Yes, allowed it is, as per my post, but origin-destination surface does count as a segment on others fares/awards and it does require a hidden coupon in those cases, so it is not something unheard of. Anyway, here is hoping the issue does not come up.

Edit: on second thoughts... I'm not so sure now, I'd have to look it up about those other cases. I guess I'll take one of those pills Gardyloo prescribed.

You can still get 320 QF SC's using MEL/SYD as a base with trips to CNS/AKL.

e.g.

• -MEL-CNS-MEL-AKL-MEL-LHR/LAX/SIN/NRT/HKG (basic)
• -MEL-CNS-MEL-AKL-SYD-JFK- (if you wish to use QF108 to JFK)
• these examples can be reversed of course ...

Of course, or even simpler -SYD-AKL-SYD-AKL-SYD- but only if not originating in Australia or NZ.

But if you actually want to go to PER on an xONEx you are now penalised for doing so (with a couple of exceptions).

Or worse, need to go. :(

The MEL/SYD-CNS/NZ segments are in the same SC-earning zone as the transcons I just realised. Doesn't set me back much further for AA EQPs either.

I needed to go to both AKL and WLG so this works out for me. (-JFK-SYD-WLG-MEL-AKL-HKG-). Can't get rid of 1 surface segment earlier in the trip, lest I got my parents to fly indirectly or put them on separate planes :eek:, so 'sacrificed' one of my SWP segments.

Will just do PER on my own some other day.

Could've been worse. :)

Sorry to hear that. :(
Well I wanted to go to PER but I guess I didn't really need to be there.

Here's hoping that the current rules prevail till when I can pay for my ticket or I'd go bonkers reorganising each time they change...*fingers crossed*

My point is that regardless of whether local service fees are being charged, it was not codified in the RTW fare rules. Now they are. Just a license to add more fees to processing RTW tickets.

My main concern with the change is that several OW hub cities, LON, NYC, TYO, WAS & BUA have more than 1 airport. Usually the long-haul intl flights use 1 airport and domestic flights use another airport in the same city. If you fly into Argentina and want to go to any other city in that country, you must waste 2 segments. For example, JFK-EZE//AEP-IGR-AEP//EZE-Europe. Same city, different airport. You have used 4 segments in South America, 2 for the surface segments between EZE & AEP plus the actual flight AEP-IGR-AEP.

Not true - you can make the relevant coupons open and then make them out to the city code. I have done this previously when not sure, for example, whether I could confirm a flight LHR-IAD but knew that I had a confirmed reservation LHR-BWI as backup. When ticketed I got an open coupon LHR-WAS which could be used either way.

What airline did you do that on?
I've seen this before but the ticket was issued by my TA - would it work on AA?

BA was the carrier for that segment, but the ticket was issued by CX in TPE. I've done similar with AA and flights in and out of NYC, probably on tickets issued by CX or AA (sorry - can't remember exactly).

Using MEL rather than SYD is 17% better for Qpoints with CNS and 22% with AKL.

SYD-CNS-MEL-AKL-SYD

BNE-DRW is not amongst the '1 only' routes. So if one needs to go up north, MEL-AKL-BNE-DRW-SYD is a good alternative.

Hmmm, could it be that this change was made to save the programming effort of fixing the oneworld planner? Naah, can't be... can it?

Can anyone point me in the direction of some discussion or other explanation of why surface segments would require a void coupon in an e-ticket? I find these air ticketing intricacies fascinating...

AFAIK surface segments also incur VOID segments on paper tix. Must be due to the IT infrastructure? I'm actually wondering about the same thing myself.

Also, even connections between airports (LHR-LGW surface) would most likely count against the limit, as I found when booking an AA oneworld award. :(

Looks like someone will have to find out if PER-NRT-LHR is a valid connection that only "touches" SE Asia in order to get from SWP to Europe after originating in SE Asia......

The flight distance is OK even if it is a 763 from/to PER

Happy wandering

Fred