Validation of DONE4 and starting in Sweden
 

Hi, this is my first RTW. I'm looking to get max miles and BA TP out of the journey. I am currently BA Silver

The only places that I must go to are underlined.

ARN (BA) - LHR (BA) - SFO (AA) - DFW (AA) - GUA (surface) - PTY (AA) - MIA (QF) - LAX (QF) - AKL (QF) - SYD (surface) - DRW (QF) - PER (QF) - CGK (JL) - NRT (JL)- KUL (CX) - HKG (CX) - BKK (BA) - LHR (BA) - ARN

Would anyone be able to
1) Validate the itin
2) Propose changes to maximise mileage / TP
3) Give any advice on how to get this ticketed out of Sweden. I have a friend there who I could get to do some work for me if required.

Thanks.

I count only 16 segments for the total trip. Also you have used only 2 of 4 free flights in SWP and EUR/ME plus only 4 of 6 in NAM. You can easily add a LHR-DXB-LHR for more tier points (long-haul). The PER-CGK flight is less than 2000 miles, so low number of tier points. Perhaps use an extra segment to go PER-SYD-CGK, both flights over 2000 miles.

And if you use another segment to go from AKL to SYD via ADL, the AKL-ADL segment is also (just) over 2000 miles. (It's operated by a QF subsidiary, Jet Connect, but is still OK for OW.)

Has anyone ever taken this flight?

QF is cancelling AKL-ADL. :mad:

Being cancelled as can't compete with NZ on that route.

Thanks for the advice - I will amend, particularly the LHR - DXB addition and missing sectors.

Any knowledge of a agent in Sweden I can ticket this through?

You might want to try this validator: Mileage Monkey

http://slfft.allhyper.com/0.95/award.htm

The bar-stewards. :td: I was counting on the TPs from that for next year. Ah well, back to MileageMonkey (for which I'm truly thankful).

I just booked a Sweden-originating DONE4 for my wife through the AA RTW desk and anticipate no problems at all in getting TAL to punch it out next week.

(The poor dear - she has been serially jerked around by yours truly over RTW origination points vs. all-award itineraries vs. a heady mixture of BA, Turkish, El Al and Ethiopian airlines point-to-point yoga... Finally did the math and figured with her flying plans over the next few months ARN makes more financial sense than MRU, due to access costs and BA nuisance fees.)

One thing we've discovered - almost hesitate to reveal this - but for those in N. America wanting to get to Sweden one way cheaply, MH runs a nonstop three days a week from EWR to ARN, all-in one way price in August (in Y) is US$402. 777 is totally empty according to EF, so even though it's Y (34" pitch, AVOD, seats with legrests) one can stretch out and not have a bad night of it.

Based on advise here I have now tried to amend and ring into the AA RTW desk

ARN (BA) - LHR (BA) - DXB (BA) - LHR (BA) - SFO (AA) - DFW (AA) - GUA (surface) - PTY (AA) - MIA (QF) - LAX (QF) - AKL (QF) - SYD (surface) - DRW (QF) - PER (QF) - SYD - CGK (JL) - NRT (JL)- KUL (CX) - HKG (CX) - BKK (BA) - LHR (BA) - ARN

AA are saying that I can't do ARN-LHR-DXB-LHR-SFO as the total number of sections for my origin region exceeds 2. How do people fit in the LHR-DXB-LHR trips that get mentioned if you start in ARN?

The limit is 2 stopovers in the continent of origin. So out of your three visits to LHR and one to DXB, two must be transits.

BA will do ARN ticketing easily, but watch for credit card security check
 

Quite straightforward. Just call BA in Sweden using the number on their website, make your booking, get on flight. Your booking will probably be handled by a call centre in Germany, but you need to call the Swedish number in order to get the Swedish price.

I only had one problem: my bank decided that the ticket value was over their floor limit, so they wanted to talk to me for a security check. Unfortunately the BA call centre's payment desk did not handle this properly (ie they just told me I was out of credit, which is wrong), so I had go to the counter in ARN in person on departure. Then when I got there, the counter agent had the wrong phone number to call their bank for the security check. This took 40 mins to sort, but was eventually fixed. BA(Finnair) were courteous and apologetic throughout.

Paying on Amex makes this problem go away, as I discovered with my next ticket.

I would recommend that you'll let AA to do the ticketing to avoid those BA fuel surcharges. AA agent in Sweden is very knowledgeable and efficient in this and they will certainly allow ARN-LHR-DXB-LHR-SFO routing w/o any problems whatsoever, as long as you are within the stopover limits.

I am in touch with the AA agent in Stockholm now - they are very efficient and helpful. Hope to have it all ticketed by the end of the week!

Thanks for all the advice.