Yes, I'm doing DFW-DOH, QR metal, using the AA codeshare. Also starting the DONE3 doing HND-JFK, JL metal, using AA codeshare. No trouble with AA RTW.

Important note: Out of the 3 people I spoke to about 3 weeks ago, 2 were very knowledgeable. After AA rate desk approved my itin, I wanted to change it but the 2nd agent saw the first flight was JL metal and said it should be booked with JL. I pointed out the rate desk already approved it and the changes were only later in the itin. . She put me on hold and came back and then made the changes. But when submitting it screwed something up and I had to call 2 days later. The 3rd agent was great like the 1st one, so like maybe the AA RTW also needs HUCA if they tell you something strange.

OK, here's a weird "bug"
The tool priced up the following business class 5-continent itinerary for me:It priced it as a 3-continernt itinerary! Base fare of JPY656,300 instead of JPY895,200

I changed the date of one flight (SYD-NAN), turning the first SYD transit into a stopover, and the base fare jumped to the correct DONE5 base fare.

When you go to pay, a pop-up gives you the choice of ticketing with JL (which requires you to phone to pay) or with QF (which you would pay online, and "Qantas will issue your ticket automatically".

Sadly, the itinerary is not quite what I want (i want to transit DOH to CPT, but the tool fails if I enter that), and also I don't think I'm brave enough to risk ticketing the "error fare". :D

I’ve found that the shambolic code quality of the OW booking engine extends through to the ticketing end. A friend showed me the itinerary email which was squirted (?pooped) out of the end of an on line booking:
- weird routings including a redundant overnight stop with no explanation
- a typo in a standard part of the text: “poviders”
- wrongly formatted times, eg “6:5” for 0605
- but worst of all, when a flight lands on day +1, it doesn’t tell you that!

These are pretty basic errors. Any beginner programmer should be able to put leading zeroes on minutes, or spellcheck. And any beginner agent should have spotted the missing +1day on a transpacific flight, during user acceptance testing.

Further proof that this engine should be avoided if at all possible.

I'm a retired IT business analyst
and I've cringed at the quality of this tool
I really doubt that anyone took the role of End User and specified that person's requirements
And I also doubt that any real user acceptance testing took place.

And don't get me started on the tool's AI interface (or as I call it the AU interface; AU = Artificial Unintelligence)

:D:D:tu:

Hi, trying to do a RTE DONE with a variety of options but always failing at CHC-YVR. When checking the flights on Expert Flyer is shows D class as available.

Was looking at TYO-BKK-SIN-PER-SYD-AYQ-SYD-CHC-YVR-LHR-MXP-LHR-TYO

The CHC-YVR can either take the CHC(SYD)YVR route on QF or CHC(NAN)YVR on FJ. But it always says dates not available or brings up a really long routing through TYO which takes the itinerary over 34,000 miles. Was looking at 31 July or 3 August or other dates around then on which the flights operate.

Any ideas why this wouldn’t work? I also tried removing the BKK-SIN-PER and starting off with TYO-SYD but no difference there either.

FJ is not an eligible carrier with the Oneworld Explorer. And there is no 34,000 mile limit with the Oneworld Explorer; that's a limit with the Global Explorer. The online tool is designed for the former, not the latter.

Always try to put in each segment rather than something like CHC-YVR which leaves the connecting point(s) up to the tool. Try CHC-SYD-LAX-YVR, using AA for the SYD-LAX segment. Lack of availability could be either (a) there isn't availability - no "D" seats, or (b) because the tool is choking due to some other rule violation.

Thanks, I’ll have a play. If I do a separate CHC-SYD I think I’ll have to get rid of the internal journey in Australia (SYD-AYQ) as I’d have too many journeys in Pacific zone. But will see what comes up.

A different itinerary came up with Fiji but must have been on the other pass. And I tried another random routing beginning in ME and it allowed the Qantas flight to YVR on certain dates so lord knows which rules my plan from TYO is breaching.

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=c%3Ablu...=bm&PW=3&DU=mi

For CHC to/from BNE SYD MEL on QF are possible. Do not forget ZQN - Australia on QF. If a DONE flight not suitable/not meeting the rules can be cheap in economy (3:30hr) AU<-->NZ. Cash business fare less value for those B737 flights. Awards are possible.
You have a lot of flights centred on SYD, which Air Sydney (aka Qantas) may like-push but you have other options in Australia - New Zealand.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayers_Rock_Airport

FJ is not an eligible carrier with the Oneworld Explorer *ONE*
FJ is an eligible carrier with the Global Explorer *GLO** (distance based). As are some other non OW airlines
https://www.oneworld.com/world-travel

From wikipedia for YVR very limited OW airlines~routes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancou...tional_Airport

SEA not far away from VVR

Thanks, I will definitely play around
with those ideas. It’s just a shame it such a clunky tool on the Oneworld website!

Well I think I found the problem, though I’m not sure why it occurs or what ‘rule’ it breaks.

If my first flight is not on Qantas or Jetstar it won’t let me do the CHC to YVR flight.

If I go from TYO to an Australian airport, I can do the CHC-YVR flight.

If I originate in BKK (instead of TYO) and go to SIN on Jetstar (3K) on my first flight, I can later do the CHC-YVR. However, if I change the BKK-SIN flight to the recently reinstated CX one then the later CHC-YVR has to go via AKL and HKG.

So start on QF (or one of the Jetstars) then all good, anything else then it’s no no no!!

Perhaps this is something that a travel agent could overcome, but don’t think I can.

Jetstar is not an eligible carrier with the Oneworld Explorer *ONE*, with a JQ exception as below
If you are looking at Jetstar marketed flights you are booking a Global Explorer *GLO*. Not a *ONE*. They have different rules.
My understanding the (poor) OW booking tool is only for *ONE*.

There is no "CHC to YVR flight". It has to be CHC XXX YVR. Must all include flights.

I’m not looking at a Jetstar flight, my point is that the Oneworld tool only works if I start with a Jetstar or Qantas flight and want to have the CHC(SYD)YVR flight in there.

So the Oneworld tool is working with Jetstar flights (as you use same tool for Oneworld Explorer and Global Explorer) and is actively pushing me towards so JQ/3K flights at times over other direct Oneworld flights.

The tool is clearly only allowing the CHC(SYD)YVR flight if there is an opening Qantas/Jetstar flight to the OW Explorer/Global Explorer routing.

Trying to book my first RTW.
I have a couple questions for xCAI.

I already have some booking when using webTool. I am based on US. Plan to position to CAI this Dec and spend 3 weeks from CAI to LAX and stay in LAX for 3 days, visit LIM and stay at home for another 5 months and visit middle east.

This is what I have so far.

1. xCAI -> xAMM -> xDOHA -> SIN (in Economy RJ/QR) I found D fare from EF but OW only shows availability in OW only
2. SIN - > xHKG -> PEK (CX)
3. PEK- > xHKG -> LAX (CX)
4. LAX -> xMAI -> LIM (AA)
5. LIM -> MAI (AA)
6. MAI -> LAX (AA)
7. LAX -> LON (BA)
8. LON -> AMM (BA)
9. AMM -> CAI (RJ)

1. I have no choice for my first segment CAI -> SIN. If I call CX or AA RTW desk, will they able to book CAI -> xDOH -> SIN? I already read many posts, it indicates fee is going to be pretty high. If so by how much?
2. Webtool does not allow me to end at AMM or DOH, will call AA or CW resolve this issue?

Any recent experience using AA? Will AA's price be similar as webtool?

Looks like game over for ex-CAI:

Attempting different first segments yields similar messages, sometimes with Qatar in place or Air Maroc.

On EF the fare is still alive but on fewer airlines than before - QF in particular is gone. Likely to be pulled completely sooner than later.

Called AA. they can still see availability but won’t be able to give me price immmediately. not sure if this is normal to book with AA

I'm not following your abbreviations "CW" and "ET".

If you're only transiting AMM, you're eating up one of your 16 segments by not flying CAI-xDOH. The tool won't allow DOH as the first flight, but phoning to book should be okay.

For question one, if by fee you mean fuel fines, taxes and surcharges, I would expect something in the vicinity of EUR1500, probably more.

For question two, AA will (assuming it's still processing Explorer bookings).

Thanks. Just called AA. AA is able to book CAI -xDOH on QR.
I mean CX and ExpertFlyer. Fixed typo.

Do you mean if the first leg is QR, the entire trip surcharge cost will increase by EUR1500? Even I do not take other QR flights? Do you mean the first leg airline will determine rest of surcharges?

My estimate of the taxes and surcharges is based on you having QR and BA flights, which typically charge higher. It's not my understanding that the carrier of the first leg determines the charges; I understand they are based on the overall carriers used. Others here will know more.

This is actually better in one of the other threads and you'd get more help on it there. I'd say likely the pricing thread. This thread is about bugs in the online tool.

Your CW's should be CX for clarification of others looking at it.

You have too many trans-cons in the US (LAX-xMIA-LIM and again MIA-LAX, only 1 is allowed. You'd need the other to transit DFW or ORD. It looks like you're using LAX as stopovers on both, otherwise I'd recommend going PEK-HKG-JFK instead. (or ORD) to avoid the 2nd transcon.

I don't know how inflexible you are with your dates on the first leg to SIN, but no way I'd accept economy on this ticket. Yes, you can do CAI-DOH-SIN without AMM, but the OW tool can't do it. You have to call AA or CX to do have QR on your first segment and CX phone agents aren't the most competent. You need to find someone at CX who can refer it to the specialist team (which I just verified 2 days ago does exist, but they have to call you back, there's no number to reach them like AA).

Yes, you can end in DOH or AMM. The base version of the online tool will allow it, but the AI version ('new version') does not. You currently have plenty of segments remaining, so you can book it as a stopover on the return and just never use the DOH-CAI segment if you want to use the 'new' tool. Dropping AMM out of CAI will give you back one of your Europe / ME segments as well.

Beware the UK APD out of LHR, it's quite high and can be avoided by going from DUB instead on QR. AA flies to DUB from the US as well, I believe it's from PHL and ORD. (though you can still fly into LHR and out of DUB, it uses a surface segment, but you'll have that available. For that matter once you drop AMM from CAI, you could even add LHR to DUB on this ticket but I believe you need to make it a stopover to avoid the long haul APD).

BTW, you currently have a DONE4. If you have any interest in Africa at all, a DONE5 is only about $80 more expensive (plus potentially a bit of YQ)

I haven't found QRs fees to be high, but it may be because of my ticketing carrier. So far I've only had QF and CX ticket these. I know different carriers assign YQ differently when they issue the tickets, but reading some of the ones priced by AA, it also doesn't seem excessive with a lot of QR segments. My understanding (from a discussion a year or so ago from one of the travel agents on the forum) of QR's fees is that they have a flat fee to start, then a small per-segment fee after that, so in an itinerary like mine with a ton of QR segments, it probably ends up far less than using other carriers on long hauls. I know testing it using MH or CX on a long haul jacked it up quite a lot compared to QR.

Thanks for your help. Because of this 34000 miles error, I have to use the AI version. Both new version and AA allow me to fly LAX -> xMIA -> LIM and LIM -> xMIA -> IAH. I guess because I do not have stopover, it does not count as 2 trans-con?

I quickly use EF to search RT fare difference between QR and RJ. It actually differs a lot. That's might be reason why online tool does not allow to have QR as first leg. We will see once we get back from AA
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c342cdeea1.png
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...880e023093.png

AA doesn't offer immediate pricing, so this is normal.

I'm now getting the "The chosen departure city requires British Airways to operate your first flight. Please choose a different departure city as British Airways is not permitted to operate the first flight. Alternatively, please contact British Airways directly to book your Round The World fare." message.

Looks like it's blocking all bookings out of CAI with that error. I can't even get it to go LHR or MAD. The first segment on QR has always created that error, but for it to block RJ and AT as well is new and it doesn't seem to want to put the first segment on BA or IB. I even tested the AI tool as well, it'll route onto IB or BA, but won't price. Hopefully this is temporary, but something tells me it's not a bug.

Completely make ex-CAI no use for me because I credit to AA, so don't want any long AA or BA segments to get one of them to book it. I don't know QF will book one manually without QF segments like the OW tool does when it sends bookings to QF. JL has extra fees but might be the only way to do it now. :mad:

**Edit: This is only ex-CAI. Other points of origin in the region are working as usual with RJ, BA, etc. on the first segment. Of course none of them have an attractive base fare.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fb022455c9.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...207dccea67.jpg

QR has always had a higher base fare ex-CAI than the others (but never by $2000). Everyone else uses an EGP base fare, QR to my understanding uses USD and that appears to be the old USD base fare. To even see that on EF you have to specify QR in the search, it doesn't come up with the other OW carriers in the general CAI-CAI search. If I look at historical fares in EF, back a couple months ago the QF fare was $4570 on DONE4, so QR being $5220 seems about right.

That actually is an interesting data point then, someone else mentioned they ticketed with AA and if QR was the first segment the price spiked (this is before ticketing), and that now makes sense as AA would have been using the QR fare instead of the RJ or BA base fare. But to my understanding, if you make a change right after ticketing (and pay the $125 fee) then it'll still use the original fare and you can switch to QR from CAI. (I did that myself, and my base fare remained at 141,000 EGP for DONE4 or 145,000 EGP for DONE5, so it clearly did not switch to the QR base fare)

LAX-MIA is the only transcon. MIA-IAH is not a transcon.

YMMV with JAL too. I had tried calling JAL to book and the agent wouldn't price anything out unless the first segment was JL. She tried to redirect me back to the OW tool online.

1. you can not return to CGK without visiting another asia city.
2. TYO is your origin. so you only allowed to have 2 stopovers in Asia. You visited CGK twice so adding HKG causes the problem. If i were you, i will pick another airport close to CGK and drop HKG or buy CGK to HKG separately very cheap

1. There is nothing in the rules that prevents two visits to CGK. You cannot fly the same city pairs twice in the same direction but typical isn't doing this.
2. I think the problem that typical is having with the tool is that the tool treats every city you enter as a stopover. The tool does not recognize that I may want to choose a city to route to using the tool and merely connect there for less than 24 hours. As far as the rules go typical 's routing TYO-CGK-DOH....LAX-HKG-CGK-TYO would be legal with TYO-oCGK-DOH....LAX-xHKG-oCGK-TYO but the tool will only provide you a routing like LAX-HKG-CGK if you have entered LAX-CGK and it has decided that is legal and then it provides you the LAX-xHKG-CGK routing as an option when you go to select flights.

A travel agent, JAL, or AA (if typical has some AA overwater flights in there) could ticket but selecting transit cities in the continent of origin in difficult in the tool.

If I may jump onto this topic:
Is this a similar problem with the itinerary I was playing around with?

hnd-dfw-lax-jfk-hel-agp-mad-lhr-doh-ktm-kul-cgk-hkg-cts-hnd

It would also give me errors saying too many stops in continent of origin, I am understanding it correctly, that it treats KTM, CGK and CTS as stopovers even if flight "connection" in KTM would be below 24 h?
(Plan would be to only have real stops in CGK and CTS, other Asian cities just connection points).

If you're inputting everything manually in the OW tool to get that KTM transit (as I'm pretty sure the OW tool would never offer that as a connection) then yes it'll count it as a stopover even if under 24h. You'd have to ticket that manually with AA, JL or BA but it's not invalid if under 24h.

Having said that you have too many segments in Asia. (continent of origin) KTM-KUL-CGK-HKG-CTS-HND is 5 segments and you're allowed only 4. You'd need to end your itinerary in CTS for two reasons, first is the 4 segment limit in Asia plus you can't return to the country of origin until the end of your itinerary (except North America). Generally that's fine though, the dometic ticket on JL is usually 15-20,000 JPY in Class J CTS to TYO, I want to say around 25,000 JPY in F. So if you eliminate your CTS-HND then you might get the tool to ticket as that would mean it'd be looking at KTM and CGK as stopovers and CTS as the end point.

Thanks for your input, really appreciated!

NRT-YVR erroneously shown as not available
 

Trying to price some different variations of a RTW, and thought the online tool might help play with some options.
Frustratingly it is showing NRT-YVR as unavailable on all days, even when there is plenty of JL D inventory both on ExpertFlyer and through AA RTW desk.

The itinerary is OSL-LHR-xDOH-BNE-NRT-YVR-SEA-LHR-OSL. It seems to be just NRT-YVT that is problematic.

Any thoughts on how I get past this error? (Other than give AA all my different variations and wait 24 hours for them to price).

I'm using the "old" tool. The "new" tool won't allow me a second stop in LHR: "Your trip may not include two stops in London without visiting any other city in Europe-Middle East. I am dropping one of the visits to London" (another bug as this is permitted in the rules).

The AA RTW desk actually books your itinerary before it is sent to the rate desk, so you won't be wondering which variation you're going to get.

Oneworld website behaving strangely
 

Good morning, this is the first time I've had to ask for help in the Oneworld forum. I normally book my round the world tickets online, start the ticket in Tokyo to keep the cost down (much cheaper than starting in Hong Kong), make the first flight from Tokyo a CX one so that CX in Tokyo issue the ticket (it's a very helpful office) and then pay online to CX after booking the itinerary I want.
Today it seems impossible to book a OW round the world itinerary on the OW website - is it just me? I'm not the most technically sophisticated but I can usually book a round the world without causing chaos.
Today, the Oneworld website won't save itineraries so I have had to reinput the one I want to book three times; there is an unidentified error and the website says "change a flight, destination or timing to fix this problem" without saying which of the many variables is causing the problem; it won't let me proceed to the next step which is to send the booking into the system where it gets routed to CX who email me and I pay for the ticket.
I wonder if others are having/have had a similar problem to this - perhaps there's just a problem with the booking system and it's a Sunday here in Hong Kong. I might be able to book it through a travel agent but I don't know any good ones as I've never really had to use them in recent years since my itineraries are usually out and back or a round the world ticket.
Any suggestions of how to get round this problem would be highly appreciated or even a sense that it's a known problem with the Oneworld website that I just haven't come across before.
Or a recommendation for a good travel agent who could arrange the ticket (including a service fee) would also be helpful as it would reduce the stress levels...
I'll just add my routing in case there are any glaring errors which the experts notice.
HND-HKG-LHR-JFK/LGA-MPS-YVR-HND
Am I right in thinking that I could call CX and they should be able to ticket this (they are the airline that normally tickets my RTW tickets)
Many thanks.

The online tool is hopeless. Avoid.

If you have an AA (codeshare or metal) over-the-water flight in your itinerary then call the AA RTW desk. They are helpful and professional, although sometimes calls can be quite slow. I do all my RTWs with them and they have been generally excellent with only a couple of errors along the way.

Thanks! It may be easier to ask one of the airline agents to do it. I normally use CX so perhaps they'll be able to do it, I'll ask since I'm familiar with their systems.

The only issue with CX on the phone or Whatsapp is that you can't contact their RTW desk directly. They do have one though. So it may take some pushing to get someone to forward your request to them and get them to call you back and sort it all out. My experiences on my CX issued RTW have generally been good, but to be honest their phone agents are no better than QF, you still have to get someone with a brain and knows how to liaise with the RTW desk.

Checked a OW airline flys all those routes non stop?
From LGA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaGuardia_Airport
MPS? Or MSP Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport
JL flys YVR-NRT, not HND [ CX YVR-HKG ] (source wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancou...tional_Airport

I've been trying to make a booking for a few days now. The Oneworld tool keeps switching to the Global Explorer fare during the planning process, even though the Oneworld Explorer fare was shown as valid before. Most of the time, I even see the Oneworld Explorer fare at the bottom. All flights are showing as valid, but still I get a message saying "Your itinerary exceeds the 34,000 mile limit on a Business or First class booking. To finalize your itinerary, please reduce the length of your trip."

Is this something that's known to cause problems? Any ideas on how to get around this? Is this jumping between fares something that's known to happen with the online tool? I made sure I've not included any flights with non-OW airlines, so it's probably not an accidental codeshare. Ideally, I'd like to book via the AA RTW Desk or with British Airways, but I just want to make sure that my route is bookable. The online tool is great for testing out different possibilities and options. I'm currently trying the route OSL-HEL-DEL-HKG-CMB-HKG-DPS-HKG-CTS-HND-HNL-ANC-LAX-JFK-MAD-OSL because I want to book the overwater with AA or BA.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...aee637996e.jpg