My first AONE4
Feb 5, 2005 | 10:04 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AA GLD/1MM, Marriott GLD, IHG Spire
Posts: 75
My first AONE4
I'm planning my first AONE4, and I think it's ready for vetting by the experts here. My primary goal is to visit Australia, New Zealand, Rome, and Prague, but I also have some secondary goals:
- Find out what F is like. AA J is the limit of my meager experience.
- Sample some airlines other than AA (CX and BA in particular).
- Fly on a 747 for the first time.
- Accumulate AAdvantage miles.
- EXP (this trip combined with my normal business travel should do it).
I've been lurking here for a while now, and I've studied the FAQ and the various timetables. I think I have a pretty good grasp of the rules and have devised what I believe to be a valid itinerary (asterisks denote stopovers):
DFW-SFO*-HKG*-NRT*-HKG-SIN-HKG-SYD*-CHC*-BNE*-PER*-MEL*-LHR//MAD-FCO*-HEL-PRG*-LHR-YVR-JFK*-DFW
That surface segment between LHR and MAD is more of an intermission. I'm planning to return home from LHR on a separate ticket, and I'll be traveling to MAD for work soon after. Once my work is complete, I'll finish the remainder of my AONE4.
Now that I think about it, that trip from DFW to MAD will likely entail the return leg of my LHR-DFW ticket combined with an LHR-MAD-LHR round-trip. Might as well just resume the AONE4 from LHR.
A few questions:
- I added SIN as a mileage run; any compelling reason to stop there?
- QF or BA from MEL to LHR?
- Any suggestions for a twentieth segment? The only thing I've come up with is changing the first segment to DFW-ORD-SFO. Pretty much everything else I tried breaks a rule or would require me to buy a fifth segment in Asia, Europe, or SWP.
- What do I do once I'm ready to book this? Just call up AA and ask for the xONEx gurus?
Any other suggestions/improvements are certainly welcome.
- Find out what F is like. AA J is the limit of my meager experience.
- Sample some airlines other than AA (CX and BA in particular).
- Fly on a 747 for the first time.
- Accumulate AAdvantage miles.
- EXP (this trip combined with my normal business travel should do it).
I've been lurking here for a while now, and I've studied the FAQ and the various timetables. I think I have a pretty good grasp of the rules and have devised what I believe to be a valid itinerary (asterisks denote stopovers):
DFW-SFO*-HKG*-NRT*-HKG-SIN-HKG-SYD*-CHC*-BNE*-PER*-MEL*-LHR//MAD-FCO*-HEL-PRG*-LHR-YVR-JFK*-DFW
That surface segment between LHR and MAD is more of an intermission. I'm planning to return home from LHR on a separate ticket, and I'll be traveling to MAD for work soon after. Once my work is complete, I'll finish the remainder of my AONE4.
Now that I think about it, that trip from DFW to MAD will likely entail the return leg of my LHR-DFW ticket combined with an LHR-MAD-LHR round-trip. Might as well just resume the AONE4 from LHR.
A few questions:
- I added SIN as a mileage run; any compelling reason to stop there?
- QF or BA from MEL to LHR?
- Any suggestions for a twentieth segment? The only thing I've come up with is changing the first segment to DFW-ORD-SFO. Pretty much everything else I tried breaks a rule or would require me to buy a fifth segment in Asia, Europe, or SWP.
- What do I do once I'm ready to book this? Just call up AA and ask for the xONEx gurus?
Any other suggestions/improvements are certainly welcome.
Feb 5, 2005 | 10:53 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Madrid, Spain & Santiago, Chile
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,181
Originally Posted by AintSpike
- I added SIN as a mileage run; any compelling reason to stop there?
- QF or BA from MEL to LHR?
- Any suggestions for a twentieth segment?
Feb 5, 2005 | 1:15 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 16,676
Originally Posted by AintSpike
DFW-SFO*-HKG*-NRT*-HKG-SIN-HKG-SYD*-CHC*-BNE*-PER*-MEL*-LHR//MAD-FCO*-HEL-PRG*-LHR-YVR-JFK*-DFW
That surface segment between LHR and MAD is more of an intermission. I'm planning to return home from LHR on a separate ticket, and I'll be traveling to MAD for work soon after. Once my work is complete, I'll finish the remainder of my AONE4.
Now that I think about it, that trip from DFW to MAD will likely entail the return leg of my LHR-DFW ticket combined with an LHR-MAD-LHR round-trip. Might as well just resume the AONE4 from LHR.
- QF or BA from MEL to LHR?
- Any suggestions for a twentieth segment? The only thing I've come up with is changing the first segment to DFW-ORD-SFO. Pretty much everything else I tried breaks a rule or would require me to buy a fifth segment in Asia, Europe, or SWP.
- What do I do once I'm ready to book this? Just call up AA and ask for the xONEx gurus?
Any other suggestions/improvements are certainly welcome.
That surface segment between LHR and MAD is more of an intermission. I'm planning to return home from LHR on a separate ticket, and I'll be traveling to MAD for work soon after. Once my work is complete, I'll finish the remainder of my AONE4.
Now that I think about it, that trip from DFW to MAD will likely entail the return leg of my LHR-DFW ticket combined with an LHR-MAD-LHR round-trip. Might as well just resume the AONE4 from LHR.
- QF or BA from MEL to LHR?
- Any suggestions for a twentieth segment? The only thing I've come up with is changing the first segment to DFW-ORD-SFO. Pretty much everything else I tried breaks a rule or would require me to buy a fifth segment in Asia, Europe, or SWP.
- What do I do once I'm ready to book this? Just call up AA and ask for the xONEx gurus?
Any other suggestions/improvements are certainly welcome.
For QF or BA MEL-LHR I would also pick BA but search this forum and you will find others that liked QF.
For Booking call the RTW desk. Here's a thread with phone numbers.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=390790
Instead of reading the entire route off to them over the phone, I usually call, tell them what I'm doing then fly the itinerary to the attention of the agent I was talking to then call back later.
You are probably aware of this but it is substantially cheaper to start in any number of other countries. If there is any way for you to rearrange your schedule so that you start from CAI, WAW, or some spots in Asia I would do it.
Feb 5, 2005 | 3:38 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AA GLD/1MM, Marriott GLD, IHG Spire
Posts: 75
Originally Posted by jerry a. laska
If I was doing this I would just buy a separate ticket for one of your EUR routes and save the EUR segments to fly BA F to DXB. Using your AONE segments to fly in Club Europe seems like such a waste especially when you could fly to Prague or Rome for a reasonable price.
For QF or BA MEL-LHR I would also pick BA but search this forum and you will find others that liked QF.
You are probably aware of this but it is substantially cheaper to start in any number of other countries. If there is any way for you to rearrange your schedule so that you start from CAI, WAW, or some spots in Asia I would do it.
Feb 6, 2005 | 10:51 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 1,100
Originally Posted by AintSpike
Once I get the green light, I might have as little as a week to finalize plans, book this ticket, find hotel rooms, tie up loose ends at the office, etc., before I have to start. In my mind, it's worth the extra cash just to take one less scheduling headache off the table up-front.
Feb 7, 2005 | 10:26 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 16,676
Originally Posted by Imperial Special
Isn't there an advance purchase requirement for an AONE/RTW? Is a week enough?
74N RESERVATIONS/TICKETING
75N -----------------------
76N .
77N . * RESERVATIONS FOR THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT
78N . AND ALL PRECEDING FLIGHTS ARE REQUIRED AS
79N . OUTLINED IN THE CHARTS BELOW.
80N . * ALL OTHER SEGMENTS MAY BE OPEN.
81N . * TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED AS OUTLINED IN THE
82N . CHARTS BELOW.
83N ORIGIN IN AREA 1
84N .
85N X INDICATES NUMBER OF DAYS
86N .
87N ------------------------------------------------------
88N I FARE BASIS I RESERVATIONS I TICKET MUST BE I
89N I I ARE MADE X I ISSUED: I
90N I I DAYS PRIOR TO I I
91N I I DEPARTURE OF I I
92N I I FIRST FLIGHT I I
93N ------------------------------------------------------
94N I AONE I 7 DAYS I 7 DAYS PRIOR TO I
95N I I I DEPARTURE I
96N ------------------------------------------------------
97N I DONE I 7 DAYS I 7 DAYS PRIOR TO I
98N I I I DEPARTURE I
99N ------------------------------------------------------
100N I L-ONE I 22 OR MORE I 21 DAYS PRIOR TO I
101N I I DAYS I DEPARTURE I
102N ------------------------------------------------------
103N I - I 21 TO 8 DAYS I 7 DAYS PRIOR TO I
104N I I I DEPARTURE I
105N ------------------------------------------------------
75N -----------------------
76N .
77N . * RESERVATIONS FOR THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT
78N . AND ALL PRECEDING FLIGHTS ARE REQUIRED AS
79N . OUTLINED IN THE CHARTS BELOW.
80N . * ALL OTHER SEGMENTS MAY BE OPEN.
81N . * TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED AS OUTLINED IN THE
82N . CHARTS BELOW.
83N ORIGIN IN AREA 1
84N .
85N X INDICATES NUMBER OF DAYS
86N .
87N ------------------------------------------------------
88N I FARE BASIS I RESERVATIONS I TICKET MUST BE I
89N I I ARE MADE X I ISSUED: I
90N I I DAYS PRIOR TO I I
91N I I DEPARTURE OF I I
92N I I FIRST FLIGHT I I
93N ------------------------------------------------------
94N I AONE I 7 DAYS I 7 DAYS PRIOR TO I
95N I I I DEPARTURE I
96N ------------------------------------------------------
97N I DONE I 7 DAYS I 7 DAYS PRIOR TO I
98N I I I DEPARTURE I
99N ------------------------------------------------------
100N I L-ONE I 22 OR MORE I 21 DAYS PRIOR TO I
101N I I DAYS I DEPARTURE I
102N ------------------------------------------------------
103N I - I 21 TO 8 DAYS I 7 DAYS PRIOR TO I
104N I I I DEPARTURE I
105N ------------------------------------------------------
Feb 7, 2005 | 11:23 am
#7
Moderator, OneWorld
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: SEA
Programs: RAA RIP; AA ExEXP
Posts: 12,517
Originally Posted by AintSpike
I have considered this, but the logistics are tough. My hands are tied by work right now; I have my boss's blessing to take a 5-week sabbatical this spring, but I have to make it fit in a window of opportunity on my current project which has an as-yet-undefined start date. Once I get the green light, I might have as little as a week to finalize plans, book this ticket, find hotel rooms, tie up loose ends at the office, etc., before I have to start. In my mind, it's worth the extra cash just to take one less scheduling headache off the table up-front.