Franky Compares
Star Alliance YRWSPCL3 Ticket Versus Build Your Own Itinerary
What Is The Cheapest Option?
Chosen Itinerary:
1/10/25 – London Heathrow – Frankfurt
15/10/25 – Frankfurt – Johannesburg
1/11/25 – Johannesburg – Addis Ababa
15/11/25 – Addis Ababa – Mumbai
2/12/25 – Mumbai – Tokyo Narita
15/12/25 – Tokyo Narita – Sydney
15/1/26 – Sydney – Vancouver
1/2/26 – Vancouver – Mexico City
15/2/26 – Mexico City – Houston
1/3/26 – Houston – Tampa
15/3/26 – Tampa – Newark
1/4/26 – Newark – Lisbon
15/4/26 – Lisbon – London Heathrow
12 Stopovers – 36,887 Miles – Valid YRWSPCL3 Route.
Rules of The Game:
Franky makes dummy bookings for this itinerary in 3 ways:
a) Star Alliance YRWSPCL3 Fare
b) On Star Alliance Flights on the same day and same route using one way tickets.
c) A Build Your Own itinerary any carrier using one way tickets checked via airline and Online Travel Agency websites.
Build Your Own itinerary rules:
When booking a Build Your Own itinerary using one way tickets flights must:
a) Be within 48 hours either way of the YRWSPCL booking.
b) Be to/from airports serving the same cities as the YRWSPCL3 booking.
c) Be direct or have one transfer/transit of less than six hours.
d) Include checked baggage of at least 23kg.
Itinerary:
1/10/25 – London Heathrow – Frankfurt
15/10/25 – Frankfurt – Johannesburg
1/11/25 – Johannesburg – Addis Ababa
15/11/25 – Addis Ababa – Mumbai
2/12/25 – Mumbai – Tokyo Narita
15/12/25 – Tokyo Narita – Sydney
15/1/26 – Sydney – Vancouver
1/2/26 – Vancouver – Mexico City
15/2/26 – Mexico City – Houston
1/3/26 – Houston – Tampa
15/3/26 – Tampa – Newark
1/4/26 – Newark – Lisbon
15/4/26 – Lisbon – London Heathrow
12 Stopovers – 36,887 Miles – Valid YRWSPCL3 Route.
Rules of The Game:
Franky makes dummy bookings for this itinerary in 3 ways:
a) Star Alliance YRWSPCL3 Fare
b) On Star Alliance Flights on the same day and same route using one way tickets.
c) A Build Your Own itinerary any carrier using one way tickets checked via airline and Online Travel Agency websites.
Build Your Own itinerary rules:
When booking a Build Your Own itinerary using one way tickets flights must:
a) Be within 48 hours either way of the YRWSPCL3 booking.
b) Be to/from airports serving the same cities as the YRWSPCL booking.
c) Be direct or have one transfer/transit of less than six hours.
d) Include checked baggage of at least 23kg.
YRWSPCL3 Ticket
£4239.32
Flight Itinerary:
1 OCT LH907 LHR 1330 – FRA 1605
15 OCT LH572 FRA 2205 – JNB 0835+1
1 NOV ET808 JNB 1430 – ADD 2045
15 NOV ET610 ADD 2305 – BOM 0715+1
2 DEC NH830 BOM 2000 – NRT 0725+1
15 DEC NH879 NRT 2245 – SYD 1030+1
15 JAN AC38 SYD 1600 – YVR 1120
1 FEB AC996 YVR 1645 – MEX 0005+1
15 FEB UA1091 MEX 1225 – IAH 1443
1 MAR UA349 IAH 1435 – TPA 1744
15 MAR UA1321 TPA 0600 – EWR 0840
1 APR UA64 EWR 2035 – LIS 0820+1
15 APR TP1350 LIS 1500 – LHR 1745
| Fare | GBP 3008.00 |
| Taxes | GBP 1201.32 |
| Service Fee | GBP 30.00 |
| Total | GBP 4239.32 |
One Way Star Alliance Tickets
£3802.60
Flight Itinerary:
1 OCT LH907 LHR 1330 – FRA 1605
15 OCT LH572 FRA 2205 – JNB 0835+1
1 NOV ET858 JNB 2250 – ADD 0525+1
15 NOV ET610 ADD 2305 – BOM 0715+1
2 DEC NH830 BOM 2000 – NRT 0725+1
15 DEC NH879 NRT 2245 – SYD 1030+1
15 JAN AC38 SYD 1600 – YVR 1120
1 FEB AC996 YVR 1645 – MEX 0005+1
15 FEB UA1091 MEX 1225 – IAH 1443
1 MAR UA349 IAH 1435 – TPA 1744
15 MAR UA1321 TPA 0600 – EWR 0840
1 APR UA64 EWR 2035 – LIS 0820+1
15 APR TP1350 LIS 1500 – LHR 1745
| LHR-FRA-JNB | GBP 458.20 |
| Taxes | GBP 256.90 |
| JNB-ADD-BOM | GBP 237.20 |
| Taxes | GBP 35.50 |
| BOM-NRT/HND-SYD | GBP 601.10 |
| Taxes | GBP 299.60 |
| SYD-YVR-MEX | GBP 714.10 |
| Taxes | GBP 175.00 |
| MEX-IAH-TPA-EWR | GBP 408.80 |
| Taxes | GBP 138.70 |
| Bag Fees | GBP 88.00 |
| EWR-LIS-LHR | GBP 210.60 |
| Taxes | GBP 178.90 |
| Total | GBP 3802.60 |
The baggage fees for the Mexico City – Houston, Houston – Tampa, and Tampa – Newark sectors cannot be included in the ticket price and must be paid online during online check-in or at the airport at airport check-in.
Build Your Own Ticket
£2753.02
Flight Itinerary:
1 OCT BA914 LHR 1710 – FRA 1950
15 OCT QR68 FRA 1710 – DOH 0010+1
15 OCT QR1363 DOH 0210 – JNB 0935
1 NOV ET610 JNB 2305 – ADD 0525+1
15 NOV ET610 ADD 2305 – BOM 0715+1
2 DEC VN972 BOM 2310 – HAN 0525+1
3 DEC VN384 HAN 0840 – HND 1505
15 DEC CZ386 HND 1505 – CAN 1930
15 DEC CZ325 CAN 2105 – SYD 0925+1
15 JAN DL42 SYD 1415 – LAX 0915
15 JAN WS1103 LAX 1145 YVR 1448
1 FEB WS116 YVR 1345 – YYC 1619
1 FEB WS2228 YYC 1845 – MEX 0055+1
15 FEB UA428 MEX 0750 – IAH 1009
1 MAR DL1319 IAH 0715 – ATL 1019
1 MAR DL1720 ATL 1320 – TPA 1445
15 MAR UA1321 TPA 0600 – EWR 0840
1 APR S4246 JFK 2055 – PDL 0645+1
2 APR S4120 PDL 0825 – LIS 1140
15 APR TP1350 LIS 1500 – LHR 1745
15 APR UX1152 LIS 0740 – MAD 0955
15 APR UX1015 MAD 1500 – LGW 1625
| LHR-FRA-xDOH-JNB | GBP 262.20 |
| Taxes | GBP 329.82 |
| JNB-ADD-BOM | GBP 237.20 |
| Taxes | GBP 35.50 |
| BOM-xHAN-HND | GBP 73.50 |
| Taxes | GBP 92.80 |
| HND-xCAN-SYD | GBP 154.60 |
| Taxes | GBP 93.20 |
| SYD-xLAX-YVR | GBP 344.20 |
| Taxes | GBP 144.50 |
| YVR-xYYC-MEX | GBP 73.30 |
| Taxes | GBP 111.40 |
| MEX-IAH | GBP 23.80 |
| Taxes | GBP 88.00 |
| IAH-xATL-TPA | GBP 124.80 |
| Taxes | GBP 27.80 |
| TPA-EWR | GBP 69.80 |
| Taxes | GBP 16.80 |
| Bag Fees | GBP 88.00 |
| JFK-xPDL-LIS | GBP 105.90 |
| Taxes | GBP 163.40 |
| LIS-xMAD-LGW | GBP 62.60 |
| Taxes | GBP 29.90 |
| Total | GBP 2753.02 |
The baggage fees for the Mexico City – Houston, Houston – via Atlanta – Tampa, and Tampa – Newark sectors cannot be included in the ticket price and must be paid online during online check-in or at the airport at airport check-in.
“In this instance booking Star Alliance flights individually offers a saving of GBP 436.02 over the YRWSPCL3 fare and a Build Your Own itinerary saves GBP 1486.30 against the Star Alliance YRWSPCL3 fare. However this does involve flying on an extra nine flights and flying an extra 4,843 miles.
It should be pointed out that most of the tickets quoted to make up the individually priced Star Alliance and the Build Your Own itinerary are non-changeable and non-refundable and you may not wish to commit to dates before departure from London. If you book these tickets as you go along there is no guarantee that prices will remain stable.”
These fares were checked and available on 7th July 2025 and fares in foreign currencies were converted into GBP at the applicable exchange rates on that date.
Because a Build Your Own itinerary worked out cheaper than a YRWSPCL3 ticket for this route on these dates does not imply it would be cheaper on all dates or for a different route.