Correct, no CX-LX combination allowed. As CX do not currently fly from ZRH, I compared between AMS/CDG/FRA/LHR-HKG and booked via CDG which had by far the best availability (and 744 aircraft). To get to CDG I will just have to pay or use another 20/25000 miles.

AY-LX works fine and the extra 5000 miles required for C is well worth it on AY.

I discovered last year that you can't have AY and TK on the same award ticket.

Stephen

Thank you Concerto, timol and sjharte (Stephen) for introducing the “interlining rule” (= combination possibilities of several airline within one award ticket or upgrade) to the board.

Concerto is right, interlining between LX/CX is not permitted. For example the routing ZRH-HKG-SIN-HKG-ZRH could be issued completely on CX (= one award ticket), assuming that LX´s ZRH-HKG-ZRH still has a CX code share number.

sjharte (Stephen) is right, that you can't have AY and TK on the same award ticket. Interlining with AY is permitted with FU/IW/LO/LX/PE/SN/TP/VA only.

Thanks everyone for your assistance and ideas. I have now made the following booking:

LHR-WAW-BUD (LO)
BUD-ZRH (waitlist on both LX and MA services)
ZRH-IST (LX)
IST-ZRH (TK)

I was advised that transiting ZRH twice would make the IST section count as a side-trip.

Interesting to note is that for the sector LHR-WAW I was offered the LO code-share flight using BA, although this was only available for travel in Y class (ie C class rewards not permitted at all).

Travel between BUD and ZRH is permitted on both LX and the LX code-share with Malev.

Regards

WG

Wynand made the following booking LHR-WAW-BUD-ZRH-IST-ZRH (-?!) and was advised that transiting ZRH twice would make the IST section count as a side-trip.

You have a side trip ZRH-IST-ZRH (=2nd ticket), because ZRH appears on your homebound itinerary twice and not because you are transiting in ZRH twice! Your final destination is WAW (= point of return), which does not count as stopover. Subsequently you are travelling back to BUD and ZRH and forward to IST again.

Patron

The itinerary is LHR-WAW-BUD (stopover)-ZRH-IST -LHR - this is ok.

The itinerary LHR-WAW-BUD (stopover)-ZRH-IST-ZRH (transit only)-LHR counts the ZRH-IST as the sidetrip.

The end destination in each itinerary is IST where I am staying for three days. BUD is the stopover of two days. All other points are transit only.

Cheers

WG

Wynand, thanks for clarifying! Sure, IST is your final destination and I was wrong in my previous post presenting WAW in LHR – WAW - BUD (stopover) – ZRH - IST (final destination) - ZRH – LHR as final destination. Sorry for the confusion!

What I was trying to say: You do not travel in one continuous direction on your outbound leg, assuming that free tickets are based on routings (and not on mileage). You are backtracking from WAW via BUD to ZRH and forward to your final destination IST. Further more, I think that the advise you heard that transiting ZRH twice would make the IST section count as a side-trip is not correct, because the no-side-trip-rule says: The same airport may not appear more than once in either the outbound or the homebound itinerary. If the advise you heard would be correct, you could easily change ZRH with BRU (flying on TK and SN) on your homebound itinerary making LHR - WAW- BUD (stopover) – ZRH – IST (final destination) – BRU – LHR in one ticket. But in my opinion, this does not work!

I hope I do not boring you if I come up with a new suggestion with an itinerary for one free ticket assuming that you have to be in WAW for less than 24h:

LHR – ZRH – (LX 317) – BUD (LX 2250; stopover) – WAW (LO 5536 or LO 532) – IST (LO 135; final destination) - ZRH (LX 1805) – LHR (LX 454)

Besides that, LHR – ZRH (LX 317) – BUD (LX 2250; stopover) – IST (TK 1436; final destination) – ZRH (LX 1805) – LHR (LX 454) should be one ticket.

Have fun!

Patron

Thanks once again for your comments - it's always good to have a discussion with someone who is up on the rules!

I had tried the option of going direct BUD-IST on TK - but I have to travel on a Saturday and this is the only day there is no TK flight (hence going via ZRH)!

Although as I mentioned we are still waitlisted for two sectors, so we may not be going anyway...

Just out of interest - and this is in relation to one of the other threads about awards on code-shares - I was advised by Qualiflyer that there is no award availability on the Malaysia Airlines service from Zurich to Kuala Lumpur (at least in First). I didn't push the point as I wanted to fly Swiss with the beds, but it would be interesting to know for future reference if the information I was given is correct.

Regards

WG

As you know, Wynand, Qualiflyer is offering a free F-Class ticket ZRH-KUL (LX 4310 operated by MH) - ZRH for 160.000 Qualiflyer miles. What I really don´t know is, if a seat is available on the specific date you need it…

Going for a free F-Class ticket to Australia for 280.000 miles (expensive), I would choose LX to HKG and continuing to SYD on CX (knowing that it is also very difficult to get a F-Class award seat on CX).

Just one thing I'm not sure about: does MH offer 3 classes at all? And how is MH Business?

------------------
airOli, the Swiss Air Line. ;)

Patron

My issue was that according to Qualiflyer, it was not possible to ask for a reward seat on the MH aircraft - whether booking under LX or MH (but as I mentioned I didn't push this point as I wasn't after it anyway).

What I have done in place is to fly with LX from London to Singapore (160 000 in F) and then connected with MH from there to Melbourne (90 000 in F) - so a total of 250 000. I tried to get a reward on CX via HKG, but there was absolutely no availability into Australia in June or July (and it was pretty difficult out of London as well).

MH direct out of London would have cost me the same 280 000, but they don't offer flat beds.

AirOli - MH is quite a good airline, there has been some discussion on other threads saying that MH today is a bit like SQ 10 years ago. Service on MH is usually very good. Only problem is the F class seats, which have a 72 inch pitch, but are not flat.

Regards

WG