Is this a valid RTW itin or am I backtracking?
Aug 27, 2019, 3:08 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
Is this a valid RTW itin or am I backtracking?
Hi all
I'm currently trying to piece together a *A business class itinerary and looking at ways to get from HKG back to SYD. SQ and OZ have no availability in the required class, and I'm very keen to avoid TG's mediocre hard product on the 744s.
I'd be happy to fly via AKL on NZ, but I'll also have transited through (but not stopped at) AKL on my way eastbound to the US, so would that count as backtracking? Or is it OK as long as I'm within the mileage limit.
Proposed itinerary is:
SYD-AKL-LAX-EWR-LHR-IST-TPE-HKG-AKL-SYD (stops are in EWR, LHR, TPE and HKG).
Great Circle Mapper
I need to fly NZ en route to the US to get enough NZ metal status points, so unfortunately changing that isn't an option. I guess NH via HND is another potential choice for the return to SYD...
Thanks
I'm currently trying to piece together a *A business class itinerary and looking at ways to get from HKG back to SYD. SQ and OZ have no availability in the required class, and I'm very keen to avoid TG's mediocre hard product on the 744s.
I'd be happy to fly via AKL on NZ, but I'll also have transited through (but not stopped at) AKL on my way eastbound to the US, so would that count as backtracking? Or is it OK as long as I'm within the mileage limit.
Proposed itinerary is:
SYD-AKL-LAX-EWR-LHR-IST-TPE-HKG-AKL-SYD (stops are in EWR, LHR, TPE and HKG).
Great Circle Mapper
I need to fly NZ en route to the US to get enough NZ metal status points, so unfortunately changing that isn't an option. I guess NH via HND is another potential choice for the return to SYD...
Thanks
Aug 27, 2019, 3:32 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Tampere
Programs: BA EC Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,237
I haven't done a *A RTW in a good few years and my copy of the rules dates from 2014. I can't seem to find the discussion of 'continuous direction'. However, since AKL and SYD are both within Area 3, perhaps your proposal wouldn't be backtracking?
Alternatively, have you looked at CA, NH or OZ? HKG-pek-SYD, HKG-nrt-SYD and HKG-icn-SYD are all shorter than HKG-akl-SYD anyway, as far as your mileage limit is concerned.
Good luck.
Alternatively, have you looked at CA, NH or OZ? HKG-pek-SYD, HKG-nrt-SYD and HKG-icn-SYD are all shorter than HKG-akl-SYD anyway, as far as your mileage limit is concerned.
Good luck.
Aug 27, 2019, 5:56 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
I haven't done a *A RTW in a good few years and my copy of the rules dates from 2014. I can't seem to find the discussion of 'continuous direction'. However, since AKL and SYD are both within Area 3, perhaps your proposal wouldn't be backtracking?
Alternatively, have you looked at CA, NH or OZ? HKG-pek-SYD, HKG-nrt-SYD and HKG-icn-SYD are all shorter than HKG-akl-SYD anyway, as far as your mileage limit is concerned.
Good luck.
Alternatively, have you looked at CA, NH or OZ? HKG-pek-SYD, HKG-nrt-SYD and HKG-icn-SYD are all shorter than HKG-akl-SYD anyway, as far as your mileage limit is concerned.
Good luck.
I could indeed fly CA via PEK or CTU but the connections are really long and transiting through mainland Chinese airports generally isn't much fun (and the lounges are lousy) so I'd probably place that even below TG on my list in terms of desirability.
In terms of mileage, I'll be on 29K ticket so I actually have plenty to work with.
Last edited by mad_atta; Aug 27, 2019 at 6:30 am
Aug 27, 2019, 7:50 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: AC MM E50 , Former SPG, now Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 6,261
There is no back-tracking rule within a region - For example you could fly YUL-YVR-EWR-LAS-SJU.
Yes, you can transit twice through the same city.
Another option from HKG to SYD would be via BR ( transit in TPE - permitted even after your stop there).
Best way to validate your itinerary is to plug it into the Star-Alliance web site.
Yes, you can transit twice through the same city.
Another option from HKG to SYD would be via BR ( transit in TPE - permitted even after your stop there).
Best way to validate your itinerary is to plug it into the Star-Alliance web site.
Aug 27, 2019, 8:29 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Stuck on this planet - mainly in STR and LAX
Posts: 5,019
I am just on an F RTW with a similar routing (HND-FRA-JNB-ZRH-STR-FRA-LAX-PEK-HKG-BKK-HND).
I am also going back from BKK to TYO. In my experience you can do anything inside each of the 3 areas (in this case Asia/Australia...) as long as you don't exceed the maximum mileage, don't stop twice in one city and don't go thru the starting point to somewhere else at the end.
There are more rules, but I tend to believe your original itinerary should work.
I am also going back from BKK to TYO. In my experience you can do anything inside each of the 3 areas (in this case Asia/Australia...) as long as you don't exceed the maximum mileage, don't stop twice in one city and don't go thru the starting point to somewhere else at the end.
There are more rules, but I tend to believe your original itinerary should work.
Aug 27, 2019, 9:02 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
There is no back-tracking rule within a region - For example you could fly YUL-YVR-EWR-LAS-SJU.
Yes, you can transit twice through the same city.
Another option from HKG to SYD would be via BR ( transit in TPE - permitted even after your stop there).
Best way to validate your itinerary is to plug it into the Star-Alliance web site.
Yes, you can transit twice through the same city.
Another option from HKG to SYD would be via BR ( transit in TPE - permitted even after your stop there).
Best way to validate your itinerary is to plug it into the Star-Alliance web site.
I would love to fly BR... but sadly they don't fly to SYD, only to BNE
Yes, I should probably do that on the *A website, but I find that tool quite infuriating!
Aug 27, 2019, 9:03 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
I am just on an F RTW with a similar routing (HND-FRA-JNB-ZRH-STR-FRA-LAX-PEK-HKG-BKK-HND).
I am also going back from BKK to TYO. In my experience you can do anything inside each of the 3 areas (in this case Asia/Australia...) as long as you don't exceed the maximum mileage, don't stop twice in one city and don't go thru the starting point to somewhere else at the end.
There are more rules, but I tend to believe your original itinerary should work.
I am also going back from BKK to TYO. In my experience you can do anything inside each of the 3 areas (in this case Asia/Australia...) as long as you don't exceed the maximum mileage, don't stop twice in one city and don't go thru the starting point to somewhere else at the end.
There are more rules, but I tend to believe your original itinerary should work.