I now am thoroughly caught up in RTW fever. My wife and I are planning something of a sabbatical next year and it looks like a couple of DONE5 tickets will fill the bill nicely. And while the main purpose of this exercise is travel to places we haven't been or want to re-visit, I also want to capture the greatest mileage benefits and AA elite status levels that go with the big trip(s).

I've gone through a lot of the postings on this board and on various other sites and FT boards, and I think I know some of the answers, but can I lay out some OWE and mileage questions here so I can "consolidate" the information in one place? I am just knocked out by the knowledge and patience you all show on this forum, so forgive newbie errors or lapses in my research.

Here's the present thinking on itinerary, all this starting around the first of August next year.

Not using OWE
SEA (home) DFW LHR
LHR PRG TLV
TLV CAI - on LY. Looking forward to what must be a strange experience.

START DONE5
CAI LHR (S/O)
LHR CPT
CPT JNB
JNB SYD
SYD CHC
CHC AKL
AKL BNE
BNE HKG
HKG PEK
PEK HKG
HKG YVR (then home for a couple of months.)
YVR JFK (on CX, only North America transcon)
JFK DFW
DFW SEA
SEA ORD (then own nickel ORD LGA ORD)
ORD SEA
SEA DFW
DFW LHR (No S/O)
LHR BCN (S/O - second in Europe)
BCN TLV END DONE5 (Ending in different Middle East city - allowed?) I think this would be around April 2006.

Then TLV LHR SEA, maybe via DFW or ORD for AA miles; alternatively we might start another xONEx cycle then.

First, where have I messed up with the routing? I think I've reviewed the Star files re codeshares, doubling back, and whose metal is where, but misteaks happen.

Second, mileage and elite status: From what I gather I'd be an idiot not to use this for a Platinum Challenge. Even if I started with no Q-miles when I left home, it looks like I'd hit the 10K Q-miles for the challenge during the LHR CPT segment. So when would Platinum benefits start accruing? If you hit AA Platinum far from an AA office, what do you do? Or will the computer handle the bonus miles etc? There are a lot of miles on this route, so using it as a jumping-off point for elite status seems pretty logical. (Becomes irrationally exuberant.)

I'll stop there and wait for any answers or critiques, for which many thanks in advance.

Schedules are likely to change considerably by Aug 05. Your routing looks valid per present timetable except for DFW-LHR being actually DFW-LGW and that isn't likely to change (luckily BA/IB also have LGW-BCN service so it doesn't really change your plans).

Thanks. Mo bettah.

Note that if you are not starting until August 2005, you have two choices for booking. The fare is valid for 12 months from first flight. But if you book early, you won't be able to make specific reservations for flights more than about 330 days ahead. The first international flight must be booked with a specific flight reservation, so that could be done soon after August 2004. The other flights can all be left "open" if you like. If you want to actually reserve the other flights, you will need to wait until the dates you want are open for reservations.

The risk with leaving the flights open is that the carrier you want to use may change their schedule or even cancel the service, which may make it a pain for you to re-issue the tickets.

Also note that some of the SWP sectors you have selected are very short and inexpensive to purchase separately. So you could perhaps better use your 20 OWE sectors for some additional longer haul flights (more miles and status) and just pay for individual sectors like CHC-AKL.

If you were travelling this year I would suggest routing SYD-HKG rather than BNE-HKG. But that far ahead is anybody's guess as to what aircraft type (and hence business class seat) Qantas will be operating. Presently QF use 767 for BNE-HKG with the older dreamtime seats and small IFE screen. CX also operate the sector using A330, but I think they still use their older style business class seats (non-flat). But by the time you are flying, it is possible QF will be using A330-300 with their Skybeds on that route. Going via SYD to HKG ensures a QF 744 3-class aircraft with Skybed seats.

If you leave the sector as "open" you can choose the carrier with the best schedule/seats/service at the time you are ready to fly. Just don't leave the confirmation too late as D seats do dry up on some routes in the few weeks before travel.

AA status should be automatic and you should see the PLAT/OneWorld Saphire printed on you BP the bery next flight after qualifying. And that should be sufficient to get you access to the relevant lounges.

Fare basis DONE5
Cairo fare if you buy it in Egypt and start there: OK
application and affiliate carriers: OK
Combinations: none permitted, don't add the side trips that you have identified as separate tickets onto this one, without buying the appropriate additional sectors. Consider buying the other add on fare types, if required.

Minimum stay: OK
Ticketing: one hour before departure. All domestic Egypt (none anyway) and first international sector must be booked prior to issue, all the rest can be open. Remember to do this!

Maximum number of stopovers in continent of origin: two. You appear to meet this.

Flight segments, max 20: OK
Segments, Africa max 4, Asia 4, North America 6, SW Pacific 4, Europe/Middle East 4: you have Africa 2, OK; Asia 3, OK; NA 7 NO; SWP 4, OK, Eur/M-E 4, OK

London two segment requirement: OK

Route: Via AP (atlantic- pacific) OK
Continuous direction 1-2-3: forgotten which is which! somebody help, please list.
Route interconti departures =1 OK, no exceptions required.
US transcontinental = 1 non-stop, OK but segment comment again.

Within Australia OK, intermediate surface OK, carrier connections OK

changes, cancellation, upgrade, children, infant, rules not applicable, groups, baggage, AA Cuba restriction, ALL OK

The start finish Egypt-is Middle East and Israel is Middle East. suface permitted within Middle East.
4. ORIGIN-DESTINATION SURFACE PERMITTED:
112N . -WITHIN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.-BETWEEN U.S.A-CANADA
113N . -WITHIN AFRICA
114N . -WITHIN THE MIDDLE EAST
115N . -BETWEEN HKG-CHINA
116N . -BETWEEN BANGLADESH-BKK/SIN
117N . -WITHIN SOUTH AMERICA
118N . -BETWEEN MAYLAYSIA-SIN


There used to be a rule about the number of trans-Tasmans (one only), but I cannot find it, I hope it has gone.

For a status run that might be of interest, but I do not know the AA system (I am a QF/BA man) then LHR-NBO-Seychelles-NBO-JNB and then buy the Cape Town separately. there are about 4 low cost carriers on this route. Ever fancied Kenya and Seychelles?

As far as I can remember, this is only an issue for OWE issued in SWP. And the rule is that you can only have one international departure and one international arrival from/to the country of origin. And since Australia and NZ are still technically two different countries, you can start in Australia, fly to NZ and back to Australia. Similarly you can't start in NZ, fly to Australia and back to NZ.

So for OWE purchased in SWP, you can only cross the Tasman once. But if purchased in any other continent, no problem. You can cross as many times as your sectors allow, including purchasing additional sectors.

Regarding AA status, it happens automagically and fairly quickly, and your status is deemed to have changed half way through the qualifying flight, so you get your bonus on half those miles.

OT, are you planning to visit Kruger?

Thank you all - helps enormously. Of course I realize that schedules (and fares) may change a lot between now and next year. This is the first of what I expect will be a series of several iterations. I agree about the short sectors and will be looking at more useful uses of segments.

Not Kenya especially but Seychelles, maybe. A late friend worked there for NASA and reported that the bugs were big and many. Might require some negotiation with Herself. But I was trying to figure out somewhere to get to white sand and palm trees on this trip (besides Egypt and Israel where it will be a tad hot in August - that might be the ticket.)

On segment count, I was under the impression that the intercontinental flights arriving and leaving did not count against the in-continent segment max (I posted another thread on this yesterday.) You said I have 7 North America legs, I thought 6. Obviously I am wrong on this point, so which one of the in- or out- legs counts against the total?
Maybe; the SA itinerary is still pretty rough. Thinking about Botswana, possibly as part of a short package deal. The August timing of the start is based on best wildlife viewing in the Kruger/Botswana parks.

Question: Has anyone flown IB in Biz? Thinking about XXX-SJU-MAD-BCN on the flipflop. Thanks again.

Well, you are planning to go through BNE, which is pretty close to some of best beaches in the world. Plenty of white sand. Not too many palm trees. Look to spend some time at either the Sunshine Coast (about 1 hour drive north from Brisbane) or the Gold Coast (about 1 hour south from Brisbane). The Gold Coast is more developed/touristy, while the Sunshine Coast is where the locals head because the beaches are just as good and there are less foreign/inter-state tourists .
The inter-continental segments don't count. And you have YVR-JFK-DFW-SEA-ORD-SEA-DFW, which I make 6 so that is ok.

IB in J is pretty awful, just about the worst way to cross the Atlantic on OW (EI may be worse, but it is too close to call). Certainly a big step down from AA or BA. You could fly BA MEX-LHR-BCN for example, or AA MIA-MAD. But IB is getting new planes and redoing their J class, so it may be much better by the time of your flights.

Hi,

I have always counted the sectors to include the outbound departure from the continent as one sector, that was an old rule for RTWs at one point. Having re-read the rules

FLIGHT SEGMENTS

1. 20 FLIGHT SEGMENT MAXIMUM INCLUDING FREE/PURCHASED FLIGHT SEGMENTS FOR THIS FARE

2. FREE FLIGHT SEGMENTS WITHIN EACH CONTINENT ARE LIMITED AS FOLLOWS:
CONTINENT NUMBER OF FREE FLIGHT SEGMENTS
NORTH AMERICA 6

Therefore, you are entirely correct. I am sorry to have caused angst but even those who used to do it all the time don't notice the change in interpretation if we have not done it for a while. However, I shall use it to my advantage at some point soon!

Happy landings and may the Platinum upgrade be with you.

...and also with you. If that was the sum of angst my my life I would be a happy soul indeed.

So the yukky reviews of IB aren't all off-base, eh? What about Finnair J? Last time I rode AY was on a Caravelle (very comfy, in fact, if memory serves.)

Thanks again to everyone. With such a long lead time I'm sure I'll have more questions, but this seems to be a case of delicious anticipation. Is that wrong?

Hmm, so if I start in WLG, are you saying I can't do WLG-MEL-rest-of-the-world-SYD-WLG?

See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=328551

Also, can someone explain an 'open' segment to me? It seems quite important, but I'm not sure what it means...

Edited because NM had a better explanation and we posted near simultaneously.

Sorry, I should have been even more specific. If starting in SWP, you can't cross the Tasman twice at the same end of the trip . The rule, as I stated, is that you can only have one international departure and one international arrival from/to the country of origin (expect for the some specific cases in USA and London in conjunction with travel to South America and certain African nations).

So, yes, you can depart NZ for Australia at the beginning of the RTW journey. Then arrive back into NZ from Australia at the end of the RTW journey.

The other rules relating to continent of origin are that you have a max of two stopovers in that continent and max of four sectors. And you cannot purchase additional stopovers or sectors in the continent of origin.
An open segment is one which exists on your ticket with an origin and destination, but no specified date, operator or flight number. This allows you to confirm later for the actual date, carrier and flight number you want to take.

The advantage of an open ticket is that you don't need to re-issue the ticket if you need to change a date/time, carrier or flight number. But you must use a carrier for which your ticket is valid - meaning a OneWorld carrier for a OneWorld Explorer ticket. And you cannot change the routing (sector origin and destination) without re-issuing.

The disadvantage is that you may find availability become tight at peak times closer to the travel date.

The ticket will show the open status of the flight segment in the "Staus" column, while a confirmed flight sector will show "OK" in the Status field.