One World Ticket
Dec 17th, 2009, 05:14 PM
#1
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One World Ticket
Hi -
I am considering the 'One World Ticket' to travel around the world come the Spring, 2010.
Can anybody share there experience with this program?
Is it worth the value - considering I really would like the flexibility provided in obtaining flights?
Thanks,
Glenn
I am considering the 'One World Ticket' to travel around the world come the Spring, 2010.
Can anybody share there experience with this program?
Is it worth the value - considering I really would like the flexibility provided in obtaining flights?
Thanks,
Glenn
Dec 17th, 2009, 07:36 PM
#2
There are two RTW products sold by Oneworld members. The "Oneworld Explorer" is sold based on the number of continents touched, with no mileage limit (but a maximum of 16 segments including any land segments.) Only Oneworld member airlines, and their franchisees/affiliates can be used.
The second is the "Global Explorer" which is mileage based, with several tiers (26,000 to 39,000 miles total.) Again, a maximum of 16 segments, and the miles included in surface segments count against the total. In addition to the Oneworld member airlines, several non-member airlines can be used, e.g. Alaska Airlines in N. America, Gulf Air, Air Pacific (Fiji) and a couple of others.
The "worth the value" question is obviously very subjective. In the case of business- or first-class RTW tickets (using either product) the savings can be dramatic compared to conventional fares. In economy, it's often also the case that one can save a significant sum, but it's more sensitive to your actual itinerary. If your route is between well-served hubs, like London, Hong Kong, Sydney, New York, etc. then conventional tickets might give you a run for your money. But the real power of the RTWs is giving you access to places that would be extremely expensive to visit on a conventional basis, e.g. Easter Island, Patagonia, Africa, and so on.
In terms of flexibility, they're actually more flexible than many conventional products. You can change your routing dramatically for a $125 service fee, whereas trying to do that with conventional tickets would be extremely expensive - if allowed at all. You have a year to finish the itinerary, whereas conventional round-trip tickets almost always have much shorter travel periods, after which the price skyrockets. You can switch dates and carriers on any given route for free (e.g., on London - Hong Kong, switch between BA, Cathay Pacific or Qantas, and switch dates all you want) provided you still fly London - Hong Kong. If you want to fly London - Singapore instead, then it's a $125 re-issue fee.
You travel in booking classes with limited, but usually ample capacity on the airlines - "A" for first class, "D" for business class, and "L" for economy. These are not the highest/most flexible classes, but they're far from being the most restrictive. On some routes, e.g. Auckland - Santiago, there might be times of the year when you need to wait for seats to be available, but those routes are relatively few.
Like all RTW products sold by all the alliances, the prices differ depending on where you buy the ticket and begin/end the RTW. Look carefully at the Oneworld website's pricing section so you can see the relative costs. Don't forget currency fluctuations while you're shopping - remember, these are global products, sold all over the world.
I've been buying a Oneworld Explorer annually for the past few years (two on a couple of occasions) and think it's a fabulous product.
Read the rules on the Oneworld website, and if you're seriously considering it, visit the Oneworld forum on Flyertalk - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/oneworld-411/ - for the nitty gritty on where to buy tickets, how to put itineraries together, how to leverage frequent flyer miles (RTWs are a gold mine for miles) and lots more.
The second is the "Global Explorer" which is mileage based, with several tiers (26,000 to 39,000 miles total.) Again, a maximum of 16 segments, and the miles included in surface segments count against the total. In addition to the Oneworld member airlines, several non-member airlines can be used, e.g. Alaska Airlines in N. America, Gulf Air, Air Pacific (Fiji) and a couple of others.
The "worth the value" question is obviously very subjective. In the case of business- or first-class RTW tickets (using either product) the savings can be dramatic compared to conventional fares. In economy, it's often also the case that one can save a significant sum, but it's more sensitive to your actual itinerary. If your route is between well-served hubs, like London, Hong Kong, Sydney, New York, etc. then conventional tickets might give you a run for your money. But the real power of the RTWs is giving you access to places that would be extremely expensive to visit on a conventional basis, e.g. Easter Island, Patagonia, Africa, and so on.
In terms of flexibility, they're actually more flexible than many conventional products. You can change your routing dramatically for a $125 service fee, whereas trying to do that with conventional tickets would be extremely expensive - if allowed at all. You have a year to finish the itinerary, whereas conventional round-trip tickets almost always have much shorter travel periods, after which the price skyrockets. You can switch dates and carriers on any given route for free (e.g., on London - Hong Kong, switch between BA, Cathay Pacific or Qantas, and switch dates all you want) provided you still fly London - Hong Kong. If you want to fly London - Singapore instead, then it's a $125 re-issue fee.
You travel in booking classes with limited, but usually ample capacity on the airlines - "A" for first class, "D" for business class, and "L" for economy. These are not the highest/most flexible classes, but they're far from being the most restrictive. On some routes, e.g. Auckland - Santiago, there might be times of the year when you need to wait for seats to be available, but those routes are relatively few.
Like all RTW products sold by all the alliances, the prices differ depending on where you buy the ticket and begin/end the RTW. Look carefully at the Oneworld website's pricing section so you can see the relative costs. Don't forget currency fluctuations while you're shopping - remember, these are global products, sold all over the world.
I've been buying a Oneworld Explorer annually for the past few years (two on a couple of occasions) and think it's a fabulous product.
Read the rules on the Oneworld website, and if you're seriously considering it, visit the Oneworld forum on Flyertalk - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/oneworld-411/ - for the nitty gritty on where to buy tickets, how to put itineraries together, how to leverage frequent flyer miles (RTWs are a gold mine for miles) and lots more.
Dec 18th, 2009, 06:41 AM
#3
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Thank you so much for the information - it is extremely helpful. One point I am unclear about is the '16 segments including land segments'. Is this related to flying into one airport on a continent, and then flying out of another airport within the same continent?
If i wewre to fly in to Ho Chi Minh and took a series of buses and trains to some point in India - how would this count?
Thanks,
G
If i wewre to fly in to Ho Chi Minh and took a series of buses and trains to some point in India - how would this count?
Thanks,
G
Dec 18th, 2009, 06:56 AM
#4
The Vietnam - India portion would count as a segment, even though you're doing it on land. For example, Hong Kong - HCMC, Delhi - Hong Kong would count as 3 segments. How you get between HCMC and Delhi - buses, caravan, cheap regional flights, whatever - is your business.
