Thank you, that pricing chart makes total sense as to why cheaper

Thanks, may need to review the syndey option although we were planning staying a few days in tokyo hence the odd routing!

Will move over to the other thread for further questions, thanks for your help

Think the issue is that not all airlines are allowed to revalidate tickets e.g. QR (DL also as many others), then reissue is the only way to go, and if the USD125.00 will be charged or not is up to the agent handling the change.

British Airways see below:

BA E-TICKETING EN 30AUG24 1846Z

PLEASE REFER TO TGAD-BA PAGE TO SEE CARRIER'S INTERLINE PARTNERS

FOPS NOT ALLOWED:
>MD

EXCHANGES ALLOWED: E-TKT TO E-TKT:Y
E-TKT TO PAPER:Y
PAPER TO E-TKT:N


DISPLAY : /ORG: N /TVL: Y
/FTI: Y /FLT: Y
/FOP: Y /RCI: N
/TKT: Y /FOID: N

HISTORY :Y REVALIDATION :Y
PRINT (US ONLY) :N REFUND :Y
VOID :Y VOID EXCHANGE/REISSUE :Y
CANCEL REFUND :Y

And QR:

QR E-TICKET EN 4MAR25 0822Z

DISPLAY : /ORG: N /TVL: Y
/FTI: Y /FLT: Y
/FOP: Y /RCI: N
/TKT: Y /FOID: Y

HISTORY :Y REVALIDATION :N
PRINT :N REFUND :Y
VOID :Y VOID EXCHANGE/REISSUE :Y
CANCEL REFUND :Y


Airlines are allowed to revalidate E-tickets (segment affected only) then difference in taxes / airfare will not be collected.
TA's always need to reissue the E-ticket and the whole ticket.
And if there's a difference in airfare / tax this needs to be collected.

Otherwise ask Anonba in the British Airways Forum.

Hope this helps.

lordmwa
Maybe you have a look into the two videos from Matt's Planet even if they are optimized for Finnair but he explains some pitfalls which could increase the ticket price.

1 - mail BA [email protected], don't call.
2 - Yes. They are good.
3 - I don't use the tool anymore, too many issues, for me didn't improve the last 3 months. What is your routing? Are you sure lap infant for the whole trip or booked as child with own seat?
4 - If booked as transfer in the same E-ticket it will be forwarded. Otherwise not.

Hope this helps.

regards

dutch_122

That was the first time I watched a matt's planet video... And likely the last. Thank you Matt for sharing information in such a way that it benefits us all. ;)

Another Matt's Planet addict here. Retired pilot has enjoyed nice seats on carefully selected staff travel flights but since retirement found the best way to comfort is to pay for it. Just putting together a DONE4 ticket with the help of NufNuf and the guys at Propeller Travel but wanted to wave my proposal in front of the experts here in case any tricks being missed.

Crediting to AY. I will have around 200k Avios in BAC that could be moved if required. At the start of the trip, I won't have any TPs with BAC in the new travel year and no existing status since BA changed the rules before I bought and travelled on a cheap J ticket to SIN and back.

The idea behind the trip is a two month holiday with stops in favourite places and to tie in with a cruise PPT-NAN (the open jaw bit in my plan below). Departing UK where we live in May 2026 with an AUH/DOH tacked on the end for a late autumn 2026 bit of winter sun. Although the goal was not to gain Emerald, it's a vacation trip, it would be a shame to turn down the chance of status to brighten up those staff travel & Y trips we still do.

Can you guys give this the once over? Any flaws?
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...aeb1281030.jpg

On any QR, FJ, or QF flights you don't get any Bonus TPs. That's on the FAIB (Matt's definition) airlines only. I'm not sure If I would invest 60k Avios to buy 20k TPs in the mid of the trip. I would wait until the end and then do some Y flights to HEL and use your upgrade vouchers for a sidetrip to HEL to gain the last missing TPs.

Maximum 2 stopovers permitted in continent of origin.. You have more than 2.
JQ segment must be marketed by QF to be allowed, I believe.
Who is flying AKL PPT?

I see one flaw

On a Oneworld Explorer you cannot include the QF codeshare (on TN metal) AKL-PPT
That is only allowed on the Global Explorer

But the business class Global Explorer has a 34,000 mileage limit, which your itinerary exceeds

Thank you for your input.

Thank you, do you mean the status 10% (silver) 15% (gold) bonus rather than the 125% on non FAIB?

I haven't often found good ways to spend Avios other than an Amex companion ticket or 1p per Avios redemption on the first £100 of a BA ticket.

Ah, the AUH/DOH same continent?

The JQ sector is showing as valid on the OWRTW tool (although I accept that doesn't mean too much).

AKL-PPT is Air Tahiti on a QF flight number.

Here is an edit of the spreadsheet with above comments in mind.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e203ca33cb.jpg

The relevant Oneworld Explorer rule is:Air Tahiti Nui (TN) is not mentioned. Therefore the QF codeshare on TN metal cannot be included

You have to differentiate. 125% or 250% means what you get per mile based on the fare class. FAIB airlines gives you 250% as most others give you 125% per mile in D fare class. When you are flying with FAIB airlines then you get the bonus TP on top. This are the 10% (Silver), 15% (Gold), or 25% (Platinum). This is valid as long as you don't book the RTW through AY. When it is booked through AY it will be spend based.

Thank you. Initial booking is done with a 125/BA booking. I appreciate clarification of the 125/250% for D fare, the higher rate on FAIB and I understand AY a bad choice as they follow BA now and reward based on fare paid, not miles.

As mentioned, Nufnuf looking at this for me but I want to educate myself (with all your help) as far as possible so I can make his job easier.

AY was earlier than BA. AY changed their scheme last year in March but earning Avios on BA was already spend based and this was before AY. ;)

if you are crediting to AY+ and using a travel agent, maybe you can get NAN LAX and HND SIN coded as AA marketed, and DOH OSL as BA marketed.. to maximize earnings.

I feel like I should know this already but the rule about South Africa / Mauritius, I find confusing.

I think this would clearly preclude you from using BA both directions, but what about QR? It does say Europe, and does not mention the Middle East, even though the Middle East is treated as Europe for most purposes. Or does this require you to either enter or depart South Africa on CX or QF (I think those are the only non-European / Middle Eastern OW airlines flying there)

Second question, and I think the answer to this is yes, since there are no longer any OW carriers in Africa (not counting AT here since that's still a zone considered Europe), can you, for example, go xxx-LAX-DOH-NBO-DOH-ACC-DOH-yyy-zzz-xxx ? Or is it now impossible to have more than one Africa destination (excluding ground segments) on a DONEx?

The rules are specific. Europe is not the same as the Middle East.

From Rule 0 (interestingly, there is no rule 1, 2, or 3):So you shouldn't have any problem flying QR in both directions. Europe and the Middle East are two different zones and are treated as such numerous times in the rules.

Ok, thanks, that's very helpful. I really want to include South Africa on my next one but I decimate my earnings on AA if I include CX or QF vs. QR.

I stopped accruing to AAdvantage when they went to a revenue-based model, and switched to QRPC.

This OW RTW video ( ) says that it's cheapest for the start city to be Oslo or Budapest. But then how it is possible to get the RTW booking tool to list Oslo (or any none OW hub, but which OW flights are from)? It's happy to start at a OW hub, e.g. it lists London. I have a RTW route in mind and I'm 99% certain the OW RTW tool will not build it: OSL-MAD-PVG-SIN-AKL-EZE-UIO-OSL, as AKL-EZE will only work with SYD-SCL and there are no intra-South America OW members.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...582a1a0916.jpg

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9795af0ec0.jpg

You can fly AKL-DFW-EZE or AKL-JFK-EZE.

Well you can build it and then you see the price. I think Matt did a good summary and give many reason why to avoid some airlines (such as QF long hauls) and avoid some airport (such as London). But you can start in London or any other OW hub. You will have to pay more than from OSL or BUD.

About a week ago DONE4 "ranking" lowest first BASE price no taxes from Expert Flyer
Apologies for the eclectic start points
JNB,OSL,India, Japan, BUD, CMB, ARN, IST, KUL, PER, BKK

Not an exhaustive search but while looking for OSL-CAI, I noticed BA had D0/L0 on all dates I checked
Happy wandering
Fred

That's not listed in order of cheapest to expensive, is it?
Osl is lower than jnb... And jnb is not the cheapest starting point in Africa.

Or AKL to SCL via SYD, open jaw. Cheap flight to EZE or overland?

How do you get the RTW tool to start in OSL? Don't want to start in LHR as it's much more expensive.

That is a big detour. I have no aim to include North America in my RTW trip.

Just type in OSL or OSLO and it find it.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...227fc46e6b.png

As of today ExpertFlyer is showing DONE4 prices (QR or BA fares):
JNB at USD5585
OSL at USD5623

I understand QR issues will require access to a TA

Hope that assists planning your wandering
Fred

Topic for this thread-->https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onew...ease-read.html

OW RTW fares usually quoted-sold on local currency Then converted to US$, Euro etc as people to pay using credit card etc
The sudden devaluation in Egypt pounds lead to some good fares until OW caught up
SAR to USD over 1 month and 1 year

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1d066a43d9.png

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fede4b5a71.png

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...74bf280afa.png

I think you misread ExperFlyer Fred
ex-JNB
DONE3 base fare is USD5855.80
DONE4 base fare is USD6422.80

{And I don't know why 3-continent fares are showing, since it is impossible to construct a valid 3-continent itinerary starting anywhere in Africa. Not since LATAM left the alliance and thus its JNB-GRU flight was no longer available)

You can see from my image that when I enter Oslo that it does not appear. The same happens when I enter Budapest. So how is it that you get it to appear?

Click on the airport name Oslo Gardemoen and continue.

I would if it appeared in the list, as my screen shot shows it does not appear.
It's either an IT problem, i.e. the RTW tool does not work in the Firefox browser on my Windows 11 laptop, or OW don't want me buying a ticket!

Running W11 on a laptop with the Brave browser and OSL loads OK.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...bdf24dc0c8.jpg

You left out Pakistan which is cheaper than India or Sri Lanka, however the excise tax in both India and Pakistan may put the total price over others.

Curious where else in Africa you've found cheaper? The only one I recall was WDH which doesn't have OW service anymore.

Edit: Think I have found it, I was thinking continental Africa. But also in the meantime found Algeria is slightly cheaper as well, though not an easy visa.

Interestingly I can not find any OW RTW fares from Senegal or Seychelles, I wonder if that's just an Expertflyer issue? (as well as Madagascar, Comoros, Cabo Verde, Lesotho, Eswatini, or Reunion but I know not all of those have OW service).

It might end up being the better way once you get deeper into planning. Since there are no OW flights within South America anymore, the only way to skip North America is to fly SYD-SCL then buy your own tickets SCL-EZE and EZE-UIO, none of which will be cheap unless you're willing to slum it on the local LCCs (not sure if UIO has LCC service).

The tool is buggy but have never seen it not find OSL. It's not a Firefox issue if you're getting London airports to come up, it should be all or nothing. There was a time when the online tool blocked CAI and other Egypt departures, but OSL has never had that. I just tried it in my browser (Chrome) and it worked fine for an OSL start.

Me too, after 14 years of EP with AA. The rest of my ex-HND DONE3 will be credited to QR. :D

Copied directly from the ExpertFlyer results page
Fares for JNB to JNB on 09/15/25
DONE3 QR D Round-Trip 5092.00(USD) C-/12M
DGLOB34 QR D Round-Trip 5585.00(USD) C--/12M
DONE4 QR D Round-Trip 5585.00(USD) C--/12M

I thought it might be a QR issue which is why I checked BA fares before the initial "claim"

Anyone have access to a South African TA who can clarify the current cost of wandering
Fred

I've also always had issues with the tool on Firefox, it just doesn't show most airports (icl Oslo), but does show some, and which oes it does and doesn't show seems random. But it works fine with chrome, and seemingly on other browsers too.