Actually, I believe that it is the first international sector which must be confirmed. That gives your itinerary a start date for the one year validity determination. Go easy on the MRU reps. They're incredibly nice (as you noted), and their sometime lack of knowledge about technical rules works to our favor as often as not. Enjoy your trip!!

Me and my MRU agent are the best of friends! Really. I am already on my first trip she booked for me. She is great.

It looks like I have to start my follow up trip in South Africa. Can my sweet MRU contact book me that DONE5 against South African prices as well? I hope so, she knows me and understands me... ^

Mine told me that she would refer me to a BA rep in SA when I asked last time. Ended up using the excellent AA RTW desk and e-ticketing through Mindpearl in CPT.

That's where I am at now too, I think. Just a little worried AA will not ticket me since there are no flights on AA routes at all...

I was helping a friend work out an itinerary in South America using Oneworld's excellent "Visit South America" air pass product, and I noticed that the terms and conditions text on the Oneworld website is quite incomplete. For example, it doesn't state that a minimum of three coupons must be purchased, or what booking classes are used, or what "route restrictions" are in effect, or if the air pass is valid when travel to SA is on an award ticket, etc.

Since the RTW and Circle products have links to current .pdf files for their respective rules, I wonder if OW might make something similar available for the air passes.

Fortunately I knew enough to phone the AA RTW desk (which had to consult some star file or similar to see the rules) but I suspect other OW member offices wouldn't be so deft at sorting things out. Thanks.

Suggestion to oneworld4u

Some African countries are simply impossible to travel to on a OW Explorer because they can only be reached from Europe.
For instance: Libya, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Angola, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea
So - the only way to fly into any of these countries is from Europe, and the only way to fly out from any of these countries is by flying back to Europe

But to do so would entail visiting Europe twice - and the rules don't allow this

My suggestion is that:

• either they should be added to the list of African countries that are defined to be part of Europe (particularly Libya - to complete the row of Nth African countries bordering the Med)
• or they should be added to the list of countries from/to which a second European entry/exit is allowed (the one with immediate transfer to another continent)

A lot of countries are not served by OW carriers from within a continent or from another continent.

Agreed - but the countries I listed are served by OW airlines - but only by inter-continental flights from Europe making it impossible - under the current rules - to fly into and then out from one of them on a OW Explorer ticket even though say BA or IB fly to them.

I don't think, but may be wrong, that the situation does not occur in any other continent, and was surely(?) the reason why the Nth African countries were defined to be part of Europe for the purpose of the OWE ticket. And also perhaps why Ekaterinburg has recently been defined as part of Europe since, when it was considered part of Asia, it was impossible go there and back under the rules.

The same situation applies to PPT for example.

*A RTWs have the same issue with Central Asia - most places only accessed from Europe.

[QUOTE=pandaperth;10015247]Suggestion to oneworld4u

Some African countries are simply impossible to travel to on a OW Explorer because they can only be reached from Europe.
For instance: Libya, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Angola, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea
So - the only way to fly into any of these countries is from Europe, and the only way to fly out from any of these countries is by flying back to Europe

But to do so would entail visiting Europe twice - and the rules don't allow this

Not completely true of course becuase you can indeed transit Europe on your way to the next continent so for instance my DONE5 itinerary next month allows me to visit Ghana:

xxx-HEL-VIE-LHR-ACC-xLHR-LAX-xxx

You could of course substitute ACC for ROB or LOS etc etc and xLHR for xMAD.

But believe me I hear you on OW in Africa, see my earlier posts in this thread. The transit without stopover option back through Europe is the best solution or of course adding ET to the alliance

Paul

Ditto on ET joining the alliance

I'm also having the MA issue - I'm with Qantas Frequent Flyer and I did 4 segments to Australia - the RJ and QF ones credited, and the MA haven't and it's been a week. Wonder how long it'll take...

oneworld4u - perhaps you could take a look at this thread about e-tickets on xONEx?

It appears simple changes that ought to be free are now difficult and expensive? If that is correct then the alliance products have been substantially devalued and of limited use for business travellers.

I don't think this thread is really useful anymore. OW4U seems to have gone from this forum.

Apologies if I overlooked it but is there any update on this issue ?

henkybaby and all:

oneworld4u is alive and well and keeping a regular eye on FT and this thread in particular!

However, there have been no questions or issues raised which I have not already covered in previous postings or which I am not in a position to respond to.

As I've said before, our customers' comments about our products, services etc are very useful and help us work out how to impove them etc - some we will be able to incorporate and some we will not but we cannot reveal our hand to our competitors by revealing which ones we will be implementing and which we won't.

But I really do not think it is a productive use of time to acknowledge every new FT posting by repeating that message.

Scillybear and others: I have alerted MA to the complaints you have made and they say they will address this issue.

Keep flying safely!

oneworld4u