davidcito

This summer, my GF and I took 2 months off to do our first RTW on *A in Y. We chose RTWStar1 for our trip and max'ed out the 29.000 miles as much as possible to come up with the following routing:
SZG-VIE-PEK-PVG-KIX/NRT-AKL-RAR-LAX-SFO-YYZ-CCS-FRA-SZG, ending up at 28898 miles. (plus doing some side tours with RAR-AIT, CBL-CAJ, CCS-LRV)

Summarizing the airlines /*A experience it was:
- a mess with the electronic ticket (i.a. involuntary rerouting required re-issuing of ticket)
- a VERY pleasant experience on NZ
- a good quota of upgrades secured on the 4 long haul segments (3 of 4)
- terrific first-time experience to fly small airplanes (Cessna 206, BN Islander/Trislander, E110)
- great to be part of FT, that enable me to max out routings, secure upgrades and be alert about potential issues with an electronic RTW ticket

davidcito

In preparation I did a lot of research in the FT forums and, unsurprisingly, found loads of useful information on *A Lounges, RTW tix and potential ways to upgrade some of our flights.

INVOLUNTARY REROUTING
Particularly information provided on FT on coupons on electronic tickes proved very useful with the following...

Starting some 4 weeks before the start of our journey I was started to routinely check checkmytrip to see if the requested updates would clear. To my surprise I came across the fact that AC had cancelled the early morning AC758 (SFO-YYZ) and I was automatically rebooked on the later AC flight that got me into YYZ only 40min before my connecting flight to CCS, hence massively violating MCT in YYZ. Note that I was not at all contacted by neither AC (operating carrier) nor LH (ticket issuing airline).
I called LH and made them aware of the issue and they rebooked me to SFO-ORD-YYZ. Or so I thought.

Thanks to a FT.com visit some days later I found that an additional coupon needed to be added to the ticket (as there was now 1 flight more than on the original ticket) and not all agents were aware of the fact. A call to LH SEN line yielded in a "oh, I didn't know that, but will check with our RTW desk" from the agent. 10 days to go on the RTW.

3 days later nothing had happened, another call to LH SEN had me hear a mirrored reaction. Further 3 days later (I start to get nervous) I am referred directly to LH RTW desk by the SEN line. The RTW desk then tells me to go to the next LH office (I am in SZG, next office MUC). I tell them won't work before start of RTW, they tell me - well go to OS ticket desk in SZG at the earliest convenience.
I call SEN line with no success, clock is now counting 1 1/2 hours of phone calls with SEN/RTW line.

Showing up at the SZG OS ticket desk two hours before the first leg of our RTW I find the OS agent completely overwhelmed with the information and being told that she wouldn't be able to handle as this was a LH ticket. I should go and see LH in PEK....

After a few days in Beijing we show op at PEK with loads of time to spare to arrange the ticket. After some heavy discussion with LH agent, who referred me to LH call center in Shanghai, she agrees to look into the issue while I am on my way to PVG; I was to check with LH PVG ticket desk upon arrival.

Which is what I did, expecting only the worst. Fortunately, everything seems to have been worked out and my ticket is re-issued, now carrying 4 ticket numbers (2 old ones for me and GF; 2 new, re-issued ones).

Thanks FT!

davidcito

Being my first RTW and a vacation long looked-forward to for me and my GF I wanted to make sure, that - allthough not willing to shell out some 5k EUR for a C RTW - we could fly at least some long-haul segments in the C cabins.

With OS I was requesting upgrades on VIE-PEK with my evouchers. I waitlisted for the upgrade some 2 months before the flight and kept calling them on a weekly basis. The initial information was that flight control expected 44 sold C seats on the 36 seat B767. Closer to the flight availability still showed C9 D9, but the same answer. In the end it seems that flight control hadn't factored in changed flight patterns do to the Olympics (due to start only a few days after our flight) and the upgrade cleared 2 weeks before the flight. C cabin ended up approx. 75% full.

When I was requesting *A upgrade certificates with LH for NZ on the NRT-AKL segment. Only then did I come across the fact that the RTW fare, booked in M, cannot be upgraded with NZ as *A upgrade certs were only available for B fares and above.
It was KiwiFlyer that pointed out to me the possibility to pay up the fare difference into E/O/U (NZs Premium Eco) and then request the *A Upgrade.
As it seemed to me that an upgrade to PE was worth 250 USD anyways if eventually the upgrade to C wouldn't worked, I took the chance.
It took me 3 calls to LH SEN line to find out that the *A upgrade on NZ could only be done in a 28 day window before the flight, thus at a time when I already was on my RTW. Anyways, LH added a note to my PNR and I found out in a routine visit to checkmytrip in PEK that the upgrade to Business Premier had cleared for both me and my GF.

On the third long-haul segment (RAR-LAX) there was no chance to upgrade to C (no PE offered, and I don't own any NZ points) and for the 4th and last long-haul segment on LH (CCS-FRA) I took the chance and hoped for an op up.

Closer to the flight availibility in Y for CCS-FRA showed Y4 and that was the last time I had the chance for online access. So there was some hope.
At the airport I asked the agent if it was a full flight which she denied. Hopes down to zero.
However, an hour before flight, shortly before boarding time, I was called to the gate agent. As I was still in the Lounge my GF approached the gate agent, who handed her 2 new boarding passes. Both C. Flight was slightly oversold in Y with some more seats open in C. Lucky us.