Calchas

You intend to have zero AA sectors? Are there any sectors carrying an AA codeshare?

cphurley

As of current itin - no AA sectors. If I switched to ex-CAI, I might be able to change thing around and have an ORD-LAX on AA. Would that make s difference in being able to book ex-CAI with AA? Even if that flight is in the middle of the trip?

Calchas

In principle any ow airline can book the ticket (subject to some minor restrictions on the issuer stock if you use JQ in the itinerary) but in practise it's time-expensive for them to set it up, so they only want to do it if they are getting a cut: and for that you need an AA-coded sector somewhere.

http://www.aa.com/i18n/aboutUs/where...kets/egypt.jsp

jerry a. laska

For Cairo, Emeco has been used by many.
See:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...-ex-cairo.html

In the past AA has been less than enthusiastic about setting up or booking an xonex that does not have any intercontinental segments operated by AA.

Calchas

Can you share your itinerary with us?

Most flights across the Atlantic and across the Pacific will have AA codeshares on them.

creampuff

If your itinerary is as you posted earlier then you can easily add AA sectors from London to North America and from North America to Hong Kong.

This is very, very easy to book with the AA desk and pay for using Mindpearl, the AA GSA in South Africa.

cphurley

First - thanks everyone for your thoughts/comments, as I continue to play around, this information is great and I'm seeing even more options as I learn more and analyze. Here's my current thinking (along with some more detail on my timing and general trip plans/ideas):

1. April 2014 - I'll be in Dubai on a separate trip heading home in early April... my thought is to position for a cheap RTW fare on my way home to ORD (which is why I was looking at CAI and JNB).
2. The RTW trip itinerary would essentially be XXX-ORD(Get home in April, wait until December)-(Asia)-(Australia/NZ)-(South Africa)... but I'm already considering dropping Asia all together and going back to DONE4 which prices same as DGLOB34 without the mileage issue.
3. The two main areas I'd like to visit are Aus/NZ and South Africa, so dropping Asia all together makes sense. So now I am thinking something like:

CAI-AMM-ORD-LAX-MEL-AKL-SYD-OOL-SYD-JNB-CPT-JNB-DOH-AUH

That would put my in AUH where I could use AA miles to get back to ORD via Etihad. I can't get this itinerary to price in the online tool b/c whenever I include a QR flight things go haywire... and then there is a known issue with ending in middle east (allowable) but not in same city. That said, when I change the final routing to JNB-LHR-CAI - I price out to $6151 base for the DONE4 (which agrees with EF). The LHR itinerary totals $7530 but I presume the fees/surcharges are higher with the BA flights including LHR but I don't know b/c I haven't been able to price QR via DOH. Perhaps if I can get the JNB-DOH-AUH priced maybe the overall price would be lower?

Any other thoughts/comments are much appreciated. Thanks.

Himeno

AMM-ORD and LAX-MEL both have AA codes. RJ263/AA7201 and QF94/AA7356 or QF96/AA7416.

cphurley

Another added benefit of going to DONE4 from DGLOB34 would be adding a North American round trip between my trip home in April and my "main" trip in Dec/Jan... I could squeeze in basically ORD-XXX anywhere in North America including Alaska, Mexico, or Carribbean.

CAI-AMM-ORD-MIA-GCM-MIA-ORD-LAX-MEL-AKL-SYD-OOL-SYD-JNB-CPT-JNB-DOH-AUH (Grand Cayman)

OR

CAI-AMM-ORD-DFW-ANC-MIA-ORD-LAX-MEL-AKL-SYD-OOL-SYD-JNB-CPT-JNB-DOH-AUH (Anchorage)

All this on a DONE4 looking at about $7500-7600 all-in... and also ensures some AA flights.

anabolism

Indeed, this is a nice benefit. Personally, I'm fond of side jaunts to Curaçao, which is a delightful place to visit and also is a long way from the U.S. (it's really South America, just off the coast of Venezuela, but treated as North America).

cphurley

That's definitely a good choice... but given our number of sectors, we needed a direct flight from Chicago. They do have flights to Grand Cayman but we decided on something closer to home but often expensive flights (Jackson, WY). We're planning a week in Jackson/Yellowstone in the middle of our upcoming DONE4. I've setup with AA RTW and have had it priced twice but just made a few tweaks and waiting on what I hope is final pricing:

CAI-AMM-ORD-JAC-ORD-LAX-MEL-AKL-SYD-CNS-SYD-JNB-CPT-LHR-IST-AMM

cphurley

After a few changes in plans, I'm now looking again at ex-JNB itinerary and I'm getting the DONE4 to price out properly with the online tool. I'm US based (as is my credit card) but if I can get it to price out in ZAR on the online tool - are there any issues/repurcussions/concerns regarding booking online rather than discussing with an airline?

My new potential itinerary is:

JNB-LHR-ORD-SEA-ORD-JAC-ORD-LAX-MEL-AKL-SYD-CNS-SYD-JNB

Appreciate any feedback.

Calchas

Your CC may or may not charge a conversion fee or apply a load to the exchange rate.

creampuff

Any reason why you don't use all 16 sectors since you are paying for them regardless?

cphurley

The "main" travel destinations for this trip are South Africa (at the tail end) and Aus/NZ. We were hoping to have a short visit to Turkey on the tail end of an ex-CAI trip as well. But I'm changing to ex-JNB and we don't have the time to stop in Europe on the way home to ORD. That said, now that I have some free sectors, I'm realizing I can actually do 2 North American trips from my home in ORD (the "side" trips)... so I'll probably add in one more round trip from ORD to somewhere (Mexico? Caribbean?) to fill out the sectors.

I'm still looking for anyone who's had experience actually booking via the tool ex-JNB but a US or similar credit card. Anyone?