How many LHR stopovers are allowed on a AONE4 beginning in CPT
 

BA are telling me that an AONE4 beginning CPT-JNB-LHR-DXB-LHR-DUB-LHR-MIA…….. is not allowed as there are too many LHR stopovers.

In the latest Rules (Feb 2017), 4(e) says

“Only one intercontinental departure and one intercontinental arrival permitted in each continent except as follows:

……..Two permitted in Europe/Middle East”.

As “Europe/Middle East” is defined as a continent earlier in the Rules, why do I have too many stopovers?

Or are they forgetting that my continent of origin is SA, not UK, since, if it were the latter, as in Rule 8 only two stopovers would be permitted?

Has anyone run into this problem, or am I missing something, please?

You are right. BA is wrong.

There is no restriction on the number of stopovers at any one point in an itinerary. The rule you quoted is not relevant - it does not refer to stopovers; you arrive in the continent from Africa and depart to North America, this has nothing to do with stopovers IN the continent.

At the end of your itinerary how are you getting back to Africa? If that is through Europe/Middle East then you might have a problem depending on the itinerary - your return must be a "transit without stopover" and must be through the Middle East Zone, not the Europe Zone (because you have included South Africa in the itinerary).

Deleted(I wrote how to return African continent, not about LHR stopovers).

Thank you for your quick response. Good info.

The return to SA is via HKG. The full itinerary:
CPT-JNB-LHR-DUB-LHR-DXB-LHR-MIA-GCM-MIA-SAN-ORD-HKG-NRT-HKG-JNB-CPT

Is a perfectly valid Oneworld Explorer. So the BA agent you dealt with was certainly incorrect.

TBH - I wouldn't include LHR-DUB-LHR in a premium cabin Explorer.
And also I would fly CPT-LHR at the start, unless I had a reason to go to JNB at the beginning as well as at the end.
Then I'd use the segments freed up to fly some decent premium cabin routes (for example LHR-DOH-LHR in QR's A380)

Thanks pandaperth.

I agree that LHR-DUB-LHR is a waste of a premium ticket, but I'm severely restrained by the amount of time I can spend in Europe and must go there on business.

I fly CPT-JNB-LHR in order to use First in the A388 which isn't on the CPT-LHR route. I know it's a wasted segment, but worth the inconvenience.

Question: your idea of LHR-DOH-LHR is excellent, but could I do this on the same ticket as LHR-DXB-LHR? I know the Middle East rules changed recently, but are two LHR-Middle East journeys allowed?

(Actually, I've just checked ExpertFlyer and QR offer no A class seats whatsoever in Sept/Oct 2017, the period I need, even though every flight appears wide open.)

Yes. There is no longer any restriction on the number of U.K.-Middle East flights. (though the limit of 4 flight segments in the continent still remains of course.)

Thank you, pandaperth. You're a terrific fount of OW knowledge.

Please note that you cannot spend more than 24 hours on MORE than ONE of the LHR stopovers. That might be the stop-over restriction they are referring to

no such restriction exists and i have flown a few done

Could you kindly say where you have read this? The Feb 2017 Rules do not mention it.

And this is for a RTW starting outside Europe. Does this make a difference?

Full Score, have you gone back to BA yet, armed with your copy of the rule sheet?

[QUOTE=pandaperth;28099247]
You're right...that was where I have run up against the next flight/24 hour rule before...been a while since I did that...and it was on SkyTeam at the time..

I just booked an AONE3 for May.

After being given the run-around by numerous BA agents over a three week period, I eventually found a supervisor who acted after I sent her the Feb rule sheet; she received a quotation for the tickets within 24 hours, and they were issued a few days later.

Congratulations on your perseverance.^