Critique my DONE4 itinerary

[KeithMEL]

Just for a comparison:

ex-ICN DONE4 itinerary:
ICN-HKG CX
xHKG-MEL QF
MEL-WLG QF
WLG-MEL QF
MEL-LHR QF
LHR-DOH BA
DOH-LHR AA (BA)
xLHR-LAX AA
LAX-MIA AA
MIA-ATL AA
ATL-MIA AA
xMIA-JFK AA
JFK-HKG CX
HKG-DPS CX
DPS-NRT JL
xNRT-ICN JL

With CX as ticketing carrier, taxes and YQ were KRW 1 601 400. [The TA forgot about my request to issue the ticket on AA document initially]

Same itinerary plated on AA has taxes and YQ of KRW 909 400. I have a TATL segment on AA and AA does charge YQ on its own transoceanic segments and codeshares operated by other carriers. So the +++s would've been even less less had I chose BA rather than AA for the TATL segment, but I do need to use my EVIPs, and the TA wouldn't have been as willing to plate on AA without any overwater AA content.

Difference of KRW 692 000 which is about AUD 702.62 (or USD 450/GBP 323.87).

[Kiwi]

Don't think there's a limit on how many times you can go through LHR so long as you meet 4 segment limit and the no more than 2 segments between UK and "far reaches of Europe" rule.

Right. It is *A that has a limit on transfers through a city (3 of which no more than 1 is stopover).

[Kiwi]

Q: Is this ticket in C or F? The answer to this would dictate my thinking on this ATW.

LONEx = economy continent based RTW (x = number of continents)
DONEx = business
AONEx = first

[Kiwi]

Looking at these myself now. Afraid the CRTWSTAR's are not worth it any more after the recent price increases.

Me too. After nabbing OW lifetime status October 2007 I had intended concentrating mainly on *A. Proving difficult and unless things change radically I could see going from 4 x *G down to 1 in 2010 (decisions decisions).

[KeithMEL]

Me too. After nabbing OW lifetime status October 2007 I had intended concentrating mainly on *A. Proving difficult and unless things change radically I could see going from 4 x *G down to 1 in 2010 (decisions decisions).

Whilst mere mortals like yours truly struggle to maintain just the one status in either alliance.

[phaleesy]

Finding myself in the same boat as Savage. I've a ticket which ends in ICN, would need to go to NYC this year, back to LHR, then to Bombay and SIN next year.

*Alliance is out of the question now. I would prefer Sky but I don't know what the prices are. Does anyone know how I could check the fares for Sky RTW ex ICN? Since OW has a reasonable fare, and OW is a convenient choice for people who are based at LHR, I think I might just have to ticket this.

[phaleesy]

Given that the majority of my flights are on BA, I think I need AA to ticket this to get rid of the nasty fuel surcharges. NRT-JFK is on AA with the first ICN-NRT an AA codeshare on JL, which I think should do the trick?

1. Where can I find info about flights and codeshares? Expertflyer does not give me the AA/JL code shares ICN-NRT. Neither does the O/W flight schedules which I downloade.

2. Would a GMP-HND-SIN-xxx-xxxx-xxxx-ICN rtw be ok?

3. If I was flying ICN-NRT-SIN or GMP-HND-SIN, could AA issue my ticket? Or would it have to be JL or CX? Would the fuel surcharges be significantly higher in these cases?

[HUGE AL]

3. If I was flying ICN-NRT-SIN or GMP-HND-SIN, could AA issue my ticket? Or would it have to be JL or CX? Would the fuel surcharges be significantly higher in these cases?

Your first segment must be on AA or an AA codeshare in order for them to ticket. Yes, fuel surcharges would be higher.

[jhm]

Your first segment must be on AA or an AA codeshare in order for them to ticket.

KeithMEL, Kiwi or somebody else can confirm but I don't think this is correct - you just need one overwater segment in the RTW on AA AFAIK.

[KeithMEL]

Your first segment must be on AA or an AA codeshare in order for them to ticket. Yes, fuel surcharges would be higher.

KeithMEL, Kiwi or somebody else can confirm but I don't think this is correct - you just need one overwater segment in the RTW on AA AFAIK.

If using the online tool, you do have to have AA as the first marketing carrier to get AA as the ticketing carrier. That's due to the way the tool has been designed.

If booking with the AA ATW desk, no AA segments required though be prepared for them to grumble. You then have to ring up the local AA office to discuss payment and each office seems to have different policies! Alternatively you could also front up at an AA ticket desk in Canada to pay and issue the ticket.

If booking via TA, at least one AA overwater segment is required (or the AA tariffs desk won't bother rating the itinerary for the TA).

1. Where can I find info about flights and codeshares? Expertflyer does not give me the AA/JL code shares ICN-NRT. Neither does the O/W flight schedules which I downloade.

2. Would a GMP-HND-SIN-xxx-xxxx-xxxx-ICN rtw be ok?

3. If I was flying ICN-NRT-SIN or GMP-HND-SIN, could AA issue my ticket? Or would it have to be JL or CX? Would the fuel surcharges be significantly higher in these cases?

1. The AA codeshares can't be sold on their own, and can only be sold in conjunction with an overwater AA segment. You have to search for something like "ICN-DFW" or "ICN-ORD" in order to see the ICN-NRT codeshares.

2. Yes.

3. Unfortunately you'd find it hard to issue any ticket with CX or AA in ICN. CX apparently doesn't do ticketing, whilst the AA GSA would only deal with credit card transactions if you're actually in their office (and would only accept money transfers from local bank accounts!).

You could still get AA to issue the ticket if you use a Korean TA and have one overwater segment on AA (this can be a codeshare). YGPM!

Yes using CX or JL would bring up the fuel fines significantly as they will collect YQ on segments operated by other carriers, whereas AA doesn't do this.

Incidentally, I've now learnt that LAN seems to be cheapest of all in this regard, as they don't collect YQ at all (whereas AA still does on their own overwater segments)! But I've not heard of anyone successfully ticketing with LAN, and in any case the major carriers are still better for the "ongoing maintenance" of the ticket.

[HUGE AL]

My bad for the slight misinformation. As KeithMEL is the resident expert of OW, I defer to him.

[Kiwi]

If booking via TA, at least one AA overwater segment is required (or the AA tariffs desk won't bother rating the itinerary for the TA).

That is not true in my experience.

Incidentally, I've now learnt that LAN seems to be cheapest of all in this regard, as they don't collect YQ at all (whereas AA still does on their own overwater segments)! But I've not heard of anyone successfully ticketing with LAN, and in any case the major carriers are still better for the "ongoing maintenance" of the ticket.

I was unable to ticket with LAN using the online tool but I have successfully ticketed DONE4s and DONE5s with LAN using a TA (most recently was exact same itinerary plugged into online tool - so a bug with the tool).

[phaleesy]

That is not true in my experience.

I was unable to ticket with LAN using the online tool but I have successfully ticketed DONE4s and DONE5s with LAN using a TA (most recently was exact same itinerary plugged into online tool - so a bug with the tool).

Kiwi, some TAs are willing to ticket with AA even if I don't have an overwater segment with them? I could do a transatlantic with AA but I think I prefer BA's flat bed (sounding like Hugh AL now ).

Do you mind me asking how you managed to ticket with LAN? Where was the TA based?

Thanks for your help!

[Kiwi]

Yes I've ticketed xONEx with AA via TA despite no overwater or intercontinental AA segments.

I recently ticketed with LA (for surcharge reasons) a DONE4 through a NZ-based TA. In case it matters my first flight is LA metal (and for online tool LA flight number), but I even managed to get this switched to QF codeshare (for extra mileage earning).

[HUGE AL]

...sounding like HUGE AL [spelled correctly] now ).

My influence has now reached the Southern Hemisphere!