Feb 23, 2015, 2:47 pm
Last edit by: Mwenenzi
The information in this wiki is out of date - please see the information in the wiki in this new thread ---> The Oneworld Explorer User Guide
The oneworld explorer ticket thread.
Thanks to eamus in particular for the work in starting this thread and collating this information, which is taken from his two posts. This wiki supersedes the information in those first two posts. It is now community-maintained, please be bold and amend as you see fit.
The purpose of this thread is to collect some FAQs on the most popular oneworld ticket, the Explorer. This thread is not intended to be totally comprehensive, nor is it a substitute for using the search function for specific or obscure points (the search function is at the top right of your screen, in case you missed it!). It is an aid for planning your massive mileage-earning trip round the world on the airlines of the oneworld alliance. Once you have trawled through this thread you should be OK to start work on your itinerary. If you have any questions not covered here or in a search of old threads, don't be afraid to post and ask the experts here.
Please note that while we attempt to be as accurate as possible, the official rules do change. The airline who issues your ticket will have final say on what the rules are, and how they interpret them. Here goes:
Terminology:
Q: You people seem to like talking in code. Do you have a glossary?
A: Of course. Here are some basic terms:
ONE or OWE = oneworld Explorer ticket
DONE4 = D class (business class) oneworld Explorer ticket for 4 continents. The initial letter is A, D or L depending on whether it is First, Bus. or Economy, and the final number is the number of continents, 3-6 (sometimes a * is used to indicate a generic question/response, eg. *ONE4 or *ONE*)
Segment = a flight with a single flight number between two cities, whether or not it stops between the origin and destination, and whether or not there is a change of aircraft along the way. So for instance SYD-JFK is one segment even though it stops in LAX, but NRT-HKT is two segments (NRT-HKG, HKG-HKT) since there is no oneworld single flight number between NRT and HKT. Don't confuse "segment" with "sector," another term you often see. A sector is one take off and one landing, so SYD-JFK is two sectors but only one segment.
Other Useful Terms:
F, J, Y = the full price booking classes for first, business and economy classes respectively. Being discount tickets, *ONE* tickets generally use A, D or L for the respective classes, but sometimes people like to use "J" as a generic way of describing business class, for instance.
RTW = round the world
SWP = South West Pacific (one of the continents)
WT+ = World Traveller Plus, the premium economy cabin on some BA flights
The Airlines:
AA = American Airlines
AB = Air Berlin (HG for Niki) Shutdown 28 Oct 2017
AY = Finnair
AT = Royal Air Maroc (joined 1 April 2020)
BA = British Airways
CX = Cathay Pacific (and KA for Cathay Dragon)
IB = Iberia
JJ = LATAM Left OW alliance
JL = Japan Airlines (and NU for Japan Transocean AIr)
LA = Lan Chile (and XL, 4M for the other Lan's) Left OW alliance
MH = Malaysia Airlines
QF = Qantas (which DOES NOT HAVE A "U" IN IT !!!!!!!)
QR = Qatar Aiways
RJ = Royal Jordanian
S7 = S7 Airlines
UL = SriLankan Airlines
The Basics:
Q: What airlines can I fly with on a ONE ticket?
A: Any oneworld airline, as listed above, or their affiliate airlines (list below may not be up to date, see oneworld.com):
• American Eagle (operated by Envoy Airlines, Republic Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Compass Airlines, Trans States Airlines, PSA Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, and Air Wisconsin)
• Belair
• LGW
• TUlfly
• BA CitiFlyer including flights operated by Eastern Airways
• Comair [South Africa](not to be confused with the Delta affiliate in the US with the same name)
• SUN-AIR of Scandinavia
• Open Skies
• BA Limited
• Nordic Regional Airlines (Norra)
• Air Norstrum
• Iberia Express
• J-Air
• HAC (Hokkaido Air System)
•LATAM Express
•LATAM Peru
•LATAM Colombia
• Alliance Airlines
• QantasLink operated by Eastern Australia, Jetconnect (NZ), National Jet Systems, Sunstate Airlines, and Network Aviation
• Globus
NOTE: Codeshare flights operated by other partner/affiliate airlines are not permitted on this ticket. So for example the QF flights that are codeshares operated by FJ (Air Pacific) are not eligible. However it is possible to fly on codeshares within the alliance. For example you can take an AA flight number that is actually operated by BA. The benefit of doing this is that it may help depending on which frequent flyer membership you are with, and what bonuses are given with these flights.
NOTE: If a ticket includes travel to/from/via Cuba it may not also include flight segments for travel on American Airlines/American Eagle/American Connection due to US Government restrictions. [this may have cha
Q: What are the basic rules of the fare?
A: It is a round the world ticket, so you must cross both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, but can only do so once for each ocean. The fare is calculated based on the number of continents you visit. The continents are counted even if you only change planes there (eg. stopping in Asia on a flight from Europe to Australia), and the continent count includes the continent of origin. See below for backtracking rules. You can fly up to 16 segments in total.
Q: Can I backtrack?
A: You can backtrack within countries and continents, but you cannot re-enter a continent after leaving it, except: (a) a transit without stopover in Asia on a flight between Europe and SWP or vice versa, (b) a transit without stopover in North America on a flight between South America and SWP, Asia or Europe or vice versa, (c) two permitted in Europe/Middle, for travel originating in Africa, Africa - Europe/Middle East - RTW - Europe/Middle East - Africa, for travel originating other than Africa, Europe/Middle East - Africa - Europe/Middle East, one of the visits to Europe/Middle East must be a transfer without stopover between Africa and the previous/next continent, if travel to/from Europe in both directions, itinerary may not include Mauritius/South Africa.
Any of these transit without stopover benefits can be taken in either direction (eg. Europe-SWP or SWP-Europe) and either before or after you wish to enter the continent for the second time to use your stopovers there. You can only leave and re-enter the continent of origin once, except for North America where you may have an additional transit without stopover.
Q: What are the continents on which the fare is calculated? Which countries are in which continent?
A: Forget all your geography lessons, and take a look at the map accessible by clicking this hyperlink and you should see the continents. For those who prefer the text, oneworld defines the continents as follows:
North America = United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean area, Central America and Panama
South America = all of South America other than Panama
Europe = all of Europe, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and all of the Middle East including Egypt and Sudan
Africa = all of Africa other than Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia
Asia = all of Asia excluding everything in the South West Pacific
South West Pacific = all of the South West Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand
Q: How many of those 16 segments can I use in each continent?
A: You get four (4) segments in each of Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and South West Pacific, and six (6) segments in North America. None of the intercontinental flights, including those across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, count against any continent allowance, although obviously they do count against your 16 segment total allowance. There are, in addition, other restrictions you need to be aware of.
Q: What about surface segments (eg arrive at LGA and depart from JFK)?
A: These are counted towards the total of 16 segments.
Q: Are there any other restrictions that I have per region/continent?
A: Yes:
Europe - Not more than two Europe/Middle East segments may be used for journeys between the U.K. and the following: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Funchal, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tunisia, Ukraine, and the Middle East. You get four segments in Europe, so if you go from Heathrow to, say, Dubai, you cannot then go from Heathrow to Greece and back.
Americas - Within North America, only one transcontinental flight is allowed between selected cities on the East and West Coasts. "Transcontinental" is defined as a flight between one of ATL/BWI/BOS/CLT/FLL/BDL/MIA/EWR/NYC/ORL/PHL/PIT/SJU/RDU/TPA/YYZ/WAS/PBI and one of LAS/LGB/LAX/OAK/PHX/PDX/SAN/SFO/SJC/SNA/SEA/YVR. Also, in North America only one segment is permitted between the continental US and Hawaii (so if you want to visit Hawaii, you must go to/from Australia), and only one flight to/from ANC (Anchorage, Alaska) is permitted.
South West Pacific - within Australia only one flight is permitted between:
* Perth, and Brisbane, Canberra, Cairns, Melbourne or Sydney
* Darwin, and Canberra, Melbourne or Sydney
* Broome, and Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney
* Dampier, and Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney
Exceptions - there is no restriction between Sydney/Melbourne & Perth for passengers originating in:
* Perth, when in conjunction with travel to/from Jo'burg/Shanghai
* New Zealand, when in conjunction with travel to/from Jo'burg
Q: Can I take the QF flight from LAX-JFK (or vice versa) even if I don't have an onward flight with QF?
A: No. The rules would appear to allow it, but in actual practice QF does not. (Edited to add: The OWE rules don't prohibit it, but QF does not have 5th freedom rights to carry passengers solely between LAX and JFK, i.e., domestically within the U.S. The Passenger must originate/terminate in Australia.)
Q: Can I buy more segments?
A: This is no longer permitted. If you want to exceed the per-continent segment limit, one option is to add a "side trip" which are additional flights that are part of the ticket but calculated and priced per their own fare; you are still limited to a maximum of 16 sectors on one ticket. Another option is to include one or more flights in the booking record that are priced and ticketed separately; since such flights are on their own ticket, they do not count against the 16 segment limit of the main ticket. Not all agents or airlines are comfortable issuing separate tickets out of one booking record, so it is easier to book in a new record, but keeping al flights in one record and issuing separate tickets is often used to increase the ease of having connections protected when there are flight delays, schedule changes, etc.
Q: What about stopovers? What are the rules? And benefits?
A: A stopover is break in your journey of more than 24 hours. You can have as many stopovers as you like (one per segment if you like), but you cannot have more than two stopovers in the continent of origin. The key thing here is the 24-hour rule, and there are two main benefits. First, at some airports (eg. LHR) not having a stopover can save significant taxes as you will be classed as a passenger in transit, and second, you can stop for dinner and a night with friends, even if you are out of stopovers in the country of origin.
Q: Where can I fly on a ONE ticket?
A: You can get an idea of available destinations from the maps on the AA website at this hyperlink; just select oneworld cities once the relevant area has loaded. There is also a pretty bad map on the oneworld website here.
Q: What tools are available for working out my itinerary and the airline timetables?
A) You can access the official oneworld trip planner on https://rtw.oneworld.com/rtw/ - this includes the ability to book most itineraries online.
Q: Can I end my itinerary in a city other than the one where I started?
A: Yes. You can separate your origin and destination under any of the following circumstances: anywhere within the country of origin, between the US and Canada, anywhere within Africa, anywhere within the Middle East, between Hong Kong and China, between Malaysia and Singapore, or between Maldives and Sri Lanka or India. So you could start in CAI and end in DXB, but could not start in JFK and end in MEX.
Booking Tickets:
Q: The booking classes are A (first), D (business) and L (economy). If I buy a first class ticket and there is no first class on my flight, what happens?
A: That depends on what you mean by "no first class." If the seat inventory (A in this case, but the same goes for D) is not available for the flight you want and you can't get a flight that does have available inventory, you get downgraded to the next available inventory class (A goes down to D, and D goes down to L) and no compensation or refund is payable. Except on two class US domestic flights, if the plane is only one class (all economy) or two class (economy and business), then you get downgraded and no compensation or refund is payable. On two class US domestic flights and QR flights within the Middle East, if you hold a D class ticket you can book into the A (first) inventory, if it is available, at no extra charge. On domestic flights on AE (American Eagle), AY, and LA (which are one class except LA's SCL-IPC), all A and D tickets book into the Y (full fare economy) inventory bucket which means it is economy seating, but there should be plenty of availability.
Q: Can I upgrade some of the segments to fly business/first class?
A: In limited circumstances. Your options are: (a) you can upgrade your entire itinerary - subject to availability - by paying the higher class fare but otherwise without penalty, (b) flights operated by AA may be upgraded with AA miles, (c) US/Canada domestic flights operated by AA may be upgraded with 500-mile "sticker" upgrades issued by AA, (d) flights operated by CX may be upgraded using CX miles, (e) flights marketed and operated by JL may be upgraded using JL miles, and (f) flights operated by QF may be upgraded using QF miles/upgrade credits. BA also offers "on board" upgrades for prices ranging from GBP200 up if there is a spare seat on board. Talk to the purser when you board, but these upgrades only qualify for the mileage/status you originally booked. For instance if you were in BA economy and upgraded on board to WT+ for GBP200 on LHR-SIN, you only get the discount economy miles, not the WT+ miles.
Q: Can I upgrade some of the segments to fly premium economy class ?
A: Economy class can be upgraded to CX,JL,QF premium economy cabin or BA World Traveller Plus cabin for an additional charge, per flight segments.
USD1450 for SWP-Asia, SWP-Europe/Middle East, SWP-Norrh America, SWP-South America. USD350 for SEA-South Asian Subcontinent, SEA-Japan/Korea, USD250 for within SEA,Australia,Middle East. USD950 for all ohter sectors.
Booking class: BA(T), JL(E), CX(R), QF(R).
Q: What is an open segment and why would I book that?
A: An open segment is basically setting your itinerary in advance, but not confirming your seat on the plane. You do this by leaving the date on the flight coupon (eg. LHR-JFK) open, even though you have decided that you will at some point be flying that route. You might do this as it is easier to change your travel timing as you go. If you set all the flight dates and then needed to make a change at some point, you may have to change all the onward flights and not just the next one or two.
The downside is that you need the inventory to be available on the date you finally want to travel, and on some routes/carriers at certain times of the year, A and D inventory may have limited availability. Further, it gives you no protection should a route be discontinued. If a route between XXX and YYY is discontinued, you then will have to pay the reroute fee and use an additional segment to fly XXX-ZZZ-YYY.
Q: Can I change my mind?
A: Yes, you will find the *ONE* to be a reasonably flexible ticket. Date/time changes are permitted at no charge, and subject to availability you can change the oneworld carrier you want to use without charge as long as there is no change in origin/destination and intermediate points (eg. changing BA to QF for a flight SYD-LHR). Changes other than date/time (routing is the obvious change) incur a US$125 charge and the ticket is reissued, with some carriers charging you a service fee. Date/time changes are permitted at no charge, but routing changes incur a US$125 charge, and again some carriers charge you a service fee. The rules don't state that routing changes in this case are a reissue (see below about what happens if the rules change). The number of continents/extra flight segments may be increased or decreased and you will be charged/refunded accordingly. If you change the date or time of your first flight and the ticket price has increased since you bought the ticket, you'll pay the higher fare. If you need to cancel before departure, tickets originating in North or South America incur a penalty of 10% of the ticket price, tickets originating elsewhere incur no penalty. If you need to cancel after departure, all tickets other than those originating in SWP (no penalty) or Japan (lower of 10% penalty or JPY50,000) incur a 10% penalty. You may get a refund of the unused portion of your ticket based on the cost of the flights used to date and the penalty due.
Q: What happens if the rules on my ticket change, or are about to change?
A: If the rules change before your ticket is issued, then the new rules will apply and you will have to change any existing reservations that are not permitted under the new rules. If the rules change after your ticket is issued, the rules that apply are those that were in force when your ticket was issued. But be aware - if after the rules change you want to cancel the ticket, or to do something not permitted under the old rules, then the ticket will be cancelled and reissued, and the new rules will apply. If you are worried about rule changes and want to maximize your flexibility, set your last flight to be 12 months after the date of your first flight (which is permitted). This gives you 12 months' worth of flexibility once you start travelling since date changes are currently free of charge. To give yourself even more flexibility, get your ticket issued up to 12 months in advance of your first flight (which is also permitted), which gives you an effective 2 year lock on the rules as long as you don't change that first flight.
Q: How much does the ticket cost?
A: The base ticket price depends on the number of continents you visit, a minimum of three and a maximum of six, and the starting country. Oneworld no longer publishes a list of base ticket prices. Taxes and charges are added to this base ticket price as determined by your itinerary. Note that similar or even identical itineraries can thus have varied pricing depending on which airlines you fly and/or use to ticket as charges can vary between airlines flown and ticketing . Infants under 2 and not occupying a seat are charged 10% of the adult fare. Children 2-11 and occupying a seat are charged 75% of the adult fare, except for tickets originating in India where they pay 67% of the adult fare.
Q: If I pony up the money for an A ticket, which routes still have "real" first class?
A: This is a bit of a moving target, but essentially the following routes have traditional first class service on a three class plane (all include the reverse routes too):
AA - LHR to LAX, JFK, ORD, BOS and MIA; NRT to LAX, SJC and JFK; GRU to MIA and JFK; DFW to LGW and FRA; and some flights MIA to EZE
BA - LHR to SYD, HKG, SIN, NRT, HND, KUL, PEK, PVG, JFK, EWR, YYZ, YVR, BOS, PHL, ATL, AUS, DFW, DEN, IAH, LAX, LAS, SJC, SAN, IAD, PHX, SFO, SEA, MIA, JNB, CPT, DXB, AUH, MCT, DOH, ABV, LOS, ACC, BOM, NBO, GRU, SCL, MEX, DEL, BLR, BAH, JED, RUH, KWI, TLV and CAI; LGW to BGI, BDA, GND, POS, UVF
CX - HKG to LHR, JFK, LAX, YVR, FRA, SFO, and CDG; some flights HKG to HND, and unpredictably to NRT, SIN, BKK, MNL, KIX, SEL, TPE, and CGK.
JL - HND to CDG, LHR, and SFO; NRT to JFK, LAX, ORD, CGK, and SYD.
QF - LAX to JFK, SYD and MEL; SYD-SFO + SFO-YVR (seasonal), LHR to SIN, BKK, HKG, SYD and MEL; some flights HKG to SYD and MEL, SYD-JNB (seasonal F Class offering?), although one weekly SYD-JNB (Fridays?) and SYD-SFO service is operated by Qantas' 2-class 747-400s (no First Class, only J/Y).
QR - Any route served by the Airbus 380.
LA - SCL to MAD, FRA, AKL, and SYD
Q: Have there been any problems with handwritten tickets?
A: You need to confirm that each airline receives the ticket number for the flights that are booked on them. In particular, Cathay has been known to cancel space if it has not received the ticket number. Although the booking airline should send the ticket number to all airlines on the itinerary, it is best to call Cathay to assure they have received it.
Miles and Status:
This is a very difficult section, since what you will earn in terms of miles and elite status depends on which airline program you want to use. As a related point, you may find that a routing needs to be constructed using or avoiding certain oneworld airlines because of the mileage-earning implications. For instance, L class tickets on BA gets 25% miles when booked to the QF program, but the same L ticket on the QF codeshare earns 100% QF miles. All programs are geared off the booking class, so knowing the booking class and the flight number/operator are the key points. The best advice is to thoroughly check the earning rules for your preferred program(s), and if necessary, post questions on your local airline forum if you are unsure. That said, there a very general FAQ that the regulars on this forum thought should be posted.
Q: I know that the booking classes are A, D and L, but what happens to my miles if I am booked into another class?
A: Generally you will earn miles for the class in which you travel. If you are downgraded from A to D, you will earn D miles/status. Similarly, if you are on a domestic US flight and your D ticket is booked into the A inventory, you will earn A miles/status. If you upgrade individual flights, you receive the miles for the flight in which you were booked originally (ie. before the upgrade) except for pre-paid WT+ upgrades where you get the applicable WT+ miles/status. As said above, on board upgrades on BA earn miles/status for the class originally booked.
Q: Is there a consistent baggage limit, and if so, what is it?
A: The xONEx checked baggage allowance is 2 pieces. Each carrier can specify its own limit on the maximum weight allowed per piece. On some it is 32kg, on others it is 23kg, and there may be variations for some flights (eg QF domestic prop flights have a lower limit).
Further Information:
All the above information comes from the universal starfiles, which are the rules applicable to these (and other) tickets. Some very nice FTers have obtained copies of the rules and posted them on their websites. Note though that since the airlines do not routinely make the starfiles available to the public there may be a time lag in updated files becoming available to this community.
The oneworld.com does now routinely publish the rules which can be found by searching on their website via http://www.oneworld.com/search-results?q=rules
Validity Tools to check your routing
This tool is great for doing initial validity checks on your routing: http://www.slfft.org/mm/award.htm
If this location is inaccessible, see this thread for more information: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...ml#post6954703
Earning AA miles & status https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...-miles-aa.html
Edit
AB Air Berlin shut down 28 Oct 2017
LA Latam left OW May 2020
AT joined OW 1 April 2020
The oneworld explorer ticket thread.
Thanks to eamus in particular for the work in starting this thread and collating this information, which is taken from his two posts. This wiki supersedes the information in those first two posts. It is now community-maintained, please be bold and amend as you see fit.
The purpose of this thread is to collect some FAQs on the most popular oneworld ticket, the Explorer. This thread is not intended to be totally comprehensive, nor is it a substitute for using the search function for specific or obscure points (the search function is at the top right of your screen, in case you missed it!). It is an aid for planning your massive mileage-earning trip round the world on the airlines of the oneworld alliance. Once you have trawled through this thread you should be OK to start work on your itinerary. If you have any questions not covered here or in a search of old threads, don't be afraid to post and ask the experts here.
Please note that while we attempt to be as accurate as possible, the official rules do change. The airline who issues your ticket will have final say on what the rules are, and how they interpret them. Here goes:
Terminology:
Q: You people seem to like talking in code. Do you have a glossary?
A: Of course. Here are some basic terms:
ONE or OWE = oneworld Explorer ticket
DONE4 = D class (business class) oneworld Explorer ticket for 4 continents. The initial letter is A, D or L depending on whether it is First, Bus. or Economy, and the final number is the number of continents, 3-6 (sometimes a * is used to indicate a generic question/response, eg. *ONE4 or *ONE*)
Segment = a flight with a single flight number between two cities, whether or not it stops between the origin and destination, and whether or not there is a change of aircraft along the way. So for instance SYD-JFK is one segment even though it stops in LAX, but NRT-HKT is two segments (NRT-HKG, HKG-HKT) since there is no oneworld single flight number between NRT and HKT. Don't confuse "segment" with "sector," another term you often see. A sector is one take off and one landing, so SYD-JFK is two sectors but only one segment.
Other Useful Terms:
F, J, Y = the full price booking classes for first, business and economy classes respectively. Being discount tickets, *ONE* tickets generally use A, D or L for the respective classes, but sometimes people like to use "J" as a generic way of describing business class, for instance.
RTW = round the world
SWP = South West Pacific (one of the continents)
WT+ = World Traveller Plus, the premium economy cabin on some BA flights
The Airlines:
AA = American Airlines
AY = Finnair
AT = Royal Air Maroc (joined 1 April 2020)
BA = British Airways
CX = Cathay Pacific (and KA for Cathay Dragon)
IB = Iberia
JL = Japan Airlines (and NU for Japan Transocean AIr)
MH = Malaysia Airlines
QF = Qantas (which DOES NOT HAVE A "U" IN IT !!!!!!!)
QR = Qatar Aiways
RJ = Royal Jordanian
S7 = S7 Airlines
UL = SriLankan Airlines
The Basics:
Q: What airlines can I fly with on a ONE ticket?
A: Any oneworld airline, as listed above, or their affiliate airlines (list below may not be up to date, see oneworld.com):
• American Eagle (operated by Envoy Airlines, Republic Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Compass Airlines, Trans States Airlines, PSA Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, and Air Wisconsin)
• LGW
• TUlfly
• BA CitiFlyer including flights operated by Eastern Airways
• Comair [South Africa](not to be confused with the Delta affiliate in the US with the same name)
• SUN-AIR of Scandinavia
• Open Skies
• BA Limited
• Nordic Regional Airlines (Norra)
• Air Norstrum
• Iberia Express
• J-Air
• HAC (Hokkaido Air System)
•
•
•
• Alliance Airlines
• QantasLink operated by Eastern Australia, Jetconnect (NZ), National Jet Systems, Sunstate Airlines, and Network Aviation
• Globus
NOTE: Codeshare flights operated by other partner/affiliate airlines are not permitted on this ticket. So for example the QF flights that are codeshares operated by FJ (Air Pacific) are not eligible. However it is possible to fly on codeshares within the alliance. For example you can take an AA flight number that is actually operated by BA. The benefit of doing this is that it may help depending on which frequent flyer membership you are with, and what bonuses are given with these flights.
NOTE: If a ticket includes travel to/from/via Cuba it may not also include flight segments for travel on American Airlines/American Eagle/American Connection due to US Government restrictions. [this may have cha
Q: What are the basic rules of the fare?
A: It is a round the world ticket, so you must cross both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, but can only do so once for each ocean. The fare is calculated based on the number of continents you visit. The continents are counted even if you only change planes there (eg. stopping in Asia on a flight from Europe to Australia), and the continent count includes the continent of origin. See below for backtracking rules. You can fly up to 16 segments in total.
Q: Can I backtrack?
A: You can backtrack within countries and continents, but you cannot re-enter a continent after leaving it, except: (a) a transit without stopover in Asia on a flight between Europe and SWP or vice versa, (b) a transit without stopover in North America on a flight between South America and SWP, Asia or Europe or vice versa, (c) two permitted in Europe/Middle, for travel originating in Africa, Africa - Europe/Middle East - RTW - Europe/Middle East - Africa, for travel originating other than Africa, Europe/Middle East - Africa - Europe/Middle East, one of the visits to Europe/Middle East must be a transfer without stopover between Africa and the previous/next continent, if travel to/from Europe in both directions, itinerary may not include Mauritius/South Africa.
Any of these transit without stopover benefits can be taken in either direction (eg. Europe-SWP or SWP-Europe) and either before or after you wish to enter the continent for the second time to use your stopovers there. You can only leave and re-enter the continent of origin once, except for North America where you may have an additional transit without stopover.
Q: What are the continents on which the fare is calculated? Which countries are in which continent?
A: Forget all your geography lessons, and take a look at the map accessible by clicking this hyperlink and you should see the continents. For those who prefer the text, oneworld defines the continents as follows:
North America = United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean area, Central America and Panama
South America = all of South America other than Panama
Europe = all of Europe, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and all of the Middle East including Egypt and Sudan
Africa = all of Africa other than Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia
Asia = all of Asia excluding everything in the South West Pacific
South West Pacific = all of the South West Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand
Q: How many of those 16 segments can I use in each continent?
A: You get four (4) segments in each of Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and South West Pacific, and six (6) segments in North America. None of the intercontinental flights, including those across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, count against any continent allowance, although obviously they do count against your 16 segment total allowance. There are, in addition, other restrictions you need to be aware of.
Q: What about surface segments (eg arrive at LGA and depart from JFK)?
A: These are counted towards the total of 16 segments.
Q: Are there any other restrictions that I have per region/continent?
A: Yes:
Europe - Not more than two Europe/Middle East segments may be used for journeys between the U.K. and the following: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Funchal, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tunisia, Ukraine, and the Middle East. You get four segments in Europe, so if you go from Heathrow to, say, Dubai, you cannot then go from Heathrow to Greece and back.
Americas - Within North America, only one transcontinental flight is allowed between selected cities on the East and West Coasts. "Transcontinental" is defined as a flight between one of ATL/BWI/BOS/CLT/FLL/BDL/MIA/EWR/NYC/ORL/PHL/PIT/SJU/RDU/TPA/YYZ/WAS/PBI and one of LAS/LGB/LAX/OAK/PHX/PDX/SAN/SFO/SJC/SNA/SEA/YVR. Also, in North America only one segment is permitted between the continental US and Hawaii (so if you want to visit Hawaii, you must go to/from Australia), and only one flight to/from ANC (Anchorage, Alaska) is permitted.
South West Pacific - within Australia only one flight is permitted between:
* Perth, and Brisbane, Canberra, Cairns, Melbourne or Sydney
* Darwin, and Canberra, Melbourne or Sydney
* Broome, and Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney
* Dampier, and Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney
Exceptions - there is no restriction between Sydney/Melbourne & Perth for passengers originating in:
* Perth, when in conjunction with travel to/from Jo'burg/Shanghai
* New Zealand, when in conjunction with travel to/from Jo'burg
Q: Can I take the QF flight from LAX-JFK (or vice versa) even if I don't have an onward flight with QF?
A: No. The rules would appear to allow it, but in actual practice QF does not. (Edited to add: The OWE rules don't prohibit it, but QF does not have 5th freedom rights to carry passengers solely between LAX and JFK, i.e., domestically within the U.S. The Passenger must originate/terminate in Australia.)
Q: Can I buy more segments?
A: This is no longer permitted. If you want to exceed the per-continent segment limit, one option is to add a "side trip" which are additional flights that are part of the ticket but calculated and priced per their own fare; you are still limited to a maximum of 16 sectors on one ticket. Another option is to include one or more flights in the booking record that are priced and ticketed separately; since such flights are on their own ticket, they do not count against the 16 segment limit of the main ticket. Not all agents or airlines are comfortable issuing separate tickets out of one booking record, so it is easier to book in a new record, but keeping al flights in one record and issuing separate tickets is often used to increase the ease of having connections protected when there are flight delays, schedule changes, etc.
Q: What about stopovers? What are the rules? And benefits?
A: A stopover is break in your journey of more than 24 hours. You can have as many stopovers as you like (one per segment if you like), but you cannot have more than two stopovers in the continent of origin. The key thing here is the 24-hour rule, and there are two main benefits. First, at some airports (eg. LHR) not having a stopover can save significant taxes as you will be classed as a passenger in transit, and second, you can stop for dinner and a night with friends, even if you are out of stopovers in the country of origin.
Q: Where can I fly on a ONE ticket?
A: You can get an idea of available destinations from the maps on the AA website at this hyperlink; just select oneworld cities once the relevant area has loaded. There is also a pretty bad map on the oneworld website here.
Q: What tools are available for working out my itinerary and the airline timetables?
A) You can access the official oneworld trip planner on https://rtw.oneworld.com/rtw/ - this includes the ability to book most itineraries online.
Q: Can I end my itinerary in a city other than the one where I started?
A: Yes. You can separate your origin and destination under any of the following circumstances: anywhere within the country of origin, between the US and Canada, anywhere within Africa, anywhere within the Middle East, between Hong Kong and China, between Malaysia and Singapore, or between Maldives and Sri Lanka or India. So you could start in CAI and end in DXB, but could not start in JFK and end in MEX.
Booking Tickets:
Q: The booking classes are A (first), D (business) and L (economy). If I buy a first class ticket and there is no first class on my flight, what happens?
A: That depends on what you mean by "no first class." If the seat inventory (A in this case, but the same goes for D) is not available for the flight you want and you can't get a flight that does have available inventory, you get downgraded to the next available inventory class (A goes down to D, and D goes down to L) and no compensation or refund is payable. Except on two class US domestic flights, if the plane is only one class (all economy) or two class (economy and business), then you get downgraded and no compensation or refund is payable. On two class US domestic flights and QR flights within the Middle East, if you hold a D class ticket you can book into the A (first) inventory, if it is available, at no extra charge. On domestic flights on AE (American Eagle), AY, and LA (which are one class except LA's SCL-IPC), all A and D tickets book into the Y (full fare economy) inventory bucket which means it is economy seating, but there should be plenty of availability.
Q: Can I upgrade some of the segments to fly business/first class?
A: In limited circumstances. Your options are: (a) you can upgrade your entire itinerary - subject to availability - by paying the higher class fare but otherwise without penalty, (b) flights operated by AA may be upgraded with AA miles, (c) US/Canada domestic flights operated by AA may be upgraded with 500-mile "sticker" upgrades issued by AA, (d) flights operated by CX may be upgraded using CX miles, (e) flights marketed and operated by JL may be upgraded using JL miles, and (f) flights operated by QF may be upgraded using QF miles/upgrade credits. BA also offers "on board" upgrades for prices ranging from GBP200 up if there is a spare seat on board. Talk to the purser when you board, but these upgrades only qualify for the mileage/status you originally booked. For instance if you were in BA economy and upgraded on board to WT+ for GBP200 on LHR-SIN, you only get the discount economy miles, not the WT+ miles.
Q: Can I upgrade some of the segments to fly premium economy class ?
A: Economy class can be upgraded to CX,JL,QF premium economy cabin or BA World Traveller Plus cabin for an additional charge, per flight segments.
USD1450 for SWP-Asia, SWP-Europe/Middle East, SWP-Norrh America, SWP-South America. USD350 for SEA-South Asian Subcontinent, SEA-Japan/Korea, USD250 for within SEA,Australia,Middle East. USD950 for all ohter sectors.
Booking class: BA(T), JL(E), CX(R), QF(R).
Q: What is an open segment and why would I book that?
A: An open segment is basically setting your itinerary in advance, but not confirming your seat on the plane. You do this by leaving the date on the flight coupon (eg. LHR-JFK) open, even though you have decided that you will at some point be flying that route. You might do this as it is easier to change your travel timing as you go. If you set all the flight dates and then needed to make a change at some point, you may have to change all the onward flights and not just the next one or two.
The downside is that you need the inventory to be available on the date you finally want to travel, and on some routes/carriers at certain times of the year, A and D inventory may have limited availability. Further, it gives you no protection should a route be discontinued. If a route between XXX and YYY is discontinued, you then will have to pay the reroute fee and use an additional segment to fly XXX-ZZZ-YYY.
Q: Can I change my mind?
A: Yes, you will find the *ONE* to be a reasonably flexible ticket. Date/time changes are permitted at no charge, and subject to availability you can change the oneworld carrier you want to use without charge as long as there is no change in origin/destination and intermediate points (eg. changing BA to QF for a flight SYD-LHR). Changes other than date/time (routing is the obvious change) incur a US$125 charge and the ticket is reissued, with some carriers charging you a service fee. Date/time changes are permitted at no charge, but routing changes incur a US$125 charge, and again some carriers charge you a service fee. The rules don't state that routing changes in this case are a reissue (see below about what happens if the rules change). The number of continents/extra flight segments may be increased or decreased and you will be charged/refunded accordingly. If you change the date or time of your first flight and the ticket price has increased since you bought the ticket, you'll pay the higher fare. If you need to cancel before departure, tickets originating in North or South America incur a penalty of 10% of the ticket price, tickets originating elsewhere incur no penalty. If you need to cancel after departure, all tickets other than those originating in SWP (no penalty) or Japan (lower of 10% penalty or JPY50,000) incur a 10% penalty. You may get a refund of the unused portion of your ticket based on the cost of the flights used to date and the penalty due.
Q: What happens if the rules on my ticket change, or are about to change?
A: If the rules change before your ticket is issued, then the new rules will apply and you will have to change any existing reservations that are not permitted under the new rules. If the rules change after your ticket is issued, the rules that apply are those that were in force when your ticket was issued. But be aware - if after the rules change you want to cancel the ticket, or to do something not permitted under the old rules, then the ticket will be cancelled and reissued, and the new rules will apply. If you are worried about rule changes and want to maximize your flexibility, set your last flight to be 12 months after the date of your first flight (which is permitted). This gives you 12 months' worth of flexibility once you start travelling since date changes are currently free of charge. To give yourself even more flexibility, get your ticket issued up to 12 months in advance of your first flight (which is also permitted), which gives you an effective 2 year lock on the rules as long as you don't change that first flight.
Q: How much does the ticket cost?
A: The base ticket price depends on the number of continents you visit, a minimum of three and a maximum of six, and the starting country. Oneworld no longer publishes a list of base ticket prices. Taxes and charges are added to this base ticket price as determined by your itinerary. Note that similar or even identical itineraries can thus have varied pricing depending on which airlines you fly and/or use to ticket as charges can vary between airlines flown and ticketing . Infants under 2 and not occupying a seat are charged 10% of the adult fare. Children 2-11 and occupying a seat are charged 75% of the adult fare, except for tickets originating in India where they pay 67% of the adult fare.
Q: If I pony up the money for an A ticket, which routes still have "real" first class?
A: This is a bit of a moving target, but essentially the following routes have traditional first class service on a three class plane (all include the reverse routes too):
AA - LHR to LAX, JFK, ORD, BOS and MIA; NRT to LAX, SJC and JFK; GRU to MIA and JFK; DFW to LGW and FRA; and some flights MIA to EZE
BA - LHR to SYD, HKG, SIN, NRT, HND, KUL, PEK, PVG, JFK, EWR, YYZ, YVR, BOS, PHL, ATL, AUS, DFW, DEN, IAH, LAX, LAS, SJC, SAN, IAD, PHX, SFO, SEA, MIA, JNB, CPT, DXB, AUH, MCT, DOH, ABV, LOS, ACC, BOM, NBO, GRU, SCL, MEX, DEL, BLR, BAH, JED, RUH, KWI, TLV and CAI; LGW to BGI, BDA, GND, POS, UVF
CX - HKG to LHR, JFK, LAX, YVR, FRA, SFO, and CDG; some flights HKG to HND, and unpredictably to NRT, SIN, BKK, MNL, KIX, SEL, TPE, and CGK.
JL - HND to CDG, LHR, and SFO; NRT to JFK, LAX, ORD, CGK, and SYD.
QF - LAX to JFK, SYD and MEL; SYD-SFO + SFO-YVR (seasonal), LHR to SIN, BKK, HKG, SYD and MEL; some flights HKG to SYD and MEL, SYD-JNB (seasonal F Class offering?), although one weekly SYD-JNB (Fridays?) and SYD-SFO service is operated by Qantas' 2-class 747-400s (no First Class, only J/Y).
QR - Any route served by the Airbus 380.
Q: Have there been any problems with handwritten tickets?
A: You need to confirm that each airline receives the ticket number for the flights that are booked on them. In particular, Cathay has been known to cancel space if it has not received the ticket number. Although the booking airline should send the ticket number to all airlines on the itinerary, it is best to call Cathay to assure they have received it.
Code:
: 104N . * WHEN A TICKET MUST BE HANDWRITTEN, IT IS 105N . NECESSARY TO MANUALLY INSERT AN SSR MESSAGE TO 106N . ADVISE THE TICKET NUMBER TO ALL CARRIERS IN THE 107N . ITINERARY. THIS WILL PREVENT THE OTHER CARRIERS 108N . FROM CANCELING SPACE DUE TO NO TICKET NUMBER. Booking Class: AONEx DONEx IONEx LONEx AA(except AA2755-6099) A D I L AA2755-6099 D/Y D/Y I L BA/CX/KA/MH/QF/QR A D I LAB/HG/IB/RJ/UL D D I L S7 D D D L AY International D D I L AY Domestic Y Y Y L JL International A D I L JL/NU Domestic F J J Y JJ J/W D/W I/W LLA International J/W D/W I/W L XL/4M International J/W D I LLA IPC-SCL vv J/W D I L LA/XL/4M Domestic Y Y Y LAA PREMIUM ECONOMY P IB PREMIUM ECONOMY T BA WORLD TRAVELLER PLUS T CX/QF PREMIUM ECONOMY R JL PREMIUM ECONOMY E
Miles and Status:
This is a very difficult section, since what you will earn in terms of miles and elite status depends on which airline program you want to use. As a related point, you may find that a routing needs to be constructed using or avoiding certain oneworld airlines because of the mileage-earning implications. For instance, L class tickets on BA gets 25% miles when booked to the QF program, but the same L ticket on the QF codeshare earns 100% QF miles. All programs are geared off the booking class, so knowing the booking class and the flight number/operator are the key points. The best advice is to thoroughly check the earning rules for your preferred program(s), and if necessary, post questions on your local airline forum if you are unsure. That said, there a very general FAQ that the regulars on this forum thought should be posted.
Q: I know that the booking classes are A, D and L, but what happens to my miles if I am booked into another class?
A: Generally you will earn miles for the class in which you travel. If you are downgraded from A to D, you will earn D miles/status. Similarly, if you are on a domestic US flight and your D ticket is booked into the A inventory, you will earn A miles/status. If you upgrade individual flights, you receive the miles for the flight in which you were booked originally (ie. before the upgrade) except for pre-paid WT+ upgrades where you get the applicable WT+ miles/status. As said above, on board upgrades on BA earn miles/status for the class originally booked.
Q: Is there a consistent baggage limit, and if so, what is it?
A: The xONEx checked baggage allowance is 2 pieces. Each carrier can specify its own limit on the maximum weight allowed per piece. On some it is 32kg, on others it is 23kg, and there may be variations for some flights (eg QF domestic prop flights have a lower limit).
Further Information:
All the above information comes from the universal starfiles, which are the rules applicable to these (and other) tickets. Some very nice FTers have obtained copies of the rules and posted them on their websites. Note though that since the airlines do not routinely make the starfiles available to the public there may be a time lag in updated files becoming available to this community.
The oneworld.com does now routinely publish the rules which can be found by searching on their website via http://www.oneworld.com/search-results?q=rules
Validity Tools to check your routing
This tool is great for doing initial validity checks on your routing: http://www.slfft.org/mm/award.htm
If this location is inaccessible, see this thread for more information: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...ml#post6954703
Earning AA miles & status https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...-miles-aa.html
Edit
AB Air Berlin shut down 28 Oct 2017
LA Latam left OW May 2020
AT joined OW 1 April 2020
The oneworld explorer ticket FAQs
Nov 27, 2015, 1:15 pm
#1261
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: United States
Programs: Croatia FlyOnline Buy 5 Get 1 Free
Posts: 46
xONEx fee question
Hi all! Planning out my xONE4 ex-South Africa and slightly confused.
What fees does the "Multiple Carrier Surcharges/Fees" item in the fee list include? Do these fees match up with ones I can find by looking at the flights in ITA Matrix? Why do these fees vary with whether I transit or stopover? (Aren't stopovers supposed to be free?)
Example:
Fee increases if the NRT transit switches to a stopover:
...-LAX AA xNRT AY HEL-... = ZAR14155 in fees (incl. 5593 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 2251 (two separate entries in the fee list) "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
...-LAX AA NRT AY HEL-... = ZAR15568 in fees (incl. 5593 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 3664 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
Fee decreases drastically when I switch flights:
...-LAX JL xNRT AY HEL-... = ZAR13319 in fees (incl. 6795 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 168 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
...-LAX JL NRT AY HEL-... = ZAR13319 in fees (incl. 6795 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 168 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
What fees does the "Multiple Carrier Surcharges/Fees" item in the fee list include? Do these fees match up with ones I can find by looking at the flights in ITA Matrix? Why do these fees vary with whether I transit or stopover? (Aren't stopovers supposed to be free?)
Example:
Fee increases if the NRT transit switches to a stopover:
...-LAX AA xNRT AY HEL-... = ZAR14155 in fees (incl. 5593 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 2251 (two separate entries in the fee list) "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
...-LAX AA NRT AY HEL-... = ZAR15568 in fees (incl. 5593 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 3664 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
Fee decreases drastically when I switch flights:
...-LAX JL xNRT AY HEL-... = ZAR13319 in fees (incl. 6795 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 168 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
...-LAX JL NRT AY HEL-... = ZAR13319 in fees (incl. 6795 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 168 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
Last edited by davidvc; Nov 27, 2015 at 1:17 pm Reason: typo
Nov 27, 2015, 2:03 pm
#1262
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Hi all! Planning out my xONE4 ex-South Africa and slightly confused.
What fees does the "Multiple Carrier Surcharges/Fees" item in the fee list include? Do these fees match up with ones I can find by looking at the flights in ITA Matrix? Why do these fees vary with whether I transit or stopover? (Aren't stopovers supposed to be free?)
Example:
Fee increases if the NRT transit switches to a stopover:
...-LAX AA xNRT AY HEL-... = ZAR14155 in fees (incl. 5593 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 2251 (two separate entries in the fee list) "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
...-LAX AA NRT AY HEL-... = ZAR15568 in fees (incl. 5593 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 3664 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
Fee decreases drastically when I switch flights:
...-LAX JL xNRT AY HEL-... = ZAR13319 in fees (incl. 6795 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 168 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
...-LAX JL NRT AY HEL-... = ZAR13319 in fees (incl. 6795 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 168 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
What fees does the "Multiple Carrier Surcharges/Fees" item in the fee list include? Do these fees match up with ones I can find by looking at the flights in ITA Matrix? Why do these fees vary with whether I transit or stopover? (Aren't stopovers supposed to be free?)
Example:
Fee increases if the NRT transit switches to a stopover:
...-LAX AA xNRT AY HEL-... = ZAR14155 in fees (incl. 5593 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 2251 (two separate entries in the fee list) "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
...-LAX AA NRT AY HEL-... = ZAR15568 in fees (incl. 5593 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 3664 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
Fee decreases drastically when I switch flights:
...-LAX JL xNRT AY HEL-... = ZAR13319 in fees (incl. 6795 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 168 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
...-LAX JL NRT AY HEL-... = ZAR13319 in fees (incl. 6795 "carrier-imposed surcharges" and 2262 + 168 "multiple carrier surcharges/fees")
Nov 27, 2015, 2:24 pm
#1263
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,053
davidvc Welcome to FT
Real taxes / airport charges can vary with transit vs stopover
For example
- the UK ADP applies on stopover but not a transit (less than 24hrs?)
- Australia has a departure tax, but if you transit that does apply (as you never formally enter Australia so do not formally depart)
Do not confuse real taxes (& airport charges) with carrrier imposed surcharges (=airline profit)
For example
- the UK ADP applies on stopover but not a transit (less than 24hrs?)
- Australia has a departure tax, but if you transit that does apply (as you never formally enter Australia so do not formally depart)
Do not confuse real taxes (& airport charges) with carrrier imposed surcharges (=airline profit)
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Nov 27, 2015 at 2:38 pm
Nov 27, 2015, 2:30 pm
#1264
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
davidvc Welcome to FT
Real taxes / airport charges can vary with transit vs stopover
For example
- the UK ADP apples on stopover but not a transit (less than 24hrs?)
- Australia has a departure tax, but if you transit that does apply (as you never formally enter Australia so do not formally depart)
Do not confuse real taxes (& airport charges) with carrrier imposed surcharges (=airline profit)
Real taxes / airport charges can vary with transit vs stopover
For example
- the UK ADP apples on stopover but not a transit (less than 24hrs?)
- Australia has a departure tax, but if you transit that does apply (as you never formally enter Australia so do not formally depart)
Do not confuse real taxes (& airport charges) with carrrier imposed surcharges (=airline profit)
Fuel and insurance surcharges will appear in the taxes/fees box on the ticket of course.
But yes, the airline surcharges can vary based on stopover and many other factors. Adding together the YQ/YR fees from individual sectors on ITA will not necessarily be a perfect predictor of the total YQ/YR line on a RTW ticket.
Nov 27, 2015, 6:43 pm
#1265
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: used to be PER, now it's nowhere/eveywhere
Programs: QFF NB, AA GLD
Posts: 3,474
I priced it up in the tool (BA is the first carrier so I can do that)
Then I got the taxes, fees and charges breakdown from ITA Matrix
And what I found was:
- taxes and fees matched exactly except for three taxes which Matrix had and the Tool didn't - they are the US International Arrival and Departure taxes and the Russian International Terminal Use tax
- the BIG difference was in airline charges; the Matrix gave a total of ZAR5664 while the Tool had ZAR11008, so a difference of ZAR5344 (about USD380)
Go figure
Nov 29, 2015, 2:59 pm
#1266
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 18
First time xONEx questions...
Hey everybody! I've learned a lot on this and other threads here as I've been working on booking a LONE4 for leisure travel starting in August and going through the following June. I have some questions I haven't been able to find answers to, so taking it to the experts. If anyone has general advice/comments on the below routing, that would of course be appreciated as well!
Current routing: (which the online tool prices at $3991 + $532 = USD$4523) (great circle map)
(1) I am U.S.-based, and would typically depart from the NYC area, but happy to make YYZ my departure point since the online tool prices this itinerary as ~$2000 USD less than one departing from JFK. Will I actually be able to book with this lower price? I know the below is in the fare rules sheet, but I don't really understand its implications.
(2) The online tool errors out when I try to proceed to the payment screen, which from other threads I understand is most likely because I am starting in Canada and ending in the U.S.. Given that, how would I actually book this ticket? Call AA, or would I have to go through TAM since they're the first carrier? If calling AA, how do I actually pay given the YYZ start?
(4) What are the pros of leaving the out flights open-dated? My travel will be flexible, but it seems like picking random dates out in the future and then just moving them up to when I want them as I go is the same number of calls from the road and protects me more if they change their routes in the meantime, right?
(5) What else am I doing wrong/failing to think about?
Thank you very much - both for any advice here and all the helpful posts I have already read!
Current routing: (which the online tool prices at $3991 + $532 = USD$4523) (great circle map)
- YYZ
- GRU (JJ8103, via JFK)
- EZE (JJ8018)
- IPC (LA450 xSCL LA833)
- SCL (LA842)
- PEK (AA940 xDFW AA263)
- NRT (JL860)
- DEL (JL749)
- HKG (CX694)
- BKK (CX713)
- AMM (RJ183)
- IST (RJ165)
- MAD (IB3003)
- LAX (IB6171)
- OGG (AA271)
(1) I am U.S.-based, and would typically depart from the NYC area, but happy to make YYZ my departure point since the online tool prices this itinerary as ~$2000 USD less than one departing from JFK. Will I actually be able to book with this lower price? I know the below is in the fare rules sheet, but I don't really understand its implications.
When travel originates in a country for which a specific local currency fares is published and the ticket is sold in another country, the fare will be that published for the country of origin converted to the currency of the country of sale at the bank selling rate. The resultant fare must not be lower than from the country of sale.
(2a) The online tool does not error if I switch the final destination from OGG to YYZ. If nothing else, I could book this online and then call up (who? AA?) and incur the $125 change fee to switch it back, right?
(3) Codeshares. I don't have status on any airline and have minimal AA miles, but would assume it makes sense to earn AA miles on this ticket since I do most of my travel in domestic US. Are there any codeshares I should be trying to take advantage of on this itinerary? I admit I don't understand how these can be advantageous...(4) What are the pros of leaving the out flights open-dated? My travel will be flexible, but it seems like picking random dates out in the future and then just moving them up to when I want them as I go is the same number of calls from the road and protects me more if they change their routes in the meantime, right?
(5) What else am I doing wrong/failing to think about?
Thank you very much - both for any advice here and all the helpful posts I have already read!
Dec 1, 2015, 7:59 pm
#1267
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Welcome to FlyerTalk VaguelyCynical. I'm astonished no one else has taken that name yet. I think you will fit right in. 
You need to make the booking at a Canadian travel agent or a Canadian sales office of your preferred airline. The journey will probably be priced in Canadian dollars, so there may be some foreign exchange fee (if your credit levies such a fee) although it isn't strictly necessary to price it in the local currency if the agent/office knows its doing. You are allowed to book it without residing in Canada. You just have to buy it from a Canadian office. (So be aware that the contract would be interpreted according to the local Canadian law, but in all honesty, I doubt that is going to be a big deal.)
AA is probably the best carrier to ask: they can issue the ticket no problem, it's just that the tool picks the first carrier to do the ticketing.
Presumably you will pay with a credit card.
You could probably actually arrange this before they did the ticketing, if you were fast. But you'd need to contact JJ if they were the ticket issuer. In your shoes, I would call AA in Canada, instead of using the tool, and see where it went from there.
Yep, pick as many AA codeshares as you can (for mileage purposes). The tool doesn't show every codeshare, so you can try to investigate this yourself by looking at dummy bookings from an AA hub to points along your route, to try to see what codeshares exist.
The downside is that many agents don't seem to know how to leave the segments open. We had a discussion earlier where some people here thought it was impossible on e-tickets, although an old BA staffer chimed in to say they used to do it. The only flexibility is I think you don't need to worry about no showing or making multiple changes.
It's a long way to travel in Y class
I don't think anything springs to mind—enjoy your trip!
(1) I am U.S.-based, and would typically depart from the NYC area, but happy to make YYZ my departure point since the online tool prices this itinerary as ~$2000 USD less than one departing from JFK. Will I actually be able to book with this lower price? I know the below is in the fare rules sheet, but I don't really understand its implications.
(2) The online tool errors out when I try to proceed to the payment screen, which from other threads I understand is most likely because I am starting in Canada and ending in the U.S.. Given that, how would I actually book this ticket? Call AA, or would I have to go through TAM since they're the first carrier? If calling AA, how do I actually pay given the YYZ start?
Presumably you will pay with a credit card.
(3) Codeshares. I don't have status on any airline and have minimal AA miles, but would assume it makes sense to earn AA miles on this ticket since I do most of my travel in domestic US. Are there any codeshares I should be trying to take advantage of on this itinerary? I admit I don't understand how these can be advantageous...
(4) What are the pros of leaving the out flights open-dated? My travel will be flexible, but it seems like picking random dates out in the future and then just moving them up to when I want them as I go is the same number of calls from the road and protects me more if they change their routes in the meantime, right?
It's a long way to travel in Y class
I don't think anything springs to mind—enjoy your trip!
Dec 2, 2015, 12:44 pm
#1268
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,783
IME the tool shows very few codeshares. Also, don't rely on dummy bookings. Use the electronic timetable. Remember that most distant codeshares require either TPAC or TATL connection on AA metal or AA codeshare.
Dec 11, 2015, 10:09 pm
#1269
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Plat Ambassador
Posts: 35
Have a DONE4 Plan. What's next?
New to RTW travel and currently planning my first DONE4 (milestone birthday next year) -- ex-JNB in 2016 --with the following routing:
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO-MAD-IST-AMM-xDOH-JNB
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO (all QF)
SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO (all AA)
SFO-MAD (AA)
MAD-IST (IB)
IST-AMM (RJ)
AMM-JNB (QR)
I can't get the OW tool to price the route; I get an error that tells me to call QF customer service. Am I required to book with QF because they're the first carrier, or can I just call AA's RTW the desk to get things going and book the segments?
I've read in the wiki and earlier posts that I'll need an agent in SA to actually issue the ticket. I haven't used a travel agent in years, let alone one in another country! Is there a good resource in SA for this sort of thing?
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO-MAD-IST-AMM-xDOH-JNB
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO (all QF)
SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO (all AA)
SFO-MAD (AA)
MAD-IST (IB)
IST-AMM (RJ)
AMM-JNB (QR)
I can't get the OW tool to price the route; I get an error that tells me to call QF customer service. Am I required to book with QF because they're the first carrier, or can I just call AA's RTW the desk to get things going and book the segments?
I've read in the wiki and earlier posts that I'll need an agent in SA to actually issue the ticket. I haven't used a travel agent in years, let alone one in another country! Is there a good resource in SA for this sort of thing?
Dec 11, 2015, 11:42 pm
#1270
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
New to RTW travel and currently planning my first DONE4 (milestone birthday next year) -- ex-JNB in 2016 --with the following routing:
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO-MAD-IST-AMM-xDOH-JNB
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO (all QF)
SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO (all AA)
SFO-MAD (AA)
MAD-IST (IB)
IST-AMM (RJ)
AMM-JNB (QR)
I can't get the OW tool to price the route; I get an error that tells me to call QF customer service. Am I required to book with QF because they're the first carrier, or can I just call AA's RTW the desk to get things going and book the segments?
I've read in the wiki and earlier posts that I'll need an agent in SA to actually issue the ticket. I haven't used a travel agent in years, let alone one in another country! Is there a good resource in SA for this sort of thing?
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO-MAD-IST-AMM-xDOH-JNB
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO (all QF)
SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO (all AA)
SFO-MAD (AA)
MAD-IST (IB)
IST-AMM (RJ)
AMM-JNB (QR)
I can't get the OW tool to price the route; I get an error that tells me to call QF customer service. Am I required to book with QF because they're the first carrier, or can I just call AA's RTW the desk to get things going and book the segments?
I've read in the wiki and earlier posts that I'll need an agent in SA to actually issue the ticket. I haven't used a travel agent in years, let alone one in another country! Is there a good resource in SA for this sort of thing?
You may have to call AA's agent in ZA to arrange this at the low price, others have better experience of this than I do.
Dec 12, 2015, 1:00 am
#1271
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: used to be PER, now it's nowhere/eveywhere
Programs: QFF NB, AA GLD
Posts: 3,474
New to RTW travel and currently planning my first DONE4 (milestone birthday next year) -- ex-JNB in 2016 --with the following routing:
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO-MAD-IST-AMM-xDOH-JNB
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO (all QF)
SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO (all AA)
SFO-MAD (AA)
MAD-IST (IB)
IST-AMM (RJ)
AMM-JNB (QR)
I can't get the OW tool to price the route; I get an error that tells me to call QF customer service. Am I required to book with QF because they're the first carrier, or can I just call AA's RTW the desk to get things going and book the segments?
I've read in the wiki and earlier posts that I'll need an agent in SA to actually issue the ticket. I haven't used a travel agent in years, let alone one in another country! Is there a good resource in SA for this sort of thing?
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO-MAD-IST-AMM-xDOH-JNB
JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO (all QF)
SFO-ORD-YUL-xDFW-SFO (all AA)
SFO-MAD (AA)
MAD-IST (IB)
IST-AMM (RJ)
AMM-JNB (QR)
I can't get the OW tool to price the route; I get an error that tells me to call QF customer service. Am I required to book with QF because they're the first carrier, or can I just call AA's RTW the desk to get things going and book the segments?
I've read in the wiki and earlier posts that I'll need an agent in SA to actually issue the ticket. I haven't used a travel agent in years, let alone one in another country! Is there a good resource in SA for this sort of thing?
One option is to set up a basic RTW itinerary in the online tool and ticket it. Then later pay the USD125 change fee to tweak it the way you want it. For example this itinerary does price up in the tool - JNB-SYD-ADL-SYD-SFO-MAD-DOH-JNB.
Dec 12, 2015, 4:53 am
#1272
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL
Programs: AA 4MM EXP; Starwood Lifetime Plt
Posts: 2,498
One poster reported above that it is possible to get ticketing done by BA in JNB. You could try setting up your itinerary by phone with BA and then ticket by phone. Back in the Mauritius days I did ticketing this way (but I had to go to the BA office in Mauritius to pick up paper tickets).
Dec 12, 2015, 9:53 am
#1273
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
BA has a large operation down in South Africa with their Comair franchisee (and LON-JNB is one of their most profitable routes), so the advantage is that you are actually dealing with the airline directly and not some sort of agent.
Dec 12, 2015, 4:30 pm
#1274
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
The online tool has many "issues" and for some reason oneworld doesn't seem interested in fixing them. 
Any oneworld member can (in theory) issue a ticket for a oneworld product. The "first marketing carrier tickets" is an limitation in the online tool which some agents seem to think is an actually rule rather then a programming shortcut. I've had to quote fare rules to some agents insisting this was a rule and refusing to give a fare quote based on the "rule".
The main issue with payments is there is a rule that says if buying a ticket in another country, the higher fare of the country of sale vs country of origin applies. eg, if I buy an ex-Japan RTW from an agent in Australia, I'd be made to pay the ex-Australia price as it is more expensive then the Japan price, thus I need an agent in Japan to issue that ticket.
The online tool assumes country of sale and country of origin are the same and prices accordingly, however the bugs in the tool often create the need to find agents overseas.
However, due to a misunderstanding of this rule, some agents (such as AA GSA Mindpearl in South Africa) are taking this rule to mean the card used for payment must be local. Whereas the rule just means that an agent in South Africa needs to sell the ticket in order to get the South Africa price.
Maybe CX SA will issue an ex-SA ticket without the problems Mindpearl has been causing lately
http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_A...etails.ZA.html
I get an error that tells me to call QF customer service. Am I required to book with QF because they're the first carrier, or can I just call AA's RTW the desk to get things going and book the segments?
The main issue with payments is there is a rule that says if buying a ticket in another country, the higher fare of the country of sale vs country of origin applies. eg, if I buy an ex-Japan RTW from an agent in Australia, I'd be made to pay the ex-Australia price as it is more expensive then the Japan price, thus I need an agent in Japan to issue that ticket.
The online tool assumes country of sale and country of origin are the same and prices accordingly, however the bugs in the tool often create the need to find agents overseas.
However, due to a misunderstanding of this rule, some agents (such as AA GSA Mindpearl in South Africa) are taking this rule to mean the card used for payment must be local. Whereas the rule just means that an agent in South Africa needs to sell the ticket in order to get the South Africa price.
Maybe CX SA will issue an ex-SA ticket without the problems Mindpearl has been causing lately
http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_A...etails.ZA.html
Dec 12, 2015, 5:42 pm
#1275
Moderator, OneWorld
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: SEA
Programs: RAA RIP; AA ExEXP
Posts: 11,806
With its buggy tool, Oneworld is defaulting to individual airlines and their revenue/tariff departments, and GSAs like Mindpearl, to do the interpretation and brokering on ticket issuance, route verification, etc. As consumers we apparently have no recourse when one of these parties does something counter to the rules; there's no Oneworld policy police to blow the whistle.
I've been trying to find a travel agent in South Africa who could consummate sales of Oneworld RTW tickets but so far I've drawn a blank. I've sent several emails to large-ish TAs in Joburg and Cape Town, and have asked some South African FTers for recommendations, but nothing yet. I will persevere. Meantime, I guess "do your best" and "be patient" are the salient bits of advice.
I also recommend at least trying to use the tool with very limited itineraries, then once the ticket is issued, using the re-issue vehicle, which doesn't have to be handled by the issuing country people, to put it right, even if it costs $125 to do so. (In other words see if you can get the tool to price something like JNB-SYD-LAX-JFK-LHR-JNB, then once issued, populate the rest of the flights through a reissue. Make it easy on the bad robot.)