Changes to 1st segment of DONE5
 

A quick question: I've booked a DONE5 (already ticketed) and would like to change the timing of my first segment (still same routing) to get a slightly later flight. On reading the OWE fare rules, it states: "Changes to first international flight are not permitted". Does this mean no changes whatsoever, or only changes to routing of first flight are ruled out?

I also wanted to check that my reading of voluntary re-routing changes to later parts of the itinerary is correct: if tickets have already been issued, re-routing can be done FOC up to when travel commences, therafter there is a per-segment change fee applicable.

Officially I believe it means no changes whatsoever, although it may depend on your status with the relevant carrier as to whether you could get away with a time change. But note that this only applies to tickets issued for travel originating in TC1 (the Americas). Tickets issued for origination anywhere else have no restriction on changes before departure (though a ticket reissue is required - BA would charge GBP25 for this; others would do it FOC). There is also the restriction that the ticketing cannot change within 7 days of departure for economy class bookings, but that doesn't apply to your DONE5.
Correct for before travel commences. Afterwards it is a per change, not per segment change. In other words you can completely redo the whole ticket from the current point for a one-time US$75 (unless you ask BA in which case they will charge you US$75 plus an additional GBP25 as they do for all ticketing actions). I have completely turned round an AONE3 after the first flight, changing the order of the continents and all of the routing in this way.

A small matter, perhaps, but at first the BA GBP25 charge was only being applied by selected stations (only London?). Is it now systemwide?

Fresh back from several hours at the AA ticket desk at LHR T3 - not the most glamorous location but the only place you can go for re-issue since AA closed its central London office... I was charged USD 75 per ticket for re-issue. :mad: Showed them the OWE rules which explicitly state that this isn't the case before travel commences but it wouldn't wash on them, given that it was on BA stationery. :(

I'd thought OWE was a standard product offered by all OW airlines and, therefore, that any surcharges would also be uniform?? :confused:

UPDATE Dug out the OWE star file and lo-and-behold, I was right: the USD 75/ticket re-issue fee was inapplicable before the first segment has been flown if the originating segment is outside North America.

A call to AA's RTW desk confirmed this.

What a shocker that neither AA's LHR ticket desk nor the European tarriff dept (based in Dublin, I'm told) knew correct procedure. I could understand it if I was dealing with a minor station on the network.

It shouldn't be for a customer to tell them what's in the rules :mad:

I would think OWE is an almost-unheard-of product in terms of total pax using it. We confuse ourselves because it's the only thing we talk about here. It that's so, most airline staff probably get "oh, by the way..." training on OWE matters. That's reported over and over here, where an airline employee gives the wrong answer. So keep those rules in hand, and when it matters, find someone who agrees with you.

JohnAx respectfully I disagree. If OWEs were such a parochial product then the dozens of travel agents in major cities around the globe which specialise in selling precisely this would be out of business.

Agreed that the folk on this board may be a little more interested in it than your average res agent or ticketing clerk, but I'd always thought the first rule of sales is 'know you sh*t'?

Whatever the popularity and occurance of OWE tickets, a res agent or ticketing agent should look up the starfile before they insist on reciting and insisting rules they have pulled out of their a**. If we can look up the starfile why can't they?

with you on that thought alect but then I thought I was in a humbled minority...

I didn't realize that there were *any* travel agents specializing in OWE's, assuming you and I understand the word the same way.

Except when there are geographic issues to be solved I have no problem dealing with the airlines' rtw desks, but for those other occasions, I think it would be really great if you could add your list of these good folks to the knowledge base here. People are always asking, especially for low-cost places like BKK and CMB.

I currently have this exact same problem. I need to change the date of the first segment (CAI-LHR) on four AONE ex-CAI tickets, all issued before the huge price rise. The itineraries will remain unchanged; same flights, only the first date needs to be altered (3 days earlier).

As the tickets were issued ex-CAI, I assume that no re-issues are necessary - however maybe they'll need sticker updates.

The Star files I have are more than a year old. Could somone kindly direct me to the latest rules so that I can print and inwardly digest them?

Thanks.

don't change that first segment
 

My understanding is that if you change that 1st segment in any way shape or form, then the rules at the time when the ticket was issued no longer apply. In IATA areas 2 and 3, what happens when a change is made to the first segment is that one gets a full refund and a brand new ticket issued, even for a data change. This means the terms and conditions at the time of ticket issue apply including the new fare. That's a big fare increase. Back in 2002 when the ex-CPT fares were cheap, I tried to change the date of the first segment after ticketing (and price increase) and was advised by the AA RTW desk that the new fares would apply. I kept the original ticket.

It's best not to change anything on the 1st segment of an xONEx
 

I had/have 2 ONE tickets, and after many dramas with incorrect original issue, I rejigged my travel plans to make sure I flew the 1st segment EXACTLY as it was printed on the flight coupon.

I didn't want to lose the no segment limit on the ticket (Pre April 15 2003). As other posters very kindly warned me.....be very careful and be sure you want your whole ticket reissued prior to the 1st flight. You may lose far more than you gain.John.

But those tickets you probably purchased in the U.S.? (as I did as well,) with the rules incumbent on same. I recently had to change the first date of my ex-CAI AONE5 and was assured by Emeco that there is no problem whatsoever, I can take the first segment whenever I want-- no fees, no penalties, no problems.

Presumably this travel would still have to be within a year of the ticket issue date (or original first flight date?)? Otherwise we should all have been buying up a lifetime's supply of AONE3s when the prices were cheap...

Yes, of course you are right-- I should have mentioned that important caveat. But I was quite surprised with their answer-- I personally was also under the impression that that first date was "cast in stone" as well-- only to find out that it isn't the case. I'll start it up later in the year.

Even with one of my ex-JNB AONE6s purchased here (during the "good old days") I spoke to BA and they changed my starting date w/o any hassle whatsoever-- none. But in that case, BA was definitely acting differently that "the rules" from what I could gather.

Just slightly off-topic, but I do have a RTW-related question burning under my fingernails.

First, when I got my ticket, I already felt lucky that they allowed CAI-BCN LHR-DXB-LHR MAD-CAI on my ex-CAI DONE3. (They forgot to count a ground-segment). Then, I was able to use two coupons for DFW-PIT-DFW rather than DFW-CLE-DFW without reissuing. First flight I had to go to PIT directly because of an immediate death in the family, so they rerouted me at the airport for free. That was very nice. On the flight back I changed my res to fly back from PIT and was advised I would need a reissue. I got to the airport too late and was very lucky nobody really looked closely at my ticket. So, no reissue. Then I got the ticket reissued in LAX to go HKG-FRA LON-DXB-LON MAD-CAI. That was perfect, since I was getting in trouble to get from LON to Germany. I am very very happy that I was able to go to FRA. But I also just found out that in fact that was another extra ground segment that was over the limit.

Now, the bummer. Checking-in for my feeder flight to HKG (a day later than planned, I had missed the flight I was ticketed for I asked wether I could go straight to FRA without going to CMB, since I had to cancel that trip. (I had a HKG-CMB-HKG in there for the miles). She said fine, but you have to pay the local departure tax. Whatever. So I just skipped two coupons, and still have them. Oh, unfortunately they aren't open-dated anymore, since the agent in LAX didn't know how to do those.

My question is, how high is the risk of getting caught if I try to use HKG-CMB-HKG in a couple of weeks? Is that asking too much from my luck? What could happen worst-case?

Absolutely no chance, and you'll probably get blacklisted by CX if you try. Don't be a complete ****wit.

And you have the rules completely wrong - ground segments don't count, so nobody has made any mistakes so far except you, as far as I can tell.

Thanks for your advice, I appreciate it. I also would appreciate a little friendlier tone in your post ;) ...

This is where I was told on this board that my itinerary was not legal because of two many ground segments, as they count as stop-overs.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...7&page=2&pp=15

Does anybody have personal or hearsay experiences with out-of-order coupons?

Best not to discuss in this very public forum. I'll drop you a P.M. (with a MUCH friendlier tone.)

Perhaps I am in a minority, but my purpose in being here is to extract maximum value from OW tickets whilst staying within the rules. Discussions on how to defraud airlines have no place here IMO (and presumably anyone partaking in such discussions is inherently guilty of conspiracy to defraud).

Count me in the minority as well. Max value within the printed rules. My concern is when the airlines don't follow their own rules.

Of course we are on opinions now, but I wouldn't have considered it fraudulent. After all, I paid for those coupons.

However, I do appreciate your opinion and totally accept it. Also, thanks for your advice. That's why I asked.

But when you bought the coupons you did so subject to the T&Cs of the ONE fare. If the coupons in question had been part of a full-fare unrestricted ticket then of course you can effectively use them out of sequence (in practice by getting a full refund and reissue).

Up about five or six posts, Christep states that ground segments do not count as stopovers on an OWE. Did I read that correctly? CAI-MAD // LHR-DXB counts as two segments, no stopovers (exept perhaps at DXB, depending on what comes next)?

Not a lifetime's supply, but you can stretch it to almost two years. I bought four ex-CAI AONEs before the big price rise in Jan 04 for travel beginning in Nov 04. The last segment must begin within 365 days of the first one, so theoretically one could purchase tickets on Jan 1, travel on Dec 31 with the last segment the following Dec 30.

Could I ask again if anyone knows where to find the LATEST OWE rules? Thanks.

No - that's not what I meant (although I see it could be interpreted that way). What I meant was that there is no rule limiting or based round ground segments per se. The rule is about stopovers. But a ground segment does imply a single stopover. Your example is two segments, one stopover, plus perhaps DXB.

I bought my OWE a few days ago, and I have the latest rules in hand. I also bought one of these the year before. Other than the maximum of 20 segments overall, and the switch from M to L for economy fares, I don't see major changes. The old rules have the right info regarding limitation on USA transcons, Australia flights to Darwin and Perth, 2 stops in continent of origin, extra transit stop between continents in NA & Asia, etc.. Until someone points you at a copy online, if you have a question ask here.