Hi.
I booked a LONE4 with my travel agent, who had no knowledge about the xONEx fares, so she called BA to validate and price the itinerary (they use BA as ticketing agent).
Itinerary as follows:
ARN-MAD-SCL-GRU//GIG-SCL-IPC-SCL-AKL//CHC-SYD-CNS-NRT//KIX-HKG-SIN-BKK-HEL-ARN

Now, BA told my travel agent to count the intercontinental flights as a segment in each continent, for example MAD-SCL would count as one segment in SA, thus leaving my with 3 free segments left in SA, so I had to pay 150USD for IPC-SCL. As I read the rules I understood that this was wrong, so I first called my TA who called BA TA-support, but she got the answer that the rules were like that.
I decided to call BA to find out, and after having spoken to at least 10 ppl at CS in Germany and UK (where the calls from SE are routed for English-speaking service), I demanded to speak to a the person in charge, which I did get to speak.
He now told me that I was correct on the 4 segments within one continent, but that my route was not a valid LONE4 because it included a trip to IPC, which would not be allowed on a LONE4, and therefore my itinerary should be a LGLOB39. It would not fulfil the rules of a LGLOB39 either though, as I had 5 stopovers in SA, with only 4 allowed.

Now I don't care what he says about the LGLOB39, because I'm on a LONE4, and I don't want to switch. I cannot find anywhere in the rules that the Easter Island is excluded from the LONE4-fare, the only ticket I find with such a restriction is the OW VISIT SA PASS.

I called the AA RTW-desk (number from UserMark's starfiles) and they confirmed the 4 intracontinental segments and that it indeed was permitted to fly to IPC on a LONE4.

As BA is the ticketing agent, and my money went to BA, I will have to solve it with them, but I cannot find one competent person, who actually knows the rules.

Tomorrow, I will give the person in charge a call again and have him point out in the rules exactly where it says that IPC is excluded from the fare. I have printed out the Starfiles from UserMark, and I hope that they are current (with minimal changes, for example the 125USD change fee instead of 75USD).
Do you think that BA has the same set of rules as UserMark, as I assume that UserMark has got the rules from AA (the AA phone number)?
Can anyone here confirm that IPC is allowed on a LONE4? What strategy should I use to get him to read and understand the rules? Point him to the AA RTW-desk?
As I got told that I can only use 3 segments in each continent, I also want to book the 4th segment that I'm allowed to use for free, plus book the segment I payed 150USD for. That is the least they can do for me, I have spent much time fighting with their lousy, ignorant CS.

Hi mannen

I plugged your itinerary into the usually excellent OWE verification tool at http://jph.bytestacker.com/award.htm and it validated the itinerary.

Partial results below: (it will also calculate status credits/tier points etc. for QF, IB, BA or AA)

1: ARN-MAD: 1st of 4 (Europe)
2: MAD-SCL: intercontinental
3: SCL-GRU: 1st of 4 (South America)
4: GIG-SCL: 2nd of 4 (South America)
5: SCL-IPC: 3rd of 4 (South America)
6: IPC-SCL: 4th of 4 (South America)
7: SCL-AKL: intercontinental
8: CHC-SYD: 1st of 4 (Southwest Pacific)
9: SYD-CNS: 2nd of 4 (Southwest Pacific)
10: CNS-NRT: intercontinental
11: KIX-HKG: 1st of 4 (Asia)
12: HKG-SIN: 2nd of 4 (Asia)
13: SIN-BKK: 3rd of 4 (Asia)
14: BKK-HEL: intercontinental
15: HEL-ARN: 2nd of 4 (Europe)

Congratulations!! Valid itinerary!!! - (37794 miles)

So it looks like IPC is a valid destination (I haven't studied OWE rules lately but cannot think of a reason why it woudn't be),

Cheers

Since there are hardly any BA segments - why don't you ask your agent to issue it on LA or IB documentation and ask them to price your ticket for you?

BA agents are indeed not that versed in RTW tickets.

I would go to AA and get them to issue it rather than pay the fuel fines on top of the taxes; save a lot of money over getting BA to issue it

Dave

Nope, BA has its own rule book.

I had my LONE* issued by QF, and had absolutely no problems at all getting IPC included as part of South America (and it's definitely a worthwhile destination to include too). I'd agree with the others here and just get it ticketed through one of the other oneworld airlines that are more accommodating.

Because my travel agent only has a ticketing agreement with BA.

I solved the problem today by having a phone call with the same guy that I had spoken with tuesday, and he had checked the rules and apologized for not being up to date. IPC is a valid destination and the intercontinental segments do not count as a segment within a country.
Result: I'm allowed to book one more segment in each continent for free, 5 total in South America (I paid 150USD extra), 4 SWP, 4 Asia. Didn't ask about Europe but I guess I will be calling again...

There is a very important rule on the xONEx fare that is not in UserMark's starfiles, there is a limit on stopovers on the xONEx as well.

From what I recall seeing in Sabre with my TA, maximum stopovers in SA is 5, maximum stopovers Europe is 2, South Africa 5. This information is available in Sabre and Amadeus.

Thus, to make my itinerary valid, I had to move my GIG-SCL segment by one day to make it a transfer to SCL-IPC.

Conclution, don't use BA to book your itinerary, and if you have too, double check everyting because most of the people at BA have no clue about RTW tickets.

Actually the rule is that there is a maximum of 2 stopovers in your originating continent.

So I thought as well, but my travel agent looked up the rules in SABRE and there were restrictions on stopovers as well. Maybe the rules have changed recently, I don't know.

Anything is possible, but as you found out most travel agents who are not familiar with RTW's are not the best source of information. I have a regular agent at the AA RTW desk who is very proactive and would have advised me of such a change promptly.

---- called AA and they said only the usual rules, 2 stopovers in originating continent -----

[vent] I have been tempted more than once to pop into the OW HQ in be-yutiful Vancouver BeeCee and find somebody to lecture over the p*ss-poor job the alliance does of insuring that members understand shared products. I mean, courting Malev and Jordanian is swell, but why not help customers get compatible stories (if not service) from member airlines? [/vent]

The guy at BA callcenter looked it up in AMADEUS. My travel agent looked it up in SABRE and I saw it with my own eyes. I hope it's not BA having more restrictions than the other OW carriers, which I think would break the agreement.

The rules are the rules. Sometimes you get agents (in any OW airline) who think they understand the rules, but don't. If in doubt the AA RTW desk (+1 800 247 3247) is the place to go - they are superb.

(I say this having just come off a 20 minute phone call with them which set up a major reroute/reissue of my existing ticket and the mask for the next ticket to be issued by Emeco in Cairo shortly).