Hi

I am having a bit of a problem with my corporate travel agent on booking a OWE3.

For lots of dull reasons, it will have to be issued in the UK, to start in the UK, on BA stock. My first segments were

Day1 MAN - LHR
Day2 LHR - DXB
Day5 DXB - LHR
Day10 LHR - HKG

and then hold the final LHR - MAN segment as open to be used to start another RTW later this year. I have been told this is 'not possible due to backtracking', but not given a good reason why.

Can anyone help?

Thanks, and I promise to offer advice once I have done my first OWE successfully!

[This message has been edited by Swanhunter (edited 01-15-2003).]

My guess is that your TA assumes that DXB is in middle-east/Asia and cannot return to Europe. WRONG! DXB is part of Europe for OWE purposes. I have, along with many other travellers, done exactly as you want to do.

You cannot return to your country of origin after leaving it until you have finished going around the world. There are a few exceptions in NA and Australia, but no exception exists for the UK.

If you want to do DXB you will need to start the RTW from continental Europe.

rich



[This message has been edited by RichLond (edited 01-15-2003).]

The actual rule is:


160N . 4. 1 INTL DEPARTURE AND 1 INTL ARRIVAL
161N . FROM/TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN PERMITTED
162N . EXCEPT AS FOLLOWS.
163N . - ORIGIN AUSTRALIA - 2 PERMITTED.
164N . 1 ARRIVAL-DEPARTURE MUST BE A TRANSIT
165N . WITHOUT STOPOVER IN CONJUNCTION WITH
166N . TRAVEL TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
167N . - ORIGIN USA - 2 PERMITTED.
168N . 1 ARRIVAL-DEPARTURE MUST BE A TRANSIT
169N . WITHOUT STOPOVER.
170N . NOTE: TRAVEL BTWN US/CA IS NOT COUNTED AS
171N . INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURE/ARRIVAL.

it will probably save you 1000 pounds, if you buy a RT to MAN-AMS and start your RTW there

Thanks for your help. I HAVE to use the corporate TA in London and as OWE are SITI, that rules out a European start point.

Back to the drawing board!

Actually the rule is you are simply charged the higher of the country of origin or country of ticketing. Therefore you could buy an AMS origination in the UK and get your DXB r/t, but you would still pay the UK price since the UK fare is higher than the dutch fare.

However, most corporate travel agents have agreements with other agents to overcome this problem.

good luck,
rich

Thanks for that information! I wil be on the phone the moment the office opens.