re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread
Hi all!
First time poster, not so long time lurker either (but certainly longer than I've been posting!)! I've tried to search through this thread to find out as much wisdom as I can before throwing this out there, please go easy!
I'm intending on utilising my QFF points to take advantage of the oneworld 240K RTW J fare to use as the basis of a one year RTW trip, with the RTW fare being used to get from one key regional hub to the next with some surface sectors (I understand these are allowed, although the equivalent miles do count towards the 35K miles). I'm happy to make my own way around surface sectors (in some parts this is actually part of the journey) and to pay separately for smaller flights if it helps me get somewhere that will more easily fit into the broader journey. I'm actually pretty flexible as to airlines and airports, so long as I hit the broad below itinerary over the year:
Leaving Sydney (around December)
South East Asia
Africa
Eastern Europe
Central America/Carribean (likely out of the USA)
South America (mainly for the return, ideally out of Santiago, although this is negotiable)
Return to Sydney
I'm trying to utilise as much of the 35K miles as possible (not sure if its statute or nautical, I wish nautical, but I think it's the former!). I'm also trying to keep the taxes and surcharges as minimal as possible. Noting that I might have to change the later flights with change fees because I'll be booking them relatively early (but not so late that the earlier flights become unavailable!).
At the moment, I've hit the below - and just exceeding the mile count by 312 miles or so. I need your collective wisdom, creativity and ideas, you amazing FFrs!
1) SYD-BKK - use BKK as the regional hub for SE asia (e.g Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc) - depending on miles, and money, I'd prefer to go Cathay through HKG to get there as I avoid QANTAS' surcharges, but I know this might not be possible with the miles, so I might have to cough up the $ and fly direct with QANTAS.
2) HKG-JNB - then surface segment to NBO, basically, I want to head north up from South Africa to Kenya, overland. Using Cathay.
3) NBO-DOH-ATH then surface segment to DUB - In doing this, I'm trying to avoid London and BA. I'm open to getting to another airport instead that might save me miles, so long as I can then avoid London and BA taxes/fees. This was the cheapest and most direct route I was able to find/think of. The aim of the surface segment is to do Eastern Europe (e.g. Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuatnia, Latvia... eventually getting to Dublin). Likely using QATAR to get to Athens.
4) DUB-PHL-MIA - the aim of this leg is to get to Central America/Caribbean/Northern South America (Colombia, Venezuela etc). Likely using AA.
5) MIA to SCL Overland (or booking my own flights etc). then fly to -SYD - likely using LAN. I know this last bit might not be possible but I'm really open to ideas.
The way I figure it the above is within the stops limits, the cheapest is and comes in at: 35, 213 miles and about 1,400 AUD in taxes, although I can get it down to $1,008.64 AUD in taxes/surcharges. if I add the extra flight to HKK on the outbound journey - although it adds another amount of miles I don't have!
So... any ideas or help appreciated! Sorry I feel totally novice!
Thanks in advance!!!
