Forgot to add that I sympathise with you as it is unbelievablably irritating when you have a planned trip validated by the Oneworld tool only to find it may not meet the "hidden" rules that the member airlines tend to hide behind.

I had a similar experience when I was told that the QF SYD-JFK flight via LAX while still only one coupon was regarded as a flight from LAX-JFK for the purposes of "Only 1 transcontinental flight in US" rule, which then meant I could not do JFK-YVR.

This was validated by the booking tool but when I asked agent to book, CX refused to issue.

Yet another example of Oneworld having one set of rules for public consumption and another set that the airlines, apply contradictory to what we read.

No, it was bombed because JNB is not included on the list of African cul-de-sac cities to/from which a second entry to Europe is permitted. It's been in the rules for a long time.

Just to bump this thread- has anyone successfully ticketed an xONEx with a "transit w/o stopover" between NA and SWP.

I am trying to book a DONE4 that is (bare bones)"

NRT-LHR-BOS-xHKG-SYD-NRT

The tool will not let me get to the "choose flights" page. I run afoul of the rule 4(e):

4(e) Only one intercontinental departure and one intercontinental arrival permitted in each continent except as follows:
1. Two permitted in North America when one is a transfer without stopover.
2. Two permitted in Asia when one is a transfer without stopover or on direct single plane service between the Southwest Pacific and Europe/Middle East.
3. Special provisions for travel which includes Africa....

Yet if I try to book the following (suggested by pandaperth earlier in this thread):
ICN-HKG-LHR-JFK-xHKG-AKL-HKG-ICN

then the on-line tool let's me choose flights and proceed to the booking page.

I understand why my itin violates rule 4(e), but not why the latter itin is accepted by the on-line tool. Are they different in some important way that I do not understand?

One possibility is that it won't allow me to ticket the second itinerary even though it prices it.\\Any insight into the puzzle is appreciated.

I had a this route in 2012-2013:

HEL-LHR-AUH-LHR-SIN-HKG-HND-HKG-SYD-AKL-SYD-HKG-JFK-MCO-DFW-LHR-HEL

HKG between SYD and JFK was obviously a transit. It was AONE4 booked 2012 and flew 2013. If I remember correctly I got this booked with online tool.

Wingzing I just plugged your barebones itinerary into the tool and was able to select all flights and price it up (came to just under 900,00JPY)

After I had put all the cities in, the tool was warning me that the second visit to Asia had to be under 24hrs. Once I selected the flights into and out of HKG, that warning went away.

So perhaps there is something else in your full itinerary that is causing the problem?

Ps Your itinerary does NOT violate rule 4(e)

Last year I had JNB-LHR-LAX-xNRT-SYD-SIN-DOH-JNB priced up via the AA RTW desk (there were more segments but those are the relevant ones). IIRC it took insisting it go to for pricing.

Many thanks! I also plugged the itinerary into the tool and, as you found, it now works! Perhaps the tool was having a bad day when I tried earlier.

The tool does have its bad hair days from time to time