RTW Payment for Star Light
Andrew Boyd
Hi guys,
Im planning a round the world trip in May. Here's the intinerary:
Monday May 14 SYD-MIA: The details of which are......
United 816 SYD-LAX
United 900 LAX-SFO
United 985 SFO_MIA
Thursday May 24 MCO-LHR:
United 978 MCO-IAD
United 924 IAD-LHR
Wednesday May 30 LHR-CPH:
SAS SK506 LHR-CPH
Monday June 4 CPH-BKK:
SAS 1639 CPH-FRA
Lufthansa FRA-BKK
Saturday June 9 BKK-SYD
Thai 991 BKK-SYD
Note that the LAX and SFO and IAD are just brief connecting stops (less
than 12 hours). then im bussing up to the conference in orlando after
staying in miami for a few days. My research on the helpful sydney airport
website (hi!) has suggested that this will qualify for the star light
fare, as it is 5 stops (MIA MCO LHR CPH BKK). Agree?
Im now close to booking - my question is how much can be saved by
shopping around on the star light fare - ie is it worth going to places
like trailfinders, and the Youth Hostel Association, to try to get a
cheaper fare. The AUD$2499 seems fairly set to me - if so, am I losing out
on anything by just booking on the star alliance web site (which is easier
for me)?
W Yu
ar_...@postoffice.spam.utas.edu.au (Andrew Boyd) wrote:
Check that it has included all the taxes in that price. And then find a
discount travel agent at uni or in the city and see if they can beat it.
Most of the time they can by a small margin.
--
Weiyun
[Remove the obvious for replies]
Jonathan Potter
through travel.com.au. Also, you know that UA fly Sydney direct to SFO?
Cheers,
Jon
--
"Andrew Boyd" <ar_...@postoffice.spam.utas.edu.au> wrote in message
news:ar_boyd-1503...@muras-remote21.ocs.mq.edu.au...
Andrew Boyd
Potter" <jpo...@lss.com.au> wrote:
> When I booked a Star RTW fare last year the best price I could find was
> through travel.com.au. Also, you know that UA fly Sydney direct to SFO?
Yeah - im being greedy and trying to maximise the flights :)
Had a bit of trouble with the travel.com.au site - ill give it another
go - ta.
H
flights as you can! They are by far the worst of the (big) Star Alliance
partners. And Lufthansa isn't much better. Try for Air New Zealand from
OZ to LA. Try for SAS across the Atlantic, although Air Canada is even
better, if you can swing it. And try for Singapore Air from FRA back to
SYD.
cheers,
Henry
Al Bennett
"H" <hen...@mac.com> wrote in message
news:1eq9zxl.17nqmp71pxiox2N%hen...@mac.com...
>I suggest you re-work your itinerary to get out of as many of the UA
>flights as you can! They are by far the worst of the (big) Star Alliance
>partners. And Lufthansa isn't much better. Try for Air New Zealand from
>OZ to LA. Try for SAS across the Atlantic, although Air Canada is even
>better, if you can swing it. And try for Singapore Air from FRA back to
>SYD.
>
>cheers,
That may well be - but they have by far the better FF scheme
compared to AN/NZ or QF over here !!! Sounds like Andrew
may be trying to maximise his UA minimum mileage
accruals, no matter the length of the route!
Andrew, also check your mileages - the routing sounds awfully
close to the max allowed under Starlite rulings, as you
also have to include any surface segments.
As far as the fare goes - anything you can save is worth it as
you are travelling through 4 of the world's most heavily
"ticket-taxes" countries in the U.S.A., UK, Germany and
Oz. A recent RTW trip ticketed this week cost a friend
$237.00 in ticket taxes on top of the fare.
Cheers.
Michael Voight
Al Bennett wrote:
>
> That may well be - but they have by far the better FF scheme
> compared to AN/NZ or QF over here !!! Sounds like Andrew
> may be trying to maximise his UA minimum mileage
> accruals, no matter the length of the route!
What minimum miles?? The only place this will help is in SFO-LAX.
Or do you mean something else?
Michael
Paul O'Brien
find for researching rtw fares out of Australia. I settled on a MH /NW
combination which was cheap and suited our needs (out of BNE).
http://www3.travel.com.au/everest/index.cgi?E=pbflights&frcity=&tocity=RTW&n
ext_destination=RTW&action=8&ST=TTS&AGN=TTS&SITECODE=TTS&SITEREGION=EUR&S=35
20363&Cookie_Email=
Paul
"Andrew Boyd" <ar_...@postoffice.spam.utas.edu.au> wrote in message
news:ar_boyd-1503...@muras-remote21.ocs.mq.edu.au...
>
Matthew Sheren
taxes are about 40% of the total cost, and on some short transborder
routes, taxes can be more than the fare itself.
Matthew :)
Richard Muirden wrote:
> It is scary when your taxes reach >= 10% of your ticket cost!
Richard Muirden
1. Check your mileage - STARRTWLITE fares are 26,000 miles - I can see a
saving of miles if you go SYD-SFO-MIA (or did you want to stop in LAX?
I forgot!). If you are over 26,000 total miles your at a RTWSTAR1
ticket ($2889 published - non seasonal). Also note with STARLITE fares
that they book in less available fare buckets (H on UA, for example) which
may be less available on some flights.
2. Remember $2499 is SEASONAL based on the date of the first flight out, so
you could save (or not) more $$ depending on the date of first travel.
(though your dates are in May-June which isn't really near a seasonal
divider so this is a bit of a moot point)
3. I'd fly TG FRA-BKK. Avoid LH (but that's just personal bias ;) )
4. For cheaper payment I'd shop around.. take your itin to Flight Centre,
STA, Amex etc and ask. It is likely they could offer at least a 5%
discount on the published fare. If you want $2499 (plus taxes) you
could just book direct through a Star Alliance airline (ie: call up
United, SQ, NZ direct)
-richard
--
Richard Muirden, UNIX (Solaris) Systems Administration Consultant,
Cybersource Pty. Ltd. Melbourne, Australia
rmui...@cyber.com.au
Richard Muirden
> Yeah - im being greedy and trying to maximise the flights :)
I see :)
> Had a bit of trouble with the travel.com.au site - ill give it another
>go - ta.
Travel.com.au seem to have decided that RTW fares are really not what they
want to deal with. I suspect because they can't do too much with the pricing.
Note they've taken away the option from their main res window. While they
do have a "Round the World" page linked from their home page now, which
lists general terms and conditions of the 4 most major RTW fares (oneworld,
"wings", star lite, star full) they don't allow you to read the actual fare
rules (which change from time to time, and can be important in terms of
allowed flight numbers, booking classes and so on) and they basically say
"it's all too hard for you to book online"(true, I would submit at this
point in time) and to call them direct. As you are in SYD you could go
see them in person I suppose, but I'd still shop around at several stores-
shouldnm't take too long for a consultant to give you a "ball park" of what
they would charge.
Richard Muirden
>I suggest you re-work your itinerary to get out of as many of the UA
>flights as you can! They are by far the worst of the (big) Star Alliance
>partners. And Lufthansa isn't much better. Try for Air New Zealand from
>OZ to LA. Try for SAS across the Atlantic, although Air Canada is even
>better, if you can swing it. And try for Singapore Air from FRA back to
>SYD.
I respect your personal bias against UA, but it may matter depending on
which Frequent Flyer programme Andrew is a member of. If he is
a Mileage Plus member, there is more incentive for him to fly UA metal
across the pacific.
Agree about LH though :)
-richard
(United 1K, MEL - to show *my* bias! :) )
Richard Muirden
>That may well be - but they have by far the better FF scheme
>compared to AN/NZ or QF over here !!! Sounds like Andrew
>may be trying to maximise his UA minimum mileage
>accruals, no matter the length of the route!
>Andrew, also check your mileages - the routing sounds awfully
>close to the max allowed under Starlite rulings, as you
>also have to include any surface segments.
Al, are you reading my mind? :-)
>As far as the fare goes - anything you can save is worth it as
>you are travelling through 4 of the world's most heavily
>"ticket-taxes" countries in the U.S.A., UK, Germany and
>Oz. A recent RTW trip ticketed this week cost a friend
>$237.00 in ticket taxes on top of the fare.
It is scary when your taxes reach >= 10% of your ticket cost!
-richard
Richard Muirden
>What minimum miles?? The only place this will help is in SFO-LAX.
>Or do you mean something else?
500 miles for 337 flown is better than a kick in the head, though if
he *really* wanted to do it, he'd do stuff like SFO-SMF-SAN-LAX-JFK-IAD-MIA
(and so on), but there's not too many "spare" miles to play games like this
with on a STARLITE fare.
>Michael
-richard (who me flying a DEN-COS-DEN roundtrip in 2 weeks for any reason? naah! :) )
Richard Muirden
> Are UA really that bad? I guess the reason I chose UA mainly is that I
>havent been able to get into the "book a ticket" section of the Star
>Alliance web site. All the rest of the site is accessible, but ive been
>trying for ages, and cannot connect - thus cant do a general star alliance
yes, it's buggered and has been for awhile. Seems noone gives a ratts
(staralliance.com is run out of SAS it seems, whilt the booking engine is
itn.net, as for UA - something is badly broken in between).
>schedule. Went to the united site, and found it very good. My thinking was
>to stick to one of the big airlines of star. Ive heard united have the air
>traffic control channel in the states, which i would love. Air new
>zealand? Well - im australian - do i need to spell it out for you??!!!
NZ would be better pitch wise if you are flying in Y (and not upgrading)
as they have 34" vs. 31". While UA *is* installing Y+ in their international
fleet, to take the first x rows of Y to a 35-36" pitch they would typically
be reserved for Elite Level flyers (Star Alliance Gold/Silver) and full fare
pax (note: Star RTW 'heavy' tix book in an appropriate fare class for this,
STARLITE does not). Channel 9 (ATC) is on UA but *not* on all aircraft at
all times - it is captain's discretion.... (was wonderful flying back into
MEL about 2 months ago, getting Channel 9 on to hear the aussie accents,
call signs and of course "United 847 Heavy. Runway 27. Cleared to land. ":)
but I digress!
> Im also keen on trying lots of different aircraft - UA looks good for
>this. Especially the 777. Is it a generally held view that UA and
>Lufthansa arent the best?
Your mileage may vary. I am in a Lufty boycott because of their crummy
Y pitch (A340 at least) and lack of service, and a C class long haul
product (I used UA miles to upgrade a segment and it was a huge waste)
that was lacking in many ways.
With the exception of TG, NH and SQ, UA is the only other 777 operator in *.
and it is a nice aircraft. Of course being stuck in the 5 section of the 2-5-2
and you might think otherwise I could imagine.
Service wise, SQ would have to be the best followed by TG. I found SK to
be pretty good and NZ to be dour and the most boring of the lot, but that
may just be due to limited exposure. On UA, as with any carrier, you can
have great crews and a wonderful transpac flight, or a terrible crew who
don't want to do anything and it can be a nightmare. I hope Andrew gets
the former, of course :)
> I dont even know what minimum mileage is! I was going to join ansett FF
>scheme - that way i should get a free trip home (hobart) for x-mas (from
>sydney). Or is it better to join United if I were to fly united ala my
>original post?
If you fly UA on that routing you should make UA's Premier status from that
trip, and get at least 25,000 UA miles for your efforts, which is enough to
take you to HBA 2.5 times(IIRC). If you credit to Ansett as the system
currently stands, you will end up with around 24,000 GR points, and you
know how far that will get you. Ansett kicks you with the 0.7point/km rule
which they apply even to fare classes that other airlines(eg: UA) consider
full fare.
Of course given the recent QF FF overhaul, Ansett's GR may well change for
the better soon, but I doubt before Andrew's flights. Personally I would
go for Mileage Plus based on that routing.
See my other post about max mileage (26,000) on a STARLITE fare.
> I havent checked the mileage yet - i guess "backtracking" to SFO may
>be out of the question if its close. Seems unfair to include a surface
>segment if its going backwards, on top of the extra mileage from this
>backtracked city to the next one.
Just go SYD-SFO direct on UA862 if that is your issue. LAX customs and
immigration is a nightmare anyway.
> The frankfurt and SFO stops are mainly because i like flying, and also
>seeing different airlines etc. But if it meant missing out due to excess
>mileage - out the come!
Also note SFO is a shocker for fog and weather, so you would want to watch
your connections. Whenever I fly in there I leave a lot of time "just in
case" - my last time through there I had 2 Shuttle flights to LAX cancelled
on me and just made it in time for my flight to MEL. d'oh! :)
> These taxes - are they simply the departure taxes? I suppose this is a
>problem with going CPH-FRA-BKK rather than direct to BKK.
departure taxes, transit taxes, wipe-your-a$$ taxes... all kinds of crazy
taxes... More taaxes than fans of Johnnie Howard!
> Thanks for the excellent comments so far :)
you're welcome,
richard
Richard Muirden
>LOL, swallow your pride and go for NZ, they are the best on the
>SYD-LAX route. Just practice saying six like a kiwi and you'll get
>good service.
I also am of the understanding that NZ fly fairly low loads on SYD-LAX
which could make for a more comfy ride with their better pitch and all.
-richard
Richard Muirden
> Ha! Well, I may be persuaded - I just hope they have enough "kittles"
>to boil my coffee, which may go nicely with some "arnotts mulk irriroot
>buscuts!". i guess that would give me experience with another airline, as
>UA will be the only option LAX-MIA, MCO-IAD (IAD-LHR best option?_). Why
>are UA so bad (the only thing ive heard is old flight attendants -
>aaaaaaaagh - ok - im convinced!).
As a vetran of way more than I need UA transpac sectors they do tend to
be on the senior side as a transpac flight is the cream choice for senior
UA cabin staff - if they fly 2 of those a month that's their work for the
month! So they all bid for these long routes but only the senior ones
get them. Once in a rare while you might get a younger relief crew but
in general it is the senior ones.
On transatlantic UA is much better. They usually have french or english
based crews, who are much more classy, and usually younger (the purser on
a recent LHR-IAD flight was gorgeous, sweet and nice :) ).
Having said that and making the transpac flights seem really bad... the
senior crews can often be VERY good (but they can also be VERY BAD)...
some have the opinion that "I've done this job for 25 years and I just
don't care anymore"(the BAD sort) and others are the "I've been a professional
at this for 25 years and here is how *I* define SERVICE!").
As I say, YMMV
Richard Muirden
>They are probably not so bad, the big differences on the Pacific are
>that NZ give you more legroom than UA, but UA give you personal tv's
>and NZ don't. NZ food/wine will be better though!
ajc you bad boy. UA *were* going to put ISV in Y on the 744, but it got
deferred as too expensive. Thus they do *not* have ISV in Y on the 744
(which does the south pacific transpacs). UA 777's and 767's all have ISV
in Y, but the closest one of those gets to SYD at the moment is SEA-NRT-BKK
and SFO-PEK routes....
Richard Muirden
>Apart from the Ansett flight from KIX to SYD on the way home, UA were the
>best airline of the trip. Of course this was C class and the only other
>airline was LH which isn't much competition, I know... :)
Ansett International rocks, even in Y and not just cuz of the fancy ex-SQ
entertainment system/ISV etc. Good crews and service. Am looking forward to
SYD-HKG in 2 weeks (in preference to some other carriers).
>Jon
Richard Muirden
>At least if you fly NZ you may help keep AN in the air a
>little longer LOL !!!
:)
>Channel 9 ATC on your audio entertainment on UA stateside
>is a hit and miss thing. It's totally up to the flight crew/captain
>if it's on or not.
UA also offers CH9 on some transatlantic flights (I'd say about 70% I've
been on have had it, it is cool listening to them banter around weather
reports between Gander and Newfunland). out of oz it is rare, but you
can sometimes get it (or ask!).
>Do the ultra long haul on NZ. Search the UA web site for some
>interesting combos to get to where you want to. Scrap the
>SFO section and go via the hub in Denver to the east coast.
>You could get a 757 to Denver and something else that's
>different (for you) from there over to the east for example.
>The 77 will get you across the Atlantic.
Agree totally. How about SYD-LAX(NZ)-DEN(UA 777/you can do)-MIA
(prob on a 757, or A320 or somesuch) then onward. The DEN airport
is pretty nice.
>Cheers. Al.
Leo Hamulczyk
discounts. The site is becoming "dumber" (or idiot-proof). Pity, as there
really isn't a more comprehensive Australian travel site.
Jonathan Potter <jpo...@lss.com.au> wrote in message
news:waLr6.20832$0N3.1...@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
a...@wxs.nl
(Andrew Boyd) wrote:
>In article <1eq9zxl.17nqmp71pxiox2N%hen...@mac.com>, hen...@mac.com (H) wrote:
>
>> I suggest you re-work your itinerary to get out of as many of the UA
>> flights as you can! They are by far the worst of the (big) Star Alliance
>> partners. And Lufthansa isn't much better. Try for Air New Zealand from
>> OZ to LA. Try for SAS across the Atlantic, although Air Canada is even
>> better, if you can swing it. And try for Singapore Air from FRA back to
>> SYD.
>
> Are UA really that bad? I guess the reason I chose UA mainly is that I
>havent been able to get into the "book a ticket" section of the Star
>Alliance web site. All the rest of the site is accessible, but ive been
>trying for ages, and cannot connect - thus cant do a general star alliance
>schedule. Went to the united site, and found it very good. My thinking was
>to stick to one of the big airlines of star. Ive heard united have the air
>traffic control channel in the states, which i would love. Air new
>zealand? Well - im australian - do i need to spell it out for you??!!!
>
LOL, swallow your pride and go for NZ, they are the best on the
Andrew Boyd
> I suggest you re-work your itinerary to get out of as many of the UA
> flights as you can! They are by far the worst of the (big) Star Alliance
> partners. And Lufthansa isn't much better. Try for Air New Zealand from
> OZ to LA. Try for SAS across the Atlantic, although Air Canada is even
> better, if you can swing it. And try for Singapore Air from FRA back to
> SYD.
Are UA really that bad? I guess the reason I chose UA mainly is that I
havent been able to get into the "book a ticket" section of the Star
Alliance web site. All the rest of the site is accessible, but ive been
trying for ages, and cannot connect - thus cant do a general star alliance
schedule. Went to the united site, and found it very good. My thinking was
to stick to one of the big airlines of star. Ive heard united have the air
traffic control channel in the states, which i would love. Air new
zealand? Well - im australian - do i need to spell it out for you??!!!
Im also keen on trying lots of different aircraft - UA looks good for
this. Especially the 777. Is it a generally held view that UA and
Lufthansa arent the best?
>>>>>That may well be - but they have by far the better FF scheme
compared to AN/NZ or QF over here !!! Sounds like Andrew
may be trying to maximise his UA minimum mileage
accruals, no matter the length of the route!
Andrew, also check your mileages - the routing sounds awfully
close to the max allowed under Starlite rulings, as you
also have to include any surface segments.
As far as the fare goes - anything you can save is worth it as
you are travelling through 4 of the world's most heavily
"ticket-taxes" countries in the U.S.A., UK, Germany and
Oz. A recent RTW trip ticketed this week cost a friend
$237.00 in ticket taxes on top of the fare.<<<<<<
I dont even know what minimum mileage is! I was going to join ansett FF
scheme - that way i should get a free trip home (hobart) for x-mas (from
sydney). Or is it better to join United if I were to fly united ala my
original post?
I havent checked the mileage yet - i guess "backtracking" to SFO may
be out of the question if its close. Seems unfair to include a surface
segment if its going backwards, on top of the extra mileage from this
backtracked city to the next one.
The frankfurt and SFO stops are mainly because i like flying, and also
seeing different airlines etc. But if it meant missing out due to excess
mileage - out the come!
These taxes - are they simply the departure taxes? I suppose this is a
problem with going CPH-FRA-BKK rather than direct to BKK.
Thanks for the excellent comments so far :)
Jonathan Potter
than the published fare (by a couple of hundred dollars).
Cheers,
Jon
"Leo Hamulczyk" <pagop...@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
news:C6%r6.3649$zW2.1...@ozemail.com.au...
Andrew Boyd
Ha! Well, I may be persuaded - I just hope they have enough "kittles"
Jonathan Potter
news:ar_boyd-1603...@muras-remote54.ocs.mq.edu.au...
> Are UA really that bad?
Apart from the Ansett flight from KIX to SYD on the way home, UA were the
best airline of the trip. Of course this was C class and the only other
airline was LH which isn't much competition, I know... :)
Cheers,
Jon
a...@wxs.nl
(Andrew Boyd) wrote:
They are probably not so bad, the big differences on the Pacific are
Al Bennett
"Andrew Boyd" <ar_...@postoffice.utas.edu.au> wrote in message
news:ar_boyd-1603...@muras-remote54.ocs.mq.edu.au...
>
>is that I havent been able to get into the "book a ticket" section
>traffic control channel in the states, which i would love. Air new
>zealand? Well - im australian - do i need to spell it out for you??!!!
>
Errr - your point is? QF is 49.9% foreign owned?!
At least if you fly NZ you may help keep AN in the air a
little longer LOL !!!
UA isn't *that* bad - let's face it, a 14 hour nonstop flight
isn't exactly a barrel of fun in Y class on any of the three
carriers. UA do have the worst seating in Y class with
31" of space - NZ offer 34", and although 3" doesn't sound
much, on a 14 hour horror, it's a godsend.
Channel 9 ATC on your audio entertainment on UA stateside
is a hit and miss thing. It's totally up to the flight crew/captain
if it's on or not.
>Im also keen on trying lots of different aircraft - UA looks good for
>this. Especially the 777.
Do the ultra long haul on NZ. Search the UA web site for some
interesting combos to get to where you want to. Scrap the
SFO section and go via the hub in Denver to the east coast.
You could get a 757 to Denver and something else that's
different (for you) from there over to the east for example.
The 77 will get you across the Atlantic.
>>That may well be - but they have by far the better FF scheme
>>compared to AN/NZ or QF over here !!! Sounds like Andrew
>>may be trying to maximise his UA minimum mileage
>>accruals, no matter the length of the route!
>>Andrew, also check your mileages - the routing sounds awfully
>>close to the max allowed under Starlite rulings, as you
>>also have to include any surface segments.
>>As far as the fare goes - anything you can save is worth it as
>>you are travelling through 4 of the world's most heavily
>>"ticket-taxes" countries in the U.S.A., UK, Germany and
>>Oz. A recent RTW trip ticketed this week cost a friend
>>$237.00 in ticket taxes on top of the fare.<<<<<<
>
>I dont even know what minimum mileage is! I was going
>to join ansett FF scheme - that way i should get a free trip
>home (hobart) for x-mas (from sydney). Or is it better to
>join United if I were to fly united ala my original post?
>
I'm not in any FF scheme as I don't like them, however
I have friends who swear by the UA scheme. It's so much
easier to redeem, earn points, get International upgrades
and all the rest. They live here in Oz, but spend their
UA points flying around on AN.
If Richard Muirden is around, then he can explain it much
better.
>These taxes - are they simply the departure taxes? I suppose
>this is a problem with going CPH-FRA-BKK rather than
>direct to BKK.
They're all sorts of taxes. The USA has about 5 or 6 added to
a ticket from a departure tax to customs user fee. The UK
has a departure tax as well as an airport users tax - these
two are worth about $90AUD alone. Germany has several
taxes even for transiting. They all add up.
Cheers. Al.
a...@wxs.nl
wrote:
>a...@wxs.nl writes:
>>They are probably not so bad, the big differences on the Pacific are
>>that NZ give you more legroom than UA, but UA give you personal tv's
>>and NZ don't. NZ food/wine will be better though!
>
>ajc you bad boy. UA *were* going to put ISV in Y on the 744, but it got
>deferred as too expensive. Thus they do *not* have ISV in Y on the 744
>(which does the south pacific transpacs). UA 777's and 767's all have ISV
>in Y, but the closest one of those gets to SYD at the moment is SEA-NRT-BKK
>and SFO-PEK routes....
Eek. In that case there is absolutely no contest, NZ wins on all
counts!
Andrew Boyd
Thanks for all the replies my brethren - getting closer to booking -
just a few things to iron out now!!
In article <rmuirden....@cyber.com.au>, rmui...@cyber.com.au
(Richard Muirden) wrote:
> > I dont even know what minimum mileage is! I was going to join ansett FF
> >scheme - that way i should get a free trip home (hobart) for x-mas (from
> >sydney). Or is it better to join United if I were to fly united ala my
> >original post?
>
> If you fly UA on that routing you should make UA's Premier status from that
> trip, and get at least 25,000 UA miles for your efforts, which is enough to
> take you to HBA 2.5 times(IIRC). If you credit to Ansett as the system
> currently stands, you will end up with around 24,000 GR points, and you
> know how far that will get you. Ansett kicks you with the 0.7point/km rule
> which they apply even to fare classes that other airlines(eg: UA) consider
> full fare.
>
> Of course given the recent QF FF overhaul, Ansett's GR may well change for
> the better soon, but I doubt before Andrew's flights. Personally I would
> go for Mileage Plus based on that routing.
Damm - this complicates things!! I had pretty much decided on taking NZ
to LAX, then just get the direct flight on UA to MIA, and quit buggering
around, like the SFO flight. I have to consider that I'll need to travel
SYD-HOB return twice this year after i get back - now if flying UA to the
states, and being a mileage plus member, means they will be free flights,
well....im a student, and these would be *very* handy. If i fly
SYD-LAX-MIA-MCO-IAD-LHR all the way with united, that gives me about
14,000 miles flying on UA (does UA double your miles or something - how
did you get 25,000 miles? - or do you mean that if i fly UA for that
14,000 miles, then thats enough of a % of the total 25,000 miles to
qualify?). This is all based on flying the star light cheepy fare?
So - a very convincing argument for changing my mind, and flying UA.
BTW - if i *did* fly NZ to LAX, would it still be worth signing up with
mileage plus? Now......... (!).......
> > I havent checked the mileage yet - i guess "backtracking" to SFO may
> >be out of the question if its close. Seems unfair to include a surface
> >segment if its going backwards, on top of the extra mileage from this
> >backtracked city to the next one.
>
> Just go SYD-SFO direct on UA862 if that is your issue. LAX customs and
> immigration is a nightmare anyway.
Now where to fly to? Assuming im taking UA - ok I could go direct
SYD-SFO on UA862 - that connects direct to MIA with UA 985 - the only
problem is that i have 6 hours between the connections. I actually dont
mind what city (LAX or SFO) i fly into - with the original plan, the time
between landing in lax and leaving for mia was 2 hours. Is lax customs and
immigration really so bad as to justify this change (also considering the
7.20 am arrival in SFO - if fog / weather is bad at SFO, i assume to fog
would be worse this early in the morning - so it may be an extra
complication)? Also, the lax flight gets me into mia ~ 4pmm, as apposed to
about 10 pm from sfo - so im thinking of the people who im staying with
too. Such much to think about! I think homer put it well (DOH!).
Andrew Boyd
Well...except the FF issue - see my post!
H
> BTW - if i *did* fly NZ to LAX, would it still be worth signing up with
> mileage plus? Now......... (!).......
What Frequent Flyer plan(s) are you a member of, now?
The whole point of the Star Alliance (well...OK...one of the points) is
that flying on any of the members, you get points credited to whichever
of the members' schemes you belong to (* with a few exceptions, in the
fine print).
So, in general, you want to join the scheme of the airline you expect to
be using the most, and get all of your points credited to one account.
Why? Because if you belong to two (or more) Star members' plans, and
have points distributed between (among) those plans, it's going to take
you a lot longer to reach the level where you get a free ticket on any
one of them; you can't combine miles from different schemes for bonus
purposes.
cheers,
Henry
Andrew Boyd
> Andrew Boyd <ar_...@postoffice.utas.edu.au> wrote:
>
> > BTW - if i *did* fly NZ to LAX, would it still be worth signing up with
> > mileage plus? Now......... (!).......
>
> What Frequent Flyer plan(s) are you a member of, now?
None at the moment.
>
> The whole point of the Star Alliance (well...OK...one of the points) is
> that flying on any of the members, you get points credited to whichever
> of the members' schemes you belong to (* with a few exceptions, in the
> fine print).
>
> So, in general, you want to join the scheme of the airline you expect to
> be using the most, and get all of your points credited to one account.
> Why? Because if you belong to two (or more) Star members' plans, and
> have points distributed between (among) those plans, it's going to take
> you a lot longer to reach the level where you get a free ticket on any
> one of them; you can't combine miles from different schemes for bonus
> purposes.
I generally dont do enough domestic flying to rack up too many points -
maybe SYD-HBA a couple of times a year. The possibility of getting these
flights for free (by doing the RTW trip) is a *very* persuasive argument
for me to join UA mileage plus - i wont ever be getting much from joining
ansett at all, and now that impulse airlines fly to HBA, flying ansett may
be more expensive anyway - ie domestically i will be quite "promiscuous"!
H
> I generally dont do enough domestic flying to rack up too many points -
> maybe SYD-HBA a couple of times a year. The possibility of getting these
> flights for free (by doing the RTW trip) is a *very* persuasive argument
> for me to join UA mileage plus - i wont ever be getting much from joining
> ansett at all, and now that impulse airlines fly to HBA, flying ansett may
> be more expensive anyway - ie domestically i will be quite "promiscuous"!
Do you make those 'couple of times a year' Sydney-Hobart flights on
United? If so, by all means, join their Mileage Plus. But if you go to
Hobart on Ansett, then join Ansett's plan. When your travel agent makes
your RTW bookings, be sure that he/she enters your Ansett member number
into the reservation. And, for a double checko-checko, show your Ansett
card at every check-in on your trip (assuming that all flights will be
on Star Alliance member carriers). As a result of the 25,000 miles of a
normal RTW, you may well have enough points when you get home to get one
or two trips to Hobart for free.
cheers,
Henry
Mark Rogers
>
> Is lax customs and
> immigration really so bad as to justify this change (also considering the
> 7.20 am arrival in SFO - if fog / weather is bad at SFO, i assume to fog
> would be worse this early in the morning - so it may be an extra
> complication)?
I don't know much about LAX customs, but I wouldn't worry about the fog at
SFO. Contrary to popular perception, SFO almost never has weather that, by
itself, creates operational challenges for the airlines. For example, most
aircraft are capable of landing with at least 1800 feet of forward
visibility (some 600), while even on SFO's "foggy" days the visibility is
more like 2 miles with an 800 foot overcast. The reason that SFO has such
poor performance is because even with this relatively benign weather, only
one arrival runway can be used. Since two runways are used when the weather
is clear, only using one runway causes delays. These delays only occur when
the arrival demand is greater than what one runway can handle, which first
starts at about 10 a.m. Your arrival at SFO at 7:20 a.m. is well before
when any delays due to the "weather" usually begin. Regardless,
international flights are rarely delayed delayed, and I would expect that
you'd have no problems.
--Mark Rogers
Mike
> Regardless, international flights are rarely delayed delayed, and I would
> expect that you'd have no problems.
Is that the new phrase for a delay that the airline considers a delay? :-)
Al Bennett
"Andrew Boyd" <ar_...@postoffice.utas.edu.au> wrote in message
news:ar_boyd-1803...@muras-remote9.ocs.mq.edu.au...
>Well...except the FF issue - see my post!
Andrew -
One way to settle it. Read both UA and AN's FF scheme rules
and benefits. I personally believe you are better off with UA's
scheme as it's a lot less restrictive than AN's or NZ's for
that matter.
Richard posted a good article on the pros and cons of UA
FF membership - I'd re-read that one thoroughly !!
Cheers. Al.
Richard Muirden
> Damm - this complicates things!! I had pretty much decided on taking NZ
>to LAX, then just get the direct flight on UA to MIA, and quit buggering
>around, like the SFO flight. I have to consider that I'll need to travel
>SYD-HOB return twice this year after i get back - now if flying UA to the
>states, and being a mileage plus member, means they will be free flights,
Note that AN seems to have been somewhat stingy with awards into HBA
lately(well this from someone who tried madly for a while to get on
one, and finally did with Ansett points... not me).
>well....im a student, and these would be *very* handy. If i fly
>SYD-LAX-MIA-MCO-IAD-LHR all the way with united, that gives me about
>14,000 miles flying on UA (does UA double your miles or something - how
>did you get 25,000 miles? - or do you mean that if i fly UA for that
>14,000 miles, then thats enough of a % of the total 25,000 miles to
>qualify?). This is all based on flying the star light cheepy fare?
I mean 25,000 miles for the entire trip on star alliance partners.
> So - a very convincing argument for changing my mind, and flying UA.
>BTW - if i *did* fly NZ to LAX, would it still be worth signing up with
>mileage plus? Now......... (!).......
Fly NZ if you like, they credit 1:1 to UA's program also. Flying UA metal
only makes a difference once you hit an elite level and the bonuses start
to kick in (25% for Premier, 100% for Premier Exec and 1K)
> Now where to fly to? Assuming im taking UA - ok I could go direct
>SYD-SFO on UA862 - that connects direct to MIA with UA 985 - the only
>problem is that i have 6 hours between the connections. I actually dont
>mind what city (LAX or SFO) i fly into - with the original plan, the time
>between landing in lax and leaving for mia was 2 hours. Is lax customs and
>immigration really so bad as to justify this change (also considering the
>7.20 am arrival in SFO - if fog / weather is bad at SFO, i assume to fog
>would be worse this early in the morning - so it may be an extra
>complication)? Also, the lax flight gets me into mia ~ 4pmm, as apposed to
>about 10 pm from sfo - so im thinking of the people who im staying with
>too. Such much to think about! I think homer put it well (DOH!).
Go for LAX< but it has taken me >1 hour to get through the immigration lines
at LAX at that time of the morning (off 848) and I came out of C class!
you should make that connection though, which is as you say much more
reasonable.
If your total mileage allows you could add the SFO-LAX in :)
-richard
Richard Muirden
>So, in general, you want to join the scheme of the airline you expect to
>be using the most, and get all of your points credited to one account.
>Why? Because if you belong to two (or more) Star members' plans, and
>have points distributed between (among) those plans, it's going to take
>you a lot longer to reach the level where you get a free ticket on any
>one of them; you can't combine miles from different schemes for bonus
>purposes.
Absolutely. This is why Ansett is bad. I am not sure if NZ Air Points is
just as stingy or not... My brother (member of GR) did a STAR1 RTW -
around 28,000 miles of flying and got *just* on 30k GR points (or around
20,000 miles credit). If I did the same thing on UA, I'd get at teh very
least 29,000 miles status credit (what, over 40,000 GR points worth) and
if you work things to the advantage, somewhat more. In 2 weeks I am flying
a 28,892 mile trek but should earn around 32,000 status miles out of it
(thanks to 500 mile minimums :) )
-richard
Richard Muirden
>Do you make those 'couple of times a year' Sydney-Hobart flights on
>United? If so, by all means, join their Mileage Plus. But if you go to
>Hobart on Ansett, then join Ansett's plan. When your travel agent makes
>your RTW bookings, be sure that he/she enters your Ansett member number
>into the reservation. And, for a double checko-checko, show your Ansett
>card at every check-in on your trip (assuming that all flights will be
>on Star Alliance member carriers). As a result of the 25,000 miles of a
>normal RTW, you may well have enough points when you get home to get one
>or two trips to Hobart for free.
Henry, good idea, but I don't think this is optimal for Andrew.
Let's pull some figures to support this, shall we? :)
Distance SYD-HBA: 1040 km (from Ansett current paper timetable)
Return distance thus is: 2080 km (wow, longer than I thought!)
Return distance in miles is: 1300
Ansett award for r/t travel: 17,000 points
source: AN website
United award for r/t travel: 10,000 miles (Flying Ansett)
source: http://www.ual.com/site/primary/1,10017,1184,00.html
Now let's look at earning points:
* Ansett offers 70% of km's for discount Y travel (ie: any class bar Y)
* United offers 100% of miles flown for discount Y fares(except on AN, some
LH flights).
Let's assume that:
Andrew flies SYD-USA-eurrope on NZ/UA
Andrew flies FRA-BKK-SYD on TG (LH would only give 50% credit to UA for this!)
Let's say his total flight mileage equals 26,000 (the max under a STARLITE
fare).
26,000 miles = 41,600 km's.
Andrew would earn 70% of 41,600 km's on Ansett = 29,120 Ansett GR points.
Andrew would earn 100% of 26,000 miles on UA = 26,000 UA miles
How many trips SYD-HBA would Andrew earn?
On Ansett, he would earn 1.71 trips
On United, he would earn 2.6 trips
I suppose though, Andrew might want to think about where his furutr
travel might want to take him (past SYD-HBA :) ) and what else he might
want to do with any FF miles he has left over. United's program is great
for flying to the US and to parts of europe. However TG's Royal Orchard
Plus might be a good idea to look at for flights around Asia (I have no
idea about redeeming awards on AN through TG though, or the rates). Andrew
might want to check NZ's Air Points to see how they credit and redeem
mileage - they may be better suited than the airline they own.
food for thought.
-Richard (not trying to advertise UA, but trying to find the best fit for
Andrew's needs).
Richard Muirden
>Do you make those 'couple of times a year' Sydney-Hobart flights on
>United? If so, by all means, join their Mileage Plus. But if you go to
>Hobart on Ansett, then join Ansett's plan. When your travel agent makes
>your RTW bookings, be sure that he/she enters your Ansett member number
>into the reservation. And, for a double checko-checko, show your Ansett
>card at every check-in on your trip (assuming that all flights will be
>on Star Alliance member carriers). As a result of the 25,000 miles of a
>normal RTW, you may well have enough points when you get home to get one
>or two trips to Hobart for free.
Henry, good idea, but I don't think this is optimal for Andrew.
Let's pull some figures to support this, shall we? :)
Distance SYD-HBA: 1040 km (from Ansett current paper timetable)
Return distance thus is: 2080 km (wow, longer than I thought!)
Return distance in miles is: 1300
Ansett award for r/t travel: 25,000 points
source: AN website
United award for r/t travel: 10,000 miles (Flying Ansett)
source: http://www.ual.com/site/primary/1,10017,1184,00.html
Now let's look at earning points:
* Ansett offers 70% of km's for discount Y travel (ie: any class bar Y)
* United offers 100% of miles flown for discount Y fares(except on AN, some
LH flights).
Let's assume that:
Andrew flies SYD-USA-eurrope on NZ/UA
Andrew flies FRA-BKK-SYD on TG (LH would only give 50% credit to UA for this!)
Let's say his total flight mileage equals 26,000 (the max under a STARLITE
fare).
26,000 miles = 41,600 km's.
Andrew would earn 70% of 41,600 km's on Ansett = 29,120 Ansett GR points.
Andrew would earn 100% of 26,000 miles on UA = 26,000 UA miles
How many trips SYD-HBA would Andrew earn?
On Ansett, he would earn 1.16 trips
Richard Muirden
not 17,000 (!) so I re-posted with correct figures...
-richard
Andrew Boyd
OK - thanks for all the help - looks like I can take the NZ flight from
SYD-LAX, as they codeshare with UA - good, ill be comfy, and will be
provided with plenty of buscuts.
The only question I now have is UA or AN FF scheme?? There seems to be a
general consensus (with the odd dissenter) that joining mileage plus is
the way to go. To be honest, now that impulse fly to HBA from SYD (via
MEL), i would most likely never take ansett again (impulse are truly
excellent), so i have absolutely no loyalty to ansett. I think that gives
me even more incentive to join UA mileage plus. Last round of comments!!
H
> OK - thanks for all the help - looks like I can take the NZ flight from
>
> me even more incentive to join UA mileage plus. Last round of comments!!
Richard's number-crunching was most impressive. I never would have
thought that it could actually be more advantageous to join one
airline's scheme and get a partner-bonus free ticket to fly on another
airline, than to get the free ticket on the airline of whose scheme you
are a member.
So, by all means--if UA's Mileage Plus gives you the greatest returns on
your investment, do it. But fly SQ, or NZ, or AC or even SK: they are
all much nicer than UA.
cheers,
Henry
Richard Muirden
>Richard's number-crunching was most impressive. I never would have
>thought that it could actually be more advantageous to join one
>airline's scheme and get a partner-bonus free ticket to fly on another
>airline, than to get the free ticket on the airline of whose scheme you
>are a member.
thank you :)
>So, by all means--if UA's Mileage Plus gives you the greatest returns on
>your investment, do it. But fly SQ, or NZ, or AC or even SK: they are
>all much nicer than UA.
I'd agree, including Ansett International is a class act. Looking forward
to flying SYD-HKG in 2 weeks.
note: UA 777's are pretty comfy though.
>Henry
Paul O'Brien
rules and abbreviated versions for each of them. Very detailed.; having used
it for information for bookings with Flight Centre. I DID try to book
through Travel com au, but their page architecture is NOT as friendly if
you're trying to book. Gave up. Trotted down the road to Flight Centre.
Paul
"Richard Muirden" <rmui...@cyber.com.au> wrote in message
news:rmuirden....@cyber.com.au...
> ar_...@postoffice.utas.edu.au (Andrew Boyd) writes:
> > Yeah - im being greedy and trying to maximise the flights :)
>
> I see :)
>
> > Had a bit of trouble with the travel.com.au site - ill give it another
> >go - ta.
>
> Travel.com.au seem to have decided that RTW fares are really not what they
> want to deal with. I suspect because they can't do too much with the
pricing.
> Note they've taken away the option from their main res window. While they
> do have a "Round the World" page linked from their home page now, which
> lists general terms and conditions of the 4 most major RTW fares
(oneworld,
> "wings", star lite, star full) they don't allow you to read the actual
fare
> rules (which change from time to time, and can be important in terms of
> allowed flight numbers, booking classes and so on) and they basically say
> "it's all too hard for you to book online"(true, I would submit at this
> point in time) and to call them direct. As you are in SYD you could go
> see them in person I suppose, but I'd still shop around at several stores-
> shouldnm't take too long for a consultant to give you a "ball park" of
what
> they would charge.
Andrew Boyd
OK - Im joining UA Mileage Plus (hooray!). I read the fine print of
this, and SQ only credit 100% of miles on "selected fares". I am now
flying from BKK-SIN-SYD on the last leg, on SQ 067,SQ 231. Does the star
light fare disqualify me from earning points on this leg? If so - TG may
be the go.
Richard Muirden
>Just checked it again for rtw rules - has dozens of combinations with 'full'
>rules and abbreviated versions for each of them. Very detailed.; having used
>it for information for bookings with Flight Centre. I DID try to book
>through Travel com au, but their page architecture is NOT as friendly if
>you're trying to book. Gave up. Trotted down the road to Flight Centre.
>Paul
Thanks Paul. Seems as though lots of people must have complained as the
option is now back on the main page (it wasn't there lastFriday!).
I'm glad those are back - I noticed *another* change with the star rules
(TG books in B now for international flights, not M which are for doms).
-richard(collector of * trivia :) )
Richard Muirden
Worry not Andrew. SQ will give you 100% for the Star Lite fare (books
in "Y" class - which is full fare as far as SQ is concerned).
The SQ fares that don't get credit are nasty cheap(real cheap here)
tour fares booked in classes like N, V, Q, X etc...
Now, do all your miles add up to <26,000?!
Andrew Boyd
> ar_...@postoffice.utas.edu.au (Andrew Boyd) writes:
> > OK - Im joining UA Mileage Plus (hooray!). I read the fine print of
> >this, and SQ only credit 100% of miles on "selected fares". I am now
> >flying from BKK-SIN-SYD on the last leg, on SQ 067,SQ 231. Does the star
> >light fare disqualify me from earning points on this leg? If so - TG may
> >be the go.
>
> Worry not Andrew. SQ will give you 100% for the Star Lite fare (books
> in "Y" class - which is full fare as far as SQ is concerned).
Yes yes yes!! *jumping around the room happy happy* - ive finally
worked it out - now i can book!!! Thanks to everyone for all their help -
expect a big bastard of a trip report when i get back!!
>
> The SQ fares that don't get credit are nasty cheap(real cheap here)
> tour fares booked in classes like N, V, Q, X etc...
>
> Now, do all your miles add up to <26,000?!
I make it 25,216 - going on united's mileage.
:)
T Liow
"Paul O'Brien" <pobr...@bigpond.net.au> wrote:
> Just checked it again for rtw rules - has dozens of combinations with 'full'
> rules and abbreviated versions for each of them. Very detailed.; having used
> it for information for bookings with Flight Centre. I DID try to book
> through Travel com au, but their page architecture is NOT as friendly if
> you're trying to book. Gave up. Trotted down the road to Flight Centre.
The only caveat is that (some of) the rules might be apply to
ex-Australia travel only. A good guide to work with but you need the
rules for your country of origin.
Andrew Boyd
I rang various travel agents today regarding the star lite fare. Flight
Centre look the best - they can knock $100 off the fare - $2399, and taxes
(except bangkok) total $144.
STA were just hopeless - which is what i had heard. YHA could only get
to $2449, and Trailfinders $2433.
Also - *important* - i was told by flight centre that the fare will
change at the end of this month - couldnt say up or down, but with the way
the dollar is going, of course it will be up - so get in now!!
Richard Muirden
> Yes yes yes!! *jumping around the room happy happy* - ive finally
>worked it out - now i can book!!! Thanks to everyone for all their help -
>expect a big bastard of a trip report when i get back!!
:) I also expect a big bastard of a comission cheque in the mail.... ;)
>> Now, do all your miles add up to <26,000?!
> I make it 25,216 - going on united's mileage.
>:)
UA's mileage can be a bit out at times - I worked my latest RTW out
at 28,904 and "officially" it's 28,892, but you'll be fine. Could
even slip in a sidetrip in europe prob with that.
Now make sure you don't fly LH FRA-BKK - do TG, or go FRA-CPH-BKK on
SK. Trust me on this :)
you beauty. Enjoy your flights!
cheers,
Richard Muirden
> Also - *important* - i was told by flight centre that the fare will
>change at the end of this month - couldnt say up or down, but with the way
>the dollar is going, of course it will be up - so get in now!!
Thanks for the tip off. I'm not surprised at all if the RTW fares go up -
they are fantastic value as it is.
-richard (I already paid for my latest tix so I'm cool, got me upgrades and
ready to rock and/or roll :) )
Andrew Boyd
> ar_...@postoffice.utas.edu.au (Andrew Boyd) writes:
> > Also - *important* - i was told by flight centre that the fare will
> >change at the end of this month - couldnt say up or down, but with the way
> >the dollar is going, of course it will be up - so get in now!!
>
> Thanks for the tip off. I'm not surprised at all if the RTW fares go up -
> they are fantastic value as it is.
>
> -richard (I already paid for my latest tix so I'm cool, got me upgrades and
> ready to rock and/or roll :) )
Brilliant - have fun!
JohnT
<wizie....@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:2cf2055e-1082-42ba...@googlegroups.com...
> On Wednesday, March 14, 2001 7:00:25 PM UTC+5:30, Andrew Boyd wrote:
>> Hi guys,
>> Im planning a round the world trip in May. Here's the
>> intinerary:
>>
>> Monday May 14 SYD-MIA: The details of which are......
>> United 816 SYD-LAX
>> United 900 LAX-SFO
>> United 985 SFO_MIA
>>
>> Thursday May 24 MCO-LHR:
>> United 978 MCO-IAD
>> United 924 IAD-LHR
>>
>> Wednesday May 30 LHR-CPH:
>> SAS SK506 LHR-CPH
>>
>> Monday June 4 CPH-BKK:
>> SAS 1639 CPH-FRA
>> Lufthansa FRA-BKK
>>
>> Saturday June 9 BKK-SYD
>> Thai 991 BKK-SYD
>>
>> Note that the LAX and SFO and IAD are just brief connecting stops
>> (less
>> than 12 hours). then im bussing up to the conference in orlando after
>> staying in miami for a few days. My research on the helpful sydney
>> airport
>> website (hi!) has suggested that this will qualify for the star light
>> fare, as it is 5 stops (MIA MCO LHR CPH BKK). Agree?
>>
>> Im now close to booking - my question is how much can be saved by
>> shopping around on the star light fare - ie is it worth going to places
>> like trailfinders, and the Youth Hostel Association, to try to get a
>> cheaper fare. The AUD$2499 seems fairly set to me - if so, am I losing
>> out
>> on anything by just booking on the star alliance web site (which is
>> easier
>> for me)?
>
>
>
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> author.I will remember to bookmark your blog and will often come back
> sometime soon.
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A reply to a posting in March 2001!
--
JohnT
Fly Guy
full-quoting:
> A reply to a posting in March 2001!
Way to go moron.
There is nothing more that a usenet spammer loves is when morons like
you full-quote their spam.