Rapid currency changes creating new opportunities
Oct 28, 2008 | 7:45 am
#46
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,467
does anyone have the CC authorization form that mindpearl uses? The rate desk keeps cancelling one of my wife's segments as double booked, and have had to send it back for repricing THREE times now 
the ZAR is strengthened over 10% the past few days and I want to get all my info to them.
the ZAR is strengthened over 10% the past few days and I want to get all my info to them.
Last edited by hauteboy; Oct 28, 2008 at 8:03 am
Oct 29, 2008 | 6:57 am
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QRPC PLT/OW EMD; Bonvoy LT Titanium
Posts: 14,574
More to the point, perhaps, is that Mindpearl has to fill it out before they send it to you, inserting both your PNR code and the total fare and taxes in ZAR. I don't think that a blank form will do you much good.
Oct 29, 2008 | 8:26 am
#49
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,467
Well I finally have ticket numbers but it's just been a screwup from the getgo. I'd made the mistake of both calling the RTW desk and sending mindpeal my itin via email, so my itin got double booked. One of my wifes segments kept getting cancelled. Then I forget the passport photo, then my credit card gets declined. So it's a comedy of errors. and now the ZAR is < 10.
Last edited by hauteboy; Oct 29, 2008 at 8:38 am
Oct 29, 2008 | 8:41 am
#50
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
Oct 29, 2008 | 8:53 am
#51
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,467
It's certainly still a good deal! ^ But just was frustrating this week, heh. It's only my 2nd RTW booking, the previous one was done in person in Cairo.
Oct 29, 2008 | 10:15 am
#52
Moderator, OneWorld
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: SEA
Programs: RAA RIP; AA ExEXP
Posts: 12,526
I think at today's exchange rates Korea is closing the gap in many categories (a few highlighted.) Of course Korea also offers a 3-continent option.
Code:
South Africa 4 continent ZAR/USD 0.09998 USD ex-USA Diff Economy ZAR 19,700 1,970 4,400 (2,430) Business ZAR 45,000 4,499 9,100 (4,601) First ZAR 66,500 6,649 12,500 (5,851) 5 continent Economy ZAR 22,700 2,270 5,100 (2,830) Business ZAR 51,500 5,149 10,400 (5,251) First ZAR 76,500 7,648 14,400 (6,752) 6 continent Economy ZAR 26,600 2,659 6,000 (3,341) Business ZAR 60,500 6,049 12,000 (5,951) First ZAR 90,000 8,998 16,900 (7,902) Korea 3 continent KRW/USD 0.0006872 USD ex-USA Diff Economy KRW 2,905,500 1,997 3,900 (1,903) Business KRW 5,686,200 3,908 8,600 (4,692) First KRW 8,881,400 6,103 11,600 (5,497) 4 continent Economy KRW 3,486,700 2,396 4,400 (2,004) Business KRW 6,776,800 4,657 9,100 (4,443) First KRW 10,098,900 6,940 12,500 (5,560) 5 continent Economy KRW 4,009,700 2,755 5,100 (2,345) Business KRW 7,789,600 5,353 10,400 (5,047) First KRW 11,604,600 7,975 14,400 (6,425) 6 continent Economy KRW 4,611,200 3,169 6,000 (2,831) Business KRW 8,787,400 6,039 12,000 (5,961) First KRW 13,345,300 9,171 16,900 (7,729)
Nov 1, 2008 | 12:10 am
#53
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 21
Newby
I'm new to the forum and getting a little lost w/ all the acronyms but my wife and I are planning a RTW trip and w/ this post and the currency falling wondering if I need to speed up and buy tickets now. I'm unsure how I go about booking a ticket from Korea though and what most of the acronyms are saying... what is mindpearl? Thanks for the help
Nov 1, 2008 | 1:38 am
#54
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
Welcome to FT (flyertalk), jmesax! (Mmm.... that's probably an acronym too. 
)
AA doesn't have its own ticketing office in South Africa. Mindpearl in Cape Town is the GSA (general sales agent - a sort of outsourced ticketing agent) for AA in South Africa.
As to when to jump, that depends very much on where you think the various exchange rates are heading. Currently they are so volatile it is even more difficult than usual to predict. (I correctly predicted that the ZAR weakness was overdone - but I'm only correct for now; I could be proved wrong next week.)
For info on issuing in Korea do a search of this forum using "Korea" ans Seoul" as search words. It will throw up threads like this one for starters.
)AA doesn't have its own ticketing office in South Africa. Mindpearl in Cape Town is the GSA (general sales agent - a sort of outsourced ticketing agent) for AA in South Africa.
As to when to jump, that depends very much on where you think the various exchange rates are heading. Currently they are so volatile it is even more difficult than usual to predict. (I correctly predicted that the ZAR weakness was overdone - but I'm only correct for now; I could be proved wrong next week.)
For info on issuing in Korea do a search of this forum using "Korea" ans Seoul" as search words. It will throw up threads like this one for starters.
Nov 1, 2008 | 4:49 am
#55
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Roses, Costa Brava, Spain
Programs: Seniors Bus Pass, lots of old plastic claiming to be precious metal
Posts: 512
I'm new to the forum and getting a little lost w/ all the acronyms but my wife and I are planning a RTW trip and w/ this post and the currency falling wondering if I need to speed up and buy tickets now. I'm unsure how I go about booking a ticket from Korea though and what most of the acronyms are saying... what is mindpearl? Thanks for the help
The whole area of OneWorld (OW) ticketing can be a bit complex, so please don't be afraid to ask even simple questions. Most of us will try to help out newbies, given that we all had to begin somewhere. Obviously, reading the "stickies" is a bit of a prerequisite, given that a lot of fundamental information is in there.
Nevertheless, if you get stuck on an acronym, try a search & if that doesn't help, just ask.
Nov 1, 2008 | 5:27 am
#56
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
For some extra confusion, MindPearl also seem to operate the AA call centre in Brisbane, Australia, which deals with calls from quite a lot of the Asia Pacific region. Although I believe it's the same company as the AA GSA (General Sales Agent) in South Africa, the functions in the two locations are rather different.
Nov 1, 2008 | 11:06 pm
#58
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 21
Thanks for the info... I did follow-up by reading the stickies... Now I'm thinking of maybe starting our trip either in S Africa or NZ (both around $2700). Couple of questions... one about if we started in NZ we want to travel in AUST and possibly Fiji but I know there's the 2 stopover limit. Could we do one stop in AUST and just book other flights w/in Aust and Fiji? Maybe it would be better to start in S Africa b/c we only have a couple of stops there... Also wondering about when the currency is actually exchanged if I pay for ticket w/ Credit card as I read one post that said it took a month for the charge to actually post and the exchange rate could be very different. Any experience w/ this? Thanks.
Nov 2, 2008 | 1:57 am
#59
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Roses, Costa Brava, Spain
Programs: Seniors Bus Pass, lots of old plastic claiming to be precious metal
Posts: 512
Thanks for the info... I did follow-up by reading the stickies... Now I'm thinking of maybe starting our trip either in S Africa or NZ (both around $2700). Couple of questions... one about if we started in NZ we want to travel in AUST and possibly Fiji but I know there's the 2 stopover limit. Could we do one stop in AUST and just book other flights w/in Aust and Fiji? Maybe it would be better to start in S Africa b/c we only have a couple of stops there... Also wondering about when the currency is actually exchanged if I pay for ticket w/ Credit card as I read one post that said it took a month for the charge to actually post and the exchange rate could be very different. Any experience w/ this? Thanks.
As to the credit card posting delay, I replied to the post you refer to with my own experience with MindPearl, which was that the delay was just one day. Of course, YMMV. [Your mileage may vary - i.e. Your circumstances could be different]
Nov 2, 2008 | 5:54 am
#60
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
