OW Explorer Status Credits

[Chucksta]

Has anyone done a OW Explorer fare booked from Australia?

I'm thinking of booking the business class fare next year.

4 continental zones in business class ($10,651.56)

I would love to hear any tips/suggestions.

Any OW airlines to avoid? hehe

Any ideas how many SC I would approximately earn? Would it be more that 1400, ie qualify me for platinum status.

thanks

Chucksta

 

[ColinP]

Has anyone done a OW Explorer fare booked from Australia?

Any OW airlines to avoid? hehe

Not a DONE4 but I did a LLGLOB35 last year. Of the airlines I flew (QF, LA, IB, BA, CX) The only one I would avoid is IB. My one and only sector with them (EZE-MAD) was a shocker. I don't know what their business class service is like but if my experience in cattle clas is any indication, it probably leaves a lot to be desired.

Have a look at http://www.airlinequality.com/

 

[vt01]

I've just started a DONE4.. SYD-PVG-LHR-EWR break JFK-LAX-SYD.
I'm travelling on QF and BA for all legs except JFK-LAX which is AA.
I didn't have much choice except for QF, BA and AA. I tried to avoid AA mainly because of their Bus class seats. QF have skybeds and I think BA also have similar (haven't flown them before). The AA website only shows the older style reclining bus class seats.
The fare was $10169.
So I would avoid AA on any intercontinental legs..

 

[NM]

I am in the middle of a DONE4 right now. Routing is:

BNE-MEL-LHR-FRA-DFW-PHX-DFW-MIA-LAX-HKG-KUL-HKG-MEL-BNE-MEL-BNE

If posted to QF, this would have earned me 1510 QF SCs and 80,300 QF FF points. But instead I am posting it to AA and will earn 59,588 EQP and 92,472 AA Miles and 12 AA 500 mile upgrade credits (just short of the next 4). These 92K AA miles are worth a lot more to me than 80K QF FF points.

Remember that you have 4 sectors available in your continent of origin (but only two stopovers), so you can keep a return domestic trip up your sleeve when you have returned. That is what my final BNE-MEL-BNE portion will be.

 

[serfty]

Try FlyerTalk OneWORLD Forum

I would love to hear any tips/suggestions.

There is a heap of information on these in the FlyerTalk oneworld Forum.

Take particular note of the "stickies", particularly the The oneworld explorer ticket FAQs thread.

The price of an xONEx varies depending up on the county of origin. My DONE4 I started in Sri Lanka and cost $8000 all up ($~6900 fare and $1100 T/L/C's).

If you are into SC's this thead may be of interest: RTW ticket, longest routing's ??.

 

[JohnM]

My first post on the site, although I have visited many times in the past. It's always good to see the tips so freely given by the highly experienced flyers and I often have a giggle at some of the funnies that crop up. But sometimes the abbreviations stump me (and others, it's easy to tell). Is there a glossary of abbreviations link on the site? Can't find it if there is.

I did a DONE5 last year and I set off on another on Sunday, and again in September (my status anniversary is 31 August). This will keep me Platinum and should keep the partner Gold for another 2 years - long enough to plan the next DONE4 or 5 .

IMHO, if you can muster the $$, D class is the only way to go. The SC's and points bonuses, especially when already Platinum (which could be attained from scratch in one carefully-crafted DONE5), makes it all the better.

Comments below relate to business class.

AA is clearly the weak link in OneWorld, although vastly better on international sectors than domestic. Iberia business class EZE-MAD, I found great. Only 13 occupied seats on my A340 flight - and one of the attendants had spent her early childhood in Melbourne. An Australian accent back when I responded in English to her initial Spanish greeting was a nice surprise. LAN is tops. BA seats are not so good and the herringbone layout is messy (I think even the staff don't like it, but can't really admit it). It can lead to getting forgotten during some service. CX is good, but it's all pretty hard to top QF.

One upside to AA and the 6 sectors allowed in the US on a DONE is that many (but not all) of their fleet are configured First/Coach, so careful choice of class configuration and distance can yield vastly higher SCs and points than would seem possible at first glance (there has to be some compensation for using AA ). If you're chasing status (or partner status ), it may help quite a lot.

 

[oz_mark]

My first post on the site, although I have visited many times in the past. It's always good to see the tips so freely given by the highly experienced flyers and I often have a giggle at some of the funnies that crop up. But sometimes the abbreviations stump me (and others, it's easy to tell). Is there a glossary of abbreviations link on the site? Can't find it if there is.

There is an abbreviation and explanation thread:
http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/your-questions/abreviations-and-explanations-5056.html

 

[serfty]

JohnM, welcome to AFF.

IME what you posted is correct... a good first post.

 

[cabbage74]

<snip>especially when already Platinum (which could be attained from scratch in one carefully-crafted DONE5), makes it all the better.<snip>

Hi JohnM welcome.
I would actually say that a carefully-crafted DONE5 should be able to take you from NB to WP and then re-qualify also (Obviously need to make the trip span two QFFF years for the re-qualify)

Mal.

 

[JohnM]

Thanks for the kind words, Serfty.

I would actually say that a carefully-crafted DONE5 should be able to take you from NB to WP and then re-qualify also (Obviously need to make the trip span two QFFF years for the re-qualify)

Mal has a neat point here about working a DONE5 to span 2 QFFF years. The other thing about a well-crafted DONE5 is that it can ensure keeping the partner gold - in part what drives me.

I'm taking a retrenchment package in late July (now old enough to do it without worries ). I can't think of a nicer way to spend some of the $$ than a DONE4or5 every year. After getting to WP on business travel, I'm happy to become a SFSC to stay there and keep the partner in the manner to which she has become accustomed .

 

[Damien]

My first post on the site, although I have visited many times in the past.

Welcome to AFF, JohnM.

Are you related to JohnK? :shock: I hope not...

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I'm taking a retrenchment package in late July (now old enough to do it without worries ). I can't think of a nicer way to spend some of the $$ than a DONE4or5 every year. After getting to WP on business travel, I'm happy to become a SFSC to stay there and keep the partner in the manner to which she has become accustomed .

Congrats I guess.

 

[serfty]

On the topic of 'well-crafted' DONEx's

... Mal has a neat point here about working a DONE5 to span 2 QFFF years. The other thing about a well-crafted DONE5 is that it can ensure keeping the partner gold - in part what drives me. ...

So true...

Tomorrow I continue with 7 of the last eight sectors of the original 20 in the DONE4 I started back in October. Six of these are in AA First class. I am expecting to earn 960 SC's this trip.

The October travel last year combined with the Business travel already done was enough to attain QF WP. In two weeks time this travel will requal me until Oct '07 and give mrs serfty Partner Gold. (Thereby saving the $215 partner QP fee)

 

[Skyring]

I completed a DONE4 in April. I'd carefully worked out what I'd get and that it would take me to Platinum with ten points to spare. However, some legs were on one-class aircraft (those little Embraers), two legs were on Aer Lingus one-class hops, and a couple of legs were American Airlines where I was booked into Economy, apparently because there were no Business class seats available.

I discovered on these flights that there were plenty of seats available in Business - on the YYZ-ORD leg there was one guy in business - and it wasn't me - and when I got home that I'd been booked Discount Economy.

So I came out short. And shirty.

I'll make them up in October when I'm planning a LONE4, but that trip and the points RTW in a couple of weeks will be on Gold rather than Platinum.

Next time I'd be a bit more insistent about flights. AA's domestic First class is really business, but it's a good source of SCs. Two of my legs ORD-SFO and SFO-HNL were First and that was nice, though I've got to say that First on a MD-80 is nothing to write home about.

I got the full twenty flights out of it, but nowhere near the mileage that I could have got if I'd put a bit more effort into it.

Qantas was OK. Cathay Pacific was brilliant; I was spoilt rotten. I discovered that Club Class on a BA 737 was three abreast seating. AA Business FRA-DFW was on a par with Qantas.

Cost with Flight Centre was just under $10 000, with taxes on top. Not sure that the extra comfort, lounge access and so on was worth $7 000, but geez it was nice!

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Assuming there was availability in F you should have been booked there on the AA 2-class domestic flights - ie error by your travel agent. For the 1-class that is definitely something to watch out for. My last RTW (on *A) had a couple of short economy hops but I preferred that to a bad schedule routing somewhere else and also *A RTWs have a maximum mileage which I already used fairly fully meaning not much choice in the matter.

Looking forward to updates of your trip report.

 

[serfty]

... Cost with Flight Centre was just under $10 000, with taxes on top. Not sure that the extra comfort, lounge access and so on was worth $7 000, but geez it was nice!

This is where starting from locations like CMB/BKK became an option.

My DONE4 (3 segments to go) cost just over USD6000 (~AUD8050 in Aug) including taxes/levies/charges.

It cost 50k ff points and ~$150 to get to CMB to start the journey.

 

[NM]

Assuming there was availability in F you should have been booked there on the AA 2-class domestic flights - ie error by your travel agent.

Actually you need to A class available, not just F. I had a MIA-LAX flight on my last DONE4 that was showing lots of F available and no A for weeks. I waitlisted for A on that flight and it took about 3 weeks to clear.

It sounds like Skyring's TA did not offer the option to waitlist for A class and just booked him into L class, which is poor service if that is what happened. Similar for USA-Canada flights where the same front cabin is more accurately called J and the DONEx ticket booked into D. If you can't get the class you have paid for, either look for an alternate time or routing and/or waitlist for the flight you really want.

Note that AA uses A class for upgrades, so they often hold it back until close to flight date to make sure they don't fill the cabin with upgrades too early and save some for last minute high-status members or even for the occasional paying customer. I believe that is what was being done for my MIA-LAX flight.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

You're right I should have said A booking class rather than referring to F cabin.

Your last comment has got me puzzled. AA actually has paying first class pax?! :shock:

 

[NM]

Your last comment has got me puzzled. AA actually has paying first class pax?! :shock:

Yup, those of us flying on DONEx and AONEx fares. These are paid and not upgrades. But not many pure domestic flyers are going to paying F fares - they just expect they can pay for discount Y or even YUP and be fairly certain of sitting up front.

 

[Soundguy]

....they just expect they can pay for discount Y or even YUP and be fairly certain of sitting up front.

I have read the comments elsewhere here about the AA YUP fares but I still can't figure how to book them on the AA website. Or do they only apply to AA Gold or Platinum flyers? Do I book as 'economy no restrictions'? And how to tell the fare class on AA prior to confirming the booking?

Wife + I + baby will be travelling around the US for a month from mid July and would like to use AA if their pricing is reasonable, still deciding if I should put my points into QF or AA for those internal flights (I will qualify for QF Gold in about 2 weeks, qualifying year expires end of August).

Chris