DONE4, my first rtw - advice needed
 

I'm positioning myself to Tokyo on a redemption and wish to do 3 separate trips, split on the LHR legs. This is my first foray into advanced ticketing as I'm hoping for some advice or recommendations.

The goal is not just to maximise TPs and miles but to explore new cities and cultures. I currently have what appears to be a valid route. In my opinion slightly too focused on Australia. I would love to visit India but this seems impossible with my routing. My plan is also to visit Antartica which is possible via SCL or EZE, I could not get closer.

NRT-KUL-DRW-BNE-PER-AKL-SCL-IPC-SCL-EZE-UIO-MAD-LHR-MCT-LHR-HEL-NRT

46k miles.

In D this arrives at a tease over 1m JPY - does this sound correct?

I've also noticed that some flights show no availability, or force to route me via another hub (so +1 segment). This is even though I know they fly direct on that date. One example is AKL-SCL. Any idea what it's doing (have checked on EF and it shows availability..)?

Welcome to FlyerTalk jimig. Thanks for joining us on the BA board. However, you're really asking in the wrong place. ;) The dedicated oneworld board which also covers RTW oneworld itineraries is here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/oneworld-411/

Are you using the oneworld explorer tool? http://rtw.oneworld.com
It's not perfect by any means, a real ticketing desk will have more flexibility than the tool offers.

Also I think this is a DONE4, because you have four "continents" (Asia, Southwest Pacific, South America, Europe/Middle East).

You have sixteen sectors there so you cannot add any more. If you want to visit India, you will have to drop a flight somewhere else.

Welcome to FT

AKL-SCL is hard to get in D from LAN. At times you can get the QF codeshare on the same flight. QF also fly to SCL from SYD
Mileage monkey NRT-KUL-DRW-BNE-PER-AKL-SCL-IPC-SCL-EZE-UIO-MAD-LHR-MCT-LHR-HEL-NRT Has a possible major error, but that may be a seasonable flight. Note that MM is not 100% accurate at this time.

PER-AKL (QF 111) only operates one or two days a week IIRC.

It only operates on weekends, seasonally.

Thanks for your help guys.

The PER-AKL operates on Friday/Saturday year round so not sure why MM is moaning.

The AKL-SCL leg was showing 7 seats in D in EF so I think the rtw tool is bugging out.

It would be great to have a resource of xONEx itineraries, couldn't find much here.

Do you need to visit LHR twice?

If you wanted to drop in India you could route MAD-DOH direct. This will free up a segment and you could do HEL-DEL-NRT at the end. The HEL-DEL flights aren't daily so you will need to make sure they fit in with your plans.

I see what you mean about the AKL-SCL flights not showing up on the RTW tool even if EF shows D availability. I only found one flight that worked over a 3 month period.

Do you really want to route KUL-DRW on a 737? Might be better off going to BNE or PER from KUL and then on to DRW? Beware though the DRW PER flights don't run every day.

I priced up an itn similar to yours ( I couldn't replicate yours exactly because of the issue with the seasonal QF flights and the non-availability of the LA SCL-AKL flight ) and made the changes I suggest above and it shows as 962700 Yen. Avoiding LHR the second time will save on APD as well.

That's really useful thanks.

I have no real need to travel via LON except that I live near Heathrow but can position to/from MAD quite cheaply.

Updated itn is:

NRT-KUL-PER-BNE-MEL-AKL-SCL-IPC-SCL-EZE-UIO-MAD-DOH-LHR-HEL-DEL-NRT

AKL-SCL is mandatory so I really hope I can find some D availability.
Within the Pacific there really aren't many options on Oneworld. Ideally I'd get to Tahiti and on to Easter Island but this isn't possible.

SCL-IPC-SCL in D class is available from about £350, which you might find to be a better deal, since then you can use your other RTW sectors somewhere else.
However, tickets must be purchased in Chile, which is why you don't see the tickets at this price when looking from the UK. You can satisfy this requirement by purchasing from the LAN Chile website.

Could you reverse the Oz/NZ order and go NRT-KUL-AKL-PER-BNE-SYD-SCL-IPC-SCL-EZE-UIO-MAD-DOH-LHR-HEL-DEL-NRT instead? That way you could ride the QF SYD-SCL segment.

Or, just buy a one-way ticket from AKL to PPT for US$340 in economy (or if you have any AA miles, 30K for one way in business - you can buy AA miles at present for around US$0.02 each) and go PPT-IPC-SCL. You'll lose the surface segment but will have more South America segments available.

That would make it something like NRT-KUL-PER-BNE-MEL-AKL//PPT-IPC-SCL-EZE-UIO-MAD-DOH-LHR-HEL-DEL-NRT

Oh and it should noted that these are all DONE4 itineraries, not DONE3. Asia, SW Pacific, South America, Europe = 4. MOD NOTE - I have since edited the thread title.

Many thanks for the advice. Much better than any TA I have encountered and I hope this thread offers helpful advice to other travellers.

The AU/NZ reversal is a work of art, giving more miles and opening up better availability.

I think my final route is now

NRT-KUL-AKL-PER-BNE-SYD-SCL-IPC-SCL-EZE-GYE-MAD-DOH-LHR-HEL-DEL-NRT

@50k miles

http://www.gcmap.com/map?P=NRT-KUL-A...X=720x360&PM=*
from gcmap.com

GYE is lower taxes and offers another route on IB to MAD. Some of the SA legs are poor value offering WT rather than a Business product, but there are no other options and I will have to slum it.