My last leg on an MRU originated RTW was HKG-LHR-DAR (with the 2nd transit in LHR persuant to the rules). They tell me that since there is an HKG-JNB that I'm not allowed the 2nd transit through LHR.

Should I fight this? I don't want to go to JNB I want to go to DAR not to mention there is no F service during the summer HKG-JNB...

What do you mean by "they tell me"? Who is the "they"? If you have the itinerary already approved and ticketed and are part way through, why not just fly the rest as ticketed?

I'm trying to ticket a reservation with BA at MRU - but they emailed me back saying that the HKG-LHR-DAR is not allowed since HKG-JNB is available. I haven't started the trip yet.

They originally quoted me an itinerary with HKG-LHR-DAR but cancelled it and changed it to HKG-JNB...

Ah, so you haven't started or ticketed, then I don't think that you have any recourse. A similar thing is happening to me. I wanted to go through LHR twice (one as a transit) which was allowed a month ago but this week I heard back from BA-MRU that it was no longer being approved by BA-RTW in the UK. In fact, given the difficulty they have in booking MRU-LHR as the first leg (which is the direction I want), they want me to start MRU-JNB-HKG.... and come back LHR-MRU.

Set aside US$125 for a re-issue by someone who interprets the rules correctly. Tell them you want to go to DAR on the return, not JNB. If Comair starts JNB-DAR service before your last segment, tell them you'll skip LHR then.

I don't understand why not. The way I see it HKG-xLHR-DAR is a valid ending to an ex-MRU OWE.

I agree. My example above was not a good one because the dual pass through LHR with MRU was technically not allowed under the rules because it did not fit under the Africa exception.

There is a difference, though, in what is allowable under the rules and what MB-MRU will ticket. . My experience last summer with BA-MRU is that they did not understand various rule exceptions and interpretations and tended to refuse to ticket them (or submit them for checking). In talking with them in person last month, they are very concerned that if they do agree to something unusual, even if it slips by the BA-RTW desk, if it later is proved to be impermissible, then they suffer consequences. I don't know why they should, but this was a real concern. Hence their extreme risk aversion.

Try sending whomever is telling you "no" a hardcopy of the star file showing the exception you want to use. There are a lot of people who will respond to something in writing (even if you wrote it yourself).

That's what I did - we'll see how they respond.

May I ask what turnaround times you are experiencing with BA in MRU? I asked them to quote for an AONEWC3 itinerary yesterday and wondered when I could expect a reply.

At least until you have a rep that you can talk to, I suggest you call them at 230 202 8000 and make sure they have your email and are taking action on it.
Once they know your case, they are pretty good at replying to further emails

Reply times are usually 24-48 hrs. for emails.

Well, since BA/MRU seems to have a dark side, I guess it's time to remind the community that IBL Travel in Mauritius did seem willing and able to book an AONE4. I didn't follow through because the problems of getting to and through MRU were more important to me than the bargain price, so I don't know how the outcome would have been.

The other annoyance was that they wanted wire transfer. IBL seems a large company with interests in shipping so I wasn't worried about sending money, but international wire transfers are a pita for Americans without a business bank.

When I first contacted IBL "cold" my replies were from a couple of office girls who seemed not to know what an airport was, let alone a OneWorld Explorer fare, despite my attempts to educate them. When in final annoyance I copied an email to "office manager" that person stepped in and proved to be as competent as any I've dealt with. I received what seemed to be a perfectly accurate fare quote within a day or so.

It should be noted that the route I submitted was a very simple straw-man that was not controversial in the least. I always rethink my travel plans and reroute at least once after beginning, so my philosophy these days is to give the remote station something they couldn't possibly have trouble with, nor too many segments for their ticket machine, so I merely asked for MRU-LHR-LAX-HKG-JNB. With that in hand, from a comfortable seat in Los Angeles (or London, for that matter) and a spare USD125 in my pocket I expected no problem in turning the thing into a "proper" trip.

From the (eventually) quick price quote I'd guess that IBL is one of those agencies that considers itself competent to price OWE's. If that's true it might be a nice separation from some of the nonsensical BA rules interpretations. [Aside, CX/CMB seems to be their own pricing guide - the contact there is "Cathay Fares Group" or something like that, and they price almost instantly - faster than CX NAMRES, iirc. Not to compare a TA with an airline's outstation, of course.]

If anyone wants it, I'll follow this forum's convention and pass the email contact by PM.

Happy post-T-day recovery to the U.S. based FT'ers in the group...

Thanks for the replies. I have already corresponded with them in the past and got replies in the time frame mentioned. They had never heard of the *ONEWC* fares, though, and things ground to a halt. But I now need to ressurect that discussion and have sent an itinerary for pricing. I'll wait till Monday (I assume they don't open on weekends) and then follow up with a phone call.

If I get no joy, I will take you up on your kind offer, JohnAx. I am getting very antsy because A seats out of Africa on my dates are vanishing fast. I've given up on D - seats don't even exist.

When you call your local BA res number, do you know where the call is received during the normal business day? If in-country, perhaps you can call, manage to speak with a countryman with a little compassion, explain that you're booking the ticket ex-Mauritius and the sob's are having their problems getting you going, and meanwhile, would they mind booking the MRU-LHR segment for a fellow South African?

Lot of if's in there, but it's a free call and until you get a PNR they can't even keep score how many times they've told you to bugger off. Here in Los Angeles I'd eventually call one of the good folks on the AA rtw desk with the same request.

IBL immediately grabbed the space for me, btw. That may have been before the feeding frenzy on cheap ex-MRU began, though. (As ticketing is quite separate from reserving seats, I suppose you meant that you actually have the seats but are afraid the res will time out and you'll lose them. If that's not the case, BA/MRU is a sorry place to do business.)