Did I miss some changes to DONE rules?
 

Hi everyone

been using the above (usually DONE4) for quite a few years now (including 3 in the last year alone).

When I came to book my latest one via - as I have always done - the BA Gold Guest Line - I was surprised to hear that there is now a 21 day advance purchase requirement (ticket is being purchased out of London with first sector LHR - USA)

This was new to me

Also the agent I was speaking to also said that subsequent sectors after the initial one cannot be left open dated.

Both of the above really surprised me as I can't find any trace of them on the OW website under the RTW tool.

Did something change or have I been given wrong information do you think?

Many thanks in advance for any light that can be shed

The latter re Open-dated segment is by product of e-ticketing that should not be an issue for a competent agent.

However, it's really not worth the trouble as you can simply book dummy dates while keeping desired transits and stopovers aligned. Just revalidate when you know your date(s). No $125 fee should be charged for simple re-validation.

There is a TC1 specific 7 day advance purchase for Economy itineraries (i.e. LONEx). Also, there is 21 day minimum ticketing limit for Economy itineraries (i.e. LONEx) where reservations are made 22 or mare days before departure.

No such limitations exist for TC2/TC3 originating itineries.

RWR1 RULE 3015 - Dec 1st 2012

Current rules
The agent may have been looking at the TC1 ticketing rule, but even that doesn't require a 21 day advance purchase.

Many thanks and your suggestion on how to avoid the open dating / e ticket issue is the way that I have done it in the past and will continue to do so.

Checked the OW fare rules again and the info I was given was clearly an error. Some 21 days advance purchase rules for Economy class travel but no such rule for Business Class. Only condition is that if you book more than 8 days before travel you must ticket and issue 5 days before travel but that is fine and what I have been used to

Thanks again

I have edited that post with additional information including a link to the relevant page in the current rules - but basically you have it correct.

Would worry about the quality/pricing of the ticket if the agent and his/her back-office support (i.e. rate desk) were that incompetent.

Your parenthetical insertion might be seen as adding ambiguity where there is none in the rule.

16. VOLUNTARY CHANGES/REROUTING/PENALTIES
...
(a) Rebooking/Rerouting
(1) Prior to departure
(a) Changes to date/time/oneworld carrier/inventory changes are permitted provided ticketed points remain the same. ...
(b) Changes other than to Date/time/oneworld carrier/inventory permitted at a charge of USD125.00 per transaction. ...

(2) After Departure
(a) Date/time/oneworld carrier/inventory changes are permitted provided ticketed points remain the same.
(b) Changes other than to Date/time/oneworld carrier/inventory permitted at a charge of USD125.00 per transaction.

_______

In other words, you CAN change carrier or inventory class -- but not routing -- and it is still a 'simple re-validation' for which no change fee applies.

cheers,

Henry

As I understand it, changes to date/time/carrier can be done at no charge and will require either revalidation or ticket reissue. The question of which is needed, I think, up to the issuing airline. An AA RTW desk agent told me that he revalidates only for AA flights because he's seen problems where the operating carrier loses the ticketing information and then cancels the flight.