First Class Oneworld RTW Award - your experience? was it worth it?

[knightfall88]

I've done about a dozen AONE'4s over the last 10 years, and still feel you can gain a lot of value over and above a DONE4. An example of a "barebones" itinerary I use is:

BNE-SYD-LHR-JFK-LAX-HKG-SIN-SYD-BNE

That gets you a very good sample of Oneworld F experience:

• SYD-LHR in QF F, inc SYD F lounge
• LHR-JFK in BA F (albeit not BA A380 I don't think at the moment), including time in Concorde Room at LHR. AA F is an option, but won't get Concorde Room access as departs T3.
• JFK-LAX in AA transcontinental F, inc Flagship dining at JFK
• LAX-HKG in CX F, inc LAX F lounge
• SIN-SYD back in QF F (or BA F)

If you want to include BA A380 experience (working on memory of A380 routes), you could do LHR-LAX, make your way back to JFK, then do JFK-HKG in CX. The AA transcontinental F is the least impressive experience, but still nice enough to sample.

Thanks for this

 

[JohnM]

Sorry for a rookie question - but I'm assuming a stopover in Asia isn't possible on both the way out and the way back - eg HKG on the way out (no F but could get a QF A380) and Tokyo on the way back (from the US, to get JAL)?

Not on an AONEx as you can only pass through a continental zone once. But on an F Award I can’t see why not on its distance based rule and the fact that it’s not necessary to go RTW - but stopover rules may preclude it. Check the Wiki.

It appears the OP is talking F Award, not a RTW AONEx. Using ‘RTW’ for maxxed Awards causes confusion unless clearly specified as an Award.

 

[Himeno]

Not on an AONEx as you can only pass through a continental zone once.

You can on an xONEx, provided one is a transit without stopover. MEL-xHKG-LHR-xx_-JFK-NRT-SYD is fine.

 

[Hawkeye]

Sorry for a rookie question - but I'm assuming a stopover in Asia isn't possible on both the way out and the way back - eg HKG on the way out (no F but could get a QF A380) and Tokyo on the way back (from the US, to get JAL)?

As Himeno points out, one needs to be a transit without stopover.

That being said, I used to get pushback from some travel agents about not being able to do the North America-Asia bit, but after pointing out the rule, they ultimately relented.

 

[knightfall88]

I am thinking of doing something like this:
SYD-LON (QF F)
LON-HK (CA F)
HK-Tokyo (CA J)
Tokyo-NY (JAL F)
NY-LA (paid domestic flight)
LA-SYD (QF F)

I now understand how its not possible do F class on all flights. But this seems close.

 

[Himeno]

I am thinking of doing something like this:
SYD-LON (QF F)
LON-HK (CA F)
HK-Tokyo (CA J)
Tokyo-NY (JAL F)
NY-LA (paid domestic flight)
LA-SYD (QF F)

I now understand how its not possible do F class on all flights. But this seems close.

Cathay Pacific is CX not CA CA is Beijing based Star Alliance member Air China.

CX has some HKG-TYO flights with F. 1 of the HND flights IIRC.
AA has 3 class flights between JFK and LAX/SFO. No need to get an extra ticket for that.

 

[kermatu]

Can you 'backtrack' like that? I thought travel through continents had to be in one direction - but I may be confusing my rules.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I used the one world site to construct my itinerary and check for flights etc. it was a good tool and told you if you were doing some something that wasn’t legal.

 

[Mattg]

Can you 'backtrack' like that? I thought travel through continents had to be in one direction - but I may be confusing my rules.

The Oneworld Award is not an actual RTW award, so backtracking is permitted. In fact, you don't actually have to fly around the world at all.

 

[kermatu]

The Oneworld Award is not an actual RTW award, so backtracking is permitted. In fact, you don't actually have to fly around the world at all.

Good to know. Is it the paid RTW (Explorer?) that has this restriction?

 

[Mattg]

Good to know. Is it the paid RTW (Explorer?) that has this restriction?

Yes, the paid fare (Oneworld Explorer) does have rules that don't allow backtracking. It's an entirely different product.

 

[kermatu]

Yes, the paid fare (Oneworld Explorer) does have rules that don't allow backtracking. It's an entirely different product.

Thanks. My apologies for distracting the thread.

 

[JohnM]

The Oneworld Award is not an actual RTW award, so backtracking is permitted. In fact, you don't actually have to fly around the world at all.

As I repeatedly say! Confusion tends to reign when people call a OneWorld Award ‘RTW’, without making it clear they are not talking about a OneWorld Explorer or Global Explorer.

Because I do a true RTW DONEx every year, I automatically think in those terms when I see ‘RTW’ - unless it is immediately clear that what is being referred to is, in fact, a OneWorld Award.

 

[JohnM]

I used the one world site to construct my itinerary and check for flights etc. it was a good tool and told you if you were doing some something that wasn’t legal.

It is useful, but is specifically relevant to an xONEx, not a OneWorld Award.

 

[serfty]

Yes, the paid fare (Oneworld Explorer) does have rules that don't allow backtracking. It's an entirely different product.

Backtracking within a continent is not specifically disallowed in an xONEn.

There are restrictions on some specific routes however. e.g. Can not fly to between Hawaii and continental USA more than once each way or between PER and MEL/SYD/BNE/CNS/CBR more than once (with some exceptions).

-SYD-JFK-LAX-ORD-LAX-STL-MIA-DFW-LHR- is quite permissible.

 

[MrJetset]

We used to do SYD-SIN-LHR-CAI-LHR-JFK-DFW-LAX-SYD on AONEXs.

The layover at LHR was 9 hours and BA pulled the 744s and F off the CAI route, so we stopped buying the fares.

It is a great saving over point to point F, and a whole lot of SCs but the cabins are no longer there except for select ports.

These days you can book an EY F fare via AUH to JFK and book another side trip ex AUH cheaper than QF currently prices F to JFK on QF/AA.

 

[Flying mermaid]

It is useful, but is specifically relevant to an xONEx, not a OneWorld Award.

yes I didn’t know there was any difference until I saw the comments above.

 

[knightfall88]

Cathay Pacific is CX not CA CA is Beijing based Star Alliance member Air China.

CX has some HKG-TYO flights with F. 1 of the HND flights IIRC.
AA has 3 class flights between JFK and LAX/SFO. No need to get an extra ticket for that.

I appreciate the help! thank you
Am I actually allowed to do 6 reward flights? (provided it is 5 continental zones?), I haven't quite figured how that works

 

[Paddy55]

The Oneworld Award is not an actual RTW award, so backtracking is permitted. In fact, you don't actually have to fly around the world at all.

Whew! That's good to hear as I keep hearing from folks in LOTFAP that Earth is now Flat!

 

[Himeno]

Whew! That's good to hear as I keep hearing from folks in LOTFAP that Earth is now Flat!

Australia doesn't exist