JohnnyGlobal

You may or may not know that United Airlines and South African Airlines have a RTW ticket that they issue together.

I will post the rules and other info. below. I've almost always used the Star Alliance RTW ticket to get to/from South Africa--with LH and SQ as the carriers to/from the Continent. I've started and ended in Canada to save some bucks before, but I, too, have always wanted to begin and end trips in South Africa to take advantage of the ever-weakening Rand.

The Star Alliance RTW is considerably cheaper out of South Africa, as Dorian and others have noted. But I just decided to try this UA/SAA RTW for two reasons:

1) it is even cheaper than the *Alliance RTW. I just bought a CPT-LHR-MKE-PHX-ORD-HKG-JNB-CPT First Class ticket for about US$3,000.

2) if you do a fair bit of traveling around Sub-Saharan south Africa, then you probably use SAA a fair bit--like it or not. They are dependable and safe. So, this RTW ticket allows you to accrue miles with SAA and get some perks/mileage accural there (in addition to UA and the rest of *Alliance).

Here's the particulars. If it doesn't come out below and you want me to forward this info. directly from my e-mail (without cutting and pasting), then please just drop me a note.


Confirmed correct by Hayley: 19 November'01
********************************
SA/UA World of Voyager RTW Fare
********************************

1. APPLICATION
A. first, business, economy class rate per mile, world of Voyager
fares originating in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa,
valid on the services of SA and UA only

3. FARES
1. the fare for passenger will be as specified below:
Fares are established by multiplying the Total TPM's by the
applicable rate per mile:
|---------------|----------------------------------------|
| Class | AUSTRALIA | NEW ZEALAND | SOUTH AFRICA |
| | (AUD) | (NZD) | (ZAR) |
|---------------|-----------|-------------|--------------|
| First | | | |
| Adult | 0,38 | 0,45 | 1,15 |
| Child | 0,29 | 0,34 | 0,86 |
|---------------|-----------|-------------|--------------|
| Business | | | |
| Adult | 0,30 | 0,35 | 1,00 |
| Child | 0,23 | 0,26 | 0,75 |
|---------------|-----------|-------------|--------------|
| Economy peak | | | |
| Adult | 0,15 | 0,17 | 0,55 |
| Child | 0,11 | 0,13 | 0,41 |
|---------------|-----------|-------------|--------------|
| Economy basic | | | |
| Adult | 0,12 | 0,15 | 0,55 |
| Child | 0,09 | 0,11 | 0,41 |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
2. infants under two not occupying a seat pay 10% of the applicable
adult fare. Only one infant is allowed per adult passenger
3. when travel originates in a country for which a specified local
currency fare is published and the ticket is sold in another country,
the fare will be that published for the country of origin converted
into the currency of sale at the banker's rate, but in no instance
will the applicable fare be less than the applicable fare from the
country of sale
4. in cases where the class of service for which the passenger has paid
is not offered/available over a particular portion of the itinerary,
the passenger will then be accommodated in the next offered/available
lower class of service and no refund shall apply
EXCEPTION: for travel within/between the Continental USA, Hawaii and
Canada on UA in 2 cabin aircraft where no Business Class is offered,
Business Class passenger may book and travel in First Class
5. these fares apply only if purchased before departure

4. CHILDREN AND INFANT FARES
Children : As per fares table paragraph 3.1.
Infants : 10% of the applicable adult fare

6. PERIODS OF APPLICATION
A. 2. seasonal periods:
a. from South Africa - all year
b. from Australia/New Zealand:
Basic L 01 Jan - 31 Apr
L 01 Sep - 30 Nov
Peak H 01 May - 31 Aug
H 01 Dec - 31 Dec
The outbound date of departure on the international sector
determines the seasonality of the entire journey

7. MINIMUM STAY
A. 14 days

9. MAXIMUM STAY
A. one year

11. STOPOVERS
A. unlimited, except that a maximum of 5 stopovers are permitted within
the USA, including the gateways

12. ROUTING
1. permitted via any combination of flights bearing SA/UA designator
except SA flight numbers SA7000-7699, SA7702-7999, UA3000-UA4999 ;
UA6300-UA6799 ; UA8225-UA8320; UA8400-UA9449 may not be used
2. minimum permitted miles: 25100
maximum permitted miles: 35500
minimum number of flight coupons: 5
source of mileage: TPM's/CRS's
3. intermediate surface sectors permitted at passenger's expense.
Surface sectors must be included in maximum permitted mileage
calculation, whether Free of Charge or separate fare has been
ticketed
4. backtracking is permitted
5. travel must include one and one Pacific passage and at least one
Atlantic passage with a maximum of two
6. only one international departure and arrival to/from the point of
origin is permitted
7. travel not permitted through point of origin
8. only one stopover is permitted in the same city

14. CONSTRUCTIONS AND COMBINATIONS
A. 1. construction: not permitted
2. combinations: permitted with fares which by their own terms are
combinable, provided that separate tickets are
issued
16. RESERVATIONS
A. 1. the first international outbound sector must be confirmed
2. booking class codes:
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| | First Class | Business Class | Economy Class |
|-----------------|------------ | -------------- | ------------- |
|Booking Class UA | A | D | B |
|Fare Basis UA | AUASA | DUASA | BUASA |
|-----------------|-------------|----------------|---------------|
|Booking Class SA | A | Z | T |
|Fare Basis SA | AUASA | ZUASA | TUASA |
|-----------------|-------------|----------------|---------------|

17. TICKETING
A. at least 7 days before departure

18. PAYMENT
A. at least 7 days before departure

19. REFUND FOR CANCELLATION AND NO-SHOW
A. 1. before departure: fare paid less AUD250/NZD300/ZAR1000
2. after departure: refund difference between fare paid and the
applicable fare for the journey already completed less
AUD250/NZD300/ZAR1000
3. at any time: the non-refundable portion may not be used towards
the purchase of any other fare

20. REBOOKING AND REROUTING
A. 1. rebooking:
a. permitted without charge when changes do not require ticket
issuance
b. no changes allowed to the first outbound international flight
2. rerouting: permitted - new routing TPM's must be re-calculated
from
the point of origin
a) if the new routing should result in an increase of mileage:
multiply the new Total TPM by the applicable rate per mile and
the difference between the fare paid and the new fare to be
collected (converted at the applicable Banker's Rate), plus
rerouting charge of USD75 per transaction or equivalent at
Banker's Rate
b) if new routing results in a decrease of mileage, the original
fare is maintained and passenger will pay the rerouting charge
of USD75 per transaction, or equivalent at Banker's Rate

31. FARE BASIS/TICKET DESIGNATOR
A. fare basis:
SA - AUASA / ZUASA / TUASA
UA - AUASA / DUASA / BUASA

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Issued by : Pricing Policy Enquiries : Fares (011) 978 2555
-------------------------------------------------------------------

TRESY

Seems a good alternative to * except it gives no European usage.

Do you have to use SAA and UA metal,or can you use codeshare?

Shareholder

And of course, no Q-mile accumulation, or any miles for that matter, to your STAR partner account other than for the UA segments. So when will SAA decide which alliance it will join?

RichLond

I believe you get non status points for SAA flights in the LH program. Codeshares were not permitted except for the QF SYD - JNB flight which explains the gap at Flight 7700 in the codeshare restriction clause.


thanks,
rich


[This message has been edited by RichLond (edited 12-19-2001).]

kempis

You also earn extra points on SK EuroBonus when flying South African.

JS1K

SAA partners with Delta on FFP.

JohnnyGlobal

Taken from the UA/SA RTW Routing Rules:

5. travel must include one and one Pacific passage and at least one
Atlantic passage with a maximum of two

What does that translate to in plain English? I am confused by the "maximum of two" Atlantic crossings.