Hi y'all. This is my first post, so thanks firstly for the amazing forum, which helps to educate newbies to experts. I think I should be ok, but wanted to have a sanity check on this nested ticket since there seems to be a lot of uncertainty around them.

I'm looking at arranging the following itinerary:

[A trip] Dec. 15 RDU --> ORD (RT award ticket on AA)
[B trip] Dec. 16 ORD --> HKG (on JAL through NRT)
[B trip] Jan. 6 HKG --> ORD (JAL again through NRT)
[A trip] Jan. 6 ORD --> RDU (return on the AA award)

Tickets this year to Asia seems to be really high so this would make things cheaper for me, since my AA points will expire soon anyway. I realize that (a) I'm probably good with any minimum stays on these routes... and are there still minimum stays now anyway? and (b) these would be conducted using two different airline tickets, but since JAL and AA are both Oneworld, I'm just doing a huge sanity check for my paranoia before I go ahead and book this all. Really appreciate your input.

Thanks!
sa

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

Welcome to FT!

I'm a little confused: are you using cash or miles for the ORD-HKG roundtrip via NRT? If miles, AA miles, or some other carrier's?

If JL has a published through-fare between RDU and HKG via ORD, then you should be able to included the RDU-ORD-RDU portion of the itinerary on the international award ticket for no additional AA mileage.

So using miles for a domestic rdu-ord round trip IMO does not make sense as if you were to buy this as a thru fare it would probably work out cheaper since ord is a AA hub. Also since you are flying JAZl have ur miles deposited to ur AA account and that will extend the expiration of your miles.

Sorry - I'll be buying a cash fare for the ORD/HKG round-trip. I've only got so many miles (CX actually) and not enough for a long-haul RT to HKG, which on CX is impossible to book anyway.

Unfortunately, the cash fare on JL from RDU-HKG is over $1800 while ORD-HKG is about $1300. (Sorry - I refuse to fly the long-haul on an North American airline.)

I also want to stop over ORD for a little longer on the inbound anyway.. I priced it out in one single itinerary and adjusting the final ORD-RDU leg later by a few hours bumped up the price by another $100! So I've got another reason for this arrangement... again my main question is: will this be ok? Thanks a lot!

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

You will be OK. When connecting between AA and a oneworld carrier on separate tickets, AA will connect you in the event of a mis-connect.

If you have -- or can get -- some BA Avios, you could get the RDU-ORD-RDU legs for far fewer miles than what AA will charge you.

Thanks very much. Do you mind clarifying what you mean here -- I fully understand this will be two itineraries (e.g. On the outbound I'll have to pick up my bags at ORD and then check-in and go through security anew, and same thing coming in.) Of course, I hope things will work out, but would AA really connect me if I got mis-connected, even if I didn't have an AA ticket? [Sounds incredulous] thanks!

First, this is end on end ticketing, not back to back, so it's completely legal whether on paid tickets or award tickets, one airline or two.

And yes, if you misconnect onto a Oneworld flight from another Oneworld flight, you'll be protected, even on different airlines and different tickets.

Very helpful - thanks!

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

First of all, you might not have to claim your bags at ORD on the outbound. When checking in at RDU, show the AA agent the printout of your ORD-NRT-HKG ticket, and you might be able to have your baggage checked through to HKG.

I meant to write that AA will protect you in the event of a mis-connect. But the import is the same. See here for more details of AA's protection policy when traveling on oneworld airlines on separate tickets (as mentioned by swag):

http://www.aa.com/i18n/agency/Bookin...tkt_policy.jsp

You might want to print a copy of that policy, and take it with you.

Shouldn't be a problem...