Oneworld booking and pricing experiences
#3271




Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: San Diego
Posts: 104
I am thinking I'll replace PTY with somewhere in Mexico to reduce the amount of NA segments. It will look exactly like my last DONE4 (reversed), but I can get over that. Thanks for all the input!
#3272
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 22,914
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Di...tional_Airport
Nobody wants 3 visits to LAX 😁 I live on the west coast and LAX has the most flights to choose from. If you have a work around, I am open to exploring it.
I am thinking I'll replace PTY with somewhere in Mexico to reduce the amount of NA segments. It will look exactly like my last DONE4 (reversed), but I can get over that. Thanks for all the input!
I am thinking I'll replace PTY with somewhere in Mexico to reduce the amount of NA segments. It will look exactly like my last DONE4 (reversed), but I can get over that. Thanks for all the input!
LIR -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanacaste_Airport
Here --> https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/37563229-post5.html
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Jan 27, 2026 at 11:49 pm
#3273



Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Tampere
Posts: 3,344
#3274




Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: San Diego
Posts: 104
A possibility is LIR Costa Rica which has AS & AA flights to/from the west coast, DFW/ORD and east coast. So does not count in the USA transcontinental limits.
LIR -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanacaste_Airport
Here --> https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/37563229-post5.html
LIR -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanacaste_Airport
Here --> https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/37563229-post5.html
#3275
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 22,914
LIR (blue) has more USA destinations than SJO (red). [AA AS]
SJO has long haul international destinations of LGW & MAD. LIR none.
Some routes are seasonable
Determining capacity :- schedule & aircraft size/seats is another matter
[source Wikipedia]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanacaste_Airport
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_S...tional_Airport
A map from the Great Circle Mapper - Great Circle Mapper
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Jan 28, 2026 at 8:34 pm Reason: more links
#3276




Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MKE
Programs: Fly: AA 1MM EXP 1MM UA Gold MM Stay: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat Drive: National Exec, Avis PC
Posts: 806
Hopefully closer to a plan...seeking more DONEx advice
Couple of more questions while playing around with the admittedly quirky online tool. That CPT is the main purpose of the trip means rules limit me somewhat, but the tool seems to be allowing me to fly from Europe to CPT then to asia via DOH. For example, both of these were valid in the tool...
Oslo - London - Cape Town - Johannesburg - Doha - Hong Kong - Hanoi - Tokyo - Chicago - Los Angeles - New York - Chicago - London - Oslo
Oslo - London - Cape Town - Johannesburg - Doha - Muscat - Doha - Hanoi - Tokyo - Chicago - Los Angeles - New York - Chicago - London - Oslo
I wasn't able to get it to price alternatives, like my preferred routing via DOH, and then bypassing EU/ME when departing South Africa to satisfy the rules as I understand them when including South Africa. Something like this:
Oslo - Doha - Cape Town - Johannesburg - Hong Kong - Hanoi - Tokyo - Chicago - Los Angeles - New York - Chicago - London - Oslo
I'm trying to maximize my AA earnings somewhat, with getting to/from CPT. After the first stop in Chicago, (basically home, the rest is to use up the ticket, and possibly build in another mini-trip. Not sure how to best mazimize it, depending on what I book, I should have at least one more segment to use.
Thanks all for all of the expertise here.
Oslo - London - Cape Town - Johannesburg - Doha - Hong Kong - Hanoi - Tokyo - Chicago - Los Angeles - New York - Chicago - London - Oslo
Oslo - London - Cape Town - Johannesburg - Doha - Muscat - Doha - Hanoi - Tokyo - Chicago - Los Angeles - New York - Chicago - London - Oslo
I wasn't able to get it to price alternatives, like my preferred routing via DOH, and then bypassing EU/ME when departing South Africa to satisfy the rules as I understand them when including South Africa. Something like this:
Oslo - Doha - Cape Town - Johannesburg - Hong Kong - Hanoi - Tokyo - Chicago - Los Angeles - New York - Chicago - London - Oslo
I'm trying to maximize my AA earnings somewhat, with getting to/from CPT. After the first stop in Chicago, (basically home, the rest is to use up the ticket, and possibly build in another mini-trip. Not sure how to best mazimize it, depending on what I book, I should have at least one more segment to use.
Thanks all for all of the expertise here.
#3277
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QRPC PLT/OW EMD; Bonvoy LT Titanium
Posts: 14,572
Thanks for the idea, Mwenenzi. I've been using DFW-ANC-DFW for the North American MR parts of my itineraries. LIR/SEA is a few hundred miles more and avoids the weather problems in ANC. My only real stops in N.A. are LAX and BOS. The rest of the flights are MRs.
#3278




Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, A3 Gold, Former UA 1K
Posts: 6,365
SJO is more or less in the middle of the country and a sizable city. Great if you're looking for a city escape, but I found it fairly unexciting.
For just the purposes of going just to use up North America segments, I'd easily chose LIR over SJO but I'd stay at least a few days to get a chance to actually enjoy it.
#3279

Join Date: Dec 2024
Location: Stockholm / ARN
Programs: SK EBD, QR Silver
Posts: 44
Have not looked at your itinerary in detail
To get around the 2nd second transcontinental flight (3015 rule 4J) need to have an intermediate transit airport. DFW, ORD or what ever xxx-LAX-DFW/ORD-MIA-PTY-xxx
What is a cash fare MIA-PTY if running over the 6 NA segments allowed?
A map from the Great Circle Mapper - Great Circle Mapper
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocume...tional_Airport
The other oneworld airline to PTY is IB to/from MAD (Spain). Instead of AA back for LAX-HEL fly IB PTY-MAD-xxx
Edit
Getting back to USA west coast from PTY takes segments and the transcontinental rule limits options
So fly Iberia PTY-MAD-OSL as attached (still may have itinerary errors)
pandaPerth can give advice on DOH-NDO-DOH [ EU/ME Africa ]. Unsure if allowed.

To get around the 2nd second transcontinental flight (3015 rule 4J) need to have an intermediate transit airport. DFW, ORD or what ever xxx-LAX-DFW/ORD-MIA-PTY-xxx
What is a cash fare MIA-PTY if running over the 6 NA segments allowed?
A map from the Great Circle Mapper - Great Circle Mapper
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocume...tional_Airport
The other oneworld airline to PTY is IB to/from MAD (Spain). Instead of AA back for LAX-HEL fly IB PTY-MAD-xxx
Edit
Getting back to USA west coast from PTY takes segments and the transcontinental rule limits options
So fly Iberia PTY-MAD-OSL as attached (still may have itinerary errors)
pandaPerth can give advice on DOH-NDO-DOH [ EU/ME Africa ]. Unsure if allowed.

#3280



Join Date: Dec 2024
Programs: BA Gold, SAS EBD
Posts: 272
Something funny happened today.
Yesterday I called the AA RTW desk to price up an itinerary and we managed to get through everything within 20min. Almost every flight was available on the first try, including a bunch of married segments and codeshares, which was a very pleasant surprise.
The next day I receive the standard "your reservation has been rated" email but notice that there's no price quote on the PNR. I call the RTW desk and am told that there's indeed no quote stored in the reservation and that it's somehow shown as "ready for ticketing" despite the lack of a quote. My agent calls the rates desk, the rates desk was equally confused and we could only assume that whoever worked on it forgot to actually save their work.
I resisted the urge to make the airline equivalent of the "it didn't scan so it must be free" joke.
Now it's been sent back to the rates desk. Hopefully the next person remembers to actually store the fare and TFCs...
Yesterday I called the AA RTW desk to price up an itinerary and we managed to get through everything within 20min. Almost every flight was available on the first try, including a bunch of married segments and codeshares, which was a very pleasant surprise.
The next day I receive the standard "your reservation has been rated" email but notice that there's no price quote on the PNR. I call the RTW desk and am told that there's indeed no quote stored in the reservation and that it's somehow shown as "ready for ticketing" despite the lack of a quote. My agent calls the rates desk, the rates desk was equally confused and we could only assume that whoever worked on it forgot to actually save their work.

I resisted the urge to make the airline equivalent of the "it didn't scan so it must be free" joke.
Now it's been sent back to the rates desk. Hopefully the next person remembers to actually store the fare and TFCs...
#3281




Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: San Diego
Posts: 104
What do the experts think of this:
OSL-xDOH-NBO-DOH-SGN-HGK-LAX-JFK-(DFW-LAX surface)-LIR-LAX-MAD-BCN-HEL-OSL
If three LAX stops is an issue, I could do NA as LAX-JFK-DFW-LIR-LAX-MAD...
I actually need to be in BCN at the end of this and it looks like I could maximize segments this way.
Thank you!
OSL-xDOH-NBO-DOH-SGN-HGK-LAX-JFK-(DFW-LAX surface)-LIR-LAX-MAD-BCN-HEL-OSL
If three LAX stops is an issue, I could do NA as LAX-JFK-DFW-LIR-LAX-MAD...
I actually need to be in BCN at the end of this and it looks like I could maximize segments this way.
Thank you!
#3282
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 22,914
What do the experts think of this:
OSL-xDOH-NBO-DOH-SGN-HGK-LAX-JFK-(DFW-LAX surface)-LIR-LAX-MAD-BCN-HEL-OSL
If three LAX stops is an issue, I could do NA as LAX-JFK-DFW-LIR-LAX-MAD...
I actually need to be in BCN at the end of this and it looks like I could maximize segments this way.!
OSL-xDOH-NBO-DOH-SGN-HGK-LAX-JFK-(DFW-LAX surface)-LIR-LAX-MAD-BCN-HEL-OSL
If three LAX stops is an issue, I could do NA as LAX-JFK-DFW-LIR-LAX-MAD...
I actually need to be in BCN at the end of this and it looks like I could maximize segments this way.!
Is JFK-DFW by surface?
Or OSL-xDOH-NBO-DOH-SGN-HGK-LAX-JFK-DFW, LAX-LIR-LAX-MAD-BCN-HEL-OSL where "DFW, LAX" is a surface segment DFW-LAX. Some write as DFW//LAX.
#3283
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 22,914
What do the experts think of this:
OSL-xDOH-NBO-DOH-SGN-HGK-LAX-JFK-(DFW-LAX surface)-LIR-LAX-MAD-BCN-HEL-OSL
If three LAX stops is an issue, I could do NA as LAX-JFK-DFW-LIR-LAX-MAD...
I actually need to be in BCN at the end of this and it looks like I could maximize segments this way.
OSL-xDOH-NBO-DOH-SGN-HGK-LAX-JFK-(DFW-LAX surface)-LIR-LAX-MAD-BCN-HEL-OSL
If three LAX stops is an issue, I could do NA as LAX-JFK-DFW-LIR-LAX-MAD...
I actually need to be in BCN at the end of this and it looks like I could maximize segments this way.
Maybe OK, but pandaperth can advise on DOH
No over water long haul AA flights, unless AA codeshare on IB LAX-BCN. If AA long haul they will~can ticket.
AA flys to BCN from a range of airports, including ORD & DFW, but rule 4J may hinder others.
You are only using 4 of the 6 NA allowable segments. Texas in not in rule 4J, so could fly DFW-LAX on the DONE5.
Going to NBO adds a continent, so base prices rises, but still 16 segments. Check price of a separate ticket DOH<->XXX.
QR fly's to better places in Kenya ~ Africa than Nairobi. QR Qatar may even return to Mombasa! Go somewhere else.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid...arajas_Airport
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josep_...l_Prat_Airport
QR destinations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...s_destinations
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Jan 30, 2026 at 1:11 am
#3284



Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: used to be PER, now it's nowhere/eveywhere
Programs: QFF NB, AA GLD
Posts: 3,687
What do the experts think of this:
OSL-xDOH-NBO-DOH-SGN-HGK-LAX-JFK-(DFW-LAX surface)-LIR-LAX-MAD-BCN-HEL-OSL
If three LAX stops is an issue, I could do NA as LAX-JFK-DFW-LIR-LAX-MAD...
I actually need to be in BCN at the end of this and it looks like I could maximize segments this way.
Thank you!
OSL-xDOH-NBO-DOH-SGN-HGK-LAX-JFK-(DFW-LAX surface)-LIR-LAX-MAD-BCN-HEL-OSL
If three LAX stops is an issue, I could do NA as LAX-JFK-DFW-LIR-LAX-MAD...
I actually need to be in BCN at the end of this and it looks like I could maximize segments this way.
Thank you!
As I told you a week ago in this post FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Oneworld booking and pricing experiences, there is no problem here.
Like Mwenenzi I don't understand what you mean about DFW-LAX surface etc
Your itinerary seems to have in Europe/Middle East a single transit (in DOH) and too many stopovers - in DOH, MAD, BCN and HEL; only two are allowed
I see no need for a surface segment in Nth America: one transcon and five flight segments in total. Of course you may actually want the surface segment!
This itinerary is OK A map from the Great Circle Mapper - Great Circle Mapper
#3285
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 22,914
3015 rule 8
8. STOPOVERS
Permitted.
NOTE:
1. Minimum 2 stopovers required
2. Maximum 2 stopovers permitted in the continent of origin
Permitted.
NOTE:
1. Minimum 2 stopovers required
2. Maximum 2 stopovers permitted in the continent of origin
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Jan 30, 2026 at 1:15 pm Reason: added not



