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