Is one allowed a surface segment from the origin to the first stopover? Guessing the answer is no, but didn’t see it explicitly mentioned in the Wiki.

No. This is not allowed in any kind of air ticket.

Which is the best thread to discuss oneworld Explorer pricing? This one, this one or another one?

I would say definitely this thread --> 2016-2023 Oneworld booking and pricing experiences - FlyerTalk Forums
The User Guide thread should really only be used for discussions of the user guide contents and for discussion of the rules and what "tricks" can be exploited.
The Oneworld product pricing - PLEASE READ - FlyerTalk Forums thread appears to be moribund

Advice on proposed itinerary
 

I think this is the right forum? Correct me if I'm wrong please! I’m hoping to get some input into this itinerary – it’s been 8 years since I had some invaluable advice from the experts on this forum and I’m hoping for a bit more.

NRT-SEAo-LASo-JFKo-GRUo-MADx-CDGo-LHRx-ATHo-DOHx-SYDo-NOUo-SYDx-BKKo-NRT

Husband and I need to be in Brazil in late March 2024 for a wedding but other than that we are completely flexible – my only other aim is to pack as many miles and sectors into our itinerary as I can. We plan to take 4-5 months on the first half, taking a big break back in Sydney before completing it with the Noumea/Bangkok sectors. I plan to buy a flexible return ticket SYD-NRT-SYD as starting in NRT vs SYD is a substantial saving – only just a little more than starting in OSL (which is a much expensive positioning flight for us).

We plan to start the trip in late February/early March 2024, thus book every flight after GRU with dummy dates and rebook them as they become available.

I’ve checked the flights in Expert Flyer with QR flights for all three 14hr long haul flights (their business class product is so good) and JAL for most of the rest except for QF short hauls back in Aus. Once I know if this itinerary is going to work, I hope to price the surcharges out on ITA Matrix to add to the $AUD9,836 individual DONE5 fare that Expert Flyer gave as a base fare.

Question 1: Is it viable or have I made a really stupid stuff-up? I have plugged it into the Oneworld trip planner which says it’s viable until I’m halfway through pricing the itinerary and for some reason it just keeps hanging.

Question 2: I think I can fly into SYD for a 6 month stopover and then transit back through between NOU and BKK?
Question 3: I couldn't find a better way other than the CDG-LHR-ATH other than Iberia CDG-MAD-ATH(which has no business class on this route)- is this one a problem?

Question 4: If the itinerary works, I count 14 sectors? Any suggestions to squeeze one more stop somewhere?

Thank you in advance for anyone who has the time and patience to read through my overly long entry and who might offer some suggestions.

Route Map-->A map from the Great Circle Mapper - Great Circle Mapper

CDG-LHR is a waste of a sector in some ways. Small distance and can be done by train. But departures from LHR and from most UK airports incur a hefty ADP. Arrivals and transits do not

Looked at any Finnair AY routes to increase the mileage, being another OW EU airline? Has seasonable flight to Greece (from wikipedia). More flights may be reinstated by 2024
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...r_destinations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens...tional_Airport

Something like ATH-XXX-DOH would add mileage/sectors/SC's instead of the short ATH-DOH
Want to visit PER? DOH-PER-SYD? More mileage/sectors/SC's. Or DRW or AKL/NZ for a weekend?
Plenty of places in USA that could add a sector on AS or AA

In EU a flight to airport and then a train to where you want to go is a good option. *EU is small*

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6e6afbb344.gif

Your itinerary is valid. The tool Is buggy.

Yes. You can visit places multiple times, stopping over multiple times if you want. So you could stopover in SYD after NOU if you wanted to.
What you're proposing is not a problem. Maybe a better way is CDG-DOH-ATH. :D
Yes, 14 segments. Mwenenzi has made some good suggestions; here are some more for you:
In addition to the suggested SYD-DRW-SYD and SYD-AKL-SYD, maybe SYD-CNS-SYD or SYD-NAN-SYD (remember, you can keep stopping over in SYD)
Instead of NRT-SEA, maybe Japan (multiple cities)-HNL-ANC/LAX/SFO...-SEA (the '/' means OR)
Instead of SYD-BKK, maybe SYD-CMB/HKG-BKK

Other Ideas
To add more miles, maybe:
Instead of GRU-MAD-CDG
GRU-DOH-CDG or
GRU-DFW/MIA/JFK-CDG (You are allowed a second visit to North America)
Instead of ATH-DOH-SYD, maybe ATH-LHR-SYD

I checked my in box, and yes we corresponded about an ex-CAI itinerary of yours back in 2014, so 9 years ago.
I also checked the first ever PM to me - it was in 2008, from none other than Mwenenzi himself, helping out a total newbie (as I was then :D).

Thank you [MENTION=6129]Mwenenzi[/MENTION] – on your suggestion we could do CDG-HEL-ATH so that’s a good option to get rid of the LHR connection. And we haven’t been to Helsinki for 40 years so maybe it would be nice to stay a few days! Our other option I guess, as we will have around two months in the EU, would be to do a surface sector between CDG & ATH, thus leaving me with an extra sector to spare.

We have been to Perth a number of times and also New Zealand – thought I might add SGN after BKK when we get back home to Sydney and take that part of the trip late in the year – my husband’s never been there!

pandaperth Firstly thank you for confirming that the tool is buggy - not me (although still debatable...)

Next - confirming that we can keep stopping over in SYD is a game changer!! For some reason I thought I couldn't have multiple stopovers in the one place. Now we can do the little Noumea break as a little holiday on it's own!

As for the CDG-LHR-ATH routing, as in my reply to Mwenenzi, I think we might do an overland there - we'll be spending two months in the EU so might as well make our way down to ATH on our own, which gives us the extra segment to add on in Asia at the end of the ticket.

Re extra segments as you suggest, we might just add a stop in HNL for our first segment - might be a nice way to start the whole thing!! And then, I like the idea of substituting GRU-MAD-CDG with GRU-DOH-CDG - then we can do that sector with Qatar!! Win win!!

Our itinerary now looks like this - please correct me if I've made an idiot out of myself (highly likely)
NRT-HNLo-SEAo-LASo-JFKo-GRUo-DOHx-CDGo-HELo-ATHo-DOHx-SYDo-NOUo-SYDo-BKKo-SGNo-NRT
Mileage 45,943
And yes - back in 2014 your advice was what got me over the line in our first RTW - could not have done it without your invaluable help! We've done 3 Qantas Oneworld Classic flight 35000 mile itineraries since then but Qantas is currently so difficult to find classic reward flights that we decided to do another Global Explorer this time and hope that Qantas gets a bit less stingy releasing award space in 2025.... So again, THANK YOU!

Are you doing a Oneworld Explorer *ONE* or a *GLOB Global Explorer? Rules are different, as are allowable airlines. Most folk here ask about *ONE*.
https://www.oneworld.com/world-travel
Good luck getting the D flights. At times can be hard

A map from the Great Circle Mapper - Great Circle Mapper

The business class Global Explorer has a maximum mileage of 34,000 - your itinerary exceeds that by quite a bit
So you're looking at a 5 continent Oneworld Explorer (a DONE5)

I see one problem: there is no Oneworld airline flying between BKK and SGN
Perhaps another surface segment? Bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap, a couple of days having a Captain Cook at Angkor Wat, then a fast boat down to Phnom Penh, finally a bus to Ho Chi Minh City.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...344aa08592.gif
pye1201

Sorry Mwenenzi - yes it's a DONE5 - don't know why I put Global Explorer - I've spent so much time in front of the computer lately mucking around with itineraries, I'm beginning to suffer brain fog.....

Thanks so much [MENTION=165293]pandaperth[/MENTION] - I had a flight picked out on Expert Flyer with AY but I see in brackets it's Vietnam Air - assumed it might be a codeshare and thus possible to fly it? If not then your idea of an overland sounds interesting anyway - I've always wanted to see Angkor Wat!!! And we're retired and have nothing better to do than travel given most of our children live overseas anyway so time isn't an issue!
And yes - a DONE5 - I'd better take a break from the computer for a few days.....

Thanks so much [MENTION=165293]pandaperth[/MENTION] - I had a flight picked out on Expert Flyer with AY but I see in brackets it's Vietnam Air - assumed it might be a codeshare and thus possible to fly it? If not then your idea of an overland sounds interesting anyway - I've always wanted to see Angkor Wat!!! And we're retired and have nothing better to do than travel given most of our children live overseas anyway so time isn't an issue!
And yes - a DONE5 - I'd better take a break from the computer for a few days.....

Flights need to be marketed and operated by OW airlines.

Good you are spending your kids inheritance. :cool:

Thanks Mwenenzi - who said we have to leave an inheritance for the kids anyway........

Apologies if answered elsewhere, however do you know what ticket code/class the Business class fares book into?

I’m trying to find availability on a few BA flights but no business class available. Is it I, D, R etc?

thanks!

Business is D
Economy is L
First is A

This is mentioned in the wiki to this thread.

(This is assuming you are asking about the Oneworld Explorer ticket)

When did the 34,000 mile limitation on business and first OneWorld Explorer tickets come into place? I just tried to price out one on the OneWorld site and it is giving me that error about 34,000 miles. I had one issued last year in October that was 49,000 miles, so this seems to be recent.

I'm not even sure you could construct any kind of interesting DONE5 or DONE6 in 34,000 miles.

It's been around quite some time, I think. Are you sure you're not confused with kilometres?

Definitely not confused with KMs.

Actually I think it's telling me that I have too many miles for a Global Explorer ticket, but OneWorld Explorer is still pricing with some tweaks. It's very poorly displayed on the OneWorld site, don't remember that last year when doing the planning.

Now trying to figure out how to incorporate AA into it somehow so they'll ticket it without adding $600 to the ticket. Assume that's a YQ somewhere getting added for an overwater AA flight. Extremely oddly with the same route using QF and BA codes aren't getting the $600 hike, only when adding AA coded flights. I guess I could try to get BA to ticket it once I settle on the itinerary. I think they are also competent in RTW tickets.

It's a problem with the Oneworld website. States that a ticket meets the eligibility of Oneworld Explorer. but exceeds the mileage for Global Explorer and will not progress. Still a very buggy system. I prefer the previous systems of years back, at least you know where you stood, even with its quirks.

Good to know. I won't book of that site again since it would stick me with QF ticket stock again and that's an experience I never want to repeat. I want either AA or BA ticket stock on the next one so I can get competent agents for changes. Looking like AA may be out of the question though since it's causing a massive price spike (YQ/YR I'm assuming), usually that's something I associate with BA, but it seems perfectly happy with BA codes without the price jumping.

That made me take a second look.

Can someone confirm that,xONEx are not mileage limited and the issue referred to relates to a buggy online booking tool.

Now I'm confused. I think I may be thinking of a QF oneworld award that's limited to 35K miles. My apologies. I can't see anything in the rule sheet that says the oneworld Explorer is mileage-limited.

The oneworld explorer ticket (XONEX) is not mileage based and has never been mileage based; the fare is based upon the number of continents you select. The global explorer (XGLOBX) is and always has been mileage based.

I've tried recently to raise the mileage error issue for Oneworld Explorer tickets booked through the Oneworld portal through the 'provide feedback' mechanism on the portal, as well as yesterday to the only email address I could locate on the very sparse Oneworld website (@press, in a press release). I don't expect anything, but worth a shot.

It is definitely a shame they are so opaque and have pretty much no method to reach anyone. Not that I want to book on their site again due to the fact it'll probably always stick me with a QF ticket on ex-TYO due to the routing I prefer getting out of Tokyo, but really would like to test out pricing with segments on various carriers / different stopovers before calling to book it through an a different OW airline or travel agent.

Who knows, as buggy and difficult as it is, maybe it's actually operated by Qantas. LOL

I'm not sure if this is an issue on FT's end or mine, but when I click on the icons or the "menu options" links at the top sticky, nothing opens. So I apologize if this question is answered up there (I'm sure it is):

I assume that booking a RTW ticket needs to be done with OW directly via the site and that I can't book one of these tickets with a third-party travel agent, correct? I was thinking that if there was a way to book through Chase UR, that would be an attractive way to crank up my point balance with them. But I would be very, very surprised if that were doable. Still - wanted to check.

Thanks!

It's certainly possible to book a oneworld Explorer with a travel agent.

The jump links apparently don't work until you click on the "show more" at the bottom of the text in the wiki. Once you open the entire wiki then the jump links work.

As noted by danger a travel agent can book OW rtw tickets. Your trouble will be finding a TA with the requisite expertise to issue the ticket.

Ahhh - thank you! Yes, clicking on "show more" did in fact resolve the problem, and the wiki said plain as day that travel agents can in fact book the tickets.

Of course, to your point, there will be just about zero chance that Chase UR will know how to do this, so if I do end booking one of these, I'll be doing it myself.

To be fair to Chase, they've gotten significantly better since they ditched Expedia, but yeah, agree there's no way they'd know how to book one of these.

You can also book via the airlines directly and which one tickets you will greatly affect how much you pay in YQ / YR. There's another thread for Pricing Experiences where you'll find loads of information about that. Each airline has different rules about being the ticketing carrier, some require being the first segment carrier, but not all do, some just require some of the segments on their code or being one of the long haul carriers. As far as I know, AS still won't allow ticketing on it's stock but everyone else seems to be fair game. I've also heard QR won't do it if you call them but travel agents seem to be able to plate on QR stock if QR is the first carrier (ex-CAI tickets mostly).

Oneworld Explorer Premium Economy
 

If a flight on an LONEx allows changing from L to premium economy for a surcharge, is this a ticket change so points and status credits are increased?
Or does the surcharge just allow sitting in Premium Economy?
My reading of the Oneworld Explorer rules would suggest that the fare class is changed to a Premium Economy revenue fare class, and so should generate higher FF points and status credits, but this is not clearly stated in the rules or in this Oneworld Explorer User Guide.
Can anyone clarify this?

The rules regarding the surcharge to travel in a higher cabin for individual sectors specify booking in the higher fare class. The rules also state how the surcharge is to be accounted for in the fare calculation. If adding the surcharge when booking it will be included with the original booking; if adding it later it seems to me that it will require that the ticket be reissued as it is a change to ticketed points and the higher class may result in higher taxes and other surcharges.

I don't see why you wouldn't receive miles and credits for the class flown as you are paying for this higher class -- it is not a promotional upgrade. I don't believe it gets much discussion here because the surcharge is only available on certain airlines and the rates for the surcharge aren't really that good of a deal. If one is going to pay the surcharge to fly in a higher class depending upon which surcharge is purchased it may be time to consider just purchasing a DONEX. The rules generally don't discuss the earning of miles and credits that would be for the program you are crediting to.

JFK-SYD as one flight segment
 

Presumably this surcharge would include QF4 JFK-SYD as it counts as one flight segment?


​​​​​​​

I'd say it should as it is a single flight number single segment, provided of course that you are flying straight thru and not stopping over in LAX to catch the next day's flight (in which case you would two segments).

QF flys JFK-AKL-SYD as a single flight number QF4. A new route from 14 June 2023

I want to book a RTW starting in Japan with the first segment HND-PEK on JL.

JL doesn’t appear to be making D class available even close-in (I checked multiple dates on ExpertFlyer). Is it possible to book that segment in Y (any fare class) as a voluntary downgrade?

I believe yes if L class is available. Y class is only possible if the flight has no J cabin, but this is not the case.