If this doesn't workout for any reason, just hit the Vancouver high spots instead, and you can still do the same thing when you get back to the Netherlands. The new rules (from Nov 2nd) give the "Canadian exception" to anywhere in the EU. ^

I called the AA RTW desk on Thursday. It took all of five minutes to set up a 16 segment ex-ICN DONE4 for two. I told them I would ticket in Canada. Called back on Friday morning to get the pricing from Dublin. All OK, so I hopped in the car and paid for the ticket in Montreal (I live in New Hampshire) on the same day.

ICN-HKG-ADL-MEL,HBA-SYD-SFO-BOS-DFW-SLC-DFW-BOS-LHR-FCO-LHR-HKG-ICN with a couple of long breaks in the US

cost: $5,828 CA + tax $735 CA, in US$ $4,485 + $566

some notes:

I had to provide dummy dates to get an e-ticket; open-dated tickets have to be paper.

I used a U.S. credit card.

I booked the trans-pacific on Qantas as an AA codeshare. This allows me to fly BA over the Atlantic. (I think one of the two had to be on AA.

Although I am BAEC Gold, I arranged the RTW through AA because the taxes and fuel surcharges are lower.

The taxes and surcharges can be a real deal breaker. I also booked the positioning flight JFK-ICN in J on Cathay using 50,000 BA miles & only $158 taxes. For a separate trip I booked BOS-CDG round-trip on BA using BA miles (half-off sale) and the taxes and fuel surcharges were $720! Ouch!

Also, the ability to book a one-way using BA miles to get to ICN simplifies matters when the return date is more than 350 days in the future (particularly for non-golds who have to pay to change dates).

Does anyone have the email for the AA GSA in Seoul that is mentioned above? If so, PM it to me please.

Thanks.

I am also after the email address for the AA GSA in Seoul, as I can't get thru on the phone. Please PM me.

Also, does anybody know if it is easy to get there from the airport?

Thanks

As an FYI as per an earlier post in another thread I did use the OW booking tool to set up a DONE3...The first flight is on CX so it was routed to CX res in Seoul. I am still waiting for the e-tkt and would prefer to do it with AA so yet again, if anyone has the e-mail for AA in ICN send it over

But if not, the on-line booking with OW seems to work for this one at least

I am resurrecting this old thread to provide the contact information for the travel agency in Seoul that I've been dealing with. I've continued to deal with them since last year, and they've continued to be very helpful.

Kises
Student & Youth Travel Specialists
YMCA Bldg., Suite 505
Jongno 2-ga, Jongno-gu
Seoul 110-753 Korea
Tel.: +82 2 733 9494
Mobile: +82 (0)10 5387 0880
Website: http://www.kises.co.kr
Mobile: +82 (0)10 5387 0880
Website: http://www.kises.co.kr

do they have an english web site?

Remember, too, that you aren't compelled to find a TA in Seoul. You can also purchase in Canada for the same price. Some agents/offices (e.g., Mindpearl in CPT), will do the whole transaction by e-mail, assuming that you're willing to scan and e-mail your credit card and passport information page. For an e-ticket, you're done. For a paper ticket (often required when you have open segments), you can have FedEx or another courier pick it up in CPT and deliver it to you wherever. I did that, and the FedEx charge to the Boston area was just under USD$90.

It was incredibly easy dealing the the travel agent in Seoul. But I obviously missed this discussion. I thought the rule was that you were charged the higher of the fare in your originating country or the fare in the country where you purchase the ticket. Am I wrong?

There are exceptions to that rule for bookings:

• purchased or starting in Canada and
• purchased and starting in Europe.