RTW Ticketing question
 

I just made a FRWSTAR reservation ex SA. For reservation I've contactetd the Munich LH ticketteam and sent them my itenerary. The tickets will be issued as soon as we arrive in JNB by the local airport office.
Regarding the ticketing I'm wondering how they will print our 26 flight coupons and their passenger receipt ? Are they printing a seperate bunch of tickets for each stop-over destination or will they just get out 26 coupons out of their printer and a 5 page passenger receipt ?

Michael

they just get out 26 coupons out of their printer and a 5 page passenger receipt - yes.

The biggest *RTW ticket I ever dealt with was 11 tickets long with 4 coupons/segments per ticket! Savvy or agents that care should staple them into a "concertina ticket" for you to minimise chances of losing one or two.
Cheers.

Thanks folks,

I'm so impatient getting the tickets and flying with my love in F around the world. The imagination about the ticket and its value (if purchased as single trips) makes me a bit nervous on one hand side but also satisfied if I think about the really good deal.

Just out of curiosity: Have you paid for these tickets already or will you pay in JNB?

I find the stories about people fedexing their credit cards to travel agents in SA a bit scary. Doing all this via LH sounds like a much better alternative.

I'm going to pay for the tickets in JNB as soon as they will be issued in order to avoid the SOTO price here in Germany.
In the current reservation, which can be checked via checkmytrip.com, the agent is mentioned as DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA.. location to be added.
So the JNB office has just to recall the reservation number and put in their office code as issuing agent. Then tey can sell it as SITI ticket and we're ready to take off...

Michael

I have done two RTW from JNB. I have a wonderful TA and I have had absolutely NO PROBLEM in getting my tickets.

There is just one issue I like to bring up. As you read in popular travel guides, visitors to RSA need a return ticket and may have to prove that they´ll have sufficient funds during their stay. I for myself was never questioned about this topic at JNB immigration but always at CPT immigration. One time, I was ask to present my return ticket at immigration, but I was only able to provide a nice printout of my reservation and commenting, that I will buy the ticket in RSA. Finally this (worthless) sheet of paper got an official RSA stamp and my passport another temporary residence permit.

Indeed, it is an alternative but let me add two thoughts:

1. To make a reservation is a completely different story from the buying the ticket.

2. If the agent who makes your reservation is not the issuer of this ticket, especially for RWSTAR tickets it looks like to me that this is time consuming. They check the rules, the calculate taxes and the fare. Sometimes the computer does not accept the input – or even worse: does not work – and some phone calls are involved…
Let it put me in that way: If time is involved the party who ran out of it has a slightly disadvantage (eg. you arrive at JNB at 0815 in the morning and your local connection departures is at 1000).

Fair points. Regarding 1., are the seats on the all the flights cofirmed with just the reservation without payment/ticketing?

Re 2. personally I wouldn't try to do this without an actual stay of a few days in JNB to leave time to get the tickeing sorted (and see JNB).

How do people here normally get to SA to start their RTW? Do you all still have a leftover final flight from a previous RTW? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif I was considering getting an award ticket to JNB which would solve the immigration issue as I would have a RT ticket (which I might not use).

If seats are available in the required booking class (A/D/B or H for * light) your segments are confirmed (otherwise waitlisted). For RWSTAR tickets ex RSA reservations and ticket issuance must be made at any time prior to departure for sectors up to including the first international sector. Other sectors may be booked at any time.

Try to bank miles in a program which offers one way award tickets.