shows it to be a valid itinerary

Hi allset2travel - good luck with your rtw - have done 5 of them ex CPT in the last few years and they can be a bit complex to get the hang of.

Firstly, what you are looking at with your itinerary is a DONE6 - as your departure continent counts as 1 and even though you are only transiting Europe it still counts as a continent.

As Pandaperth points out you can transit Europe twice ONLY if you are ending in certain Africn countries - like Kenya, but I assume that is not where you want to end up. You can however fly from HKG to JNB on CX to end your journey. however to do his you would need to reduce one of your Asian sectors to keep within your 4 flights allowed in one continent

Looking at your routing I gather you are trying to maximize your miles as well. The following is a legal routing - but still a DONE6 I'm afraid!
JNB-xLHR-xLAX-SCL-LIM-GRU/EZE-xJFK-SYD-PER-HKG-DEL-NRT-SIN-xHKG-JNB

This effectively gives you 15 sectors so you could add another flight somewhere. As you are paying for the continents anyhow you can make stopovers in Europe and North America (only once the second must be a connection)

If you use LHR as a pure connection using BA metallic on AA code share and the onwards connection to the US on AA metal you can ticket as AA. I think the reason that it would not validate the xLHR was because you tried to transit Europe twice which is not valid to start and end in SA.

The other option to avoid the ridiculous BA and Heathrow taxes and fuel surcharges would be to use IB to MAD from JNB. IB are actually not that bad in business.

Hope that helps!

Partially correct: BA has stopped flying GRU-EZE but Lan Argentina still does a couple of times a day, though not every day of the week. Several LA-coded flights are codeshares with TAM which cannot be used for Oneworld RTWs, but the LA 4xxx flights are operated by Lan Argentina. Currently it seems they are only flying A320s on the route in which the highest class is Premium Economy. They used to fly 763s but no longer, unfortunately.

Mindpearl in Capetown is good for issuing ex-CPT/JNB RTW tickets; google for contact info, though I believe they are listed on aa.com as AA agents also.
Just found it:
Cape Town

Mindpearl
Mindpearl House
West Quay Road
V&A Waterfront
Cape Town 8001
South Africa
Phone 002721-440 6440
Fax 0027 21 440 6450 Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(Except Public Holidays)

Happy Travels.

Thanks for the correction

Thanks for pointed out the specific rules. I need to revisit the rules again & again.

GRU-GRU was a typo. I do want to take GRU-EZE by using LAN.

Want to make this itin a DONE4 (possibly DONE5 if a significant boost in miles/points).

My bold. Wow! ^^

That's great. Now we can really pick your brain


I want to keep it as a DONE4 (possibly DONE5). Rework itin to reduce 1 or 2 continents.


Thank you & Pandaperth for pointing out applicable rules.
Not too keen on ending trip in aforementioned African countries.

Will look into HKG-JBN segment to end trip. How is CX's in flight service on this route?

Max miles are very much a goal.


That's good to know. Thx.


Very much in my mind as well.


It certainly does. Thank you. ^

Thank you for the Mindpearl contact info.
Also noted GRU-EZE is served by A320s, no more 762

Ok I think the first thing then to do is determine your continents otherwise this can just go on and on.

Your DONE4 options would be:

1) Africa:Europe:Sourh America:Australasia
2) Africa:Europe:North America:Asia
3) Africa:Europe:North America:Australasia

Your DONE5 options would be:
1) Africa:Europe:South America:Australasia:Asia
2) Africa:Europe:South America:North America:Australasia
3) Africa:Europe:South America:North America:Asia

So I think you need to determine which Continents you want to do and then take it from there.

My bold. This would be 5 continents.

Are you asking a question, or making a statement?

If a question - then the answer is Yes - it's five continents.

Then I would maybe suggest the following:

JNB-MAD-AMM-MAD-SCL-GRU-LIM-EZE-SCL-SYD-PER-HKG-DEL-NRT-SIN-HKG-JNB

Gives you all 16 sectors, adds some extra miles in Europe (and Jordan is a great country - pop down nd spend a night in Petra - amazing! And SA passport holders get free visa on arrival).

Total miles would be 53,054 base miles or 79,581 points towards EXP status as you would be in J.

I think the recent fare hike (ex-JNB) is so severe that I find it not worthy to start a RTW from here. Not to mention the cost of positiong.
I went through one validated itinerary all the way to just prior to putting in credit card & personal info. The per pax base fare was 55,270 ZAR (US$7,401) and surcharge & taxes = 22,848 ZAR (US$3,059). Total comes to US$10,460

I am looking at elsewhere to start.
Thank you all for helping. Sorry that I might have wasted your precious time.

I was in Jordan last year. Yes, Petra is an amazing destination. So was the Dead Sea/Jordan Valley.

There hasn't been a fare hike ex-JNB! What you have priced is a DONE5 and that has been the price for ages.

The surcharges and tax are pretty painful though! What was your itinerary? Presumably starting with JNB-LHR so attracting all BA's massive surcharges.