Help with first AONE3 ticket
 

I'm in the process of planning my first AONE3 ticket and even though I've read all the background information I wanted to call on your expertise to see if this trip is possible within the rules:

WAW-LHR (BA)
LHR-JFK (BA)
JFK-SFO (AA)
SFO-HKG (CX)
HKG-DPS (CX)
DPS-HKG (CX)
HKG-LHR (BA)
LHR-TLV (BA)
TLV-LHR (BA)
LHR-WAW (BA)

I want to keep the ticket to 3 continents therefore my main concern is TLV regarded a part of Europe.

Is there a difference in buying the ticket from BA Poland or the AA RTW-desk? I noticed that Gaza made some comments about BA in an earlier post.

The itin looks fine to me, provided that no more than 1 of your London visits are stopovers (stay of more than 24 hours).

You might wish to consider leaving at least the HKG-LHR segment open (though many here, myself included, would suggest leaving all but the first flight open). Leaving that segment open will let you easily chose between the BA and CX flights, and you'll have already experienced both to make a fair comparison. (The rules allow you to switch carriers even if the segment is boooked at the time of ticketing, but some carriersagents will give you a hard time about it.)

Thanks for your quick response.
All the trips into LHR are for more than 24 hours.
Going to Warsaw to start the ticket, then returning home to London.
Then some weeks later starting the "main trip".
Added TLV to the end as wanted to get more value out of the ticket. But would not travel until some months after my return from HKG. And probably wouldn't bother with the last leg to WAW. Will this cause a problem?

Would probably travel back from HKG to LHR with BA due to bonus tier miles that I wouldn't receive on CX.

You can only have two stopovers in Continent of origin max. It looks like you have three, or I have misread it.

Edited to add: Looks like you also have a stopover at TLV, so that makes four.

Would it be within the rules to book the last WAW leg within 24 hours of my return from TLV (and then perhaps forget to go to the airport!)

You'll need to cut down the total stopovers to two in Europe. TLV-LHR-WAW will not be counted as a stopover if you arrive and depart LHR within 24 hours.

I was planning on having the following stopovers:

WAW-LHR (BA) - stopover in Europe
LHR-JFK (BA) - stopover in US
JFK-SFO (AA) - stopover in US
SFO-HKG (CX) - stopover in Asia
HKG-DPS (CX) - stopover in Asia
DPS-HKG (CX) -no stopover
HKG-LHR (BA) - stopover in Europe
LHR-TLV (BA) - stopover in Mid East/Europe
TLV-LHR (BA) - no stopover
LHR-WAW (BA) - end of trip

If I understand correctly, to make this a valid ticket I'll need to remove the extra trip to TLV (I won't want to go there straight after HKG).

Yes, either that or spend less than 24 hours in TLV if that's possible.

I have often not flown the last sector of a BA ticket. Would it be safe to assume that if I missed the flight back to WAW, BA wouldn't try to recalculate the ticket price and send the bailiffs round?

There is nothing wrong with your trip except for what has been noted regarding your stopovers although you are not maximising your tier point earning potential in the USA. You are also missing out on other long haul tier points in Asia.

Of course, you may want to do more with your time than fly to multiple cities for no reason other than gaining miles and points but we can't all be perfect!! :D :p :D

Depending on the time of year there are good earning opportunities from ORD and DFW to ANC. These are worth 180 tier points each way. You can also fly to SJU from ORD and DFW although as only Business Class is offered on these routes they are only worth 120 points.

In Asia you can fly to CTS (Sapporo, Japan) for a long-haul segment.

WRT your stopovers. If time allows I'd recommend trying an out and back to WAW. I am flying out on a Saturday morning and back again on Saturday afternoon. I've timed it so that I get a night at LHR before heading out to ORD. This would mean your first stopover would be on your return from HKG. You could then easily do TLV but only check your luggage to LHR and "miss" your flight to WAW.

As you note I am finding BA very difficult to do business with. I've priced out a similar itinerary with AA RTW desk and it is working out MUCH cheaper than with BA. I'm currently waiting on word back from Tal Aviation (AA's GSA in WAW) about ticketing options.

Gaza

Thanks for your reply.
I had considered after leaving DPS to go to HKG, then SIN and then back to LHR for the miles and points. But I though it seemed a little crazy going backwards and forwards (but I did consider it!).
Going to WAW the day before "departure" could be difficult even though it would solve my TLV problem (and TLV would be worth 240 pts).

So far BA Poland have been ok, but I'm still waiting for the fare.
Once I have that, I'll call AA and compare (but will lose AMEX triple points).

Unless BA poland have changed, I think you will find you cannot use your BA Amex. The only option they gave me was to send the funds by International Money transfer as they cannot accept foreign registered CC's. They said I may be able to pay for the ticket on arrive at the airport with my CC but could not confirm it.

they dont have your credit card, they cannot do anything to you.
i guess you would jsut save that segment to later....until 12 months later you conviently forgot it.

regarding long haul in asia,
since you are on F, i would suggest NRT on CX, definitely worth the hassle.
(CTS does not have F, i think)