FlyerTalk Forums - Around the world ticket question

FlyerTalk Forums (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/index.php)

- Star Alliance (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star-alliance-413/)

- - Around the world ticket question (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star-alliance/1270524-around-world-ticket-question.html)

Around the world ticket question

Hi all,

First time poster!

I'm looking to getting a RTW ticket from Star Alliance. My question is as follows, any thoughts would be very appreciated.

My options are to book a ticket originating in the US (NYC) or in Europe (WAW).

Option 1:
NYC-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-NYC

Options 2:
WAW-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-NYC-WAW

There is a significant price difference between the two, so I was wondering if I pick option 2, pay for the tickets, do the whole trip and then just decide not to take the last leg of NYC-WAW, do I get charged anything or just am reported as no show and RTW ticket is completed?

Also any insights into how miles are treated on RTW would be great (for example I am thinking economy vs. business class tickets and business class miles multiplyer effect)

K

It is just like any other trip; if you throw away a segment all the others remaining are canceled.

The *A RTW fares should be a few thousand cheaper ex-WAW than ex-NYC from what I'm seeing (i.e. http://www.wandr.me/RTW_Fares.aspx/ByProduct/CRWSTAR2); I'd be surprised if you're really seeing the opposite.

And the booking classes for the RTW on the various carriers are thus:

RTW BOOKING CLASSES BY CARRIER

Code:

  CXR        FIRST        BUSINESS       ECONOMY

  A3         C NOTE 1     D NOTE 9       M

  AC         C NOTE 1     Z NOTE 2       M

  BD         C NOTE 1     D NOTE 3       M

  CA         A NOTE 4     D NOTE 5       M

  F WITHIN CN  C WITHIN CN    M

  NOTE 6       NOTE 7

  CO         D NOTE 3     Z NOTE 2       M

  JJ         A NOTE 4     D NOTE 3       M

  JK         C NOTE 1     D NOTE 9       M

  JP         C NOTE 1     D NOTE 3       M

  KF         J NOTE 10    Z NOTE 11      M NOTE 18

  LH         A NOTE 8     D NOTE 3       M

  LO         D NOTE 3     Z NOTE 2       M

  LX         A NOTE 8     D NOTE 3       M

  NH         A NOTE 8     D NOTE 9       B

  F WITHIN JP  Y WITHIN JP    Y WITHIN JP

  NZ         C NOTE 12    D NOTE 13      M NOTE 19

  MS         A NOTE 8     D NOTE 3       M

  OS         C NOTE 1     D NOTE 9       M

  OU         C            D NOTE 3       M

  OZ         A NOTE 8     D NOTE 3 X     M

  Y WITHIN KR  Y WITHIN KR    Y WITHIN KR

  SA         A NOTE 8     D NOTE 3       M

  SK         J NOTE 10    Z NOTE 11      M NOTE 18

  SN         C            D NOTE 3       M

  SQ         A NOTE 14    D NOTE 3       M

  TG         A NOTE 8     D NOTE 3       M

  TK         F NOTE 15    D NOTE 3       M

  TP         C NOTE 1     D NOTE 9       M

  UA         A NOTE 4     D NOTE 5       M

  US         A NOTE 16    Z NOTE 17      M

  ----

  NOTE 1     IF C NOT AVAILABLE BOOK Y.

  NOTE 2     IF Z NOT AVAILABLE BOOK B

  NOTE 3     IF D NOT AVAILABLE BOOK Y.

  EXCEPTION FOR TG ON DIRECT SERVICES

  TO/FROM USA

  IF D NOT AVAILABLE BOOK U

  -OZ MANDATORY BUSINESS CLASS SURCHARGE

  ON ROUTE ICN-SFO/LAX.

  SEE PARAGRAPH SURCHARGES.

  NOTE 4     IF A NOT AVAILABLE BOOK C.

  IF A NOT OFFERED BOOK C AND

  IF C NOT AVAILIBLE BOOK Y.

  NOTE 5     IF D NOT AVAILABLE BOOK B.

  IF D NOT OFFERED BOOK A AND

  IF A NOT AVAILIBLE BOOK B

  PROVIDED THAT ONLY FIRST AND ECONOMY

  CABIN OFFERED ON THE FLIGHT.

  NOTE 6     IF F NOT AVAILABLE BOOK C.

  IF C NOT AVAILABLE BOOK Y.

  NOTE 7     IF C NOT AVAILABLE BOOK F

  IF F NOT AVAILABLE BOOK B

  NOTE 8     IF A NOT AVAILABLE BOOK C

  NOTE 9     IF D NOT AVAILABLE BOOK B

  NOTE 10    IF J NOT AVAILABLE BOOK D

  IF D NOT AVAILABLE BOOK Y

  NOTE 11    IF Z NOT AVAILABLE BOOK Y

  NOTE 12    IF C NOT AVAILABLE BOOK U

  IF U NOT AVAILABLE BOOK Y

  NOTE 13    IF D NOT AVAILABLE BOOK E

  IF E NOT AVAILABLE BOOK B

  NOTE 14    IF A NOT AVAILABLE BOOK J

  NOTE 15    IF F NOT AVAILABLE BOOK C

  NOTE 16    IF A NOT AVAILABLE BOOK D

  IF D NOT AVAILABLE BOOK Y

  NOTE 17    IF Z NOT AVAILABLE BOOK B

  IF Z NOT OFFERED BOOK A AND

  IF A NOT AVAILABLE BOOK B

  PROVIDED THAT ONLY FIRST AND ECONOMY

  CABIN OFFERED ON THE FLIGHT

  NOTE 18    FOR ECONOMY EXTRA BOOK S

  SEE S CLASS SURCHARGE IN PARAGRAPH

  SURCHARGES.

  NOTE 19    FOR UPGRADE TO PACIFIC PREMIUM ECONOMY

  BOOK O. SEE NZ O CLASS SURCHARGE

  IN PARAGRAPH SURCHARGES.

  NOTE 20    IF A NOT AVAILABLE BOOK D.

  NOTE 21    IF J NOT AVAILABLE BOOK Y.

  ----

hey. thanks for the answer.

a RTW starting in warsaw and ending in warsaw is WAY cheaper than one starting in NYC and ending in NYC. did it today on the star alliance RTW tool.

im still confused by your answer, so let me give you my examples.

my choice is

Option 1: NYC-WAW-India-Thailand-Hong Kong-Singapore-Australia-Fiji-NYC

or

Option 2: WAW-India-Thailand-Hong Kong-Singapore-Australia-Fiji-NYC-WAW

Note: I already have a ticket that I booked earlier for NYC-WAW-NYC, to get my NYC-WAW leg for option two, and am ok losing the WAW-NYC return.

so my question is, if i were to buy option 2 and then when I arrive in NYC decide that I just wont be taking the last flight of my RTW ticket, will Star Alliance charge me anything for canceling that last leg? I have zero experience in this, but I could imagine two outcomes

1. no charge at all, i didnt fly, end of story, RTW ticket completed
2. Star Alliance going back and charging me extra for all of my prior flights as my RTW wasnt completed in full as book and i didnt back to the same country of origin (i.e., i didnt physically start and end in that country, obviously i would pay for the whole RTW ticket)

thanks!!

I cant believe the price of a RTW ticket these days!! Over £3k from WAW!!!

My partner and I were considering this for next year, as part of our honneymoon...I'm now thinking of just buying a round trip ticket to Asia, and then using the low cost airlines from there......!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kostek79 (Post 17297427)

so my question is, if i were to buy option 2 and then when I arrive in NYC decide that I just wont be taking the last flight of my RTW ticket, will Star Alliance charge me anything for canceling that last leg? I have zero experience in this, but I could imagine two outcomes

This is called "throw away ticketing" and it is technically against the terms of your contract with the airline. So long as you don't make a habit of it you won't have a problem. You'll forfeit the segment you do not fly (and potentially any others after it) but if it is your last segment and you don't care then it is no big deal.

Depending on how long the trip is you might choose to schedule that last segment way out in time and use it to complete a second trip to Europe at some later date, but that would require a bit more coordination.

You should be fine with not using the last part of your ticket. The other thing you can do is make a reservation for that leg for basically the last possible date and use it to start your next RTW next year. So if you start your trip in February 2012 and do the majority of your travel in, say, March, then make the last leg (NYC-WAW) for Jan or Feb 2013 and you're good to go for your next RTW trip (assuming RTW pricing is similar next year).

Your question about earning depends on what class you fly and what you want to do with the miles. Try the stickies in this forum that compare *G and *Silver status and perks for the various airlines. If you travel in biz, Miles and More will give you 200% without status. They are one of the top programs for earning in biz. but they charge high taxes for award tickets and *G requires 100,000 miles. Agean, Air Canada, and Asiana require the least amount of miles for *G. If you fly domestic US, you are probably better off with CO/UA since if you get *G (50,000) you will get a fair number of perks including the possibility of domestic complementary upgrades. In any case, see the sticky about which program is right for you if you are just starting out.

Thanks a lot! I can definitely use the NYC-waw leg later, good to hear that I could cancel if I needed to. The price difference is mind blowing - especially for business class rtw. I will check the miles as you said.

Any other reasons (except comfort and more miles accrued) to choose RTw biz vs economy?

Also I already have Amex plat and priority pass - so lounges would be available anyways

And I have been long time miles and more member so I will prb just stick with them - is the G class the one that counts for status?

Any changes to the RTW flights ( except the first one) do not cost anything. So book the ticket and change the last leg at your leisure. BTW--if you do NOT use the last leg the issuing carrier has the right to calculate your trip as if you did one way flights and charge you the difference, if any. I don't know if any airline enforces this rule.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ac777 (Post 17319767)

No fees only for changes in dates and times but not routing.