Thank you, much appreciated.

I'm a bit confused and hopefully can get some accurate information. At the RTW OW site I am able to construct a DONE4 that takes me to the payment page with a total price of 97,800 ZAR (first seg JNB-MAD). I wanted to book via the AA RTW desk but they kept faring the base at about 15% more with the total at 111,000 ZAR. I had them reprice it and it came back the same. The explanation I got was that they have to use either the AA/BA/IB fare and the OW site was using the QR fare but couldn't explain why the fare difference. She also said "AA RTW desk is the OW desk for all RTW tickets and we can do all changes you need in the future regardless of the carrier".

I will need to make date changes in the future and maybe routing and wanted it to be easy and thus prefer AA but not at a premium of 15%. If I book it via the RTW OW site do I need to deal exclusively with QR for changes and seat selections if issued on their stock?

Thanks

Looks like it's because QR has not adjusted the price. There was an increase to ex-JNB price recently. If you can still get the old rate from either the website or QR, you are lucky!

The first time I ever changed a OW ticket, was my first RTW trip in 2006, an LGLOB26. Had to do an xGLOBnn in order to use JL as they weren't a OW member at the time, so they weren't on the xONEx. Did a date change on the JL KIX-LHR. Paper ticket. I went to the JAL downtown Osaka ticket office (now closed) and ask them to change the date. They called QF asking for permission, then put a sticker on the paper coupons relevant to the flight.

They didn't give a reason, just said I had to talk to QF. It can't have been the migration as once I showed them the message from QF saying that QF didn't see the availability, JAL opened the seat, then called QF and did the change themselves when QF didn't respond to my message and grab the seat fast enough.

In the past, when asking to get changes made, CX and JL (staff at ticketing desks, check in counters and lounges) have called the ticketing carrier and asked for permission, then just did the change themselves.
When I've asked AA staff, they've either just gone ahead and done it or called the ticketing office.
Prior to the more recent change issues starting, which date to the time the AA/US merger was finalized, the only times I recall an agent refuse to make a change was a CX agent at TPE saying that they couldn't find the ticket (the ticket number I had in my paperwork had changed due to other changes made during the trip) and a MH agent at the KL Sentral ticket office saying to talk to SQ.

Okay, got it. Would I run into problems with a reissue having to pay the higher fare?

Once it's issued and after the first segment is used, it *shouldn't*. Note however another poster is having difficulties getting an ex-CAI ticket reissued.

Hilarious!

How are the DONE3 fares? No access to EF at the moment. I remember that ex-Japan was about $5500.

If true, that would be great. Aside from CX and sometimes BA/QF, the other OW airlines are clueless about these products. Perhaps AA should have a dedicated deck for 12 hours of the day and CX the other 12 hours of the day.

ex-Japan DONE3 US$5800, DONE4 is US$6900 ...

I have had the fortune to buy my xONEx with very competent TAs......

Doesn't necessarily eliminate the stupidity encountered with the airline "policies", but it helps...

Just wandering
Fred

Thanks for a kind and useful reply. With no xONEx in the plans I don't check often, and the short list had some surprises for me.

Hi Fred! I need to get some info from you on your bookings experiences! On another matter, I tried to reply to your SMS but it doesn't work for some reason. I'm pm you today on AFF.

Was there a recent price hike (or USD currency drop)? I'm planning our 2019 DONE5 and I'm seeing base fares of almost $10k from JNB and $9k from MPM! NRT at $8353 isn't bad (but my practice for many years has been to originate in the Southern Hemisphere in January or February). I recall an ex-JNB price hike last year, but I thought it had gone from $6k to $8k, and that one airline still had the old fares listed.

The South African Rand has appreciated significantly in the last few months as they have gone through the process of kicking Zuma out.