Currently 40 mins on the phone to QF trying to get them to price an ex-MPM DONE5.

They came back and said that it was over 34,000miles which isn't allowed, so we read the rule sheet for the Oneworld Explorer together and now I'm on hold again.

Hopefully they can manually price it.

My current plan is MPM-xDOH-HKG-HND-BKK-xHKG-PER-SYD-AKL-LAX-JFK-TXL-xLHR-DME-LHR-JNB.

This was quickly thrown together just so I can book it before the fares go up, but if anyone has an interesting way to change it to either visit somewhere cool or avoid BA surcharges, I'd love your input :)

Welcome to FlyerTalk.

Persist. Persist. The price could go up any time. And obviously you know you're right.

Let's get it ticketed first and then we (or probably others, as I'm no expect) can maximise it for you.

Thanks :).

They came back and told me they can't do it through they're system so they're going to get the fares department to manually price it and then get back to me today sometime.

I might just call in the morning and see if there's anything they can do. Coz the fare is going to rise any minute is my feeling

Yes. Definitely call back.

66 minutes into my first call to Qantas, having to force the agent to even put anything together, she went to price it and...we got disconnected! Called back and fortunately, all of my info was in the system. She had a hard time pricing it and says two other people are working on it and they will call me when they price it. She said there needed to be a couple of changes, but they would go over that when they call me.
Fingers crossed...

Looking good SDandi
You are now quite knowledgeable on the Oneworld fare rules, and so can educate them!
I suggest you have a copy of the fare rules to hand so that you quickly read them what's what when they come back to you with the "couple of changes"

:D Thank you! Rules are up! Both agents questioned my not ending in Maputo, so I am guessing that is one of them.

Shucks, that's an easy one for you to handle!

I presume you're still intending to end with your nice flourish ...-DOH-SEZ?

Let's just hope that's the only hang up!

Yes! CDG-DOH-SEZ, which also means I'll get to fly on QR's a380 :)

Update: Just got a call from QF. They are looking at all of the rules and she questioned our segment from JFK to Tucson and brought up the group a and b cities which, when we looked, Tucson was not on the list. We have given the exact same itineraries that AA approved and is holding.

what do you guys think?

Ticket 1: ex-mpm-doh-sin-dps-hkg-mnl-hkg-lax-jfk-tus-lax-lhr-cdg-doh-sez


Ticket 2: ex-mpm-doh-sin-nrt-san-lax-jfk-tus-san-phx-den-phx-san-lhr-cdg-doh-sez

With ticket 1, I originally had mnl-nrt-san instead of mnl-hkg-lax but none of the QF agents were able to find the JL flight.

ExpertFlyer obtains its availability information at either New York or London, depending if you pick US or UK in the drop down. But your QF office is probably in neither place. You cannot expect (in general) the availability information obtained at Sydney to be the same as what it is at London.

That said it is unusual for availability to differ enormously between sales cities on an empty flight many weeks ahead.

Second QR loves married segment logic. You cannot assume that QR 1 followed by QR 1014 will be the same as a separate search for the married sectors QR 1, QR 1014. EF will allow you to do a married segment search though.

Fuel surcharge miscalculation.

A sum of several YY fares, perhaps.

In most countries, yes. They could sell a fare in cows or barrels of oil or gold bars if they wanted, it depends if anyone thinks it's a good deal.

Qantas is saying they can not make the booking because my first flight is on Qatar and will need to call Qatar. On hold for supervisor.

Totally false. That rule doesn't even apply on a normal return ticket, and even when it does an issuer can overrule it. Where do they find these people?

Any suggestions on how to handle? I told her that plenty of people have booked the ex-mpm out of qatar with them.

Still holding for supervisor...

And, she is asking why it is so important for me to book with Qantas??? And has asked for booking references for the people who were able to make a booking. This is so bizarre.

Back on hold for sup...