Can anyone spot any problems with this itinery?
 

First off, I really have to thank the regular posters on this Forum. Without finding this invaluable resource I don't think I'd have a chance of seeing what's actually possible w/ the ONE ticket.

My girlfriend and I are planning on taking a year out to see a bit of the world next summer. We started off with a list of places we wanted to see but ran into problems trying to find a RTW ticket that could cover everything on that list. The mileage that we wanted to do seemed to rule just about everything out; apart from the One World ticket which we were pleasantly surprised by! I think the only thing we had to drop from our originl plan was Kathmandu (which we can fly to from BKK on a sidetrip if we are really that pushed).

Anyway, after spending some time on the web trying to come to terms with the rules and coverage of this ticket we have come up with the following itinerary:

========================
CAI-LHR-JFK <Nrth Am>
LGA-MCO *NA Seg1*
MIA-MEX *NA Seg2*
MEX-DFW *NA Seg3*
DFW-GIG <South Am>
GIG-SCL-LIM *SA Seg1+2*
EZE-SCL *SA Seg3*
SCL-AKL <SoutWestPacific>
CHC-SYD *SWP Seg1*
SYD-AYQ *SWP Seg2*
AYQ-CNS *SWP Seg3*
BNE-SIN <Asia>
SIN-BKK *Asia Seg1*
HKG-NRT *Asia Seg2*
NRT-LHR-BCN (Europe Stop1)
BCN-LHR (Europe Stop2)
LHR-CAI
=========================

DFW was only included to get down to RIO. If an alternative was avaliable (through either JFK/MIA) that might free up another segment.

Is there any great problem with doing something like this? Apart from the restriction of only being able to do 6 segments in the continent of origin, and a max of 2 stopovers, are there any other restrictions on what kind of segments you can do there?

I'd appreciate anyones thoughts on doing this.
Cheers

[This message has been edited by HitTheSkies (edited Nov 17, 2003).]

That looks OK as far as I can see.

Presumably you are finishing up in London, if not you can fly from BCN-CAI if you don't need to go back to LHR and free up another sector.

Looks fine to me too. Note that your comment about 6 segments in the continent of origin isn't right. The rule is max four segments within each continent except N America, where it is max six. Max two stopovers in the continent of origin is correct.

AA does fly daily from MIA to GIG on the current OneWorld electronic timetable.

Cool, glad to see that this is possible!

Ideally, I would have liked to end up in DUB. If there's only a max of 4 segments allowed on the continent of origin (well spotted on that one christep), I think LHR is about as close as I can get.

I see that MIA-GIG flight, but since we want to hit MEX as well it appears we have to go back to the US to get routed down to South America...

The plans coming along nicely now then. All I have to do is sort out booking through CAI... Hopefully there's no price hike expected anytime soon!

Thanks to all!

If you're not fussy about the order you could fly LHR-MEX on BA then into USA and onwards MIA-GIG.

Alternatively you could go MEX-SCL on LAN Chile.

OW Explorer RTW tickets can be open jaw. You do not need to return to the point of origin. You could do LHR-DUB as the last segment

??? Only in a certain number of cases that don't apply here. The point of an around the world is to go *around* the world.

If you like to end up in DUB, you can arrange European sectors as follow.
However, you can not stopover at LHR.

NRT-LHR-BCN (stopover)
BCN-DUB (stopover)
LHR-CAI

Land segment (surface sector) is permitted.
So DUB-LHR can be a surface sector.


[This message has been edited by Wasabi Tofu (edited Nov 19, 2003).]

Really ?
It seems to violate following OWE rule.

113N . 4. ORIGIN-DESTINATION SURFACE PERMITTED:
114N . -WITHIN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.
115N . NOTE: U.S./CANADA ARE CONSIDERED THE SAME
116N . COUNTRY.
117N . -WITHIN AFRICA
118N . -WITHIN THE MIDDLE EAST
119N . -BETWEEN HKG-CHINA
120N . -BETWEEN BANGLADESH AND BKK/SIN
121N . -WITHIN SOUTH AMERICA
122N . -BETWEEN MAYLAYSIA AND SIN

Nice one! That is exactly what I want to do Wasabi Tofu...

I didn't realize that you could do surface sectors on stopovers in your origin continent. The change of terminology from 'segments' (i.e. single flights) to 'stopovers' in the country of origin meant that it wasn't so explicit.

I've no real need to go to LHR so I'll be delighted to cut it out if it saves a bit of hassle at the end of the trip.

Just after going over my planned itinerary w/ Mrs. Sobhi and she says that there's a problem w/ the last segments.

She's suggesting I go:
BCN-LHR
LHR-CAI

rather than:
BCN-DUB
LHR-CAI

In fact she looked at the last sections this way (which means that I have 5 European sections):
BCN-DUB
DUB-LHR
LHR-CAI

Just wondering if there are any rules to support or invalidate this? (It's not really a big issue but could make it a little easier toward the end of the trip)

Also she mentioned that because my trip does not begin until May that the price could rise by about 30% in the meantime... and that I would be charged at that price!

That seems a bit strange since consumer law in Europe generally states that I should be charged the price at the time I make the transaction (which would be when I fax my credit card details granting authorization for payment). Without this guarantee making a credit card transaction could be a bit like writing a blank cheque since it's at the airlines discretion to change the price of their tickets as they like.

Has there been a change of policy around this area?

If there's no advantage to buying the ticket now, it might be worth my while holding out a bit longer for a ticket.

[This message has been edited by HitTheSkies (edited Dec 08, 2003).]

I think that its a one-stop through GRU - at least it was when I took it.

Indeed - but it has a single flight number and provided that you issue it as one coupon all the way then it is only one segment.

On the issue of BCN-DUB//LHR-CAI you are right - insist that she refers the routing to the rate desk. Surface segments do not count against the overall segment total.

The relevant sections from the rules published here: http://www.hardlink.com/~markdu/OWFi...eExplorer.html are

6N . 1. FREE FLIGHT SEGMENTS WITHIN EACH CONTINENT ARE
7N . LIMITED AS FOLLOWS:
8N .
9N . ---------------------------------------
10N . I CONTINENT I NUMBER OF FREE I
11N . I I FLIGHT SEGMENTS I
12N . ---------------------------------------
13N . I AFRICA I 4 I
14N . ---------------------------------------
15N . I ASIA I 4 I
16N . ---------------------------------------
17N . I NORTH AMERICA I 6 I
18N . ---------------------------------------
19N . I SOUTH AMERICA I 4 I
20N . ---------------------------------------
21N . I SOUTH WEST I 4 I
22N . I PACIFIC I I
23N . ---------------------------------------
24N . I EUROPE/MIDDLE I 4 /SEE NOTE 1./ I
25N . I EAST I I
26N . ---------------------------------------
27N .
28N .
29N NOTE: EFFECTIVE FOR SALES ON/AFTER 15APR03 - 20
30N FLIGHT SEGMENT MAXIMUM INCLUDING FREE/PURCHASED FLIGHT
31N SEGMENTS FOR THIS FARE.

[...]

94N . 8. INTERMEDIATE SURFACE SEGMENTS PERMITTED.

The key distinction is "Flight Segments" and "Surface Segments"

You are also correct in the purchasing rules. Insist that she tickets it immediately and faxes you a copy of the ticket. Once you've done that they can't change the price. However, remember that you can't change the first international sector once you've ticketed it without doing a complete reissue which would be at the current price at the time of reissue.

[This message has been edited by christep (edited Dec 08, 2003).]

Thanks for that christep. Very clearly explained.

I'm going to have to get on to her again about those last segments then.

When I was talking to her this morning she said that the ticket could only be issued 7 days before the 1st flight.

Since we're planning to spend about a month or so in Egypt that didn't make too much odds for me but now I see where problems can pop up with this system. (i.e. possible variation on the price, no proof of ticket before going to CAI)

Could this rule about issuing the ticket 7 days before departure depend on the office where it is being ticketed from or is there anything within the OWE rules that could cover this?

Since the CAI office is already closed I'll have to leave it until tommorrow to follow this one up.

Mrs. Sobhi is a nice lady and tries to be helpful but sometimes she comes up with some off the wall ideas.

There is no OW rules about issuing within 7 days of the first trip. Here's the text from BA's own rule book.

You can download this book from here (PDF file).

I have picked up tickets she wrote for another FT'er six months in advance of his first flight.

The only issue I can see is that she may be reluctant to issue tickets that you are not going to pick up for a long time.