I live in Nevada - Can I purchase a *A RTW ticket originating in MEX ?
For instance - Can I travel to MEX on a separate reservation and start a RTW from there - If yes, can I Travel say MEX-LAX-LAS and stay in LAS and have this count toward the total time restriction - Basically, I am asking if the MEX-LAX-LAS portion would start the time clicking against the 10day (I THINK IT IS 10 !!!) from first international sector minimum stay requirement. Is MEX-USA International for this purpose ???? kazman

question 1 & 2: as Always Flying is saying.

quesion 3 (international): I don't think so. In Europe my first segment (starting in Switzerland) is always international (mostly to FRA and MUC in Germany), but the counter (for the minimum time) starts only when I start my first intercontinental trip (transatlantic or to Asia for me).

Rudi is right--check the fare rules for the tariff you are using.

For some, the clock starts with the first "international" sector, for which MEX-LAX-LAS would be fine--provided that the tariff does not define US-Canada and US-Mexico flights as 'domestic' for the purpose of that rule.

Remember, also, that MEX-LAX-LAS involves backtracking--LAX is west of MEX and LAS is East of LAX. Only certain fares will allow you to plug that into your ticket--even with LAX as a connection.

Wait...

On a similar issue. If one lives in the US, but wants to buy a ticket from a country where the price would be lower, (all flights on UA), can't one get an e-ticket issued from any country even if he/ she doesn't live there?

Can't e-ticket a RTW (too many segments).

Agree with the above posts, except for the issue of back-tracking as described. This becomes a no-no on RTW fares only if you back-track continents (ie. US to Europe and then back, or Asia-Europe, etc.).

I understand that the above mentioned route would mean back-tracking inside the Americas, which much like back-tracking inside continental Europe, is allowed.

------------------
Gaucho100K


[This message has been edited by Gaucho100K (edited 12-29-2000).]

Greetings BB,

How about UA starting April 2001 when they start flying into Delhi? The UA city ticket office in San Jose said they could do something like 12 segments (double digits for sure) so LAX-HKG is #1, HKG-DEL is #2, DEL-LHR is #3, LHR-IAD is #4, and IAD-LAX is #5. Would this qualify for an e-ticket?
P.S. Thanks for taking the time to put together you Star FF comparisons. I'm looking hard at one more program besides UA's MP.

Gaucho, it depends on the tariff.

The classical rule (e.g. the SQ/AC RTW) is strictly no backtracking. Once you start eastbound, no westbound at all. But some fares allow for exceptions (Like YUL/NYC on some AC RTW's. or BKK-HKG to originate a CX/UA out of Thailand).

It is only the newer, milage limited fares, like the OWE, the RWSTARS, etc. that have the more flexible rules.

AC*SE is correct. The RWSTAR fares allow backtracking within the mileage constraints. As for eticketing it - who cares if you can or can't - I'm a bit confused about this. I don't see why UA couldn't eticket a *A fare if it was all on UA as suggested (eg: SAN-ORD-IAD-LHR-DEL-HKG-SIN-BKK-LAX-SAN).

As for this 10 day tule, that seems to come and go. I just ticketed and flew a *A RTW last week and did it in less than 10 days and never had any minimum stay requirements thrown at me (btw I think the 10 day minimum was only for Y class RTW's anyway, which mine was). It could of course be country specific.

As for flying to Mexico to start the trip - sure, you'd just get a seperate tix from NV to MEX, and then grab your first *A flight out of there, but remember you'd have to *return* to MEX at the end of your *A trip so your seperate tix would need to be a r/t of course. Is it worth it for the lower fare ex-mexico?


------------------
UA 1P MEL (awaiting 1K
posting!)

I've found that the *A RTW rules seem to vary by how you book!

UA won't let me fly through FRA (my start point), even if I'm connecting. Whereas when I started my AMS trip which my Travel Agent booked (through UA), this was not a problem!

UA have forced me into the 10 day, 3 stopover rule, applying the 24 hour definition of an international stopover!

Not griping, rules is rules!

Richard, I get the feeling that he wants to buy an e-ticket from an overseas travel agent, so that he can get the overseas price. Otherwise, a very expensive tix would need to be sent by post, which I sure as hell wouldn't do.

if you know a travel agent in another country and they accept credit cards or wire transfers you could definately have them issue the tickets (and make payment at the same time) and courier them to you anywhere in the world. I personally have it done frquently but then you must trust your agent to actually issue and dispatch the tickets on time

my agent usually drops my tix for the airport ticket counter, ie: ti goes internal, but he's with a * carrier, so that's easy to do. The 3 stops thing is a global rule, and has forced me into some interesting routings
oz used to have the 10 day rule, then it didn't, then it did, but could be waived, and so on. It prob. depends as much on if your agent is willing to ticket it as much as the rule. I think minimum stay requirements on such fares are somewhat flexible - ie: if you're going to spend $3k on a ticket, I doubt a carrier will quibble too much if you say you're going to use 8 days instead of 10. Plus you could always ticket for 10, then during the trip change your return dates... i've done that and NEVER been questioned about any time/date rules

------------------
UA 1P MEL (awaiting 1K
posting!)

Two problems with e-ticketing:

1) E-tickets cannot interline, except with AC and UA.

2) E-tickets are limited to 4 segments.

If you have any other carrier, or more than four segments, the ticket must be reduced to paper.