Planning a Aone4 for late next jan to april for myself and Mrs DocH. Have worked through a lot of threads and arrived at the following:

ist-lhr-yvr-dfw-jfk-sfo-hnl-syd-wlg,akl-mel-cns-
per-hkg-nrt-hkg-sin-bkk-lhr-dxb-lhr-ist

On the wish list to see that aren't included already are: NAN, PEK, ADL and more of NZ (Planning on driving up through the North Island, but wouldn't mind seeing some of the south Island). I dont mind buying additional tickets if essential.

Not that fussed on NRT or DFW, both are there for combination of TP and miles, so could miss those destinations, if anyone has better suggestions.

Am aiming to maximise the First experience, and collect BA TPs and miles. (Mrs DocH should be gold by BKK) The LHR-DXB return, I'm planning to keep for late in the year.

Never ceased to be amazed by the expertise on the forum and would appreciate advice for improvements.

Many thanks

In case you aren't already aware, there is no F service on HNL-SYD. I don't think it has the skybeds either, so you'll be subject to the old dreamtime seats, which are fine for a 3-hour trans-tasman flight, but probably too tight for a 10-hour pacific flight.
Unfortunately, there's no way around this on an OWE if you want to visit HNL, at least not until JL joins OW. If you want the TPs (not that familiar with BAEC, but I assume you're looking for long segments), maybe try a jaunt to Anchorage (ANC), though I don't know if it operates during your timeframe, or even if you'd want to go there! Maybe YVR-DFW-ANC-DFW-JFK-SFO? And then continue SFO-SYD on the new QF flight (in F!)

You might also considering doing YVR-JFK-DFW-SFO instead of your routing, so you can fly CX YVR-JFK, which is certainly nicer than the AA JFK-SFO flight, which will probably be hard to book in 3-class F anyway (only 2-3 flights per day and advance A inventory is usually very limited). With ANC, perhaps make that YVR-JFK-DFW-ANC-DFW-SFO.

It seems a bit of a waste to have an AONE4 when the only F you get above a DONE4 is LHR-YVR JFK-SFO (if you can get availability), HKG-NRT-HKG and LHR-DXB-LHR.

You could reorder the destinations and get a lot more real F, and get down to the south island (take the ferry across with your hire car)...

IST-LHR-YVR-DFW-SFO (buy separate SFO-HNL-SFO) JFK-HKG-BKK-SIN-HKG-PEK-SYD-CHC//AKL-ADL-CNS-PER-MEL-LHR-DXB-LHR-IST

The original is 48189 base miles. My reroute is 62669 at the extra cost of a SFO-HNL-SFO and one extra bought segment in SWPacific. But you get a lot more long haul in real F, you get to see ADL, PEK and more of NZ. NAN is not possible on a OneWorld Explorer - you'd need to buy a side ticket in any case...

Some food for thought here.

Doesn't this route, however, fall foul of the not crossing Australia twice rule. Ther is a CNS-PER and a PER- MEL. Also I cannot find any OW direct flights AKL-ADL or ADL-CNS , as both routes go via either SYD or MEL. Am I reading this wrong? Also Wouldn't the MEL-LHR count as two sectors as it stops en route?

The North American part does make a lot of sense to me though. Many thanks for your help.

From the rules:
136N . 7. WITHIN AUSTRALIA - 1 NONSTOP OR SINGLE PLANE
137N . FLIGHT PERMITTED BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING
138N . CITIES:
139N . * BNE/CNS/SYD AND PER
140N . EXCEPTION - NO RESTRICTION BETWEEN SYD-PER
141N . FOR
142N . PASSENGERS ORIGINATING PER OR NEW ZEALAND
143N . WHEN IN
144N . CONJUNCTION WITH TRAVEL TO/FROM AFRICA
145N . * MEL/SYD AND DRW
146N . * MEL/SYD AND BME
147N . EXCEPTION - NO RESTRICTION BETWEEN SYD/MEL-
148N . PER
149N . FOR PASSENGERS ORIGINATING IN PER WHEN IN
150N . CONJUNCTION WITH TRAVEL TO/FROM
151N . JNB/BOM/SHA/PEK

AKL-ADL Mon Wed Thu QF 54 (JetConnect.) Yes, 2 transcons in Oz, so make it AKL-ADL-PER-CNS-MEL-LHR as ADL-PER is kosher. DFW-ANC is mid-May - Oct 1 or so, ORD-ANC June-Sept. Both are about the only 2000+ mile F flights in N. America that are not transcons. (ORD/DFW-SJU are over 2000 mi. but not sold as F, just J, so fewer TPs.)

Yes, Dreamtime on HNL-SYD. If you want to go to HNL on your own then look for a YUP fare for 360 TP round trip - lots of discussion on the BA board now and then.

Also don't forget QF offers F on YVR-SFO and v.v in season, and CX has F on YVR-JFK and v.v.

Happy planning.

Unfortunately, you wont be able to do NAN as part of a *ONE*.

Thanks for the help so far ^ . Perhaps I might revise the itinerary to the one below.

ist-LHR-YVR-jfk-bgi-jfk-dfw-SFO-syd-chc, (drive to akl, pay for akl-adl) adl-per-cns-SYD-pek-hkg-sin-BKK-LHR-DXB-lhr-ist.

I think it makes 7 sectors in proper F (which start with airport in capitals). It wont work in the rtw checker as the SFO_SIN gets rejected as does SYD-PEK, but from earlier comments these are new services and should work.

Is the JFK-BGI in a proper F as well?

Any improvements or problems suggested for this?

Well yes, but if you do hkg-bkk-sin-lhr in that order then all of those segments can be in F. And YVR-JFK is a much lesser F flight than JFK-YVR since JFK-YVR gets the ful salmon/caviar meal service. It seems a great shame to me to do an AONE4 without any longhaul CX F...

Thanks for that ^ . So how about:

ist-LHR-SFO-DFW-jfk-bgi-jfk-YVR-SFO-syd-chc, (drive to akl, pay for akl-adl) adl-per-cns, (Pay for CNS-SYD), SYD-pek-hkg-bkk-sin-LHR-DXB-lhr-ist?

I'll think further about how I can try to work in a CX F.

Any further comments on the above? Am I paying for the correct segments?

No, J only to the Caribbean.

But AA J to Canada/Caribbean is identical in all respects to their domestic US F service. The only difference may be in the amount of miles/points that you earn in your frequent flyer programme.

CNS-PER-MEL is OK. While CNS-PER is on the restricted list of single transcons in Oz, PER-MEL is not on the restricted list and is perfectly fine.

My schedules are showing SYD-PEK operated by a QF A330-300, which only offers J (skybeds). If you can get on SYD-HKG on CX, that would be better, but you'll probably end up having to purchase one of the HKG-PEK legs, if you really want to go to PEK. I think the only F out of Australia to Asia is SYD-BKK/SIN/HKG and MEL-SIN/HKG, and they're long enough flights to want F over J.

Yeah I was trapped in a wee timewarp. PER-MEL was okay, then it was on the forbidden list sometime last year IIRC, now it's okay. Memory edited.