Oneworld booking and pricing experiences
Sep 3, 2018, 1:34 pm
#781
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: used to be PER, now it's nowhere/eveywhere
Programs: QFF NB, AA GLD
Posts: 3,464
RTW Fares ex-SEZ are bookable (on SABRE)
There has been some discussion, in this thread Can I Include the Seychelles on a RTW, that old BA RTW fares are still published in the GDSs but are not actually bookable.
Well – they are bookable!!
The trick is to use an agent that has access to the SABRE GDS - because using that system the ticket can be automatically validated, priced and ticketed.
I am personally aware of four people who have recently booked such tickets (one of them booked four AONE4 tickets – for four people that is, not one person making four trips
)
I went as far as getting an AONE5 validated and priced by an agent in Australia – but for personal reasons did not proceed with it ☹
The current base fare prices in ExpertFlyer are:
Results from https://www.ExpertFlyer.com
I’m showing these in USD, but the base fares are actually stated in SCR (Seychellois Rupees). EF is using an exchange rate of 1USD=13.15SCR
EXCELLENT prices - hope you all agree!
Some caveats:
Let the feeding frenzy begin!!
FYI
With regard to the “quirks” in the GDS fare rules, I have been in correspondence with Oneworld, and will start a new thread on that, where hopefully those FTers with requisite knowledge can educate the rest of us��
Well – they are bookable!!
The trick is to use an agent that has access to the SABRE GDS - because using that system the ticket can be automatically validated, priced and ticketed.
I am personally aware of four people who have recently booked such tickets (one of them booked four AONE4 tickets – for four people that is, not one person making four trips
)I went as far as getting an AONE5 validated and priced by an agent in Australia – but for personal reasons did not proceed with it ☹
The current base fare prices in ExpertFlyer are:
Results from https://www.ExpertFlyer.com
Code:
Fare Information Search:
Departing SEZ on 24/10/18 for SEZ
Flying BA
Viewing in currency USD
Validated Results
Fare Basis Airline Booking Trip Type Fare Cabin Effective Expiration Min/Max Advanced
Class Date Date Stay Purchase Req
LGLOB29 BA L Round-Trip 1445.00 (USD) E -- / 12M
LONE4 BA L Round-Trip 1445.00 (USD) E -- / 12M
LGLOB34 BA L Round-Trip 1598.00 (USD) E -- / 12M
LONE5 BA L Round-Trip 1598.00 (USD) E -- / 12M
LGLOB39 BA L Round-Trip 1826.00 (USD) E -- / 12M
LONE6 BA L Round-Trip 1826.00 (USD) E -- / 12M
DGLOB34 BA D Round-Trip 2815.00 (USD) B -- / 12M
DONE4 BA D Round-Trip 2815.00 (USD) B -- / 12M
DONE5 BA D Round-Trip 3195.00 (USD) B -- / 12M
AGLOB34 BA A Round-Trip 3423.00 (USD) F -- / 12M
AONE4 BA A Round-Trip 3423.00 (USD) F -- / 12M
DONE6 BA D Round-Trip 3652.00 (USD) B -- / 12M
AONE5 BA A Round-Trip 3880.00 (USD) F -- / 12M
AONE6 BA A Round-Trip 4412.00 (USD) F -- / 12M
EXCELLENT prices - hope you all agree!
Some caveats:
- must use an agent that can access SABRE
- the fares rules, as implemented in the GDS, have some quirks which results in some valid itineraries being flagged as invalid, for example:
- My itinerary had four flight segments in Asia, which was flagged as invalid
- Another person wanted to start his itinerary with SEZ-xDOH-SYD…, which was also flagged as invalid
- After the event, my agent in Australia emailed that once ticketed, itineraries cannot be changed (
- I have not yet followed up on this, but I think it is that the ticket cannot be automatically changed in SABRE (the fare rule states "not validated for autopricing"))
Let the feeding frenzy begin!!
FYI
- PM me if you want the contact details of the Australian agent I used
- PM @Leo123 if you want the contact details of an agent based in Finland (i.e. in the Euro-Zone) – I have leo123’s permission to tell you all this
With regard to the “quirks” in the GDS fare rules, I have been in correspondence with Oneworld, and will start a new thread on that, where hopefully those FTers with requisite knowledge can educate the rest of us��
Last edited by pandaperth; Sep 3, 2018 at 2:05 pm
Sep 3, 2018, 2:50 pm
#782
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
Posts: 6,416
To add to pandaperth's quirks, mine was only able to be auto-priced if a BA code was used on the TATL leg. So, I did SEZ-LHR-SAN... which is a 23-hour connection allowing a return to Europe at the end before finishing in Africa.
Last edited by skunker; Sep 3, 2018 at 3:08 pm
Sep 3, 2018, 2:55 pm
#783
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: used to be PER, now it's nowhere/eveywhere
Programs: QFF NB, AA GLD
Posts: 3,464
Sep 3, 2018, 3:07 pm
#784
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
Posts: 6,416
Another thing to point out for those trying is that this rule could apply, so choose your end point correctly.
E. ONLY ONE INTERCONTINENTAL DEPARTURE AND ONE
INTERCONTINENTAL ARRIVAL PERMITTED IN EACH
CONTINENT EXCEPT AS FOLLOWS -
1. TWO PERMITTED IN NORTH AMERICA.
2. TWO PERMITTED IN ASIA.
3. TWO PERMITTED IN EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST FOR
TRAVEL TO/FROM/VIA AFRICA. IF TRAVEL IS TO/FROM
EUROPE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ITINERARY MAY NOT
INCLUDE MAURITIUS/SOUTH AFRICA.
INTERCONTINENTAL ARRIVAL PERMITTED IN EACH
CONTINENT EXCEPT AS FOLLOWS -
1. TWO PERMITTED IN NORTH AMERICA.
2. TWO PERMITTED IN ASIA.
3. TWO PERMITTED IN EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST FOR
TRAVEL TO/FROM/VIA AFRICA. IF TRAVEL IS TO/FROM
EUROPE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ITINERARY MAY NOT
INCLUDE MAURITIUS/SOUTH AFRICA.
Last edited by skunker; Sep 3, 2018 at 3:25 pm
Sep 3, 2018, 7:21 pm
#785
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: HKG/LON
Programs: QRPC-Plat/OWE, MPC, BAEC
Posts: 106
There has been some discussion, in this thread Can I Include the Seychelles on a RTW, that old BA RTW fares are still published in the GDSs but are not actually bookable.
Well – they are bookable!!
The trick is to use an agent that has access to the SABRE GDS - because using that system the ticket can be automatically validated, priced and ticketed.
I am personally aware of four people who have recently booked such tickets (one of them booked four AONE4 tickets – for four people that is, not one person making four trips)
I went as far as getting an AONE5 validated and priced by an agent in Australia – but for personal reasons did not proceed with it ☹
The current base fare prices in ExpertFlyer are:
Results from https://www.ExpertFlyer.com
I’m showing these in USD, but the base fares are actually stated in SCR (Seychellois Rupees). EF is using an exchange rate of 1USD=13.15SCR
EXCELLENT prices - hope you all agree!
Some caveats:
Let the feeding frenzy begin!!
FYI
With regard to the “quirks” in the GDS fare rules, I have been in correspondence with Oneworld, and will start a new thread on that, where hopefully those FTers with requisite knowledge can educate the rest of us��
Well – they are bookable!!
The trick is to use an agent that has access to the SABRE GDS - because using that system the ticket can be automatically validated, priced and ticketed.
I am personally aware of four people who have recently booked such tickets (one of them booked four AONE4 tickets – for four people that is, not one person making four trips
)I went as far as getting an AONE5 validated and priced by an agent in Australia – but for personal reasons did not proceed with it ☹
The current base fare prices in ExpertFlyer are:
Results from https://www.ExpertFlyer.com
Code:
Fare Information Search: Departing SEZ on 24/10/18 for SEZ Flying BA Viewing in currency USD Validated Results Fare Basis Airline Booking Trip Type Fare Cabin Effective Expiration Min/Max Advanced Class Date Date Stay Purchase Req LGLOB29 BA L Round-Trip 1445.00 (USD) E -- / 12M LONE4 BA L Round-Trip 1445.00 (USD) E -- / 12M LGLOB34 BA L Round-Trip 1598.00 (USD) E -- / 12M LONE5 BA L Round-Trip 1598.00 (USD) E -- / 12M LGLOB39 BA L Round-Trip 1826.00 (USD) E -- / 12M LONE6 BA L Round-Trip 1826.00 (USD) E -- / 12M DGLOB34 BA D Round-Trip 2815.00 (USD) B -- / 12M DONE4 BA D Round-Trip 2815.00 (USD) B -- / 12M DONE5 BA D Round-Trip 3195.00 (USD) B -- / 12M AGLOB34 BA A Round-Trip 3423.00 (USD) F -- / 12M AONE4 BA A Round-Trip 3423.00 (USD) F -- / 12M DONE6 BA D Round-Trip 3652.00 (USD) B -- / 12M AONE5 BA A Round-Trip 3880.00 (USD) F -- / 12M AONE6 BA A Round-Trip 4412.00 (USD) F -- / 12M
I’m showing these in USD, but the base fares are actually stated in SCR (Seychellois Rupees). EF is using an exchange rate of 1USD=13.15SCR
EXCELLENT prices - hope you all agree!
Some caveats:
- must use an agent that can access SABRE
- the fares rules, as implemented in the GDS, have some quirks which results in some valid itineraries being flagged as invalid, for example:
- My itinerary had four flight segments in Asia, which was flagged as invalid
- Another person wanted to start his itinerary with SEZ-xDOH-SYD…, which was also flagged as invalid
- After the event, my agent in Australia emailed that once ticketed, itineraries cannot be changed ( - I have not yet followed up on this, but I think it is that the ticket cannot be automatically changed in SABRE (the fare rule states "not validated for autopricing"))
Let the feeding frenzy begin!!
FYI
- PM me if you want the contact details of the Australian agent I used
- PM @Leo123 if you want the contact details of an agent based in Finland (i.e. in the Euro-Zone) – I have leo123’s permission to tell you all this
With regard to the “quirks” in the GDS fare rules, I have been in correspondence with Oneworld, and will start a new thread on that, where hopefully those FTers with requisite knowledge can educate the rest of us��
Sep 3, 2018, 7:34 pm
#786
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
Posts: 6,416
Find a TA and if you need one, let me know.
Sep 3, 2018, 9:32 pm
#787
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: HKG/LON
Programs: QRPC-Plat/OWE, MPC, BAEC
Posts: 106
No. I tried calling AA RTW desk a couple months ago. They have no problem setting up an itinerary, but when they send it to the rate desk to price they won't be able to as only BA has the fare filed. Yes, in theory they should be able to book it, but they said they wouldn't and I didn't want to push it for obvious reasons.
Find a TA and if you need one, let me know.
Find a TA and if you need one, let me know.
Sep 5, 2018, 3:53 am
#789
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Bath, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,000
As always pandaperth thanks for all your gems!! Just quickly for clarification. When you say "itineraries cannot be changed" - do you specifically mean no "routing changes" or no "date and time changes"? No routing changes I can live with, no date and time changes could be much more of a challenge.
Sep 5, 2018, 4:26 am
#790
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: used to be PER, now it's nowhere/eveywhere
Programs: QFF NB, AA GLD
Posts: 3,464
As always pandaperth thanks for all your gems!! Just quickly for clarification. When you say "itineraries cannot be changed" - do you specifically mean no "routing changes" or no "date and time changes"? No routing changes I can live with, no date and time changes could be much more of a challenge.
FYI, as further background:
- The Australian TA stated in an email to meJust letting you know I have ticketed two of these now, however, judging by how the ticketed bookings behave in the system, they look to be effectively non-changeable, as nothing will price for changes. As you know, they don't behave as they should according to the fare rules for auto-pricing them in Sabre prior to ticketing either.
- I checked in EF for the wording in the GDS 'version' of the fare rules:PENALTIES CHANGES
...
NOTE - TEXT BELOW NOT VALIDATED FOR AUTOPRICING.
...
and
VOLUNTARY CHANGES
NO VOLUNTARY CHANGES DATA FOUND. - I emailed the TA suggesting it might merely be that changes cannot be automatically made in the GDS and that in turn means they must be done the 'old-fashioned' way (manually)
I have yet to hear back from him - I mentioned this in my first post on the ex-SEZ fare in the interest of "full disclosure"
Sep 5, 2018, 11:15 am
#792
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
Posts: 6,416
As always pandaperth thanks for all your gems!! Just quickly for clarification. When you say "itineraries cannot be changed" - do you specifically mean no "routing changes" or no "date and time changes"? No routing changes I can live with, no date and time changes could be much more of a challenge.
Sep 5, 2018, 3:01 pm
#793
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Bath, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,000
Sep 5, 2018, 4:01 pm
#794
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
So you are trying to get BA to remove this fare ASAP, I assume. Thanks.
