Questions on DONE4, BA Booking andTicketing
 

I am planning a DONE4 with the following itinerary:

July 3 BKK-SIN CX
July 3 SIN-HKG CX
July 3 HKG-SYD CX
July 5 SYD-PER CX
July 5 PER-MEL QF
July 5 MEL-NRT QF
July 6 NRT-DFW AA
July 6 DFW-SJU AA
July 7 SJU-DFW AA
July 7 DFW-DCA AA
July 10 IAD-LAX AA
July 10 LAX-LHR AA
July 14 LHR-DXB BA
July 18 DXB-LHR BA
July 19 LHR-DUB EI
July 26 DUB-LHR EI
July 26 LHR-HKG CX
July 27 HKG-SIN CX
July 27 SIN-BKK CX


This itinerary is built with the following requirements:
- I need to be in DCA, LHR, DXB and DUB on the dates shown
- I have a MCO from BA so I need to have this ticketed by BA
- I need to stay two nights in SYD for a Starwood promotion
- I want to fly AA transpac and transatlantic so that I can use VIPO3s
- The remaining is mileage run

I have a few questions:

1. Does my first segment have to be on BA for the BA RTW desk to make the booking and ticketing? If so, I will modify the booking so that I go BKK-SYD rather than BKK-SIN-HKG-SYD. So far only two segments are on BA so I’m concerned they may not make the booking.

2. I want to credit the miles to AA. Will BA make a booking for me when I am crediting the miles to AA?

3. Connecting in NRT between SWP and US is permitted?

4. I will book Four Points Sheraton for July 3, but arrive on July 4 at 12 Noon and check out sameday at 3PM. I will still get stay credit for July 3 stay, right?

5. I will then check in to W Sydney on July 4 afternoon. I still have two SWP segments, so I could do a quick round-trip on July 4 afternoon as long as I am back by 11PM. Any suggestions?

6. I will check out of W on July 5 morning before my SYD-PER-MEL-NRT-DFW-SJU flights. Since I will have checked baggage, will QF give me a problem to check it through for these five flights? Maybe I can check it through to NRT and then recheck for NRT-DFW-SJU?

7. I will be calling BA tonight at (800) 828-7797 (BA US RTW desk). Does anyone have a number for UK RTW services or an email for the RTW desk?

8. My wife will be meeting me in LHR on July 18 and we are planning a week’s driving vacation in Ireland. If anyone has any suggestions for places to visit please let me know.

Thanks.

[This message has been edited by Gaza (edited 06-03-2003).]

1. If issuing in BKK, it doesn't really matter but BA might ask you to go over to CX as they're the originating carrier and the first longhaul carrier and BA doesn't even come in till LHR-DXB. Why not let AA or CX issue it? What's so special about BA's RTW desk?

2. Yes. You may credit to any programme you wish.

3. From my understanding, no. You cannot return to originating Continent to fly to Dallas. You must therefore fly from Oz to US direct.

4. Hmm. You're going to no-show your res on 3rd and checking in on the 4th at noon? The no-show night will not count as a stay. It will be just a no-show. Your stay will be starting from on the 4th. But of course that will screw up the same night stay over at the W and your Starwood account will show a stay each on the 4th thereby voiding both stays and screwing up the 5 stay 50K promo.

5. No answer.

6. Bags must follow wherever you go. You'd have to clear immigration in the US anyway. Best to take your bags up to the last Australian domestic port and then through check to the first US airport.

7. Call. It's easier. But if you're doing AA it on AA miles. Try issuing it though AA or CX.

8. Ever tried calling the Irish Tourist Promotion board?



[This message has been edited by Guy Betsy (edited 06-03-2003).]

GB, since I have the MCO for $2,300 from BA which expires soon, I have to ticket with BA. So I will change the first segment to BKK-SYD on BA- then hopefully BA will do the booking and ticketing.

Since I will arrive in SYD by BA at 7AM on July 4, I assume that I'll have no problem checking in for my July 3 reservation at the Four Points Sheraton. I can check out at 2PM.

Conflicting advice from Gaza and Guy Betsy on whether I can connect in NRT on my way between SWP and US. Has anyone done this who can confirm if it is possible?

I will book the baggage SYD-PER-MEL-NRT, which should be OK. I have a 5 hour connection in NRT so have sufficient time to pick up baggage, pass customs and check in for NRT-DFW-SJU.

The 4Pts will mark you as a no-show unless you annotate your reservation with the BA flight number, arrival time and you are still likely to have it processed as being for the next day (the hotel completes the billing cycle by about 3 am). Maybe you can book an internet prepaid rate?

As for returning through NRT, I was refused this as an illegal routing (I was trying to transit SYD-HKG-LAX in order to fly CX). The rules allow a 2nd arrival in Asia only for transit between Europe and SWP. This makes sense as there isn't a practical way to get there without going through Asia, whereas lots of Australia-NA service is available making it unnecessary to go through Asia. AA is notorious for checking RTW routings for validity and canceling illegal legs -- do a search on flyertalk and see all the BA segments that AA has canceled. You have a high chance of arriving in NRT and a diligent AA agent catching that your routing is illegal. This forces you to reissue the ticket and fly back to Australia at your own expense (note that surface trans-pacific is not allowed, so you cannot use the rest of the RTW until you have a valid pacific crossing, which appears to be only from SWP to NA for you). Is the risk worth it? You can fly QF as an AA codeshare (but cannot use VIP03 on codeshares).

number_6, wow, that sounds scary, and I dont think I want to take the risk of getting stopped by AA in NRT. I will go SYD-JFK instead. So that part of my reservation will be:
July 4 SYD-AKL
July 4 AKL-SYD
July 5 SYD-PER
July 5 PER-MEL
July 5 MEL-SYD (will buy separate ticket)
July 6 SYD-JFK
July 6 JFK-SJU

Since the SYD-JFK is a morning flight, that gives me two full days in AUS. I will do two day trips as a MR. Any alternate suggestions to AKL or PER? I still need to be back in SYD on each night to ensure credit for my hotel booking.

I just heard from Amex that BA is giving us a hard time about the MCO. BA says the MCO can only be used against a full fare ticket and not against a RTW. Anyone had any experience using an MCO against a RTW?

[This message has been edited by BoSoxinBkk (edited 06-03-2003).]

WRT the 4Pts SYD stay, why not try to book a day rate room. You'll save some money (typically half the overnight rate) and get the stay credit. In the past, I have received SPG stay credit for both a day room and an overnight stay on the same day.

Technically, *wood may disallow different stay credits for consecutive nights in the same city but this is not enforced and may never be.

There is no rule anyway that says this. Starwood Lurker has stated that in some cities certain hotels share a back office and the system views them as the same hotel. This is not the case for the 4points and the W in SYD.

rich



[This message has been edited by RichLond (edited 06-03-2003).]

AA will let you travel on any ticket issued for the correct date regardless if it violates the rules. However, if you need to change the date and they detect a rule violation they will insist on a reissue. I have to say that this is a fair proposition.

I do not know your time frame is, but if it was me I would redo some of the travel in order to get on the AA transpacific so you can upgrade.

The best bet would be to fly to NA before OZ such as: BKK-HKG-NRT-DFW .... then from Europe go: LHR-SYD-AKL-SYD-PER-MEL-BKK.

You would arrive home a minimum of 2 days later but you could use the extra time to do an ANC run with your 2 remainng NA segs.

rich

I'm booked on a ONE4 that has me going ICN-HKG-JFK-LAX-ANC-TUL-LHR-IST-LHR-DXB-LHR-HKG-AKL-HKG-ICN. I'm doing roughly the same thing, transiting my originating continent without ending my trip. Such a connection can be done, but....The rules state that it must be "between the Southwest Pacific and Europe."

The only way I see this working is if you reroute going Asia - North America - Europe - South West Pacific - Asia. On that routing, you could us AA metal both transatlantic and transpacific, but I don't know if it works for your dates.

Mark

(Edited because putting ANC into the South West Pacific might be a bit of a stretch, even for an airline alliance that thinks DXB is in Europe. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif )

[This message has been edited by mm9u (edited 06-03-2003).]

mm9u, are you sure you have your itinerary string correct? I can understand transiting Asia between Europe and SWP, but you are entering North America twice!

RichLond, I am sticking to my itinerary since I cannot do BKK-HKG-NRT same-day and make my connection in NRT. Plus, if I blow two Asia segments on BKK-HKG-NRT then I will not be able to fit in a trip to India at the end. I just made the booking with BA- all went smoothly except (1) waitlisted on PER-MEL, and (2) no business or first class available on IAD-LAX.

Hi .. how on earth do you intend to do ..LHR-DXB-LHR-HKG-ANC-HKG-ICN?????

CX has no traffic rights to ANC.

I cannot advise without seeing what the MCO says. Certain MCO's have a restriction on them that they can only be used against purely BA flights. Since you will also be issuing the ticket in BKK, it is also up to BKK's ticket office if they want to accept the MCO. Whatever the BA office says here may not be what the BA office in BKK will agree upon.

oops.

You would think that I would be able to proofread, but maybe it's a lesson in not posting at god awful hours....

The actual trip reads...ICN-HKG-JFK-LAX-DFW-ANC-STL-TUL-ORD-LHR-IST-LHR-DXB-LHR-HKG-AKL-HKG-ICN.

ANC/AKL, come on, they're both the same kinds of places..... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

(I've edited the post above, since having read it in the morning it makes little sense, but I thought I'd respond, just so you know I appreciate it.)

Mark

(I've edited this post because I misspelled proofread....)

[This message has been edited by mm9u (edited 06-03-2003).]

I did this routing in January this year on QF in First Class. By the time I arrived in JFK I was a wreck. I then faced a three hour delay as my flight to SJU was cancelled. I eventually arrived at the Caribe Hilton at about 3:00 am. I had no idea where I was!

I cannot imagine what kind of state you will be in doing the same journey in Business Class but also having flown 10 sectors in the previous 2 days!

I wish you well.