OW Explorer RTW basics
Aug 11, 2001 | 4:14 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: DC
Programs: UA, SPG, Amtrak
Posts: 149
OW Explorer RTW basics
I couldn't find a good thread on this forum outlining the basics of the RTW ticket. The best I could find was the following from the BA website. Is there any other good basic info on the RTW tickets that a newcomer should know? For instance, where should it be booked (AA? travel agent? doesn't matter? anyway to do it online?)
You can chose a oneworld Explorer fare in First, Business or Economy Class. You have the option to add as many extra sectors as you wish.
Because even the best-laid plans do change, you have plenty of flexibility when it comes to booking or rearranging your oneworld Explorer itinerary:
1. You can book a oneworld Explorer fare right up until one hour before you leave, depending on availibility.
2. Your journey can range from 10 days to a whole year.
3. You can cancel your oneworld Explorer ticket - without penalty - right up until the time of departure. Once your trip has begun, refunds will be according to the sectors you have already travelled.
4. Changes to your booking are free. Changes to your itinerary (within the fare rules), will incur a charge of 75 US dollars per new ticket issued.
For ease of fare calculation, we have divided the world into six 'oneworld continental zones' which we treat as individual stepping stones. The fare for your itinerary is simply based on the number of continental zones you visit or pass through, the class of travel you choose and the options you select.
http://www.british-airways.com/regio...world_ex.shtml
[This message has been edited by mre2b9 (edited 08-11-2001).]
[This message has been edited by mre2b9 (edited 08-11-2001).]
You can chose a oneworld Explorer fare in First, Business or Economy Class. You have the option to add as many extra sectors as you wish.
Because even the best-laid plans do change, you have plenty of flexibility when it comes to booking or rearranging your oneworld Explorer itinerary:
1. You can book a oneworld Explorer fare right up until one hour before you leave, depending on availibility.
2. Your journey can range from 10 days to a whole year.
3. You can cancel your oneworld Explorer ticket - without penalty - right up until the time of departure. Once your trip has begun, refunds will be according to the sectors you have already travelled.
4. Changes to your booking are free. Changes to your itinerary (within the fare rules), will incur a charge of 75 US dollars per new ticket issued.
For ease of fare calculation, we have divided the world into six 'oneworld continental zones' which we treat as individual stepping stones. The fare for your itinerary is simply based on the number of continental zones you visit or pass through, the class of travel you choose and the options you select.
http://www.british-airways.com/regio...world_ex.shtml
[This message has been edited by mre2b9 (edited 08-11-2001).]
[This message has been edited by mre2b9 (edited 08-11-2001).]
Aug 11, 2001 | 7:06 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Orlando,London, Chennai.
Programs: AAdvantage EXP& 2Million miler, Skywards Gold, Delta Gold Medallion, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,598
mre2b9
Look and you will find some very informative threads including refernce to fewmiles' excellent and definitive site on OWE and Daniellam's on *A
Look and you will find some very informative threads including refernce to fewmiles' excellent and definitive site on OWE and Daniellam's on *A
Aug 11, 2001 | 9:18 pm
#3
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Boca Raton, FL DL FO/MM AA EXP SPG PLT
Posts: 968
There are three major alliances for RTW tickets, Oneworld (OWE), Star (*A) and Skyteam, and a bunch of 2-n airline compacts that offer the service.
OWE prices based on the number of continents visited. *A is based on mileage travelled. Skyteam isn't worth discussing so I won't. The compacts vary but generally limit miles or stops or both as well as requiring continuously forward direction of travel.
This board and the Star board contain many useful messages to help you plan a trip on either alliance. Not much help is available on the airline compacts although you will find them mentioned in these boards and the specific airline boards.
FewMiles has a site here that will link you to pricing and rules for OWE. Dorian has a site here that shows *A pricing and has a link to the rules.
For the airline compacts, I suggest you take a look at travel.com.au. Just enter any origin and destination and choose Round the World in the Fare pop up. You will get a list of many of the compacts and fares in A$. Don't pay a lot of attention to the fares as they may be radically different for USA originations but you can read the rules for each of the compacts shown.
As for booking and ticketing, that will depend on what airline alliance you pick. AA has an excellent RTW desk if you choose OWE. Travel agents knowledge of RTW bookings vary greatly depending on their experience. It is not something most of them do regularly.
That said, there is a lot of knowledge here on RTW. Just go back and read the threads over the past year or so and you will get a great education.
OWE prices based on the number of continents visited. *A is based on mileage travelled. Skyteam isn't worth discussing so I won't. The compacts vary but generally limit miles or stops or both as well as requiring continuously forward direction of travel.
This board and the Star board contain many useful messages to help you plan a trip on either alliance. Not much help is available on the airline compacts although you will find them mentioned in these boards and the specific airline boards.
FewMiles has a site here that will link you to pricing and rules for OWE. Dorian has a site here that shows *A pricing and has a link to the rules.
For the airline compacts, I suggest you take a look at travel.com.au. Just enter any origin and destination and choose Round the World in the Fare pop up. You will get a list of many of the compacts and fares in A$. Don't pay a lot of attention to the fares as they may be radically different for USA originations but you can read the rules for each of the compacts shown.
As for booking and ticketing, that will depend on what airline alliance you pick. AA has an excellent RTW desk if you choose OWE. Travel agents knowledge of RTW bookings vary greatly depending on their experience. It is not something most of them do regularly.
That said, there is a lot of knowledge here on RTW. Just go back and read the threads over the past year or so and you will get a great education.
Aug 12, 2001 | 10:23 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: DC
Programs: UA, SPG, Amtrak
Posts: 149
the fewmiles site is great for AA info and the OW RTW page is full of detailed info, but again, not much in the way of a brief executive summary of the key points.
I found the info below on RTW fares generally from http://www.travel-library.com/rtw/html/rtwairlines.html
Over 40 airlines on 6 continents participate in partnerships for RTW tickets. Programs and regulations vary considerably. You will usually have to supplement RTW with other tickets to satisfy your specific interests. Even those on business trips can fly cheaper using first-class and business-class RTW tickets, rather than regular long-haul and full-fare point-to-point tickets. Areas not covered can usually be added as a discounted side-trip. Flights in the southern hemishere are US$5,000 to US$6,744 for first-class, US$4,500 to US$5,200 for business-class, and US$3,000 to US$3,300 for economy. Flights in the northern hemishere are US$4,300 to US$5,100 for first-class, US$3,000 to US$3,700 for business-class, and US$2,200 to US$2,600 for economy. (April 1998) Some programs allow you to use frequent flyer miles for RTW tickets.
RULES
14-day or 21-day advance purchase for first leg.
Usually, only the first date and destination must be firmly set, but some require the first few be set.
Specify destinations, and usually the dates at the time of booking.
Date changes are free, but each destination change costs a small fee ($25-$50). Some allow one free destination change. It important to realize that routing changes are permitted only within the permissible routings. It's actually rather uncommon for a desired change of destinations to be possible within the routing options of the original fare.
Most are valid for one year from the date issued, not the date of the first flight, some only for six-months, and a few for only three months. Factor in the time for advance purchase and for checks to clear the bank.
Must continue in one direction, east or west, with no backtracking. There are exceptions in the US, Canada, and Australia. Also, Global-Explorer-type fares go by mileage rather than routing rules.
Most have unlimited number of stops, some limit you to 4-6 stops in the US.
Most require a minimum of 3 stops.
Some require a minimum stay of 6-14 days.
Some have a maximum allowable miles restriction, like NW/KLM 20,000 miles.
Flat-rate price for each seating class.
Children's fare is usually 67% of full adult fare.
Infants (less than 2 years old) fly for 10% of full adult fare.
Refund is 100% if cancelled two weeks or more before departure.
Refund is 75%, minus the value of the flights taken within two weeks of departure.
"For most RTW fares, it is OK to miss a reserved flight. Your tickets are issued for departure cities - NOT TIME (this is the opposite for bucket shops). Just call the airline and make a new reservation (and hope they have room). To actually change your itinerary, you pay a 're-ticket' fee (mine was US$50 in 1992) where they actually take your old tickets back and re-issue a new set of tickets. Make as many changes as you want, but try to do them together since the re-ticket fee is fixed regardless of how many stops are altered. You *must* have your tickets re-issued by the airline who sold the RTW fare. I used a NorthWest/KLM partnership RTW-fare issued by NorthWest, and KLM *COULD NOT* re-ticket my itinerary - only NorthWest could. Unfortunately, I found this out in a city not serviced by NorthWest." <Alan Nelson>
"Missing a reserved flight is usually not a problem. Usually they will put you on the next available flight. However, if it is a seldom travelled route or high tourist season, you may end up waiting days or even weeks for the next flight! Usually a good idea to double-check the time and date. I've heard of people showing up at 3:00pm for a flight leaving at 3:00am." <Dave Patton>
ADVANTAGES
One less financial worry on the road.
No worries about whether you will be able to get to the next destination.
You always have proof of onward passage, which is required in many countries before they will grant you a visa or allow entry.
Frequent flyer miles. Even more if charged with a credit card that gives FF miles. Some have a 50% mileage bonus in business-class which may justify the extra cost. (Delta Medallion Status example: 35,000 miles, plus 17,500 mile business-class bonus, plus 3,500 miles for credit card matching, equals 56,000 FF miles). FF miles depend on the carrier and class.
DISADVANTAGES
Rarely the best deal.
Limited stops due to airline routes.
Some airlines deadend in the Mideast and India, leaving you with no connection eastward to the rest of Asia. For example, many people buy a one-way ticket between Bangkok and Nepal.
Many try to restrict you to the North or South side of the equator.
Infrequent flight schedules.
Some have US$25-$50 fees for changes in itinerary.
Backtracking and side-trips can be very costly, but necessary if you want to see most of Asia.
The least flexible since plans may constantly change.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Programs and prices differ depending on the country you purchase tickets in, and where you start your trip from. Sometimes it is cheapest to start with a one-way ticket from your starting point to a country where it is cheaper to originate an RTW fare. The airlines are starting to put basic RTW information on their web sites, so this set of links should continue to expand:
British Airways Round-the-World Fares from Australia
Singapore Airlines Around The World Fares
The following programs are available in the US, and are here only as examples of what is available from the airline industry. The list starts with British Airways programs, then US airline programs in alphabetical order, and finally non-US airline programs that are available in the US.
An alternative to all of the above is "Global Explorer", a mileage-based RTW fare that allows backtracking and zig-zagging. It was started by British Airways and has become better known through a group of airlines called One World Alliance. A similar package is offered by the Star Alliance.
BritishAir/Qantas/AmericanAirlines "Global Explorer".
Valid for 1 year. Limited to 28500 miles and 6 free stops, one of which must be in Europe (maximum of 4 in Australia and two in the US.) Either Asia or Africa, but not both. To add a stop, it is US$175. A stop is defined as any landing and takeoff along the flight, not just your origin-destination, so look out for non-direct flights. Backtracking and zig-zagging is permitted. One departure/arrival per country. The first time you change the routing, re-issuing the ticket is free, all other re-issues cost US$100. However, if you change three destinations at the same time, it counts as only one routing change. Only one trans-Atlantic flight is permitted. Economy = $3089, Bus. Class = $5355, First Class = $6999 in April 1998.
BritishAir/Qantas/AmericanAirlines/EmiratesAir Southern Hemisphere
US, Europe, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, and Hawaii. Side-trip options in Europe. Economy = $3344, Bus.Class = $5458, First Class = $7105 in April 1998.
BritishAir/AmericanAirlines/AirNewZealand Southern Hemisphere
US, Bermuda, Europe, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Islamabad, India, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Raratonga, Tahiti, and Hawaii. Maximum mileage: 27,000. May side-trip through a city only two times. Economy = $3344, Bus.Class = $5458, First Class = $7105 in April 1998.
I found the info below on RTW fares generally from http://www.travel-library.com/rtw/html/rtwairlines.html
Over 40 airlines on 6 continents participate in partnerships for RTW tickets. Programs and regulations vary considerably. You will usually have to supplement RTW with other tickets to satisfy your specific interests. Even those on business trips can fly cheaper using first-class and business-class RTW tickets, rather than regular long-haul and full-fare point-to-point tickets. Areas not covered can usually be added as a discounted side-trip. Flights in the southern hemishere are US$5,000 to US$6,744 for first-class, US$4,500 to US$5,200 for business-class, and US$3,000 to US$3,300 for economy. Flights in the northern hemishere are US$4,300 to US$5,100 for first-class, US$3,000 to US$3,700 for business-class, and US$2,200 to US$2,600 for economy. (April 1998) Some programs allow you to use frequent flyer miles for RTW tickets.
RULES
14-day or 21-day advance purchase for first leg.
Usually, only the first date and destination must be firmly set, but some require the first few be set.
Specify destinations, and usually the dates at the time of booking.
Date changes are free, but each destination change costs a small fee ($25-$50). Some allow one free destination change. It important to realize that routing changes are permitted only within the permissible routings. It's actually rather uncommon for a desired change of destinations to be possible within the routing options of the original fare.
Most are valid for one year from the date issued, not the date of the first flight, some only for six-months, and a few for only three months. Factor in the time for advance purchase and for checks to clear the bank.
Must continue in one direction, east or west, with no backtracking. There are exceptions in the US, Canada, and Australia. Also, Global-Explorer-type fares go by mileage rather than routing rules.
Most have unlimited number of stops, some limit you to 4-6 stops in the US.
Most require a minimum of 3 stops.
Some require a minimum stay of 6-14 days.
Some have a maximum allowable miles restriction, like NW/KLM 20,000 miles.
Flat-rate price for each seating class.
Children's fare is usually 67% of full adult fare.
Infants (less than 2 years old) fly for 10% of full adult fare.
Refund is 100% if cancelled two weeks or more before departure.
Refund is 75%, minus the value of the flights taken within two weeks of departure.
"For most RTW fares, it is OK to miss a reserved flight. Your tickets are issued for departure cities - NOT TIME (this is the opposite for bucket shops). Just call the airline and make a new reservation (and hope they have room). To actually change your itinerary, you pay a 're-ticket' fee (mine was US$50 in 1992) where they actually take your old tickets back and re-issue a new set of tickets. Make as many changes as you want, but try to do them together since the re-ticket fee is fixed regardless of how many stops are altered. You *must* have your tickets re-issued by the airline who sold the RTW fare. I used a NorthWest/KLM partnership RTW-fare issued by NorthWest, and KLM *COULD NOT* re-ticket my itinerary - only NorthWest could. Unfortunately, I found this out in a city not serviced by NorthWest." <Alan Nelson>
"Missing a reserved flight is usually not a problem. Usually they will put you on the next available flight. However, if it is a seldom travelled route or high tourist season, you may end up waiting days or even weeks for the next flight! Usually a good idea to double-check the time and date. I've heard of people showing up at 3:00pm for a flight leaving at 3:00am." <Dave Patton>
ADVANTAGES
One less financial worry on the road.
No worries about whether you will be able to get to the next destination.
You always have proof of onward passage, which is required in many countries before they will grant you a visa or allow entry.
Frequent flyer miles. Even more if charged with a credit card that gives FF miles. Some have a 50% mileage bonus in business-class which may justify the extra cost. (Delta Medallion Status example: 35,000 miles, plus 17,500 mile business-class bonus, plus 3,500 miles for credit card matching, equals 56,000 FF miles). FF miles depend on the carrier and class.
DISADVANTAGES
Rarely the best deal.
Limited stops due to airline routes.
Some airlines deadend in the Mideast and India, leaving you with no connection eastward to the rest of Asia. For example, many people buy a one-way ticket between Bangkok and Nepal.
Many try to restrict you to the North or South side of the equator.
Infrequent flight schedules.
Some have US$25-$50 fees for changes in itinerary.
Backtracking and side-trips can be very costly, but necessary if you want to see most of Asia.
The least flexible since plans may constantly change.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Programs and prices differ depending on the country you purchase tickets in, and where you start your trip from. Sometimes it is cheapest to start with a one-way ticket from your starting point to a country where it is cheaper to originate an RTW fare. The airlines are starting to put basic RTW information on their web sites, so this set of links should continue to expand:
British Airways Round-the-World Fares from Australia
Singapore Airlines Around The World Fares
The following programs are available in the US, and are here only as examples of what is available from the airline industry. The list starts with British Airways programs, then US airline programs in alphabetical order, and finally non-US airline programs that are available in the US.
An alternative to all of the above is "Global Explorer", a mileage-based RTW fare that allows backtracking and zig-zagging. It was started by British Airways and has become better known through a group of airlines called One World Alliance. A similar package is offered by the Star Alliance.
BritishAir/Qantas/AmericanAirlines "Global Explorer".
Valid for 1 year. Limited to 28500 miles and 6 free stops, one of which must be in Europe (maximum of 4 in Australia and two in the US.) Either Asia or Africa, but not both. To add a stop, it is US$175. A stop is defined as any landing and takeoff along the flight, not just your origin-destination, so look out for non-direct flights. Backtracking and zig-zagging is permitted. One departure/arrival per country. The first time you change the routing, re-issuing the ticket is free, all other re-issues cost US$100. However, if you change three destinations at the same time, it counts as only one routing change. Only one trans-Atlantic flight is permitted. Economy = $3089, Bus. Class = $5355, First Class = $6999 in April 1998.
BritishAir/Qantas/AmericanAirlines/EmiratesAir Southern Hemisphere
US, Europe, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, and Hawaii. Side-trip options in Europe. Economy = $3344, Bus.Class = $5458, First Class = $7105 in April 1998.
BritishAir/AmericanAirlines/AirNewZealand Southern Hemisphere
US, Bermuda, Europe, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Islamabad, India, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Raratonga, Tahiti, and Hawaii. Maximum mileage: 27,000. May side-trip through a city only two times. Economy = $3344, Bus.Class = $5458, First Class = $7105 in April 1998.