That's funny in a sick way - it seem like BA doesn't like the official OW fares so have invented their own???

Just off the phone with the US BA RTW desk who told me they're "not allowed to quote non-US origin fares since they [BA higher-ups] are worried we'd mistakenly sell one at a lower price." However, she tapped some keys for a bit and said, "okay, this is priced in Euros - ex-Bulgaria DONE4 is EUR 4899."

USD 4899 shows up in the starfile and on WBT's spreadsheet. Therefore,
indeed.

Haven't heard back from my Bulgar-connected TA as they are checking with BA in SOF to learn the ropes, but will advise. Frankly if the US BA people are seeing a Euro-denominated fare, what are the chances BA in Europe will see something else?

I've toyed with the idea of sending off a letter to Oneworld's YVR headquarters asking about synchronicity between members on common products. I'm hesitant to do so in case the "confusion is cleared" in favor of the BA position. Any thoughts?

Is this the fare for sitting in the lavatory? :rolleyes:

Wouldn't it be nice if ExpertFlyer included a link to the official xONEx database?

Since the good people who so kindly post the OWE starfile here haven't come forward and said "there was an update a few days ago and the starfile now shows Romania priced in Euro" (or not), it would appear that it takes some heroics to gain access to the official document.

I don't have access to any GDS, but I've seen a few data dumps over the years where the same RTW fare was quoted with different prices starting in the same city depending on the carrier. I suspect it's a desynchronization issue with the various systems the airlines use. It appears the AA fare and the BA fare are different, due to a loading error on one of the two systems. I remember some ex-CAI fares for the *A RTWs being different; AC was quoting the old prices, whereas LH and SQ had the new, much higher ones.

Much like with "tax harmonization" in the EU, you can wager your donkey that the least favorable option will prevail. I know of no instances where the carrier-based price differentials have been arbitraged successfully.

I fear we're going to be synchronized to the higher EUR fare in eastern Europe.

I fear you're right. Look at the record - AA says DONE4 ex WAW is US$ 5000 and one FTer - I think Gaza - manages to get TAL to ticket it, plus Fedex the tix to his address in the UK. Simultaneously, BA is quoting a higher PLN fare ex-WAW. Shortly thereafter AA shows the PLN no. and Poland is out of the ballpark. Slightly similar story with IST - USD fare is transformed by BA into EUR with slight rate increase (over and above USD:Euro exchange) while AA still says US$ 4999. Then AA changes to EUR fare, then big bump last month. TTFN, IST.

I hate to say it, but why would Bulgaria and Romania fares go down when all other origins go up? DONE4s ex-OTP/SOF were US$ 5250 until the recent change; now we're to believe they're $300 or $500 less? Er...

Perhaps the guy that loads the fares into the Sabre starfile formerly worked for Alitalia? (Inside joke.)

BTW I asked my Bulgarian contact if they can issue tix on AA PNRs, rather than BA's (and use the AA codeshare on BA's SOF-LHR flight as the first leg.) No, they can't access AA PNRs, only Amadeus... ie you-know-who. Sigh.

Their nickname is not Bl00dy Awful for nothing! :D

Thanks for the mention of the AA code-share, Gardyloo. It adds a little incentive to scrounge up someone there who >can< ticket on AA stock. Not a high possibility, but worth looking.

Isn't it likely that the USD price wouldn't hold up across a subsequent re-issue, though?

I don't understand. Why is this such an issue? What is the difference if it is a BA flight number?

If one starts on an AA flight (codeshare on OW metal is allowed) and one can find an AA GSA who is willing to issue the ticket, AA will price it using their fare tables, presumably at an advantage to the traveler compared with BA's impression of the fares.

AA priced my RTW ex CAI through a GSA where the first flight was BA number BA metal. How is this different from ex EUR on BA number and metal?

Actually the only AA flights on my itin are US domestic ones.

Current practice is that most OW airlines will not price and issue tickets unless they are flying one of the 3 money sectors (trans-atlantic, trans-pacific or trans-asia). You probably could not get AA to issue you that ticket today unless you had an AA trans-ocean leg. The rules allow any OW airline to issue any OWE ticket, but the only one forced to issue it is the airline with the first flight (in this case BA until the AA codeshare showed up).

My knowledge of such things (among many) is pretty shallow, but I didn't think one could book an AA codeshare no. on a BA flight unless there was a next- or previous-flight connection on AA metal. In other words, I don't think one can book LHR-JNB with an AA no. unless one arrives in the UK on AA metal on the same itinerary. But maybe it's okay if one is using AA later in the RTW (or doesn't change the ticket - shades of QF LAX-JFK.) In any event it's moot re any AA GSAs in Bulgaria or Romania - they don't have any.

You are correct for all tickets except the RTW products. I've done this before (not intentionally, the AA RTW desk just booked me on the AA codeshares whenever they existed, and I didn't care so I wound up with some strange AA codeshares). And of course with the EU all EU airlines have traffic rights between all EU countries (leading to the strange sight of a BA codeshare between Germany and Denmark, for example, now that BA has pulled out of its BA Deutschland venture). US airlines do have some special traffic rights in Europe (and Japan), a legacy of past times. I'm not sure about Romania/Bulgaria but it may well be that AA has traffic rights via LHR. As you say the point is moot without an agent, and soon the fares will get into sync one way or the other. I'm pretty sure the EUR denominated fares are what was intended.

Huh? I've booked QF codeshares on LA before without any other QF flight in the itinerary.