LHR-SYD on a DONE4
 

I am trying to book a DONE4 that includes LHR-SYD with at most one connection. The preferred date is Nov. 1 but I am flexible on the early side. Surprisingly, there seems to be no way to build a DONE4 that includes SYD (and, I suspect, AKL)!

From Expertflyer for Nov. 1 (BA is POS UK – for all others POS is US)

image deleted

[Note: I have had no success pasting in additional results for BA, JL, CX, QA and MH. They all show D0. All but JL show availability in Y and most show C, B and H availability.]

I have tried connecting in SIN, BKK, TYO, KL and more and on different dates with little or no success. I have also tried MH, CX and JL. When I occasionally find D class availability the AA RTW desk is never able to obtain a confirmation (only a waitlist). I don’t want to fly UL via Columbo. A few additional points:

1. The on-line tool is useless. It finds itineraries and then fails (segment unavailable) when I try to book.

2. I booked another (separate) DONE4 a few months ago for travel beginning April 2023 and had no trouble with availability to SYD. (BTW, even today there is plenty of D available within Australia and for Australia to NZ).

3. When I searched yesterday Expertflyer returned a different set of codes. Instead of D0 if returned DL or DC (waitlist or closed) for each flight.

I post to alert others to the problem, but also to see if others have any workarounds.

That image is very broken

I just looked on EF and it appears BA 16, SYD-SIN shows D9 to SIN on 1 November, then D0 to LHR, while QF 1 shows the opposite (D0 to SIN, D9 to LHR.) The connection time at SIN is roughly 2 1/2 hours. I think you're running into a married segment problem. I'd phone the AA desk (if that's who you're using) and see if they can book it as two segments rather than one married segment. It will cost you a coupon, of course.

Thanks. Unfortunately I am headed in the other direction and LHR-SIN is D0 on both BA15 and QF2 (I checked for 10/27 through 11/2). I need to do LHR-SYD with at most one connection to stay under the 16 segment limit. This takes LHR-DOH-SIN-SYD out of play.

Oh so sorry, my bad.

SYD is not the only international airport in Australia. Try also for BNE, MEL, ADL. Frequent domestic flights to SYD. PER-SYD is ~4:15hr and can be expensive .
Are you looking just for LHR-SYD? Or LHR-XXX and XXX -SYD as separate segments and/or on separate airlines?
QF is flying nonstop from BLR to SYD and DEL to MEL. BA LHR to India?
QF10 is LHR-(PER)-MEL - 1 flight number/segment LHR to MEL
Note Qatar QR fly's from several UK airports. Not just LHR. May give more opportunity'.

Not sure what its like now, but in past times a code share could sometimes have A, D, L availability when the prime flight did not.

Note long haul flights to AU are busy with high loads going forward

Are you also trying to get to AKL on the DONE4? To NZ and backtrack to AU with DONE/award/cash is another option.

QF international network---> https://www.qantas.com/au/en/qantas-...t-network.html
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0d2b7025f8.jpg

Thanks Mwenenzi! LHR-BLR-SYD worked (albeit with a long layover). I hadn't thought of it.

I was looking for LHR-XXX-SYD and am at the 16 segment limit. Tried all of the usual suspects: KUL, TYO, SIN, BKK, ICN, DOH, HKG, but D0 everywhere for one of the two segments needed. I also couldn't one-stop from Europe to either MEL or PER. There may be a way into BNE, but I didn't follow it up.

This makes booking a westbound DONE4 or DONE5 that includes Australia nearly impossible (at least through November). I have booked quite a few of these fares and never had a problem before.

BTW, no problem with D class availability from AUS to US.

Glad I could help.
I find working backwards often easier. Using

• Wikipedia for the airport. Tend list airlines & routes. Very simple format
• Wikipedia for the airline destinations. Very simple format. Kept up to date for some airlines. Poor for others
• Airport web site arrivals info. Some have code shares in a simple to read format
• Airline web site schedules/timetable. Many airline web sites as so full of glossy - advertising *****, that finding the routes they fly and when hard to find.
• Published new/restarted routes in the future can be hard to find. Can have good A D L *ONE* availability.

Keep a watch on the QF flight, They currently have a tendency for change.

Also worth keeping a lookout for a better LHR-AU D flight. Something may come up. Including on code shares
Example QF82 SIN-SYD is also AY5011 & UL3372 so could be used on *ONE* if has D and if an agent can be convinced to use.
Example QF2 SIN-SYD is also AY5003 & UL3392. Possibly LHR-SIN-SYD
From https://www.sydney-airport.net/syd-arrivals-terminal-1