KrisFlyer Star Alliance Round-the-World Award Planning

[Johnxx]

I managed to book it....
Sydney -> LA -> Chicago -> Bologna -> Istanbul -> Tapei - > Sydney
September - 280k points + AUD 980

I had a good rep and at the end he looked hard for any Air Canada flights but nothing from Sydney over the next 12 months (I have another booking to make before June)

My Chicago to Bologna is in economy, the rep suggested if I say ask for an upgrade to business (at check in - it's a business ticket) it could muck up the rest of the flights....is that something folk have found here?

Also when on a business around the world ticket but on an economy leg do you get access to the business class lounge?

 

[Skyhawk]

I recently purchased RTW tickets (ADL- BOM- KWI - CAI- IST- VIE- FRA- JFK-EWR-SIN-SYD) with all flights presumably travelling in a western direction. I thus expected that the EWR-SIN flight (SQ 21) would cross the Pacific Ocean. I was surprised when I googled SQ21, and looked at Flightradar24, to see that SQ21 actually travels east, over Europe, the Middle East & India to SIN.
SQ23 (JFK - SIN) appears to do the same.
Obviously it must be the shortest great circle route, but still we won't actually be travelling RTW as anticipated.

 

[MiLK_MaN]

I managed to book it....
Sydney -> LA -> Chicago -> Bologna -> Istanbul -> Tapei - > Sydney
September - 280k points + AUD 980

I had a good rep and at the end he looked hard for any Air Canada flights but nothing from Sydney over the next 12 months (I have another booking to make before June)

My Chicago to Bologna is in economy, the rep suggested if I say ask for an upgrade to business (at check in - it's a business ticket) it could muck up the rest of the flights....is that something folk have found here?

Also when on a business around the world ticket but on an economy leg do you get access to the business class lounge?

Out of interest, how did you manage to find United J availability? When I look both on United site and also on Expertflyer, there seems to be no I class available.

 

[Johnxx]

Out of interest, how did you manage to find United J availability? When I look both on United site and also on Expertflyer, there seems to be no I class available.

I didn't. I'm flying to LA via Singapore with Singapore Airlines. I have 500k Krisflyer points on the extension merry-go-round so had to book something.
I'll have to book another J around the world next year, hope it's not as tricky as this year.

 

[MiLK_MaN]

Anyone got any idea how to actually get back from US or Canada to Aus where "I" class exists? I don't know whats going on with United and Air Canada but neither seem to have any availability whatsoever for this year that I could find.

 

[zan5hin]

I've just spent 3 days planning things before calling the call centre and I'm not even done.

A problem cropped up when I told them my route, because the only way for me to find award flights on a potential route, was to include one downgrade to economy between BOG-EZE.

However, the agent says that their system will not allow me to include a downgrade!

Of course this is ridiculous, if I'm "paying" with points for a business class award, that they cannot let you fly economy if you need/want.

Is she right? The rules online have zero mention of rules regarding "mixed class" bookings.

 

[westsurf]

Hello everyone … I’m starting the pre planning for a RTW (for two people) to occur for the European off shoulder summer holidays. The aim is across three months starting Jul / Aug / Sep 2024.

I have enough points to have First Class RTW but initial inspection seems to show I’d get very few First class cabin flights. Am I mistaken?

Being PER based we’re assuming to fly to SYD and want to travel westerly.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[zan5hin]

Any advice would be appreciated.

I managed to ticket my RTW but it was a real hassle with the rules. Especially the 35,000 mile rule. If you are starting out going PER-SYD it's going to really be a struggle. I suggest you use points or pay to position yourself in SYD if that is where you want to start. However being in Perth, you should pre-position yourself in Asia, maybe Singapore, Tokyo or Bangkok. You will then have to end your trip there as well.

It really depends on availability. You should buy a membership to Flight Connections and also Expert Flyer, without those two websites I would have never been able to work it all out.

At the moment, United award availability isn't showing up, so that makes it very hard.

 

[westsurf]

Thank you. I’m a member of both sites.

I wasn’t planning on starting from Perth. I was planning on flying to Sydney to start the RTW. However, I will take your advice on perhaps Singapore, Bangkok or Tokyo as a start point.

 

[prozac]

Thank you. I’m a member of both sites.

I wasn’t planning on starting from Perth. I was planning on flying to Sydney to start the RTW. However, I will take your advice on perhaps Singapore, Bangkok of Tokyo as a start point.

Search this thread for excellent advice. My understanding is if you start overseas and make Australia a destination on your travel-line, then by stopping for up to 12 months in Oz, you can effectively split your RTW into 2 distinct overseas trips.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

My understanding is if you start overseas and make Australia a destination on your travel-line, then by stopping for up to 12 months in Oz, you can effectively split your RTW into 2 distinct overseas trips.

While I understand the splitting it part to make two trips by adding on an Oz-Overseas return (or two one-ways) positioning flights, what is the trick in to achieve a 12 month stopover when you can only book awards flights up to just under a year in advance? Then deduct the travel time you want for each trip, plus also the difficulty in getting suitable award flights almost immediately?

 

[prozac]

While I understand the splitting it part to make two trips by adding on an Oz-Overseas return (or two one-ways) positioning flights, what is the trick in to achieve a 12 month stopover when you can only book awards flights up to just under a year in advance? Then deduct the travel time you want for each trip, plus also the difficulty in getting suitable award flights almost immediately?

Search this thread for excellent advice. ...

I don't know enough about this which is why I suggested there is some great advice earlier in the thread. I see you point so my mistake was to suggest a stay in Oz up to 12 months because I do not know this for certain.

 

[Ktan89]

Well this is HUGE !

"A service fee of USD250 per ticket will apply for new Star Alliance Round-the-World (RTW) redemption bookings."

Read it from Mainly Miles and confirmed it on the SQ website:

KrisFlyer - Forms and Fees - Service Fees | Singapore Airlines

A nominal fee will be charged for certain ticket and membership-related changes. Find out more on redemption ticket-related charges and your eligibility on waived or reduced change fees.

www.singaporeair.com

 

[Coops1]

Well this is HUGE !

"A service fee of USD250 per ticket will apply for new Star Alliance Round-the-World (RTW) redemption bookings."

Read it from Mainly Miles and confirmed it on the SQ website:

KrisFlyer - Forms and Fees - Service Fees | Singapore Airlines

A nominal fee will be charged for certain ticket and membership-related changes. Find out more on redemption ticket-related charges and your eligibility on waived or reduced change fees.

www.singaporeair.com

For the joy of actually being able to book a RTW, I would be happy to pay US$250

 

[Mattg]

The USD250 fee might be acceptable if there was an option to book for free online, or if the SQ call centre agents were skilled enough that you could easily book one of these over the phone. But from the many comments on this thread, this isn't necessarily the case - even if you've already done the work in finding available flights that meet the routing rules...

 

[Sprucegoose]

It's a bit cheeky of SQ to sneak that in and not provide the option to book online. Many members here would gladly slave for a few days being 'challenged'.

I was asked if I would be prepared to participate in an SQ interview on their service offerings; if this proceeds, I will throw this one into the mix.

There are a few other annoying aspects to SQ systems; however, thats for another thread.

 

[Coops1]

The main feelings to this thread are disappointment in not achieving a booking.
Online booking is a must…..I spent days looking and building only to be hit by SQ incompetence and you can’t do that. If you have the points and are flexible it shouldn’t be out of reach.

I for one should be heading RTW in 3 weeks, starting off with cherry blossoms in Japan, Vancouver Island, London and Europe…….instead it’s Europe via SIN with no stopovers, and a LH paid flight to reposition back to Frankfurt at a higher cost. Still great, but not what I had my points for. Oh, and also paying extra points and booking separately for my HBA connections, but that’s another thread too.

 

[Ktan89]

For the joy of actually being able to book a RTW, I would be happy to pay US$250

It is true, me too, but I find that it is harder to build *A RTW than OWA because you need to have all flights available at the time of booking which is harder if you are not flexible.
Plus per the many posts above, they don't give you the option to do it your self online and they are just taking the fee after you do all the planning, searching and noting down available flights.
$250USD for the CSA to type away and book in those flights within 30-40mins?

 

[Sprucegoose]

$250USD for the CSA to type away and book in those flights within 30-40mins?

I would rather support a good and erstwhile TA than a corporate. Let's feed the village first before the big smoke.

 

[dougielai]

Hi All,

I am a longtime lurker, and have done a lot of reading and not a lot of posting (due to my inexperience when it comes to traveling utilising FF miles.

However, I did want to walk you through my experience with attempting to book SQ RTW *A. I have read through all the tips of the forum here and also point hacks as well prior to calling.

The first time (few months ago) I called into SQ contact centre, the agent had no idea what the RTW *A ticket was. I hung up. I called up again and got another agent who just sent me the PDF document, which I can only add 6 flights.

I called up two days ago, and spoke with an agent who had no idea and directed me to book the ticket online and use the Star Alliance Planning Tool, which I advised that I wasn't aware that you could book it online and the above mentioned tool, was not for points redemption. She eventually started taking the flight details for my itinerary; however advised that there was an issue with 2 of my flights:

1. Lisbon to London via Frankfurt
2. London to Stockholm via Frankfurt

She advised that I was not able to backtrack and had to go either east bound or westbound. I might be misinterpreting things wrong on the Start Alliance RTW T&C states that:

3.1 Start and End
- 'Within the zones mentioned above the direction can be changed.' - does this mean you can backtrack within the traffic conferences? As per below:

o TC1: North America, Central America, South America, Greenland, Caribbean, Hawaiian Islands
o TC2: Europe (West of the Urals), Azores, Iceland, Middle East, Africa, Seychelles Islands
o TC3: Asia (East of the Urals), Oceania, (Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific Islands)

3.2 Stopovers and Transfers
-'Transfers, which are defined as a stay of less than 24 hours, are allowed in any city, however not more than 3 in any one city.' - I interpreted this, as you could transit through the same city more than once, and the only way you can transfer through the same city more than once, is if you backtrack? Please let me know if I am way off.

After hanging up feeling delated and defeated. I tried again last night arming myself with a top to ask for the supervisor, not hang up and advise that you were happy to wait. I was allocated a supervisor (Jager) who was very helpful in comparison to everyone I had spoken to previously.

He took town all the flights required, and I didn't have to repeat myself and he read them back to me exactly the way I had presented it to him.

MEL to SIN (SQ)
SIN to CPH (SQ)
LIS to EWR (TAP)
LAX to NRT (SQ)
NRT to SIN (SQ)
SIN to MEL (SQ)

All of the above flights but one were available at the time, and the one that was not available was SIN to CPH via SQ. This was showing on Expert Flyer and SQ to be available under Saver Award. After refreshing both sites and the Supervisor checking and checking. It was not available. Does this happen often?

I tried to quickly change the SIN to CPH (SQ) leg to SIN to BKK to ARN via SQ and TG; however the direct flight from BKK to ARN was not available, although United and Expert Flyer showing availability.

The other issue that came up was that I wanted to fly back from NRT to MEL via SIN. The Supervisor advised me this was backtracking. I had read online via this forum and others, that people have booked flights out of AUS and back via SIN and along with this condition - 'Transfers, which are defined as a stay of less than 24 hours, are allowed in any city, however not more than 3 in any one city.', I believed it was possible?

Special mention though, Supervisor advised he would call back after confirming further information and he did call back, even though it was 12:30am (AEST).

Alas, I am forced to go back to the drawing board for my RTW trip with a chunk of my points expiring with Kris Flyer end of July.

Are there people in this community who have flown out of AUS via SIN (stopover) and come back to AUS via SIN (transit)?

Any suggestions about how I can make the above trip work?

Thank you all the individuals who I have learnt from on this forum and thanks in advance for any future guidance.