I’m plotting out my trip plans for this year. Getting a bit stuck in some areas and could use some ideas/suggestions.

The trip will again be a combined DAS13, DONE3 and some side trips, hopefully I can get it all issued in 1 PNR this year...

I’m fine with the DAS13, only issue there is to decide if I go with a stop in Osaka or Taipei.
CBR-SYD-HND-DONE3-ITM-HND-SIN-MEL-CBR or;
CBR-SYD-HND-DONE3-NRT-TPE-HKG-SIN-MEL-CBR

The issues I’m having are with parts of the DONE3.
Starting from TYO going to BOS or JFK either direct or via HKG. Planning to go to an event in MHT.

Normally I’ve flown into New York and gotten an extra off RTW ticket flight up to BOS in the morning and connect to the Boston Express bus up to Manchester. However, the NRT and HKG-BOS flights arrive in the evening and the morning JFK-BOS flight no longer exists, so it looks like I’ll have to overnight in New York or Boston before going up to Manchester.
TYO-[HKG-]BOS looks like the better option here, but then that leads into the next issue.

If I fly into BOS from Asia, I’d need to spend an extra sector on a short flight to get to NY, but if I fly into JFK, there are no morning flights to BOS and the evening flights don’t connect well to the bus.
(Last year, I flew into JFK on the morning JL flight and connected to an extra side flight to BOS in the afternoon to be in MHT early evening, then got the bus back to NY from a friends place in Central MA)

I’d have 10 days between the next locked in stop, PDX, and was thinking about 2 or 3 stops in between. NYC, SFO and SEA (where I can train/bus down to PDX for the weekend in Portland).

With the removal of the “D books into A on 2 class AA domestic flights” rule, I no longer have any reason to avoid the 3 class flights, so can get JFK-SFO, but then how would I get to SEA? Back through LAX? But then would flying JFK-LAX and doing LAX-SFO-LAX as a side trip be better?

After SEA/PDX, I have a final locked in US stopover at DTW the following weekend, with time for another stop between SEA and DTW.
I’ve been trying to find through flights on AA (eg SEA-PHX-STL on a single flight number) that could get me both from SEA, have a stopover, then to DTW with only 2 sectors used, but with the way AA randomly changes where/where those flights are is getting rather annoying. So my options for a stopover here appear to be ORD?

For Europe, I’m looking at 1-2 stops in either CPH, BUD or VIE via HEL (which means getting to JFK or MIA from ORD/DTW) or DOH, followed by –LHR-DXB-LHR-Asia with day stops in one or both LHR and DXB if time/availability allow.
For example, I could get the morning BUD-LHR flight QF3503/BA865, spend the day in London, then get the overnight QF2 to DXB, spend the day in Dubai, then the overnight QF1 back to connect through LHR on to Asia.
Perhaps something like –JFK-HEL[-CPH-HEL sidetrip]-BUD-LHR-DXB-xLHR-

Then finally a stop in PEK, PVG, ICN, BKK, KUL or HKG before finishing up the DONE3 with –xSIN-TYO.

Any suggestions?

Qatar Airways say I must go through the travel agent.

The TA is consistently stating:
"As per the terms and conditions: All flights are non-refundable. No refund value if part flown."
Several agents, including some more senior ones at the agency are all saying the same thing, which to me is contrary to Oneworld Explorer rules.

Can a TA sell a Oneworld Explorer ticket but not adhere to the rules of the ticket?
What are my options?
What suggestions does anyone have?

What terms and conditions? Were there some terms and conditions the agent claimed were in place on top of the fare rules?

A travel agent is an agent for an airline. It is just a representative (in theory). It is supposed to honour the rules and conditions set out by its principal (the airline).

(1) Get another airline to take over the ticket, and once they have taken it over, then ask for a refund
(2) Charge back request on the credit card
(3) Threat of legal action
(4) Actual legal action

None of them are great suggestions.

It would be helpful to know the wording of the so-called "terms and conditions".

Also, if you would not mind sharing, is this a big TA or a small TA? If it is a big one, it would be nice to know who it is so I can add it to my blacklist. :)

when did u buy the ticket, and what was the EGP at that time?
Since EGP has devalued further, you are losing FX on top of 10% and the one-way fare.

you have only flown 2 sectors and not anymore?

I think it is best to fly as many sectors as possible and be done.

just looking at your old post. the LONE was purchased in oct 16 when USD was 8 EGP.

The current rate is 18 EGP, and even if there is a refund, it would be in EGP. off the head, you would lose over half the value?

Do TA's often have more restrictive cancellation policies than the air carrier
 

After purchase, I received a Booking Confirmation, reading as follows:

"Booking No: xxxxx
Departure Date: Sunday, 30 October 2016
Destination: Round the World Itinerary
Passenger(s): Mr JROBIN
Package: OneWorld Ticket
Flights including pre-payable taxes GBP xx x,xxx.00 x,xxx.00
Ticket: Cairo to ....
[ITINERARY}
...
No Outstanding Balance 0.00
E-Ticket Notice: Carriage and other services provided by the carrier are subject to conditions of carriage which are hereby incorporated by reference. These conditions may be obtained from the issuing carrier.

Air ticket rules and cancellation conditions
Cancellation conditions:
Before departure:
Prior to final payment, cancellation will incur loss of deposit. Once paid for in full, a 75% penalty per person is applied if the entire flight itinerary is
cancelled. Within 72 hours of first departure flights are non refundable. Within your itinerary, a 100% cancellation penalty applies for any
individual flights cancelled (ie these are non-refundable). For date changes and re-routes (ie changing, adding or removing a flight) please refer to
the date change and re-route conditions below. Due to the high cancellation penalty on these tickets, we strongly recommend that you take out
travel insurance when you pay the balance on your tickets. See here more details:
https://www.xx.co.uk/round-the-world-travel-insurance
After departure:
All flights are non-refundable. No refund value if part flown.[bolding added]
..."

In fairness, prior to ticket issuance, I did receive a Viewtrip reference so I could see the flights reserved, which is mostly what I was concerned about. After I paid, I also received a Booking Confirmation as a .xps file about 24 hours before I flew; I cannot easily read a .xps file, but it was sent because the TA's system was temporarily unable to generate pdf files.
I did not receive the Booking Confirmation email containing the booking conditions in pdf form until several days after I flew; the cancellation conditions were a total surprise to me, and not disclosed ahead of purchase, even to a customer who could read a .xps file.

Thank you for your suggestions.

I received a helpful note from Qatar Airways USA. Clearly they see that I should request a partial refund.
"Thank you for contacting Qatar Airways USA.

We regret that you are unable to complete your Round The World Trip.

Our records indicate that your ticket was purchased through a travel agency in the UK .

Kindly contact the issuing agency in order for them to submit your partial refund request via their accounting system.

Thank you for your understanding."


It is a big TA.

I forwarded the letter from Qatar Airways to the TA inviting them to request a refund, which makes clear that Qatar Airways is not unwilling. If I get a clear 'No refund available" even after that, I will try the measures you suggest.

Can or do TA's often add their own more restrictive cancellation policies to those of the carrier?

You should name them. If this is their own policy that they impose on top of the xONEx rules, then they should be willing to wear it in public.

If you received this information after purchase, then it is not binding. That's how contract law works. Are these conditions displayed anywhere else on the website or in any other prominent place?

Airlines' refusal to change ex CAI DONE5 to not end in CAI
 

Just finished my first ex CAI DONE5 and started my second.

Wanted to share my experience with the difficulty (and ultimate extra expense) of having my CAI-DOH leg canceled. First, RTW#1 (issued directly from QF) was scheduled to end TXL-AMM-CAI on 24 August., RTW #2 (issued by TA on QF stock) was scheduled to begin CAI-DOH-MIA on 24 August.

TA notified me that QF would only reissue RTW #2 originating in DOH. QF absolutely refused all requests to originate in AMM and simply reissued my RTW #2 ticket originating in DOH on 25 August. (And of course in keeping with QF policy that you MUST begin and end in the same city they cut off my final CAI segment so that I terminate in DOH as well. While this gives me two extra segments it has severely complicated by life!)

Several calls to QF (I always get the call center in Cape Town, Mindpearl) to request that I be rerouted directly TXL-DOH because there had been a schedule change and there was no reason to go to CAI anymore. Absolute and total refusal! It was simply maddening because they kept telling me it violated the fare rules and that there hadn't been a schedule change but rather it was an "agreement" by QR to stop the flight! (...?) And therefore not eligible to make such a change because it violated the fare rules. I continue to ask them what was the violation of fare rule and yet had no clue whatsoever as to what rule it was violating. The best excuse though was that I had more than 2 intercontinental departures from Doha, I had to explain the definition of intercontinental to the girl which was painful. Then she came back with another excuse…. I think the "fare rule" that they were really hung up on was that QF absolutely insist that you return to your city of origin. You can point to the rules till you're blue in the face but QF simply will not issue a ticket that terminates in a city different than the origin on these OneWorld products.

RTW #1 ended up like this: CAI-xLHR-BKK-KIX-HKG-AKL-xSCL-MIA-LAX-xSFO-xHEL-xDOH-TXL-xAMM-CAI (last leg not flown)
I can't see any legitimate issue but does anyone see a problem with changing those last legs to TXL-DOH and avoiding CAI, in fact I bring myself back into compliance with only four intra-European segments? Other than the QF obscure refusal to allow me to terminate in DOH?

So then the finger-pointing began and QF insisted is not their problem and that QR stops the flight by an "agreement" it wasn't a schedule change. When I got to DOH the first time I tried the ticketing desk at the transfer desk (anyone that's been there knows how wonderfully organized and competent that transfer desk is on a normal itinerary so I didn't have my hopes) where the lady took my information and of course she couldn't do anything because anybody that knew about OneWorld products was in the back office and I couldn't speak to them. I headed to the transit hotel for a few hours of sleep and woke up to an email that basically said "sorry QR cannot modify the itinerary because it violates fare rules." I just threw up my hands and realized I was screwed by two completely inept airlines' knowledge of what their own OneWorld products. Once I got to Berlin I called QF to try to modify RTW #2 saying that I never asked to have the CAI-DOH portion cut off and could they please allow me to originate in AMM. Since it was issued by a TA they said that the TA was responsible and they could not change it.

So long story short, I ended up having to buy two full fare J tickets from AMM-DOH (at 2 AM, only flight available and only full J available) simply to get back to DOH to commence RTW #2. In Berlin the contract check in lady refused to check my bags all the way to MIA but did at least short check them to AMM (with only one RJ flight a day out of their I could see that what I was asking for was way above their pay grade). For a while they were insisting the bags had to go to CAI. So for that gift I was "allowed" to purchase a $56 transit visa per person so that I can clear immigration pick up my bags and recheck them, although fortunately at the premium check in lounge in AMM he was able to check them all the way through to MIA which saved me another transit visa nightmare in DOH!

Bottom line. What a goat rodeo! That 2 OneWorld carriers continued to point fingers at each other till the bitter end forcing me to spend a substantial amount for a two hour flight and a visa to make up for an obvious OneWorld schedule cancellation was in the end just repulsive. I guess this teaches me quite a bit about competency of the airline that controls your ticket. Yes, I know any OneWorld carrier can take it over but they are very hesitant to and in this case outright refused when it was due to their own schedule cancellation! I will finish RTW #2 next year, all the while having to make changes through my TA.

:'(

No chance of a CC dispute?

When did that happen? I've had a number of oneworld products, issued by QF, that have started and ended in different cities.

+1
Well, I've had one issued by QF and it started in MPM last year and ended in JNB this year
No problem getting it issued, through an Australian TA
also had a number of date changes, with no major issues

Until the very last one, which was an urgent change on New year's Day
and the sole(?) fares team member on duty was insisting that I had to end in MPM, because I had started there. Some education on the fare rule, by me via the telephone agent, got my change made :))

PS: my sympathies to rollthere on the troubles experienced

I had very many issues attempting to get QF to let me start in JNB and end in MRU, and was finally successful by going through their Twitter support folks. Highly recommend direct messaging [MENTION=150217]Qantas[/MENTION] if you're still trying to get any changes made - they've been wonderful to communicate with.

They give a lot of non answers though (answering questions that were not asked, or saying something that you already mentioned).
Whenever I've tried to ask them about flight changes, they've tried to fob me off and say to call ticketing.

In changing a QR issued LONEx with the exCAI issue, my Aussie TA was very clear that QR expected me to return to the point where the re-issued ticket started (MCT) with no possibility of ending in DOH. I expect I will drop the last (perhaps two) coupon given that tickets to where I will want to go next are cheaper outside the Middle East (even using QR)

Happy wandering

Fred

Is there an online tool for routing and pricing for the Circle Trip Explorer ticket a la the RTW fare?

Or do I have to call an OW airline?