Explorer Question
 

I've been looking through the postings and can't find the answer to my question -- how do I properly count the number of continents for a DONE?

Here's my itinerary: YUL GVA SYD LAX NYC YUL.

I thought it was a three continents RTW but a colleague tells me that it is four. BA's RTW desk at first said three and then put me on hold and said it was four.

Can someone provide a quick correct answer?

Thanks in advance!

Four: NA, Europe, Asia, SWP.

Transit through Asia counts as a continent.

To expand slightly: Right now, there's now way to fly from GVA to SYD (or anywhere in Australia) without touching down in Asia (at SIN,BKK,HKG or NRT). Just "touching down" even if it's on a single flight coupon/flight number still counts Asia as a continent.

In a few years when we have aircraft capable of LHR-SYD nonstop things may be different, but right now you can't get to Australia without a four continent ticket.

Steve

No instead of now -- a great Freudian slip though. BBJ can make it GVA-PER non-stop, though (as can lots of airline equipment, but weight restricted). Somehow the UN doesn't quite generate enough revenue for non-stop GVA-PER service.

For OWE, Australia is always a 4+ continent ticket. You have a choice to transit via Asia (the usual way) or via Africa (using JNB-SYD on QF).

When AA started non-stop ORD-DEL service, that was deemed to include Europe (never mind that the flight never crosses any European airspace). OW really wants to get that 4th continent in the price.

True, although, I suspect that in respect to the revenue sharing contracts between the oneworld airlines for these, that transcons are quite significant. To the degree, I postulate, that not having the Area 1-Area 2, Area 2-Area 3 and Area 3-Area 1 transcons may have invalidated the agreements.

Yep, and I'd willing to bet a can of your favourite brew (or orange juice if you like) that if airline XX started to fly non-stop EUR-SWP tomorrow, it would be deemed to include Asia anyway.

OW is perfectly happy to sell a 3-continent northern ticket, they just insist that for southern hemisphere it has to be 4 or more continents.

Thanks to all who posted. I appreciate the clarification!

But then that would raise some interesting arguments about the routing EUR-SWP-Asia-NA-EUR with the Aisa-NA transit avoiding the QF monopoly. Touching Asia twice is now allowed only if one is a transit EUR-SWP.

Interesting times.

Happy wandering

Fred