So a *ONE* ticket does not allow use of QF codeshare flights operated by TA. However, LA does fly to PPT via IPC. So, on an eastward *ONE* ticket, if you can just get to PPT from someplace like SYD or AKL then you can pick back up on your *ONE* ticket and continue on to South America on LA.

Any ideas on the best and cheapest way to reach PPT from either SYD or AKL?

On a second note: both LA and QF fly either AKL or SYD to SCL. Is it possible that you could fly AKL/SYD - SCL, then head to PPT via IPC? I realize this would be an incredible amount of flying... but, is it backtracking? You're leaving the SWP for South America, then heading back to the SWP. Would it not be backtracking if you stay in SCL for less than 24 hours, then visit PPT first, before an actual stop at IPC? So you're physically backtracked in terms of flight paths, but in terms of "stopovers" you continue in one direction: AKL/SYD, PPT, IPC, SCL even though your flight segments went AKL/SYD, SCL, PPT, IPC.

Thanks.

One point - in the rules you cannot cross the Atlantic or Pacific more than once...so if you do get to PPT, you'll need to reach it on LAN via SCL but then continue Eastwards. Transiting SCL twice shouldn't be a problem since one would be on an inbound int'l sector. Hope this helps, but others may have better suggestions!

And welcome to Flyertalk, cs19!

Flying from AKL / SYD to SCL then onward to PPT would indeed be backtracking. You could fly to IPC then pay to fly back to PPT or use miles.

Indeed, looking at ITA IPC-PPT is either £320 or £850 return in Y, or J respectively which is cheaper than the £1000 one-way flights with a layover that it gives for SYD / AKL-PPT.

Not sure if there is a bug with ITA as the AKL-PPT flights seem to go via SYD and the SYD-PPT flights via AKL.

Do bear in mind that open-jaws / land segments count against your total number of segments. It maybe cheaper to book a return anyway and if it saves a segment then so its a double bonus.

The transit time at SCL makes no difference; the change of flight number is enough to trigger the rule.

IPC-PPT is a transoceanic segment.
IPC belongs to South American continent.
PPT belongs to SWP.
Transoceanic surface segment is not permitted.
So, you can not fly IPC-PPT with a separate ticket.

From the rules:

TRANSOCEANIC SURFACE SECTORS BETWEEN TC1-TC2 AND TC1-TC3 ARE NOT PERMITTED. EXCEPTION - FOR TRAVEL ORIGINATING IN SOUTH WEST PACIFIC ONE TRANSOCEANIC SURFACE SECTOR BETWEEN TC1-TC2 OR TC1-TC3 PERMITTED.

The cheapest way to get to PPT from SYD will be to use your United / LH whatever miles to fly NZ SYD-AKL-PPT. I am doing this in August next year.

My bad, I missed a critical word in my post - 'Return' the pricing refers to return prices for IPC-PPT which seems to make the most sense, ITA throws up far more expensive pricing when going AKL/SYD - PPT and buying a return ticket wouldn't waste any suface segments (if that was an issue for the OP).

The only way to reach PPT on a QF codeshared flight operated by TN is on a GLOBAL Explorer fare.

On my RTW trip in 2004/2005, I've bridged PPT-AKL using an Air New Zealand "South Pacific Airpass". I notice it's now only being offered on their US website (prices in NZD though) (LAN's AKL-SCL flights were impossible to book on RTW fares, and I got to see IPC and PPT).