I've read the Official OWE site and the Unofficial one and have come up with the following itinerary:-

LHR via BKK to DXB (Europe Flight 1)

DXB via HKG to ICN (CX)
ICN via HKG to DEL (CX)
DEL via HKG to SIN (CX)
SIN via MEL to LAX (QF)
These are counted as my 4 Asia flights

LAX to JFK to LHR (inc Trans USA flight)

Other than 1 over night in ICN and a work session in DEL there are no other overnight stops in the schedule.

What's wrong with this itinerary ?

Well, lots that you could change to get more miles. What you propose doesn't maximise miles if that is what you are after.

For one, Forget DXB on the way out and save it to do LHR-DXB-LHR and another other Europe (e.g., HEL) trip for another day.

You only need a 3 continent fare. You're not maximizing your 4 continent fare.

If time permits, try flying ex-Europe. The fare is much cheaper than ex-U.K. the last time I looked.

You could also do more in N. America, time permitting.

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 08-30-2002).]

My big problem is one of time to do the OWE/Mileage run, only having the minimum 10 days to achieve this + the requirement to be in Delhi to work from Weds am - Friday pm.

It will be a 3 continent OWE fare I get.

Terenz I will look at the chance to do LHR-DXB seperately, especially if it gets me to AA Gold before doing the AA Platinum challenge.

Three questions:-
1. I couldn't find anywhere if DXB was classed as Europe or Asia, so took it as being Asia. Anyone know for sure ?

2. This schedule offers me 1070 BA points & 78162 miles (all flights are Business. Would doing it with AA be any more productive ?

3. I know you have a year to do these flights in. Can there be long breaks (months) in between flights, allowing me to do the EUR flights either at the start or end ? Would I need to book these when buying the ticket ?

[This message has been edited by DP-UK (edited 08-30-2002).]

This itinerary is not correct for many reasons.

You can't go from LHR to DXB via BKK. That is going to Asia from Europe and then back to Europe (DXB is considered Europe). You have 5 segments in Asia with the HKG-ICN-HKG-DEL-HKG-SIN route.

Your little jaunt from SIN to MEL added a fourth continent, SWP.

It looks like you are misinterpreting the rules. Every connection you make (i.e. every different flight coupon you use) counts as a segment, regardless of whether you stopover at the connection city or not.

It seems that you need to be in ICN and DEL so you can reduce your Asia segments to 4 by dropping SIN.

You can have as long as you want between segments, just so you complete the trip in one year. If you specify the segments as open when you ticket then you won't get charged when you identify the dates and flights (this may change as there has been some reports of a charge being made for all changes).

As terenz noted, starting out in Europe (e.g. CDG) will save you money if you are flying business or first. Coach is almost a toss up.

(Edited to add answers to questions asked in new message.)

[This message has been edited by ExMo (edited 08-30-2002).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ExMo:
This itinerary is not correct for many reasons. Your little jaunt from SIN to MEL added a fourth continent, SWP.

It looks like you are misinterpreting the rules. Every connection you make (i.e. every different flight coupon you use) counts as a segment, regardless of whether you stopover at the connection city or not.

I guessed it was too good to be true !!

So I can go LHR-DXB on BA, shop in DXB and then use CX750 go DXB-BKK-HKG as it's the same plane and flight number:-
1. this counts as one flight, right ?
2. is this counted as a Eur or Asia flight ?

Instead of going back to SIN, I'll look at going to the US via NRT.

Yes but CX730 will get you there quicker via BAH and CX732 is a nonstop flight, DXB-HKG. In any case, you must take these as through flights, i.e. you can't get off, spend a day or two in BKK (or BAH) and then get back on the same flight number.

The intercontinental flights do not count against your segment allowances.

[This message has been edited by ExMo (edited 08-30-2002).]

Thanks Terenz - getting the ticket in France is a lot cheaper than the UK + I can then take an AY flight from CDG-HEL-LHR to start the miles. I'll save the LHR-DXB-LHR for after the RTW bit so it gets PLT bonus !!

Question still remains : is the take-off or landing that dictates which regional segment applies ? Is LHR-NRT a Eur or Asia segment ?

Thanks to all for helping me with understanding this


[This message has been edited by DP-UK (edited 08-31-2002).]

As I noted in my last message, the intercontinental flight does not count as a continental segment. Thus, LHR-NRT does not count as a European or Asian segment.

[This message has been edited by ExMo (edited 08-31-2002).]

Sorry brain not in gear this morning

This makes it even better !!



[This message has been edited by DP-UK (edited 08-31-2002).]

an example would be:
buy a RT lhr-cdg or lhr-hel

then do, e.g.
0. take a weekend to go to paris, using your 1st segment of the RT tkt (or just a 1-way tkt);
1. cdg-lhr (back to lhr on sunday site, eg); back home(!), stay a few weeks/months
2. lhr-hkg-icn-hkg-del-hkg-(mel)-jfk
3. (your travel/run in america) lax-lhr, back home(!), stay a few weeks/months
4. lhr-dxb-lhr back home again; a few more weeks
5. lhr-cdg (2nd coupon of your RT tkt cdg-lhr)

i am not sure why you want to go to MEL, this this will make it a 4-continent OWE. you only have 10 days to spend, you could use the rest of your time to fly around US.

post your revised itin and tell us your constraint, we will help u optimize


[This message has been edited by pegasus8228 (edited 08-31-2002).]

Your week/month timetable is the way I'm going after help from terenz & ExMo. MEL was simply a QF connection on BKK-LAX but I'm changing that as I can't afford a 4 continent trip.

If "intercontinental flights" don't count as continental segments, then why does a change of planes with the same carrier & within a few hours count as another continent ?

I'll post the revised schedule later - still working on it at the moment.

ExMo - what are you using to get the flight # info for CX ?

Thanks All

the definition is "flight #"
as long as a change in flight number, it is a different segment.

to get the timetable, download from here
http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/t...9574_setup.exe

http://www.cathaypacific.com/intl/pl...le/0,,,00.html

In addition to the CX timetable mentioned by pegasus8228, AA now has a OW timetable that has a few more features. Go to www.aatimetable.com/1/index.html and download the oneworld Electronic Timetable.

ExMo - thanks for the oneworldlink - looks good

OK - here's the latest version ready for the errors to be pointed out (these are returned flights off the airlines websites when wanting to travel bwtween two points) :-

Europe 1 = AY - CDG via HEL to LHR
Europe 2 = BA - LHR - FRA - LHR
Break here in the schedule @ home
AA = LHR-JFK(this intercontinental flight will take me to AA Gold)
USA 1 =AA -JFK-SEA (transcontinental flight as Gold - 800 base miles short of PLT)
USA 2 = AA - SEA-ORD-LAX (made it to PLT on this flight)
USA 3 = AA - LAX-ORD-STL
USA 4 = AA - STL-DFW-YVR
CX = YVR-HKG (intercontinental flight)
ASIA 1 = CX - HKG-ICN-HKG
ASIA 2 = CX - HKG-DEL-HKG
ASIA 3 = CX - HKG-SIN
BA = SIN-LHR (intercontinental flight)
Break here in the schedule @ home
EUR 3 = BA - LHR-DXB-LHR
Break here in the schedule @ home
Eur 4 = BA - LHR-BAH-LHR

Hopefully I'm a little closer to perfection this time

[This message has been edited by DP-UK (edited 08-31-2002).]

As a standard 3 continent ticket this has the following problems that I can see:

It has 8 segments in Europe (continent of origin). You are only allowed 4 and you can't buy extra ones.

You have four sectors including the Middle East; you are only allowed two.

You have three stopovers in Europe (your continent of origin); you are only allowed two.

You have 7 segments in N America; you are only allowed six in the basic price though you can buy up to two more.

You have 5 segments in Asia; you are only allowed 4 in the basic price - you could buy the extra one.

You seem to have failed to understand the concept of a "segment". Every new ticket coupon constitutes a segment. Every time you start a flight with a new flight number it is a new segment.

[This message has been edited by christep (edited 08-31-2002).]