Two quickish questions.

For 1w explorer starting in Europe.

1. I know some have had problems with this, but with reference to this rule regarding international transit through Asia.

37N . B. 2 PERMITTED IN ASIA, 1 MUST BE A TRANSIT
38N . WITHOUT STOPOVER OR ON DIRECT SINGLE PLANE
39N . SERVICE BETWEEN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AND
40N . EUROPE.

Does this rule allow JFK/HKG/MEL (different flight numbers but transit) and then allow MEL/HKG(stop and additional flights) and then HKG/LHR. And if so how is it being currently interpreted particicuallry by CX who are the carrier of interest.

2. When starting in Europe it looks to me like the options to visit South Africa are extremely limited. You can of course go HKG/JNB on CX.

But if you wish to for JNB/CPT first, from my reading of the rules you cannot go LHR/CPT/LHR/LAX as you are leaving you origin continent and then going back through it to transit to the USA and there is no transit rule for this.

Is my reading correct for RTW beginning in Europe?

Thanks in advance,

Mark

Your Asia/Australia construction looks like it follows all the rules. I don't know how Cathay would deal with it, but my experience has been that all their rate agents know the rules and interpret them fairly so you should have no problems.

You're right about the Africa-Europe dilemma. If you want to include Africa, best do it at the point you were planning HKG-LHR. Substitute HKG-JNB-LHR. If that doesn't work for personal reasons, know that there are a couple of African countries from which you can transit Europe. I never remember which ones since I've never traveled to either, and there is no OW way to get to either from any other African OW port. (Nor any particularly attractive fares on other carriers.)

I did a similar routing thru Asia about a year back - if nothing has changed this should be ok.

Also because of the limited possibilities to go to Africa i was able to do Europe-CPT-xLHR-USA (no stop in Europe). Not sure any more what the issuing airline was, but if memory serves right it was Lan Chile.

I think your transit through Europe from South Africa was an example of an agent not knowing the rules, in your favor. I would have loved to have done the same thing last summer, but everyone pointed out that the rules forbid it, so I didn't try.

AFAIK - transit in europe is allowed when leaving from nigeria or ghana ?

42n . C. 2 Permitted In Europe To/from/via
43n . Ghana/nigeria. 1 Must Be A Transit Without
44n . Stopover Between Ghana/nigeria And Another
45n . Continent.

Thanks - that confirms my thoughts (unfortunately).

Mark

How about MEL-SYD-JNB-HKG as a way round. You could still do the NYC to SYD via HKG and not stop so that did not count. Remember the possibility of adding a BKK, TYO, SIN stop/change on the way to Europe. You could also try a DXB to BAH on the CX route from HKG to pick up BA. TYO to HEL then lower Europe?

On a MR from LON to SYD then I did the LHR-CPT-JNB-HKG-SIN-SYD route. I know I could have done better but I did not have the time between meetings. However, I did manage to renew BA and QF at the old gold levels in 17 days. I also got enough FF miles for a free LON-SYD return in First on both.

I used to have the ticket desk at CPH well primed for my travels but now I just have to put up with an LGW ticket agent as my girlfriend (no concessions for me though).

spotwelder

SYD-JNB-HKG-LHR is not allowed (I've tried to ticket it and been refused, though I can't find a rule that prohibits 2 crossings of the Indian Ocean, I suppose it is covered in the "no backtracking between continents" rule somehow). You have to go SYD-HKG-JNB-LHR.

Unfortunately that breaks this rule:
17N . 2. TRAVEL MUST BE IN A CONTINUOUS FORWARD
18N . DIRECTION BETWEEN AREA 1-AREA-2-AREA 3.
SYD & HKG are in Area 3; JNB is in Area 2.