I will have some strange routings coming up, and it seems that I have to make two interlinked RTW bookings. I am looking into one with Star and one DONE5 ex JNB. I am in South Africa at the time, and would be interested what would be the best way to book and ticket it in the country? I am looking to fly out with CX to HKG.

AA has a GSA in Cape Town - details from aa.com -

Mindpearl
Mindpearl House
West Quay Road
V&A Waterfront
Cape Town 8001
South Africa
Phone 002721-440 6440

A friend has used them for RTW bookings and was quite satisfied.

I guess SA pricing is looking attractive again; it was raised a lot a few years back. Prior to that I bought several RTW ex-JNB and had good service dealing directly with CX. But that was several years ago. Most TAs are not very knowledgeable about RTW products and this seemed to be esp. true in South Africa.

Cheetah_SA has reported purchasing a circle ticket ex-JNB this year and MiamiBeach has stated that he had contacted the AA GSA in Cape Town and there were receptive to issuing a rtw ex-SA. I also remember someone reporting that they had purchased an xonex ex-SA from CX, I believe.

What a memory!! I'm very impresssed!

My ticket was issued on CX paper but booked through a TA. The TA was clueless and CX only marginally better (I had to persuade them that no, that rule does not apply because Dublin is not in the UK!) I have another xONEx in the pipeline and went to my (new, but part of the same outfit) TA and asked: "Do you want the hassle of booking this given the agony I evidently caused your predecessor or should I go straight to BA?". She opted in and so far in the booking process she has been pretty much on top of things.

BTW, BA and CX here won't touch your ticket unless they are the "first international carrier". Not sure if AA has such scruples. (Well, they won't be the first carrier, obviously, but they might want a substantial part of the ticket I suppose.)

AA prefers that at least one transoceanic flight be on AA metal, although I've ticketed xONExs with AA where their only over-water leg was on a QF codeshare.

AA themselves don't take a hard line on this, but some of their GSAs do. I remember Emeco being particularly strict in this regard, for example. On the other hand Dave Noble, if memory serves, has reported getting AA to issue OWEs without any AA transoceanic flights at all.

Oneworld rules require the first international carrier to issue the ticket -- hence the enthusiasm of these airlines. Any OW carrier is allowed to issue any OWE ticket, but is not required to (and most prefer not to these days unless forced).

I've had no problems at all ticketing xONEx's with AA where the only AA flights are intra-north america.

The OP checking back in again. I will try CX and let you know what comes out. Pricing should be - according to Expertflyer - in the range of EUR 4.800 + tax and extras for a DONE5.

I am currently booking an AONE6 from the Netherlands via the BA office in MRU. I am sure you can just go to the BA office in JNB. No charge and very helpful and pleasant (in my experience).

If you fly to MRU and buy the ticket there you can get the ticket 500 euro cheaper or for 300 euro more you fly in A...

Have fun!

As I promised to check back in giving a feedback of my experiences, I am just sitting at JNB airport (BA lounge) starting my DONE5 with a CX flight to HKG.

I have done booking through the CX office in JNB. Has not been too straightforward (no comparison to the dedicated AA desk), but reasonable. You have to send in the itinirary by E-mail, call or E-mail a couple of times until they get all things straight, and then pay by CC (fax form with copy of CC and passport...).

I had to pick up a paper ticket at the airport, as I have a KA-segment to DAC which apparently cannot be booked on an e-ticket. I thought that all OW flights would be e-ticketable???

Please could you provide the email address for CX in JNB.

Is there a QF contact I could use instead as my first segment will be with them?

Thanks

That's weird, on my DONE4 in 2005 CX issued the ticket, and my first sector was QF SYD-HKG. I didn't fly CX internationally at all - just intra-asia (a rookie mistake, I should have taken them HKG-LHR).

Not really. QF was obligated to issue it, if asked. For CX it was optional.