RTW trip help please.

[RTW2017]

Hi there,
I am in the process of researching flights and hoping to book this trip ASAP but am getting stuck at a few points, not being able to find the availability. I would really appreciate some help with this and happy to pay for your time, thanks.
We are 2 adults and 1 child (3yrs) and we are looking to use our Qantas FF points to book 3 RTW tickets. We have around 750, 000 points combined so travelling economy at 140, 000 points each.

This is the itinerary:

13/6/17: SYD - CMD via SIN QF0081, UL0309 - availability

1/7/17: CMD - DME via DOH QR665, QR229 - these are the flights I want (or something similar) but I can not find availability for them and Qantas has told me that I can not book ANY flights from Sri Lanka to anywhere in the whole of Europe with Qantas or any partner airlines! Is that true? I don't mind how we connect, as long as there is not a huge travel time, I found only one option from CMD-LON, LON-DME, but would prefer not to do this!

9/7/17: DME - DBV S70933 - availability

DBV overland to VIE

16/8/17: VIE - LHR BA0701 - availability

19/8/17: LON (any airport) - ideally SFO, otherwise DFW. From what I can see I think we have left our trip booking too late for award availability and can only find 1 date in August with availability to SFO. Would love if anyone can find the LON- SFO flight for 3!

23/8/17 SFO -SYD QF74 - availability
or DFW-SYD QF8 - availability


As you can see I have found the flights and availability for a number of the legs but the main sticking point is getting from Sri Lanka to Russia and from London to San Francisco. We have a small amount of flexibility with our timing so could fly a day earlier or later than what I have put here but then I may need to re-jig a few of the other flights too.

From what I have read here, once I have locked in these flights that I want, I just call Qantas and book them all in one go over the phone (and hope I get someone who knows what they are doing?!)?
Is there any important info I have missed? We were originally planning a year long RTW trip but things have changed and we have now cut and condensed it into these couple of months. Nevertheless, still very excited about taking this trip!

Thanks very much in advance

 

[Mattg]

For your CMB-DME leg:

It's not true that you can't use points to fly from Sri Lanka!

I can see availability on 30 June on:
QR669 CMB 03:25 - DOH 05:45,
connecting to QR233 DOH 06:55 - DME 12:00.

Or on 1 July:
UL101 CMB 07:20 - MLE 08:15
QR673 MLE 10:15 - DOH 12:50
QR229 DOH 15:20 - DME 20:25

For London-San Francisco:

On 19 August these flights are available:
BA936 LHR 07:35 - DUS 09:55
AB7392 DUS 10:55 - SFO 13:25
(Min connect time in Dusseldorf is 35 minutes)

Yes, you just call Qantas to book once you've worked out which flights you want.

 

[yld200]

Using the BA search engine I've found availability for 3 in Y departing CMB on the 30th of June on QR669 continuing on to QR223 to DME. A QF agent should be able to get you onto the same flights. The departure time in CMB is a PITA of 3am.

Otherwise, theres another option on UL503 from CMB to LHR departing the 30th @ 1pm then BA237 to DME arriving on the 1/7 @ 4.25 am.

Struggling to find availability from London to SFO but have found multiple options out of Dusseldorf (DUS) direct to SFO. Wide open on your dates for 3 pax and will also save you on taxes. Flying out of LHR is ~$400/pax DUS departure is ~115/pax.

You could do your own land segment to DUS and spend the night there. Eurowings has flights for ~75/pax from LHR to DUS.

Hope this helps

 

[RTW2017]

Hi Mattg and yld200,
Thank you both for your replies.
I spent 1hr 53mins (!!) on the phone yesterday to Qantas booking the trip and so pleased to get all three tickets booked.
I did book the early morning 3am flight out of CMB- yes, a real PITA departure time, especially with a 3 year old, but we are on holidays so it's all good.
I then decided to skip London altogether so we will fly Vienna to Düsseldorf and take the flight that you both found out to San Francisco.
Thanks again for your expertise.

 

[RTW2017]

Hi yld200 and Mattg, it seems I cant send you both a PM?!
Can you please let me know what happens now with payment for your help with flights for my trip? I have not requested assistance before and it seems unfair if both of you have taken the time to help me out to only select one person to pay? What usually happens? Happy to be guided by you both as what you would like to do.
Thanks, RTW2017

 

[bertair]

I too am looking at a round world flying Business Class mixed with ECY.For 2 Adults.
On line using the One World site, it gets confusing working on itineraries,classes and legs.
I no longer like to use the Dubai or Middle East ports on stop overs, preferring HKG or a Japanese port.
I have flown with Cathay SYD/HKG, Cathay/Finnair, BA on the HKG/LHR route on some trips.
These have been good, but they were only returning back to SYD from LHR.
Now I want to add a short trip LHR/DUB (ECY) then DUB/BOS in Business Class.
Drive across the US to SFO.
Fly ECY SFO/HNL, stop in Hawaii for a week or so,before returning to SYD from HNL in Business Class (NOT Jetstar).
There seems to be no round world ticket for this route and mix of classes that I can find.
So, my guess is that I will possibly have to make seperate reservations for each leg where there is a change of class.

Obviously I need to use One World airlines wherever possible to maximise my FF points gained, but while I usually do not use the services of an agent, in this instance, would it help ?
I tried to speaking with on on the phone who was helpful, but they did not seem to think that it would be worth my while to mix the classes and suggested I fly Business all the way.
Surely that would be far more expensive for me ?

 

[support]

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