his is a conflation of cabotage with fare construction rules.

Cabotage concerns a foreign carrier operating domestic service. That is not the case here — the US segments are operated by American Airlines, regardless of whether they carry a Qatar Airways or Finnair flight number.

Regulatory enforcement focuses on the operating carrier, not the marketing code.

At most, this touches on fare rule language (e.g., “TFC ONLY”), not cabotage. A properly priced and ticketed itinerary with AA-operated domestic segments remains compliant and nobody gets denied boarding.

all of these flights are still part of a broader international trip… it’s just that there may be some rather significant stop overs. Is your point that if for example, the American Airlines code share was with Qatar, that the rule would be violated if the international component before or afterwards was not also on Qatar?

I've had this refused by a TA (with no complaint) - wanted to code an internal flight to QR and was told that was only possible if I was connecting to an international QR flight.

Did you really have to copy and paste an AI generated reply? This also doesn't have anything to do with fare construction.

Airlines are eager to avoid anything that might be construed as cabotage and there's at least one example of an airline (Delta) expanding the legal definition to also encompass foreign codeshares.

Yes, that's what the 'online' in the traffic restriction code means. The preceding or following flight must be a QR-marketed flight

This is definitely not an issue with fare construction rules. xONEx allows any flight marketed and operated by oneworld carriers. To me the problem is potentially violating the rules on how flights should be booked (airlines' booking policies for travel agencies).

Yes, I believe when there's the "INTL ONLINE CONEX/STPVR TFC ONLY" notation, the preceding or following flight should be QR-marketed (not necessarily QR-operated), and these domestic code-share flights (can be more than one) should be either before or after a QR-marketed (not necessarily QR-operated) international flight without any flights marketed by other airlines in between.

Agreed.

Since this is the booking thread, I'll just add that the AA RTW desk does not seem to care too much about the "online" aspect of those traffic restrictions... In fact I've once even had the rates desk change a valid codeshare into a different codeshare that violated the "online" restriction 🤷🏼‍♂️ (never figured out why they did it)

The one policy about codeshares that they do appear to enforce very strictly is that AA-operated services must be booked on the prime code. But that's an AA specific thing and not a traffic restriction.

These code-share flights can definitely be booked singly. I know how to do it and did it a decade ago. However, airlines are becoming a lot stricter on travel agents these days, so I don't think I would risk it. Airlines themselves, however, can violate rules and not be fined (I suppose) by another airline.

And the laws - regulations of the particular country.
With AA marketed flights AA are likely getting a bigger % of the fare. If XY marketed AA operated may be get a lesser % of the total fare.

Not just on TAs. I booked my last ticket direct with BA and it wasn't easy securing AY, QR & JL code shares. Interestingly, the challenge was from the operating carrier. In this case, CX. The booking agent I was working with did have to go back via the OW help desk and ultimately common sense, as well as the fare rules, worked in my favour.

Out of curiosity, why did CX object to the codeshares? (or what was the stated reason - we all know it's for revenue reasons)

Inconsistent agent behavior doesn’t redefine fare rules—if “ONLINE” were an adjacency requirement, those itineraries wouldn’t price at all, regardless of what any desk does after ticketing.

It incorrectly stated that only its prime flight numbers may be used.

Interesting, I'm surprised BA even involved CX into the booking process in the first place! Was it because the CX operated flight wouldn't confirm at first and then BA had to reach out to CX for help?

I've had that happen before (when changing a CX segment on a RTW ticketed by BA) - BA couldn't see availability on CX but the agent was actually aware that reaching out to CX was a possibility (either that or I told him I could see CX availability).

I've had significant problems getting American Airlines to get me on Cathy Pacific flights that have A/D/L inventory available, as seen in ExpertFlyer, but my understanding is I might have a point of origin issue. Maybe I have an incorrect understanding, and it is some sort of system, limitation either intentional or unintentional with Cathy Pacific.

Where does your RTW originate?

I currently have one active one that originated in Seoul, South Korea, and I have another one that originated in Tokyo, Japan.

Seems odd that CX would put point of origin restrictions for major Asian cities. AA agents have told me there's a type of fare restrion, although travel agents have said there is no such mechanism. But this suggests there might be more to it.

In fairness, American Airlines didn't tell me that there was a point of origin restriction that was an inference that I drew from other posts that I believe were within this thread or other posts on the oneworld flyer, talk page. Either way, there were several instances where I was seeing inventory on expert flyer that American Airlines around the world desk told me they could not see.

No. In the case of one of the AY-marketed segments it was a message which came through from AY asking for it to be re-booked under the CX prime flight number.

Need some experts view on this.

QR says valid routing BUT,Only one nonstop or single plane service transcontinental flight permitted. A transcontinental flight is defined as travel between a state in column A and a state in column B.

They are referring to the flights from BNA via DFW to LAX are not allowed or the direct flight from BNA to LAX, have tried lots of alternatives but no luck.
COLUMN A

Arizona, AZ
California, CA
Nevada, NV
Oregon, OR
Washington, WA

COLUMN B

Connecticut, CT
Florida, FL
Georgia, GA
Indiana, IN
Maryland, MD
Massachusetts, MA
New Jersey, NJ
New York, NY
North Carolina, NC
Ohio, OH
Pennsylvania, PA
Michigan, MI
South Carolina, SC
Tennessee, TN\
irginia, VA
Kentucky, KY


1 HND JL 004 D 02MAY 1930 OK
2 X JFK AA 2995 D 03MAY 0930 OK
3 O MEX AA 828 D 09MAY 1235 OK
4 X CLT AA 526 D 09MAY 2059 OK
5 O BNA AA 1866 D 14MAY 0955 OK
6 X DFW AA 3334 D 14MAY 1258 OK
7 O LAX AA 004 D 16MAY 1535 OK
8 X JFK QR 706 D 17MAY 0120 OK
9 X DOH QR 137 D 18MAY 0100 OK
10 O BCN RJ 108 D 02AUG 1635 OK
11 O AMM RJ 109 D 09AUG 1100 OK
12 O MAD QR 150 D 08OCT 1545 OK
13 X DOH QR 956 D 09OCT 0255 OK
14 X CGK CX 798 D 10OCT 0005 OK
15 O HKG CX 623 D 27OCT 2040 OK
16 O BLR JL 754 D 03NOV 0245 OK

Appreciate the help.

regards

dutch_122

If you try to book both the BNA-LAX non-stop flight and the LAX-JFK flight in the same xONEx it would not be allowed because it would be more than one "transcontinental" flight. However, BNA-DFW-LAX does not count as a transcon flight unless both legs are booked under one flight number (which I don't think AA offers on that route). So you should be able to book exactly what you have listed, so long as the flight numbers for BNA-DFW and DFW-LAX are different (which they are...).

Thanks, that's how i also see it and read it.

But Amadeus & QR don't like this.

Appreciate your input.

Update also rejected by AA RTW Helpdesk,

Exact words routing is too extreme.. you cannot transfer via JFK to Mexico and then transfer again via BNA to LAX via DFW & JFK via DOH to BCN.

For the next year or so, I wouldn't be wanting to plate to QR.

Since JFK is a transit point, not a stopover, why not route LAX DFW DOH BCN? Flight mileage is similar, if that was the goal.
Then you can keep the BNA-DFW-LAX or even switch to the nonstop if they don't mind the late arrival.

There's no rule about "extreme" routings. You are allowed to backtrack within a continent (excluding Hawaii).You are allowed six North American flights. You are allowed one transcon flight in North America. I'd call back and get someone else. Ask for Rebecca.

The rules do not make a distinction between transfer(transits) and stopover (+24hrs). Just a minimum number of stopovers in the itinerary.
Nor are extreme itineraries mentioned in the rules.
They are making up rules.

because of the current political conflict? Even if they reduce their schedule, wouldn’t they put you on someone else and/or give you a free change following a schedule change or cancellation?

My understanding is that plating on qr is very advantageous as they have very low fuel surcharges.

It's been interesting to watch the evolution of this rule. Now it's by state rather than city. AA used to have a LAX/MBJ nonstop in both directions, which I flew as a turn more than once as it wasn't on the exclusion list. If they resume some type of LAX-Caribbean nonstop, I wonder if anyone will think to add it to the exclusion list. History, of course, suggests that it will take a while, if they think of doing it at all. That was the genesis of the cheap xONEx fares ex-SEZ a few years ago when BA resumed SEZ/LHR service.


I love Rebecca! She's great!!


Exactly. This is why when I call AA to book by tickets, I give them the itinerary flight by flight, and don't distinguish between stops and connections. As a result, I never run into married segment issues.

I can't imagine that avoiding married segments is as simple as outlining an itinerary, flight by flight.

The rules may not do so but there's certainly some POC availability throttling going on.

I can only give you my experience. SABRE, for example, searches flights differently depending on how you request them. YMMV, but I've never had a married segment problem, and I've never booked through the online tool.

Depends on how sensitive you are to the original flight dates. Late changes or cancellations would result in fewer alternative flights with available seats.

Not when using Sabre, especially with AA flights. My corporate travel agent told me he could work around married segments on UA but not on AA, that any way he tried to book them, when the second segment was added Sabre detected the married segments and he'd be unable to confirm.

There is certainly availability limitations when booking RTWs, aside from married segments. It seems likely it is point of commencement/origin, especially for us ex-OSL people, although there are reports here of limitations on JL flights with an ex-TYO origin, which wouldn't seem to make sense if it is strictly point of commencement/origin. AA RTW agents say there is a type of fare restriction, but TAs seem dubious.

Very few people want AA codes anyway. It's been a while since I've ran numbers but I think it's only advantageous for people crediting to QR and AY. Everyone else, including AAdvantage earners should be trying to code elsewhere where possible. It's quite easy on international and even domestic connecting to or from international. QR, AY, and / or JL codes are readily available now within the US, to parts of the Caribbean, and JL codes to Brazil.

What does QR plating have to do with anything at all? You're using a travel agent anyway. QR is one of the lowest YR/YQ platers available. I'm certainly not avoiding DOH or any other middle eastern airport now, but you don't even need a QR flight to plate on QR stock.

The context of the subdiscussion was about workarounds for married-segment inventory restrictions. My comment was in reply another comment and was illustrating that, at least in the experience of my corp TA who typically booked prime flights for business travel, for AA segments, workarounds were not possible in the way they were for UA segments.

DONE4 booked
 

I just ticketed my first DONE4. Kind of exciting.

Quick review of my experience with the AA RTW desk.

My initial booking call was quick and efficient, the agent put things on hold, and sent to the rate desk.

Around a day later, I got an email that it was approved, and I saw pricing. So I called back. Unfortunately this call actually took slightly longer than the other call. Mostly just me sitting on hold for long periods. I didn't realize they had to charge it in my home and credit card's currency USD, but I guess that's normal for RTW...

Somewhat annoyed with how long this took to simply pay for it. But based on past experience with AA, though not specifically the RTW desk, agents vary, and they do often have to contact other desks to get support. I guess that's just how it goes.

Thanks for the useful information here. Looking forward to my trip!