Forgive me in advance if this has been covered elsewhere but with the search function down and the google search not being very functional....

My existing DONE5 is ticketed is as follows:

...SCL-UIO,LIM-SCL-GIG-MAD.....

I would like to change it to the following:

...SCL-LIM-EZE-GRU,GIG-MAD....

The problem that I have run into is that the One World Schedule on the website does not appear to show any direct flights LIM-EZE (the schedule seems to return flights that all connect in SCL, and not one comes up as the same flight # throughout, although it appears from Lan's website that LA 601 flies LIM-EZE, stopping enroute in SCL) . I know that Lan Peru flies LIM-EZE directly on two different flights, LanPeru 427 & LanPeru 515. Can either of these flights be booked on a xONEx? I know that Lan Ecuador is explicitly non permitted. The AA agent that I talked to cannot "see" the Lan Peru flights. Maybe the flights are seasonal?

LA 601 is bookable, but from what I can see there's no service scheduled beyond April.

LP 515 & LP 427 are also bookable, but they show no service beyond early may.

I don't know if this is just because LA/LP have simply not loaded their winter schedules or maybe because that service will be discountinued.

Either way they are not in the system past april/may, so I can't see that you will be allowed to have the ticket reissued as LIM-EZE, without a valid flight being available.

Many thanks for the quick response. I'll try again in Nov '05. Hopefully these flights will be on the schedules for this time next year.

<dupe>

Good news: I have just checked with Amadeus and both LP 427 and LP 515 show as operating right through to the end of '05. You should be able to have your ticket reissued as LIM-EZE right now, without a problem.

I may still be stuck with a timing issue on this. Sometime late next month, I will be booking two seats in D for the precious and very difficult to get SYD-SCL flights, which will be flown in late Feb/early March of next year. (As of right now, the latest leg that is booked with assigned seats is leg 9 of 20, which is booked for HKG-BNE on 12/30/05). Since all of the South American legs of our DONE5 will occur after the SYD-SCL flight, will I have to wait for LP 427 & LP 515 to show as operating in Mar '06 to have this ticket change processed, or can the ticket be changed now with LP 427 & LP 515 available only until the end of '05?

There are others here, with more experience on reissues, who can better comment on this but as I understand it you can have the ticket reissued now, with the LIM-EZE segment open. In any case, since it is now clear both LP 427 & LP 515 are here to stay, you have ample time to have this done. After all, I agree, right now you have more important things to do, like getting two seats on SYD-SCL for late Feb/early Mar (peak of peaks).

Agree - this should be your priority. LAN here in Auckland have been absolutely disgusting to my TA trying to get availability (she has had to ring them about 20 times as they kept not getting back to her and saying that there was no availability on a plane that was almost *completely* empty in all classes).

Not that this will make you feel any better, but two relatives of mine are Comodoros (OW Emerald) and one of them, for family reasons, needs two seats SCL-SYD-SCL every year, out in Jan, back in late Feb/early Mar, and every year, without fail, even as a Comodoro, controlling a six-figure travel budget with LAN, has a hell of a time getting those seats. So, the pressure from SCL (and SYD) is so great during Feb/Mar that it is of no surprise to me your AKL TA is losing her hair.

Wow, that makes me glad I am not a Comodoro with LAN. I guess I can understand it if the flight is full but I do not when the plane is running at 20%. Interesting airline, LAN...

There is not much competition on this route. I am hoping Emirates in their expansion-craze will add NZ-South America. That would let them fly RTW.

Can I get some advice as to when to try to secure the 2 seats on the SYD-SCL flight (travel anytime between Feb 25 '06 and March 15 '06) and how I should go about trying to get the seats? At that time, both Mrs. BdaDiver and I should be AA Platinum, if that will help. The dates are fairly flexible, which should help us a little bit as well.

Exactly when can I call to try to get a seat, i.e. how many days in advance of the travel date?

Also, which airline should I call to get the seats assigned? Should I call AA (it's an AA issued ticket) or should I call LA (because that is the airline that we will be flying)? Thus far, for other flights that were initially ticketed as open dated, I have had AA fill in the requested dates successfully (with assigned seat for all BA & Qantas flights, CX seats will be assigned later this spring).

As an aside, the flight availability tool, http://www.flyaow.com/classcwt.html, says that it can provide availability information through the next 330 days. As of today, it is showing availability as follows for Jan 18 '06, (the latest date that I could get information):

Class: F4 A4 J4 D4 I4 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V4 S9 N4 Q9 O4