Some basic RTW questions
 

I'm thinking of buying RTW tickets for next summer. Before I talk to an airline or travel agent, I'd like to get a few clarifications from the experts.

Is it better to use an airline reservation or a travel agent? If an airline which one? I plan to drive to Vancouver, B.C. for the originating flight. I learned on this forum that it's Canada's cheaper than the US.

I notice that LH books in F not in A. Does that mean that LH has no capacity controls on RTW flights in FC?

I need three tickets for the following:

YVR OGG

OGG NRT

NRT FRA

FRA YVR

What are the chances of getting three FC tickets for June-July of 2002?

Is it true that on a D class RTW ticket that SFO OGG on UA is in coach?

Thanks in advance for your help. You guys really know your stuff.

I meant what are the chances of getting three FC seats on the same flight. Thanks

LH books First Class RTW in A class.

As far as I can see you will not be able to SFO-OGG on UA D class since that is only a two class cabin flight. Which means you can choose between First or Eco.

You're right Kempis, I was a sloppy. What I meant to ask was: If I buy a business class RTW ticket am I relegated to coach. Or does the normal rule apply, that is, on domestic flights with two classes of service, a business class RTW ticket garners you a FC seat.

on UA two class flights, a paid business rtw gets you into first with the following exceptions:

'downgraded' to eco on US Mainland to Hawaii or Puerto Rico or Mexico (Mexico depends if the upper-class is still defined as first, or as it seems now business?).

Thanks Rudi,

Do you know why they have the exception? What do you do? Redeem a one-way upgrade? I don't even know if they have such a thing to Hawaii?

Another thing Rudi,

I was looking through the old posts and I noticed that in your Part II Star Alliance you showed LH booking in F not A. Has that changed?

Star rtw booking Classes (June 2001)
Airline, Fisrt, Business Economy, YRWSPCL (Star Light)
AC: F, C/S, H, H
BD: D, D, Q, W
LH: A, D, B, H
MX: D, D, S, K
NG: F/D, D, K, B
NH: F, D, B, B
NZ: A, D, B, H
OS: F/D, D, K, B
RG: A, D, B, H
SK: A, D, B, H
SQ: A, D, B, H
TG: A, D, B, H
UA: A, D, B, H
VO: F/D, D, K, V

What do you do?

well, I did upgrade my recent paid business Star-rtw for the UA segment ORD (Chicago) - SJU (San Juan, Puerto Rico) with MileagePlus miles (not vouchers). As my ticket 'shows' paid business, it costs only miles for full fare-'eco' = 8'000 miles/each-way to upgrade from eco to first for this two-class flights.

Hey Rudi, thanks -- 8,000 a segment that's not too bad. Still, seems like I'm being cheated.

Let me ask you another question. I have 0 status with UA. If I didn't upgrade, would they allow me to sit with the annointed. That is, would my business class RTW ticket be deemed a Y type ticket. Or would I be relegate with the ****ed -- those 27 inch pitch seats in the back?

Hey Rudi, I have another question:

I notice from your list that AC books in F. Does that mean that they have no capacity controls.

I'm sure AC has YVR HNL no they have this "down grade" business to HNL like HA?

if you are StarGold (in any Star-frequent-flier program) than you should get confirmed seat reservations in econmy-Plus.

But I guess (don't know for sure) that a paid business, 'downgraded' to eco on the segments mentioned, also entitles to eco Plus (as it does for non UA status holders paying full eco-fare).

I mean

Does AC have the UA downgrade rule?

Thanks Rudi,

You've been very helpful. To help you help me -- I have status with no one.

In a prior life, I was a lot of things but no more.

AC doesn't fly any 3-class planes and doesn't offer first-class, so no 'downgrade' rule for/with them.

Thanks again,

I guess I'm a creature of habit. I was thinking of surfacing from SEA to YVR and flying YVR to SFO then Hawaii on UA. But I guess it's better to go YVR HNL on AC.

I haven't flown AC in a while. Do you still have that 3 by 2 seating in business?

To answer the question about what you do in a paid D class RTW on UA 2 class domestic, I refer you to this rule (ie: RUdi, I think you were ticketed incorrectly!):

Of course SFO-OGG is likely not considered part of "Continental USA" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

------------------
RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.

[This message has been edited by RichardMEL (edited 10-16-2001).]

whoops.. I did a bad thing here and deleted it!

[This message has been edited by RichardMEL (edited 10-16-2001).]

I don't know if it's the same there as in Australia, but for us the airlines charge full published rate for RTWs and some travel agents discount them by around 10%. Most online travel agents either don't do RTWs at all or don't allow you to book them online and therefore charge full service rates.

IME, the best thing to do is find a travel agent who understands RTWs or, at the very least, will just do as you ask and give you a good price. It can take some searching though.

RichardMEL: I don't think UA did wrongly (according to the rules) downgrade my ORD-SJU segments (which I was afterwards able to upgrade with 2*8'000 Mileage Plus miles for the return trip). Puerto Rico is not part of continental US/North America. And UA offers only eco and first-class for these flights.

I find that I travel agent by and large just gets in the way.

As you know, the airlines have put a cap on most tickets at $20. Does anyone know what the commission structure is on RTW tickets? Is it worthwhile for them to fool with these things? Or should I just go directly to an airline?

I, personally, always go to the airline ('my' LH downtown Zurich 'angel'). Even if I would miss some rebate, I win on upgrade 'influence' (on LH and UA segments) and I did profit in the past also, when 'things' didn't go 'smoth' (reimbursement of stolen items out of checked and first misguided luggage on Ansett in SYD; tf calls to book tickets a day before price-increases: I did profit twice for rtw-tickets in the last 24 months from this).

Thanks everyone for all the help -- especially Rudi.

Hey Rudi with all your experience with RTW's have you had difficulty getting first class seats? Do you think my lack of status with any airline will hurt? I don't want wait lists. And my last troblem is that all three of us must travel together.

the only waitlisted upgrade from paid business to first (for about 4 weeks until it cleared) on my last 26-segment rtw in sep-2001 was the (infamous for upgrades) UA NRT-BKK segment.

But I am an early 'booker' and I was travelling alone.

That's interesting. I guess you buy a business class ticket and upgrade with miles. You must have plenty.

Given my itinerary, I guess a UA/CX ticket would do just as well. I can save maybe $2,000 per ticket. The only downside I can imagine is that I can't use LH to run around Europe. But that's no problem for us. Can you see any downside to a UA/CX ticket vs. a RTW?

I guess the other problem is that I can't go NRT-FRA on CX or UA, I'd have to go to HKG. Well to save 6 grand I'll go to HKG.

Can anyone tell me how to go from Japan to Europe non-stop on CX/UA?

Throgh Hong Kong.

How much ar e the CX/UA tickets?

It's very expensive through Hong Kong for whatever reason -- about 7,000 USD's that twice as expensive as Thailand. Go figure.