LONE4 Surface Sector Question
 

Hi,

I am currently in the process of booking a LONE4 ticket. I understand that surface sectors count towards the 16 segment limit, but do they count towards the continent limit?

My travel agent is telling me that SYD-SFO/SJC-ORD-YYZ/YVR-DFW-YYZ-ORD-CDG... counts as 7 segments in North America and therefore I need to pay for an additional segment.

My reading of the fare rules are that there are 6 free flight segments in North America, not 6 total segments.

Can anyone confirm this?

You are right
The TA is wrong

Moreover, if you ticket the segment SJC-ORD as SFO-ORD (open-dated with a separate reservation) then you will be able to use that ticket coupon on SJC-ORD since SJC and SFO are co-terminals, and you will be down to 6 segments overall anyway.

Here's a link to the rules:

(The bolding IS AS PUBLISHED in the document! I believe this is to make a clear distinction between where the Surface segments are limited as contract to the continental flight segment limits.)

Thanks for all the replies.

I rang up Qantas just to see their interpretation of the rules and they have told me the same thing as the travel agent. They even gave me an example of flying into LGA and out of JFK counts as an additional segment.

So are both the travel agent and Qantas wrong?

The travel agent also seems to be unable to ticket it as an 001 ticket and has to ticket it as an 081. My understanding is that an 001 ticket will have less fuel fines... what would be the difference in price? My full itinerary is:
SYD-SFO/SJC-ORD-YYZ/YVR-DFW-YYZ-ORD-CDG-LHR-MUC-LHR-FRA-NRT-SYD with QF flight numbers where possible.

I would strongly suggest you find a different TA. You have 15 segments counting the two surface ones, and 5 flown NA segments.

Unfortunately transits between co-terminals (SFO/SJC, LGA/JFK, LHR/LGW et al) are being counted as segments against the total, but not against the per-continent flight limit.

Edited to add - I mentioned this question of rule interpretation in the sticky thread at the top of this forum containing Q & A from our official Oneworld "ambassador."

On Frinday I am embarking on a LHONE4 out of MEL, total cost AUD3,853.10 per person, base fare $3479 & +++ of $374.10.

Routing is MEL-SYD-JF,LGE-ORD-SEA-DFW-ORD-LHR,LGW-DBV-LGW,LHR-SIN-HKG-BKK-HKG-NRT-SYD-CNS-MEL

This was booked using AA ATW desk and by booking through AA, it cost over 700 per person less in +++ had the same routing been booked through Qantas. (YMMV).

For more, see my thread on "Australian Frequent Flyer":

• Detail on using the AA RTW Desk

Are you saying that it is now not possible to issue a ticket coupon to a city NYC/LON/CHI in the way that it has been previously? (I've done this many times in the past, but not since compulsory e-ticketing.) If it is still possible then the rule is totally unenforceable.

(Edit - I see that you have now asked this question of Oneworld4u, so let's see what they say...)

The travel agent has got back to me about the continent flight limit and he has confirmed that I was correct.

He has also advised that as a QF ticket taxes will be about AU$1100 and as an AA ticket taxes will be about AU$800. Does this sound about right? Is it because of all my transits through LHR that is making the taxes so high? I tried making my itinerary go through MAD or HEL, but couldn't get any availability with decent connecting times with IB or AY.

LHR is especially expensive for DONEx & AONEx itins, but nothing like as bad for LONEx. You can minimize payments to Gordon et al by departing LHR within 24 hours of arriving, although AA, at least, won't accept this where the segments are OPEN.

Overall, I would guess that A$800 on AA is OK & you're mainly paying airport charges & some fuel surcharges, but not too much to the UK exchequer. (I paid about A$1600 in taxes for my 20 segment AONE5 on AA, where I tried to only pass through LHR in transit, but unfortunately still got hit by some OPEN segments.)

LHR also has the GB tax where you get hit whenever you depart from there.