Hi,

I have been trying to figure out from the AONE star file and searching this forum to figure out if a "Surface" SYD-AKL segment would be allowed. Basically we are looking to purchase an AONE (ex-CAI most likely) to go with our cruise SYD-AKL. The idea would be to get to SYD from SIN ( or BKK), take the cruise from SYD-AKL ("surface segment"), then return to Australia AKL-SYD (LA F) followed by three intra-Australian flights before leaving Australia (to LAX either direct with QF or via HKG with CX).

As this is our first RTW, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
-jani

I can't find any rule that prohibits your surface sector and flight between Australia and NZ.

Since you also have several flights within Australia, double check that you don't have more than 1 flight that goes between either Perth and BNE/CNS/SYD or Darwin and MEL/SYD.

The only way you could do SYD-HKG-LAX is if you had come to Australia from Europe on a single plane service (no stopovers or flights within Asia on the way to Australia other than a few hour plane refuel in SIN/BKK). If this is how you came to Australia, you could do several Asian stops after Australia before continuing to LAX. Stopping in HKG adds a great deal of time to your flight to LAX (9 hours?), but hey it's Cathay so I understand the idea.

He will have paid for Asia and is free to use his segments there, either on the trip from Europe or on the trip to North America, just not both. And the "short refueling stop" isn't in the star file - just "without stopover." That just has to mean "next flight onward, or 24 hours, whichever comes first."

I wasn't aware of the "whichever comes first" part of the rule. I thought that I could take *any* flight within the 24 hr window. Are you saying that if there are, say two flights available, both within the 24 hr period, I *have* to take the first one?. That kind of kills an itin I was planning.

Thanks Benoit and JohnAx. Thats great news. Also if I understand correctly, I would be able to fly SYD-HKG(no stopover)-LAX even though I have already stopped in Asia on the way in, right? I basically just would prefer to fly through Hong Kong to try out CX First as I have not had the opportunity to sample it yet.

Thanks again,
-jani

No, just the opposite - I meant that if there's onward service within 24 hours of your arrival you must take it. Feel free to take the last flight within the 24 period, or an earlier one if you choose. But if the onward segment doesn't enjoy daily service, you are not penalized and held to the impossible 24 hour requirement - you just have to be on the first flight out, whenever it is. Not that it applies to OWE, but I remember an Air India service NBO-BOM that was once every other week. That would be an interesting stretch.

Yes, and if you want a brief "stopover" of less than 24 hours, feel free to arrange it. Note that not every rate agent will interpret the rules correctly, so if you're unlucky you may need to debate the point.

For paid tickets you can take any flight within 24 hours, your choice, and it is still not a stopover. For award tickets the rules vary by type of award and airline, but usually it must be the first available flight to remain a transit and not become a stopover (this is a recent change in rule for some awards).

LA will not make more than 1 seat available AKL-SYD in A except maybe on the day of the flight (they only have 5 seats in F and reserve it for SCL-SYD traffic). Presumably there are 2 (or more) of you traveling, so you may have to use QF for AKL-SYD (the 6 am flights include 763 and 744 equipment, but it doesn't really matter for such a short flight).

I am no expert on your particular ticket (the experts should weigh in here) but I think that you are allowed one transcon in the USA, so if you wanted to do some mileage-earning you could take either the new HKG-JFK nonstop on CX, or the CX flight that stops in YVR, then do your transcon back to LAX and from there onward to Europe. Landing in LAX from HKG seems like such a shame when you are forking out for an AONE*.

Thanks Eamus. The main goal of our ticket is not really to maximize mileage (although...) but first to get where we need to get (our cruise from SYD tp AKL) and then to use the ticket for a US visit ( plus we have now opted to start from BRU to be able to add a DXB return and not to have the hassle of getting to CAI to start).

This is what our current itinerary looks like
BRU (BA C)
xLHR (BAF)
SIN (CX J)
xBKK (QF F)
SYD (Cruise - not flight)

AKL (QF J as there indeed does not seem to be any A availability on LA)
xSYD (QF J)
xASP (QF J)
AYQ (stay + drive to ASP)

ASP (QF J)
MEL (CX F)
xHKG (CX F)
xLAX (Stop the RTW for +-6 months, fly back to BRU on BA F award tixx)

LAX (AA F Flagship)
JFK (AA F)
ORD (AA F)
DEN (AA F)
xDFW (AA F)
LAS (AA F)
SFO (BA F)
LHR (Stop the RTW for 2nd time, fly back to BRU)

LHR (BA F)
DXB (BA F)
xLHR (BA C)
BRU (END)

Total of 20 flight segments on the AONE4. There is at least one un-necessary segment (SIN-BKK but I just wanted to get the full 20) and the US segments are not cast in stone either.

The only imperatives for our ( 2 pax) trip are:
- On the way to SYD we would like to stop in SIN for 2 days and wont really have any additional time to tour Asia
- fly back from AKL to Australia to visit AYQ and ASP
- the flight back from Australia to Europe ( In the middle) needs to be pretty much without any stopovers as time is again an issue ( plus the flights need to connect nicely with a BA award ticket back to Europe from the US)
- During the second part we would like to visit LAX, NYC,DEN,LAX and SFO in no particular order though

Any ideas to modify the itinerary (but that still fit the plans above) are more than welcome, especially for the US part as I have limited knowledge of the possibilities there. Also all ideas to increase the mileage will be welcomed. We will be using BA FF cards for the mileage accrual (= BA and QF are the only ones to provide a Tier bonus)

Thanks again,
-jani

Check the Qantas codeshare number for availability. Otherwise, it's a shortish flight and I dont think it's worth bothering with. Qantas has been running a 747 on that route if I am not mistaken and you can go through Brisbane if you choose as well and get the first class experience.

QF25 BNE_AKL-LAX used to have F but no longer, it is now 2 class service (but sometimes a 3-class 744 is used so there is some chance to get an F seat but with J service).

It's a shame you can't see more of Asia... why not break the RTW first time at HKG and get the Award ticket HKG-BRU (on CX or BA to LHR) and then restart with a few days in HK or some of the other surrounding places before moving on to the States?

Unfortunately at the dates we would need it, it also shows A0

We need an early morning flight to connect nicely to the ASP flight and they seem to be on a 767. ...and as mentioned by number_6 there does not seem to be any F flights between NZ and AUS anymore .

We did think about it, but as we will already have a NRT/HKG trip in a couple of weeks from now, and as our next destination (after the cruise) was going to be the US anyway, this fits better our plans. I do agree though that it is a pity not to profit from the Asian possibilities on such a tickets, but maybe next time

Thanks all,
-jani