Tried a search on this forum but didn't get anything...

If my RTW itinerary exceeds the 29k miles limit by a few hundred miles, am I automatically forced to buy the higher level ticket? Is there a free tolerance zone? Or can I pay a penalty according to the miles exceeded?

If you are 1 mile over you need to buy the next level. Note each airline may have its own mileage calculation, so if slightly over it can be worth checking with another airline. However a few hundred miles is too much to expect any *A airline to come under the limit.

I had one at 3 miles over, a few years ago - it was refused.

Zero tolerance...

However, if you are fairly close (well inside of 100 miles over, I'd say), checking the mileage with another carrier is worthwhile, as they have different calculations.

There are also some tricks you can pull to shave off a few last miles, notably using city codes instead of airport codes. Eg. flying SIN-NRT is 3324 mi , but SIN-TYO (where TYO=NRT+HND) is 3294 mi -- a savings of 30 miles. You'd need to be extraordinarily lucky to save 100 mi this way though...

I didn't know they have no tolerance for the limit. I'll have to remove one segment and buy a ticket for it instead. Luckily, that segment is now served by a number of low cost carriers.

Dunno if this will work....

If you are not getting off at an intermediate airport ( saying, using the backtrack exception to pass through an airport up to 3 times ) , but must go through it on a Flight with the same Flight Number ( even with a change in gauge )... you might be able to convince 'em that the miles are "as a crow flies" A to C rather than the actual miles point A to B to C.

Assuming they'll grant you the same way they compute FF miles. ( May vary by airline? )

Example, LHR-ORD-SEA is computed as RDM/EQM miles LHR-SEA, even though you may get off and change planes at ORD, and BIS is much higher.

SQ accepted an itiniary which was 43 miles over the 29k. (some years ago)
Perhaps they did have a dfferent calculation basis ?

Removing a segment won't necessarily mean removing the miles from the total, pending on where the segment is on the itinerary and in relation to the flights before and after.
It may help if you post your original planned itinerary - you may get good suggestions on where you can trim the miles you need.

Yes they actually do this, provided you have asked for that flight as a single coupon (ie no stopover just an en-route transit on the single flight number). Eg JFK-FRA-SIN straight through on SQ is credited as JFK-SIN.

Likewise for me. SQ refused an itin 5 miles over a couple of years ago.

Surface segments (bits not flown) are still counted in the mileage. But it depends on how the itinerary is structured as to if making this kind of change will save any mileage.

Over here (Aus) the STAR1 fare doesn't count the miles of the surface segment between the start and end points. If it's the same over there, starting and ending in different cities could save you a few miles - or even thousands of miles if you have your ticket start and end on opposite sides of the continent, buying a separate one-way fare across the gap.

It looks like there are two different ideas in play here, and I'm sorry but I'm confused.

Kiwi, when you say 'credited', are you referring back to kkirksea's 'the way they compute FF miles' or are you talking about how many miles are charged against the RTW limit when tallying up the total distance?

We know that the *A RTWMC is far from perfect but it thinks that the direct flight SQ25 JFK-(FRA)-SIN 'costs' 10238 miles on an RTW itinerary. The GCM gives this route as 10246. However, the GCM gives the straight-shot JFK-SIN distance as 9537. So, the calculator appears to be charging (or crediting ) the actual miles point A to B to C, rather than the 'crow flies' A to C distance.

Maybe this is something (else) we need to alert the MC wallahs to?

cheers,

Henry

Correct. This is a known bug in the RTWMC, and can and has been overruled if you contact SQ directly. Ie. on my RTW last year I ticketed OSL-LYR direct (1255mi), even though there is a stopover in TOS (1292 actual flight miles). The key, though, is that it must be the same flight number, so you can't use this all that often.

Quite right. My point exactly, but you did it SO much better !!