We all know 2 additional segments may be purchased on OWE tickets (except in continent of origin).

1. Can these segments be purchased after travel has commenced?

2. If so, is there a change fee (for routing change and ticket reissue) in addition to the segment cost?

3. Can the segments be inserted into an existing intinerary after travel has begun or must they be the "last" segments as suggested by an earlier post?

4. Any chance purchased segments could be for an addtional transcon in the US or Australia or a second R/T to the Middle East? (I think I know the answer to this.)

I guess what I'm asking is, if after arriving in a continent, I want to make an additional side trip or add a destination and find local fares too expensive, can I fall back on the OWE add-on fares.

I would appreciate hearing if any of our RTW group often use these additional segments or find them cost effective. I realize this will depend to some extent on whether you are buying Economy, Business or First.

With Regard to question 4 I would say yes in the case of extra flights to the Middle East. The relevant rule is:
F)FREE FLIGHT SEGMENTS WITHIN EACH CONTINENT ARE
LIMITED AS FOLLOWS -
AFRICA................4
ASIA..................4
EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST....4*
(*NOT MORE THAN TWO OF WHICH MAY BE BETWEEN THE
U.K AND - ALGERIA/ARMENIA/AZBERBAIJAN/BULGARIA/
CYPRUS/GEORGIA/GREECE/ISREAL/MACEDONIA/MALTA/
MOROCCO/FUNCHAL/PORTUGAL/ROMANIA/RUSSIA/TUNSIA/
UKRAINE/YUGOSLAVIA/THE MIDDLE EAST)
NORTH AMERICA.........6
SOUTH AMERICA.........4
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC.....4
1)TWO ADDITIONAL FLIGHT SEGMENTS WITHIN EACH
CONTINENT E X C E P T THE CONTINENT OF ORIGIN
MAY BE PURCHASED AT A CHARGE OF:
AUD500 (BUSINESS CLASS); AUD750 (FIRST CLASS);
FOR E A C H ADITIONAL SEGMENT.


It does seem to restrict only free flight segments to two. It makes no restriction on purchased extra flight segments. The restriction on transcon flights in Australia and North America appears in a different rule and therefore probably stands for purchased segments as well.




[This message has been edited by 3544quebec (edited 10-27-2002).]

An interesting gotcha to look out for: we use A-class OWE's, but by necessity or choice end up with a couple of business or coach segments intra-continent. We normally designate the coach segments our "fifth and sixth" segments and pay the coach extra-segment fee. This year for the first (and presumably last) time QF ticketed us, and the person doing the rate insisted that the "extra" segments had to be the chronologically fifth and sixth, not any two we picked, and charged us accordingly. When I first mentioned that here, the folks whom I recognize as being knowledgeable said that was wrong, but I haven't gotten back to QF about it.

JohnAx, I remembered your previous post but couldn't find it in a search. You're right, it makes a great deal of difference on the cost effectiveness of purchased segments depending on their position in the intinerary, which is really what I was asking in Q3.

I guess according to the QF interpretation, if I have 4 segments booked and subsequently want to purchase 2 more and insert them between segments 3 and 4 QF would say no you can't, purchased segments may only be added to the end of the itinerary. Seems a bizarre interpretation but right or wrong tariff always seems to have the last word.

3544quebec, a very interesting reading where the rules governing "free" segments are specifically set apart from "purchased" segments. Would be even more interesting to test this with the rate desk.

GB, always nice to get succinct one syllable answers to questions.

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I think what QANTAS could do is allow you to purchase an extra 2 segments and reassess the fare charging you for the 5th and 6th sector whatever class they may be in. For what it is worth (which ain't much) I don't have any arguement with QANTAS's interpretation. It seems perfectly logical to me that the 5th and 6th segments would be the ones considered the extra purchased segments. Having said that I've been very pleased not to have that logic applied when I've purchased extra segments.