Can you just buy one ways?

Welcome, Clark Kendrick Go.

As has been noted this thread relates to the paid oneworld Explorer fare which is 16 stops.

Because you're using Asia Miles you are probably best asking your question in the Cathay forum.

I haven't tried it actually, but I bet that trying to maximize 5 stopovers + transits + open jaw would be more beneficial if done with multiple carrier award, than in multiple one way awards.

Has anyone done this trip already?

I was taken aback at first because current regulations allow only 5 'stopovers'. I originally thought that I could go as many cities as possible (ala oneworld explorer), until I realized that 'stopover' meant 'cities I can visit'.

I would suspect that the AA RTW desk wouldn't have a problem - do you have an inter-area longhaul flight that you can fly with AA?

OTOH, unless you are going to use an award flight to your next stop (or actually stop in DOH) the revenue fares exCAI are going to be a whole lot cheaper than exDOH. Also note that QR flies DOH-CAI as first class cabins so that segment will earn a lot of status (whatevers) on many programs.

Happy wandering

Fred

DON'T BUY THE TICKET UNTIL YOU LEARN MUCH MORE ABOUT IT.

These are complicated tickets; many travel agents and airline ticketing people don't understand them. There are ten pages of the official rules which govern them; you can find them here. I would recommend that you print the rules and read them slowly, and several times. Then come back here with a list of the cities you'd like to visit. There are a number of people here who fly these tickets regularly and have some insight into how they work. We'll be happy to help you sort it out.

you need to go to Cathay pacific asia miles for further information. but the rule for oneworld award using asiamiles is very clear. (but i wont discuss here.)

Got a decent deal on a AONE6 ticket from Asia, so went ahead and booked it. I've read the change rules a few times, and I just wanted to confirm my understanding. If I want to change the ticket:

1) before departure, considering in my case it was slightly discounted, I must assume the fare in effect at the time will be higher - so I will have to pay the difference - even if I'm only changing dates, not routing?
2) after departure of first flight, I should be able to change anything, even the routing, for the $125 service fee? (as long as I am within the original ticket rules)

Thanks!

1. If you make no changes to the first flight coupon (the first flight), you pay the delta in any taxes, airport fees and airline surcharges, plus any increase in the fare. If you are changing the ticketed points or the first flight coupon, then in addition to that you pay the 125 USD fee.

2. After the first coupon is used, you can change the ticket within the original rules for 125 USD fee plus the delta in any taxes, airport fees and airline surcharges.

The relevant rules are---

Great. Thank you very much!

Can you help us understand your use of "decent deal" and "slightly discounted" please?

Given the recent deal out of Cairo I would like to take advantage of it, however, I would really like to visit Iceland. Can anyone figure out if it's possible starting in CAI going eastbound around the world them to get to KEF upon my return to Europe?

For example if I start: CAI-LHR-BKK, etc, or CAI-AMM-BKK, etc, and continue through Asia and the U.S. I can only get to KEF by transiting LHR, HEL, or BER/MUC then on to DOH and am therefore using 5 segments in Europe.

I know I can do this if I start from CAI and go directly to KEF, however, the idea is to start in April and then come back to Europe in August when it's a little warmer.

Any thoughts? Do I really only have the option of starting out the trip in that direction?

CAI-DOH- ... rtw ... -LHR-KEF-LHR-DOH. You don't have to finish in Cairo, you can finish anywhere in the Middle East.

Doh! Thanks for the reply and I immediately saw my problem. I was trying to get fancy and fly MIA-DOH-xxx-KEF.

There's too many posts to reasonably search. :(

The rules state that an LONEx can be upgraded to a DONEx.
I recall posts regarding changing a LONE3 to a LONE4 confirming that the prices used are the prices at the time of the ticketing/issue of the original ticket. Does this apply to the L --> D change as well? Is the answer different after the first flight is taken?

I'm reasonably certain that I want the RTW routing. The question is whether I can afford a (second) DONE rather than the LONE. Being able to purchase the latter now (locking in the price) would be an easier decision if the D price was also locked in...

And of course this is made more interesting by the ability to issue the RTW on the basis of the original starting point from any country and current currency changes.

Happy wandering

Fred

Once the first segment on any air ticket is flown then any changes to the ticket are repriced using the fares that were in effect on the day the ticket was issued.

Thanks for that.

Leaves the question of a straight LONEx --> DONEx conversion with no flight changes before the first flight is taken.

Happy wandering

Fred

Why not book a LONE4 at todays rate, about $1200? Fly the 1st segment as Y, then do the upgrade. Before the 1st flight I would call to see if this was OK with the RTW desk. If not, then the cancellation fee of 10% on a economy ticket is small enough gamble.

2 questions for changes during the XONEX fares:
if I change the routing and the new route has more legs/more taxes/surcharges, I guess I have to pay for it? (if not I'd just book the shortest possible XONEX and then add legs after the purchase, so my guess is you do have to pay)
and assuming I do have to pay, do I pay at the original exchange rate at the date of the ticket purchase or the actual FX rate at the date of the change?

thx in advance,

Yes, taxes and surcharges will be recalculated when rerouting and difference need to be paid. However, it's also possible to get money back, if the taxes are cheaper on new routing.

Usually taxes are calculated in the currency paid to the airline, not the fare currency.

thx thois,
thinking about it, it makes sense they charge in the currency they collect the taxes separately to the currency of the base fare. cheers

If you by ex-CAI then you are buying "in" Egypt and everything is paid for in Egyptian Pounds. Even the taxes/surcharges. It's just that the underlying price for various parts of the total fare are in different currencies which are each converted to Egyptian Pounds on the day you pay. So:

Base fare ex-CAI: priced in EGP
Taxes: priced in relevant local currency, so GBP for luxury tax for flight out of London Heathrow, HKD for airport tax for flight out of Hong Kong etc.
Fuel Surcharges: I wonder actually, probably the airline's "home" currency.

But when you pay you pay a singe fare in EGP (for ex-CAI) which is calculated by adding up all those components, based on the exchange rate on the day for non EGP priced items.


FWIW, it's same for buy ex-USA. You pay one fare in USD but the amount you to cover the airport taxes all around the world on your fare are all converted from their home currency to USD within it so for the same route the final USD price will vary from week to week as USD varies.

And then after this the airline or travel agent converts it to their selling currency at the IATA daily exchange rate. For instance if I buy an ex-CAI itinerary from the BA sales desk at LHR, the fare may be denominated in EGP but they price it in GBP. Some airlines and TAs are happy to work in arbitrary currencies. :)

to make sure i understand it correctly:
lets say I buy a ticket today, 9.nov 2016, exchange rate is: 17:1 EGP:USD.

i start my trip whenever, and on Jan 1st 2017, I decide for my 2nd leg i want to change my flight lhr-mad-gru to smth like lhr-jfk-gru. I have to pay 100$ difference in airport fees/taxes/surcharges.

exchange rate at that date is 1:14.

do i have to pay 1700EGP or 1400EGP?

from what i understand from the quote I'd say 1400EGP, which is actually much cheaper than 100USD just because i "locked in" FX rate at the date of the purchase?? tbh seems to be good to be true, but what do i know, base LONE4 fare for less than 1000USD is to good to be true :)

In the hypothetical you have set up the EGP actually increases in value from the date of purchase and the date of making the change. Assuming the USD100 is based on fees, etc stated in dollars (and not calculated from some other currency) you need fewer EGP to make up the 100USD.
Note that in the example given you did not lock in the original rate, but rather are paying using the assumed January rate.
Note that your assumption that the EGP will strengthen by that amount by January is very questionable at best.
Also, the conclusion that the January transaction becomes much cheaper really depends on what currency you are holding If you hold dollars the 100USD fee costs 100USD both on initial purchase and January change, If holding EGP you will need fewer pounds to make the 100USD
In sum, there may be two faulty assumptions in your analysis: 1) that the EGP will strengthen 2) that the changed fees will be calculated using the January exchange rate. A previous post seemed to suggest the November rate will be used.

1) it's a hypothesis, not an assumption.
2) that exactly was my question if that is really the case. there seem to be conflicting information about that in the above posts, that is why i asked.

the way i read the posts, thois is stating that everything will be collected in the currency the airport/airlines charges the tax/surcharges. if that is the case, 2) is irrelevant.

zombee and calchas seem to agree that everything you pay will be priced in EGP. Then the question then is, if you have a fee occur on another date than the date of the purchase, which FX rate will be used. The FX rate of the date i bought the ticket or the FX rate of that specific date when I do get charged because I request a change in my itinerary. It is completely irrelevant if the rate goes up or down or which currency i hold

Airlines do not remember past FX rates. Whenever something is priced it uses current FX rates. I.e., the later: "specific date when I do get charged because I request a change in my itinerary".

Can I originate in Egypt and terminate in Qatar?

Qantas says no, Egypt is in Africa!

deleted

Yes.

Qantas is mistaken. See the Rule Application and Other Conditions category.

I'm having a hell of a time convincing them of the rules, even though they can see it in the GDS, that Egypt is in the Middle East. The agent keeps saying "But it's actually in Africa".

So I changed the itinerary to start and end in Egypt:

CAI-DOH-MAD-HEL-DOH-South America-North America-SYD-DOH-CAI

And it priced - but as a DONE5 - "Because Egypt is in Africa". The agent went away for another 20 minutes and eventually came back to say it was a DONE5 because the SYD-DOH is considered South Pacific-Asia-Europe/Middle East. I thought the rule only applied on QF's through services from Australia to London via DXB. So I couldn't argue with that rule. Mind you, it was the third rule she'd quoted me as the reason my itinerary wasn't pricing. The other two I got over but this one caught me.

[Depends who you ask. ;) Many consider Egypt to be part of the Middle East. While the bulk of the country sits on the African continent, the Sinai Peninsula does not.]

But seriously, the definition at the top is what matters in interpreting the rules. That is the point of giving a definition.

Now your itinerary is invalid. You have five intra-Europe/Middle East sectors, when you are only permitted four in this continent.

Time to find a different agent.

It counts as travel via Asia.

Is the following routing valid? I ask because rather than going directly JNB – SYD I'm going JNB- DOH- AKL after I have already left Europe. Any comments?

CAI-xLHR-CPT-JNB-xDOH-AKL-SYD-HKG-KIX-BKK-HAN-xNRT-MIA-xHEL-KEF-VIE-AMM

I don't think so. CAI-...-DOH-...-AMM.

Looks fine to me, except ... (see below)
With regard to JNB-xDOH-AKL - this is OK because there is nothing in the rules restricting the second visit to Europe/Middle East when you start in that continent. The rule states:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/membe...iddle-east.png

OK - I said "except..." above:
How are you going to fly KEF-VIE in one flight on a OneWorld airline?

You're right, -- my bad, pandaperth.

No problemo Doc

Does this work?
 

I don't fully understand the rule about 4 sector in each continent but can someone guide if this is possible. And if not, what rule am I breaking?


option 1: CAI-DOH-JNB-GRU-BUE-SCL-IPC-PPT-AKL-SYD-BKK-LON-DBV-(overland)-VIE-AMM
Option 2: CAI-DOH-SEZ (Overland)- JNB-GRU-BUE-SCL-IPC-PPT-AKL-SYD-BKK-LON-VIE (overland)-ATH-AMM

The total miles is just under 34000 (if I didn't make a mistake).

Also, if I book this with the Global Explorer 34000, in Business class, can I buy the Oneworld Pass in South America on a separate ticket?

Thanks..

Thanks a lot for that. With respect to KEF-VIE, AB flys several times a week non stop between a mix of KEF-MUC/TXL/VIE

Ah - I did check before posting, but hadn't thought about seasonal flights.
Interesting to know...
Iceland is on my bucket list:)

Hi holypiston
Your stopover allowance is correct for both options, the problem comes from elsewhere. There is a couple of issues with your itineraries,
Re the routing, you have to finish your trip in EG, not in JO. It’s not really a problem as you still have a spare coupon in your itinerary so you can add a RJ sector AMM CAI, even if you end up not using it. It still fits with the mileage >34K for both options. Then we have a second issue, this one is more complicated to get around. It comes from the PPT-AKL sector, operated by TN. Your ticket will be issued on QR but QR don’t have ticketing agreements with TN, which prevents you from booking these trips. So you can either keep your itinerary as is and book that leg separately (it’s quite expensive) or change your plating carrier but that will involve also changing your itinerary. Are you flexible on the routing? If so try to change the sequence of your flight and go for this combo CAI-LON-JNB-GRU-BUE-SCL-IPC-PPT-AKL-SYD-BKK-DOH-ATH (side trip to Vienna separately)-AMM-CAI – 33963 miles, BA ticket, roughly 4200USD in total (side trip to Vienna not included).

Re the OW pass, yes you can. Just note that it’s only quoted in economy and you need a minimum of 3 sectors. It’s worth comparing the cost with the normal fares first as most of the time it ends up more expensive to get a pass rather than side tickets.