Circle Pacific Fare Check
 

Hi

I have come up with a routing for my Circle Pacific fare and would like to get the collective thoughts of my esteemed board members. Particularly with reference to stopovers as I am a little confused with them.

My proposed routing is the following:

HKG-BKK (stopover). CX755 A340-300.
BKK-SIN (stopover). CX713 777-300.
SIN-SYD-MEL-CBR (stopover). QF2 A380, QF461 737-800, QF TBC
CBR-SYD (stopover). QF704 737-400.
SYD-LAX-LAS (stopover). QF11 A380, AA1915 737-800.
LAS-LAX-NRT (stopover). AA1075 737-800, JL61 777-300
HND-HKG (completion). CX549 747-400.

Now by my reckoning I will have to purchase an additional stopover for the Asia region - is that it? I am a little confused about the NRT-HND issue - is that counted as 2 stopovers as I am spending some time in Tokyo?

I have also annotated the aircraft I have provisionally chosen - if anyone thinks of anything better I would welcome thoughts.

Total miles according to milage monkey is 21982.

Sorry to be a pain but I want to try and get this sorted in my head before I go through the pain of trying to book it! Basically trying to maximize TPs and Miles (BA).

Thanks for looking

aks120

I would look at swapping SYD and MEL. QF10 SIN-MEL, then SYD. International arrivals into SYD in the mornings are extremely painful and best avoided where possible. Also, if you get delayed in immigration, customs and the QF transfer queue (which is quite possible at that time of the morning) to the point that you would miss the SYD-MEL flight when you get to the check in/bag drop, they'll see that you're just connecting in MEL and just put you on the next flight to CBR.
Another option would be to fly into SYD, have your SYD stopover then, followed by CBR, then route out to LAX through MEL on QF93.

As for Tokyo, I'm not completely sure as they have removed the Circle trip fare rules from the oneworld site, but I believe NRT-HND will count as one stop as well as counting the mileage between the two airports and a flight sector to your limits (had a DAS13 (Circle Asia) through Tokyo in 2010, (SYD-NRT,HND-ITM) the NRT-HND 'sector' counted as part of my limit of 8 sectors and 13000 mile limit).

Putting in your stopovers ('o') and transits ('x'), your itinerary is:According to GCM, this is 21,963 miles (even including the NRT-HND surface segment) and is 12 segments. So it is a valid xCIR22 itinerary

You have three stopovers in Asia and six in total (BKK, SIN, CBR, SYD, LAS and NRT/HND)

The rule* on stopovers is as follows (relevant parts highlighted):So your six stopovers exceed the maximum four free allowed - so looks like you'll be up for 2 x USD150 for the extra two - one of which will be your third stopover in Asia

Your Tokyo stopover will count as a single stopover

* Seems the fare rules are no longer available on the Oneworld web site:confused: - the stopover rule quoted above has been sourced from KVS

Note that the xCIR26 allows five free stopovers, and the xCIR29SA allows six free stopovers. Both of course at extra cost, but maybe your BA Tier Point/Mileage benefits would justify the extra cost?

Many thanks for both replies - very helpful.

I will take on board the busy Syd arrivals bit and rehash that I think.

Now I need to decide whether I want to pay for the extra stop overs!!

Thanks again for taking the time. ^

aks120

Instead of opening new ones thread, might as well ask here.
Something for my mother for her trip.
Is it cheaper to grab the HKG or TPE circle pacific in J, can someone post me or message me the current 26000-29000 fare in D class.

TPE-xHKG-oYVR-oYYZ-oJFK-xSCL-oAKL-oMEL-xHKG-TPE 27186 m

If HKG is cheaper then exTPE then it will start and end in HKG
HKG-oYVR-oYYZ-oJFK-xSCL-oAKL-oMEL-HKG 26184mi
So if she buy her own ticket YYZ - JFK 366 mi will the total miles flown will be 25818mi? So no need to buy the 29000 fare?
Cheers for any tips and advice!
Wongo

HKG DCIR26 47340HKD + tax
TPE DCIR26 56070HKD + tax
Surface sectors (where you take any kind of alternate transport between two airports) count to both the sector limit and total mileage.
eg: CBR-SYD-NRT-ITM-NRT-ICN-HKG-SIN-MEL is 8 sectors and 12966 miles. It will still count as 8 sectors and 12966 miles even if I take the train between Tokyo and Osaka.

One problem for you is that there is no direct oneworld service between YVR and YYZ. Two 1-stop possibilities are YVR-JFK-YYZ and YVR-DFW-YYZ. Both of course add miles to the itinerary and IIRC it is not allowed to transit the US when travelling from one Canadian port to another - so your mother would have to stopover at the intermediate US point. But maybe she can stopover in JFK before YYZ?

If so, then this itinerary might work for you:
HKG-oYVR-oJFK-oYYZ-xLAX-oAKL-oMEL-HKG

Next problem - QF discontinues its AKL-LAX-AKL service early next month
So unless your mother is travelling very soon the above itinerary will not work for her (except perhaps in reverse - so she takes the AKL-LAX flight very soon?)

Cheers mate, gee, my mother is out of luck isn't she. Her trip is not due till Aug or Sept... Everyone has pulled out from AKL... Lan is not flying direct to Auckland either.... Its going to be interesting. Maybe I should back track back to Auckland then to HKG direct.?

Its this legal..?

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=HKG-YVR...-AKL-HKG&DU=mi

HKG-oYVR-oJFK-oYYZ-xLAX-oSYD-oAKL-HKG
25904 mi

Yes that will work
Note that you have three stopovers in Nth America - so you must pay USD150 extra for the third one

:confused:News to me that LAN is pulling out from AKL - its 6-times weekly flight still shows in KVS right through to next year

really. I tried a dummy booking via the Lan site while planning and it seems to direct me to SYD then AKL... I am probably wrong too! haha
Tried again.. guess I am wrong, tried to booked on date that they did not fly to AKL, gee. (Stupidity) ...
I think I will go for SYD since I have plenty of points on QF so will upgrade mom to F... Actually would rather reroute back to SYD so she can fly on 380 back on F too but it bumps to 26141 mi.. Not worth paying up to next bracket...
So dam hard to keep under that 26000mi cap... arggg!

IIRC any travel via Sth America means you have to purchase the xCIRC29SA fare. That solves the <26k miles problem.

Cheers og
Finally found some info... it I have 29k to toy with, will want to maximize the trip some how!

For –CIR22 and –CIR26 Fares
Travel must be via the North/Central Pacific in one direction and the South West Pacific in the other direction or vice versa. Only one North/Central Pacific crossing and one South West Pacific crossing is permitted. Travel originating in or including South America is not permitted.
For –CIR29SA Fares
Travel must Originate in or include South America. Travel must be via the North/Central Pacific in one direction and via Chile/Argentina to/from the South West Pacific using the services of QF/LA in the other direction.

After your helpful replies I have now come up with the following:

HKG-oBKK-xSIN-xMEL-xSYD-oCBR-oSYD-xLAX-oLAS-xLAX-xSFO-xHND-HKG

That gives me the correct 4 stopovers so no additional payments.

The total distance is 21663. I was wondering if anyone can spot another milage/TP opportunity that I can squeeze in to use up those last few hundred miles. I know I am being greedy but flying is part of the holiday I really enjoy so I am happy to take loads of aircraft to get to my destination!

Anyway thanks so for for your help - at least I now know how to write the proper lingo for stopovers and transits :D

Regards
aks120