One World Explorer - any comments?
Apr 6th, 2010, 01:06 PM
#1
Original Poster
One World Explorer - any comments?
I have enough AA FF miles for a One World Explorer award, in business class, for 14,000 - 20,000 actual miles. (It will be my third such award - love them!) I've checked out my route on One World's nifty new ap (new to me, anyway) and it's legal, but I thought I'd ask whether I was missing any good opportunities, as I'm coming in at a bit under 18,000 actual flying miles.
The main reason for the trip is to visit Central Asia, India and Sri Lanka, and I'll have an open segment between Riga and Colombo - Riga because Air Baltic has cheap flights into Central Asia. I'm thinking 6-8 months for the whole trip.
I'm looking at RDU-JFK-Helsinki; Helsinki-Tallinn; Tallinn-Riga for the first segment.
Then Colombo-BKK; BKK-HKG; HKG-Taipei; Taipei-Tokyo; Tokyo-Honolulu; Honolulu-RDU
I'll probably revisit Malaysia and perhaps one or more Thai islands from Bangkok, maybe revisit Laos or Myanmar as well. I want to take a look at Macau, as well as some outlying parts of HK, and I haven't been to Taiwan or Japan before (aside from an overnight between planes).
The main reason for the trip is to visit Central Asia, India and Sri Lanka, and I'll have an open segment between Riga and Colombo - Riga because Air Baltic has cheap flights into Central Asia. I'm thinking 6-8 months for the whole trip.
I'm looking at RDU-JFK-Helsinki; Helsinki-Tallinn; Tallinn-Riga for the first segment.
Then Colombo-BKK; BKK-HKG; HKG-Taipei; Taipei-Tokyo; Tokyo-Honolulu; Honolulu-RDU
I'll probably revisit Malaysia and perhaps one or more Thai islands from Bangkok, maybe revisit Laos or Myanmar as well. I want to take a look at Macau, as well as some outlying parts of HK, and I haven't been to Taiwan or Japan before (aside from an overnight between planes).
Apr 6th, 2010, 02:52 PM
#2
You're confusing a Oneworld <i>award</i> from American Airlines with the Oneworld <i>Explorer</i> round-the-world <i>purchased</i> ticket, sold by all the Oneworld alliance members.
The route tool on the Oneworld website is not applicable to the Oneworld <i>award</i> routing guidelines published by AA here: http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/oneworld_rules.jsp
I take it your route is thus: RDU-JFK-HEL-TLL-HEL-RIX// CMB-BKK-HKG-TPE-NRT-HNL-ORD-RDU. Counting the surface segment (RIX-CMB) you're using 13 of the maximum 16 segments (the surface segment counts) and you're allowed only one open-jaw in the itinerary, so you'll need to control your wandering around or else you'd run out of segments.
As for where else to go, gosh - the world's a big place. If this trip was for next year, I'd be inclined to wait for Oneworld's newest members, S7 Airlines (Russia/Siberia) and Kingfisher (India) to be fully on board, which would expand your alternatives considerably in both central Asia/eastern Russia and in the subcontinent. If you spent as much on buying extra miles from AA (in order to allow you to bump to the next highest award tier) as you would with Air Baltic or other LCCs, you might be able to cover a lot more ground (in J) using OW metal.
The route tool on the Oneworld website is not applicable to the Oneworld <i>award</i> routing guidelines published by AA here: http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/oneworld_rules.jsp
I take it your route is thus: RDU-JFK-HEL-TLL-HEL-RIX// CMB-BKK-HKG-TPE-NRT-HNL-ORD-RDU. Counting the surface segment (RIX-CMB) you're using 13 of the maximum 16 segments (the surface segment counts) and you're allowed only one open-jaw in the itinerary, so you'll need to control your wandering around or else you'd run out of segments.
As for where else to go, gosh - the world's a big place. If this trip was for next year, I'd be inclined to wait for Oneworld's newest members, S7 Airlines (Russia/Siberia) and Kingfisher (India) to be fully on board, which would expand your alternatives considerably in both central Asia/eastern Russia and in the subcontinent. If you spent as much on buying extra miles from AA (in order to allow you to bump to the next highest award tier) as you would with Air Baltic or other LCCs, you might be able to cover a lot more ground (in J) using OW metal.
Apr 6th, 2010, 04:01 PM
#3
Original Poster
Yes, that's the routing, and just one open segment.
I'm planning to leave around the end of August - when do S7 and Kingfisher join? I don't want to go to Russia this trip (already ridden the Trans-Mongolian route and don't need to add another visa to the chase) and it looks like I'd have to get to Siberia for S7 to fly me into Central Asia, but Kingfisher could be really useful.
I didn't think there was any existing OW metal that would get me into Almaty or Bishkek, or from Tashkent to Delhi. Air Baltic will get me from Riga to Almaty for 140 euro incl. fees and taxes - that'll only buy 6,000 miles.
I'm planning to leave around the end of August - when do S7 and Kingfisher join? I don't want to go to Russia this trip (already ridden the Trans-Mongolian route and don't need to add another visa to the chase) and it looks like I'd have to get to Siberia for S7 to fly me into Central Asia, but Kingfisher could be really useful.
I didn't think there was any existing OW metal that would get me into Almaty or Bishkek, or from Tashkent to Delhi. Air Baltic will get me from Riga to Almaty for 140 euro incl. fees and taxes - that'll only buy 6,000 miles.
Apr 6th, 2010, 04:48 PM
#5
Sorry, meant to add, you're right - in the meantime, no OW metal into TAS, ALA or other 'stan cities. Closest you can get is SVX - Ekaterinburg, from HEL.
Now that Dragonair (CX) is in the fold, don't forget Kathmandu.
Now that Dragonair (CX) is in the fold, don't forget Kathmandu.
Apr 6th, 2010, 05:22 PM
#6
Original Poster
Ah, I hadn't realized Dragonair would get me to Kathmandu! Thanks. And if it's an award I don't have to worry about the number of stops per continent, right? Just the total number of segments? Only problem is, it would likely be February - bit chilly!
Apr 7th, 2010, 06:13 PM
#8
Original Poster
Hi cyn - how are you? I'm actually rethinking this... I can't get the CA itinerary to work really well, and it has me hitting Japan at the wrong time of year. Plus there's that Dragonair flight to Nepal...
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
cynstalker
Air Travel
5
Apr 9th, 2012 09:01 AM
