Hi,
Hope somebody on the forum isnt too sick of answering questions regarding lone5's and earning points and status.

Firstly here is the route that i am planning to complete hopefulyl everything checks out per the rules if not some assistance would be greatly appreciated.

mel-cns-drw-per-mel-nrt QF
Nrt-hkg-cts-hkg-bkk CX
bkk-lhr-dxb-lhr-hel-lhr-gig BA
Gig-scl-ppt-scl-eze-lax Lan
-ord-anc-dfw-yvr-jfk AA
jfk-syd.QF

Not sure about the scl-ppt is it in the swp or south america?

Flying in economy class, but was looking to upgrade the BA sectors to world traveller plus.

Now my next question is which frequent flyer porgram should i join to earn the most status points/credits so that i can reach a higher status. whilst earning some points but with a bigger emphasies on status credits.

I am a member of Qantas already but no status

I was thinking that AA would be the best program, but wasnt sure if any miles could be earned on CX, QF or Lan.

your replies would be very much appreicated.

I'm really no expert, but here are my thoughts. for the full rules on a LONE5, go to http://www.hardlink.com/~markdu/OWFiles/ and look under One Explorer

as i understand it you cannot go through the same port twice. so the trip through MEL will have to be changed. you could get a cheap QF flight to SYD and start the whole thing from there.

20 segments is the maximum, so some of yours will need to go.

I'm told that PPT is in the south west pacific.

a good way to get more full SCs, albeit expensive when purchases individually on the OW explorer.

no idea, others here will know. have a great trip. no doubt the planning will be as much fun as the travelling.

You are actually allowed to go through the same port more than once. But the itinerary is invalid bceause if MEL is the starting point, once the pax returns to MEL the ticket is finished.

babs if you want to visit those cities but live in MEL, I would advise starting the OWE in SYD and getting a cheap red e-deal MEL-SYD.

Also note that in your continent of origin (SWP) you are only allowed 2 stopovers - so if you want to stop in CNS, DRW, PER, and MEL you cannot do so - choose two and the rest of the stops have to be under 24 hrs (definition of a stopover).

Note here that you are allowed 6 segments in NA - so you can use up two more if trying to maximize miles - JKF-PHX-JFK perhaps? (JFK-PHX is not on the restricted transcon cities list).

Also YVR-JFK is CX not AA

AND THE CLINCHER - you have 26 segments listed babs - maximum of 20 allowed.

As noted by da.....L.
Firstly too may segments. Maximum of segments is 20 on any one xONEx.
If you tell us which places are important/most required we can try and maximize your earning potential.
Also to upgrade on the BA sectors to WT+ would set you back $600 AUD per segment.
In your situation AA would be the way to go as a Plat Challenge as you have no status with QF at present.
AAdvantage would allow you to earn miles on QF, LA, AY, BA and IB albeit with some reduced earning power in L class.

AAs flights to ANC are seasonal. Make very sure they fly when you want to travel. The AA codeshares on AS metal are not valid on a xONEx fare. If you are just doing ANC for the QF SCs and points, try BOS-SFO (2704 miles) or from JFK to the Carribean islands - some opportunities to stay in N America and go over 2700 miles.

With AA, you'd earn -
AA - 100%
LA - 100%
AY - 100%
QF - 50%
IB - 30%
BA - 25%
BA - 110% in WT+
CX - 0%

And I think you will have a problem with visiting PER and DRW and then heading to Asia via the east coast. Rule is:

82N . 7. WITHIN AUSTRALIA - 1 NONSTOP OR SINGLE PLANE
83N . FLIGHT PERMITTED BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING
84N . CITIES:
85N .
86N . BNE/CNS/SYD AND PER
87N . EXCEPTION - NO RESTRICTION BETWEEN SYD-PER FOR
88N . PASSENGERS ORIGINATING PER OR NEW ZEALAND WHEN
89N . IN CONJUNCTION WITH TRAVEL TO/FROM AFRICA
90N .
91N . MEL/SYD AND DRW

Basically once you hit DRW or PER from the east coast, you have to keep heading west/hop the QF/CX direct flights up to Asia (SIN/HKG). Keep planning and I am sure you will work out a routing that fits your plans and the rules.

Australia
You have the four sectors here. The only rules about Perth are that you cannot do the Sydney/Darwin/Cairns more than once. The Tokyo flight is longest from MEL, hitting the magic 5000 so go for it. Buy your ticket starting from somewhere else to end up in MEL. Can you get a CBR cheaply?

There are no restrictions on Trans-tasman in the LONE rules. The best mileage is with the Perth thrown in on domestic so you want to come in and out of Perth at least once. That is going to force you down the PER to CANBERRA flight (the capital...) or MEL route. Punch out of CBR to the PER then PER to BNE to CHC to MEL. At this point, go home, do your washing and start again. Not sure that I have optimised this bit but it is close. I will play more over time. [See the PPT comment about add on price and then if you want that, swap CHC for AKL as one option]

You have used 5 sectors (4 internal and one trans-conti)
CBR-PER ? (QF site down)
PER-BNE 2243
BNE-CHC 1551
CHC-MEL 1491
MEL-NRT 5059

Asia
You are trapped into the first sector being HKG so we have to accept that. There is only the TPE once a day. I do not think that you get the extra miles for this flight number so forget it. There is nothing from TPE to take advantage of anyway, except NRT, the delightful FUK, NGO, OSA, and SEL. These are all at around 1000 miles so don't bother. Straight to HKG You have a maximum of four sectors in Asia. One has been blown on the HKG so that leaves maximum 3 before trans-continental time again.

For mileage within this continent there is only one option, and if you status points on QF, the bad news is it is KHI. Having done the pointless(?!) run, you now need the single sector that will get you out with maximum mileage to Europe. SIN is about 500 more than BKK and longer to LHR. Now the strategies change depending upon which scheme you join. Your options are with CX,AY and BA at this point. That would drop you into HEL or LHR as the places you can get out of again on a long distance adventure. You will have other hubs to leave from as well with IB and EI joining the exit party.

For HEL, you have direct HKG at 4859, BKK at 4927, Osaka (I get my KIX on route 66) at 4816, your inbound NRT at 4876, PEK at 3929, SIN at 5761 (which goes via BKK anyway).

HKG direct 4859
HKG-BKK-HEL 5974
HKG-KIX-HEL 6344
HKG-NRT-HEL 6717
HKG-PEK-HEL 5183
HKG-SIN-HEL 7348

For the QFs out there, there is only one choice, via SIN as it contains the whoopie 5000 mile sector (must take my own medicine on that one soon).

If you want LHR then you have the change in DXB, BAH, India, Saudi, SIN, BKK, HKG direct, NRT and PEK. My feeling is here that you might want to ditch the change option and come in direct to save on the total of 20 coupons. Same with the mileage run to KHI. Just do NRT-HKG-BKK if you really want to go to BKK. Alternatively, if you are not on a mileage run, you might want to throw in HKG to DXB to LHR as a coupon saver which would allow you to stop in DXB. We will see...

NRT to HKG 1841
HKG to KHI 2956?
KHI to HKG 2956?
HKG to BKK 1047?
HKG to LHR 6004.
BKK to LHR 5940 (BA and QF options)
HKG to DXB to LHR 7267

OK, so now you are in HEL or LHR and you appear to want to do both anyway. Decide what the point of doing the return HEL to LHR is when you could split the HKG or is it worth doing the DXB split. Until you come back, I cannot recommend what to do about the coupons in Europe at this point. Remember, you can buy the additional coupons for use in a continent at AU 400 return at this point for Europe. Has to be a bargin for LHR to DXB return. If you get short of coupons in Europe, go low cost alternatives. If the worst comes to the worst, you could do Tampere to Stansted on Ryanair single to get you from HEL to LHR.

For coupons to South America from Europe you could go direct with BA, go direct with IB, go direct with LA or for mileage, route via the US without staying for 24 hours but this will cost 2 coupons. Where do you want to go and then we can help further. Is it GIG-EZE-SCL as the points of interest or were you SCL for PPT. Sorry but I think PPT is a no go area on the xONEx world map. The QF service has gone to codeshare hell. You cannot buy a SCL to PPT as an add on to this fare as it is trans-continental so sorry. Buy another ticket (from AKL if you wanted to do it by changing your CHC sector to AKL, from SYD or SCL) or consider the Global Explorer which I think will let you go that way.

OK, so now we have to haul you out of South America, from point unknown to the US and then to JFK. I am not the AA mileage run expert for the domestic US scene. My one concern is that you may be living in Oz and using coupons domestically that you could buy at some other point in your life. When will you get the chance to do Anchorage? Sorry, I do not know whether you do two round the worlds a month as I used to or if this is a once in a lifetime.

Hope that this was a planning start and we will help all we can.

Spotwelder
When the spots on the radar screen weld themselves together...

It sounds like the only thing you forgot to tell babs is the options for colour of panties she can wear in each continent and how that would play in terms of mileage

I think that's one of the most detailed analyses for another FTer I've seen....

Too bad that CX doesn't fly to PVG yet as AY has PVG-HEL flights 5x a week. I guess QF is also planning to open SYD-PVG route.

scl-ppt is considered trans continental flight..
so U cant use ppt-scl again..
and.. If u arrive Pappete, U cant use OW flight any more.
cuz PPT - SYD(or AKL) is operated by QF codeshare flight (Air tahiti Nui)

U have to buy PPT - AKL coupon with ur another expense

Well PVG took a little bit of thinking about as I didn't recognise the code at first. I do not think that it will be a great seller on the xONEx routes as it is very similar to HKG and you have to get out of there somehow. If you do not want to use any more Asia coupons and save them for later then great. You can always "overland" (i.e. get a single ticket outside the xONEx) between HKG and PVG if you want to do more in Asia.

As for the detailed answer, well it was an interesting exercise as I am planning my own xONEx QF status run and BA status run shortly. I nearly missed the MEL-NRT bit for the QF status, BA is totally different in that if it is over 2000 miles, that is it but with QF having the 5000+ split in its programme... Now I need to print out what I wrote in that thread so I can keep it on file. I am trying to build the "mother of all xONEx files" in the next two months.

We have only got Babs half way round at the moment anyway...

Spotwelder

Sorry, can't start in Australia and go to NZ and back to Australia at the beginning of the trip. You only get one international departure and one international arrival from/to the country of origin. This is not specifically a Trans-Tasman restriction, just on of re-enterring the country of origin before you have completed your other continents.

Just had another read of the HEL to LHR consideration of Ryanair. They can do this sector very cheaply, if you are lucky. However, the US150, AU200 or GBP 75 for this single is better value if you start to consider the time aspect and the bus fares. The bus from Helsinki centre takes 2.5 hours and will arrive with about 1.5 hours to go. The fare will be about �10. The taxes are about �10. Therefore, the best you are going to do on this part is around �25. The bus fare from STN to LHR costs around �20 and takes about 1.5 hours with departures about every 2 hours, from memory. This gives a total of around �45.

The LHR option will cost around �85 but be much quicker. Also the STN flight lands late at night when it is notoriously difficult to get out of the airport. I have done it and taken the bus to LHR arriving at 0215. Uggh.

To clarify the PPT, you cannot use an add on xONEx coupon for this but you have to buy a totally separate ticket.

I've recently started my own thread on a LONE4, but after seeing spotwelder's comprehensive response on this thread, i thought i may as well join it with my own questions.

I too am organising a LONE5. It was to be a LONE4 but trying to find a spare L class seat on any OW flight out of SCL to australia is proving impossible. So, i'm going to add a continent and try and come back through LAX.

The cities I really want to visit are GIG, EZE, LIM, NRT, LHR, MAD. everything else is really just to maximise points and SCs.

so I'm looking at the following itinerary. any further thoughts would be much appreciated. I am currently QF PS (OW ruby) although if the AA platinum challenge is considered worth it by fellow flyertalkers, i might shift the whole thing into the AA program.

Currently, my thinking is

SYD-BNE-PER-MEL and then after a suitable break start the real trip
MEL-NRT-HKG-KHI-HKG-SIN-HEL-LHR-LED-HEL-MAD-GIG-SCL-LIM-EZE-LAX-JFK-SYD

this appears to get me 520 SC (not bad for L class) and 61,759 points (including the ruby bonus on QF, BA and AA flights and the BA and AA discount for L class). I have to do the whole thing in about 3 weeks, which is a little frustrating, but for that amount of points and SCs, it looks worth it.

can anyone see any flaws in it ?

cheers, david