Done4 questions
 

This is my first post on flyertalk, so appolgies in advance if I break protocols. I have lurked about for the past few weeks trying to answer my questions and get an idea about what I need to do. I think I have it figured but I have a couple of questions

In relation to a Done4, with reference to the change in segments. I am all set to book asap, however I wish to book for March 09 and onwards, am I correct that I can only book 330 days in advance or is it eleven months ? As I would have to leave open some of the segments post June 1 08 would I then not be able to use 20 segments or would I because I have purchased before June 08 be able to ? I would have used 8 of the segments within the next 11 months, so could it then be re-issued as an e-ticket ?

Also if everybody on here is not bored to death of looking over itn's
Here is mine syd-ayq-per-cns-mel-nrt-del-hkg-dps-nrt-gru-eze-lim-scl-gig-lhr-cai-mad-ist-lhr-syd. If anyone could suggest better use of the segments whilst still covering the above, I would be happy to listen.

Also is there really a skybed surcharge on qantas, surely not ?

This would seem to require a DONE5

South West Pacific
Asia
South America
North America
Europe

You can reserve seats on a flight 330 days in advance; those that are too far in the future you can leave as open and then date them as they become bookable

If you have the ticket issued by the end of this month , then there should be no issue with 20 sectors

Dave

Cabbage85: welome to FT ^

A vailid DONE5 on Mileage Monkey NRT-GRU: intercontinental lands in USA so you need to count NA as a continent. Note sure why MM does not pick up an error.

Cheaper if you book with AA and not QF

You can do the 4 Aust segment before or after the rest or 2 & 2

IPC from SCL is worth the trip

Changing a date is not a re issue and at no cost. However need to be careful about transit becoming stopovers with a risk of more airport - local taxes

With their seemingly be no direct NRT-GRU and needing to go via North America, it would seem that this would create a 21 sector itinerary

Dave

I think JAL flys the route on 1 flight number, but it goes through JFK

Ah yes, JL48

Dave

This itinerary is not a DONE5; it can booked as a DONE4, at least if done through AA.

Jl 48
 

I would be somewhat leery of locking in an itinerary that forces you to take JL 48 ("forces," in the sense that if you had to break this into two separate flights you'd be over the 21 segment limit). Every time I've looked into this flight (or the GRU-NRT direct JL flight in the other direction), I've seen D0 and A0. Maybe that's a glitch or something, or maybe people have been able to get seats, but I was sufficiently nervous about it, that I ended up finding a different routing.

thanks everyone
 

Thanks for the interest in my little plan yes I too was wondering about how the jf48/47 works and if it includes you going to north america, and thus I would avoid it if it required another segment. I just thought it would be an interesting way to get to south america if it works.

I am going to book it in a couple of weeks so I will let everyone know how it went getting D availability

regards

The 16 segment e ticket limit starts 1 June. It can take several days ~ weeks to sort a ticket out, so don't leave it too long or esle you may be forced to a 16 segment ticket

CX or JL
 

Now with my DOne4 planning in earnest, I wish to know which of either cathay or Japan airlines would be better as follows

I could either fly hkg-del-nrt-dps-nrt-gru
hkg-del-hkg-dps-nrt-gru

first option has 3 of my asian segments on Jl
second option has 3 of my asian segment on Cathay

would anyone care to enlighten me on which way to go it is essentially the same although status credits wise it is about 20 more for flying JAL as del-nrt is slightly longer and thus falls into a different band. Really it is about which airport would be better to spend time in and which airline would be better inflight etc

also i apoligies if this should have been posted in the JL or cathay forum although since it encompasses both I would expect that it should be fine in the oneworld forum as it is directly related to a oneworld fare

regards

Hi Cabbage85 and welcome to FT and the OW forum!

I usually prefer Cathay over JAL but on those routes either will be using their regional product which is not that great anyway. In terms of lounges, I am also fairly neutral as both the NRT F lounge and The Wing/The Pier are great. In business I prefer the HKG lounges.

I favour CX but the difference is not that great IMHO.

I agree with everything that DownUnderFlyer said. I do try to mix it a bit, though, so if I have several CX flights (my first preference) then I try to throw in a JAL flight somewhere whenever possible.

You really can't go wrong, I don't think.

If you are not stopping over in DEL the visa requirements may differ between HKG-DEL-HKG and HKG-DEL-NRT (latter being transit to 3rd country), but if doing a turnaround the former may be safer because if flight to DEL is late then so will the flight from DEL.

ticketing question
 

basically put simply, as I can purchase my done4 in new zealand thus greatly reducing my cost of the ticket, would I have to start it in New zealand to qualify for the price or could I start it in Australia, either is fine although starting in Australia would be preferable any assistance greatly appreciated

regards

The Higher price rule means that you pay the higher of the price of where you ticket and where you originate. (Excluding the Canada Exception.)

SO - no. You'll need to start in NZ to get the cheaper price.

Yes, a ticket issued in NZ must start in NZ. If you really want to start from a cheap place, try South Africa where you will save quite a bit of money.

thankyou
 

yeah thats what i was thinking as it about 2000 dollars after tax cheaper from new zealand, south america that seems a little extreme as I would have to pay to get to south america and I plan to go there on my done4 anyway but thankyou for the suggestion

Kiwifyer or someone has made the comment that AA have closed their NZ office. (from memory it was a desk in the QF sales office). So not sure how you (we) can buy an AA issued DONE in NZ now.

Same way you can get it done anywhere - get RTW desk to set it up then call AA's NZ number. Or work through a TA if you want (though normally you have to ask for it to be ticketed with AA as they default to QF).

Done 4
 

Hi everyone have a booking with qantas for my done 4 ex new zealand the taxes are ridiculus around $2100, but anyway what do you expect. My other question is before I pay has anyone every gotten D class availability NRT-GRU, I have booked a date for April 09, but I am waitlisted for two seats, and it seems to me that JAL dont release D class or A class on this route on purpose it would seem. So should I change my flight route so that I avoid this leg and go another way or else take a chance?

regards

Although my routing eventually changed so much that it mooted this question, during an earlier iteration of my itinerary, I decided not to risk it (since if I couldn't get availability, I would have had either to travel in L or to split it into two segments, which would have pushed me over the 21-segment limit). But, then again, I don't have any status and am risk averse.

You may save several hundred dollars by booking though AA if you can. There are threads on this here.

Also, how many flights do you have ex UK where it is not a transfer from a flight inbound to the UK? It's £80 each time.

re done 4
 

Hi serfty I have considered booking through AA, however I need the ex new zealand price, how would I book this assume I ring the new zealand number however it is a freecall number I think, but I could try the australian number I guess and route the first flight on AA codeshare etc, I might give that ago this afternoon, yes I do have few flights ex lhr as the plan is to work over there for a couple of years and do some side tripping home for christmas sort of thing.

thankyou for the response, if only japan airlines would release D class, I might have to change the route, as I dont want to pay for something I probably would not get

regards

I believe AA ticketing for NZ is handled by their office in SYD. I think they might just put on an NZ "hat" if you rang up on the NZ freecall number, and be able to issue the ticket at the NZ price.

Cabbage85, are you sure that you have reserved a DONE4? Maybe the high "taxes" are because you are actually one a DONE5.

New Zealand: SWP
Japan: Asia
Flight NRT-GRU: Stops at JFK. If you have a stopover there it would add North America and South America. This is also your Pacific crossing.
Now you need an Atlantic crossing which will go to Europe.

Europe then is the 5th continent.

If you post your itinerary we'll have an easier time discussing "taxes" (which could also be fuel fines) as well as number of continents.

I've merged a few threads together to help make it easier to answer the OP's questions.

Kiwi Flyer
OW moderator

route
 

Hi everyone, I have finally taken the plunge and am starting my trip in indonesia, so I am using points to get up to denpasar and then from there I am doing the following

dps-nrt-del-hkg-akl-mel-per-ayq-syd-eze-gru-lim-scl-rio-lhr-dxb-lhr-ist-lhr-dps, (Via, HKG)

also I am doing the rio-lhr-dxb-lhr-ist lhr with out stop over so i reduce the number from 3 to 1 and save some money. I guess the one way i wish I had modified the route was instead of akl-mel-per-ayq-syd, I should have done akl-bne-drw-per-syd, earn more points status credits. More interesting is that qantas told me that cathay hkg-akl has first class and the flights I am booked on will be a 747-400 with the new layout at this stage, i thought it wa only a two class service, als syd-eze is three class service which i thought was once again odd, as i would nto expect lots of first class demand to eze, but I am only really speculating.

route
 

also i gave up on nrt-gru as there was no d class avialability from dec 08 to april 09 so I figured that it would never exist and changed my route accordingly, which worked out fine.

regards

nrt-gru
 

nrt-gru does not count as using a north american continent , as it is one continious flight number, although that is of no relevance to me now as the risk of suffering for 24 hours in economy was too much of a risk

Although this confuses most of the local travel agents and you generally need to call the airline itself, regards

regards