SkyTeam - Questions about booking SkyTeam Award

I'm wanting to use f.f. miles for a flight. Delta will only put a reservation on hold for 48 hours. I need to transfer points from a Starwood AmEx account so need to work with an airline that will hold a reservation for at least one week. (unlike AmEx MR which transfers instantly, Starwood takes about 1 week). I don't want to transfer any points until I know seats are available in Business Class (or will consider purchasing ticket and using miles to upgrade). I have no elite status with any airline.

I'm trying to fly from LAX to Istanbul and returning from Zurich. I would ideally like to break up the trip (maybe in New York or some east coast city) with a forced over night since I won't be allowed a stop over with the open jaw.

I'm trying to find a Sky Team site that shows all partner options but can't find such a site. I've called on the phone but am getting foreign reps who I can't understand and don't know what I'm talking about.
Thank you!

http://skyteam.com/skyteam

As far as breaking up the trip, your best bet from Zurich maybe something connecting though Paris or Amsterdam and layover in whatever US Gateway city they can get you into. You can do an overnight. A good rep will give you options if you tell them this is what you want to do.

I do this stuff all day. :)

Thank you for such a quick response. I was told that we can do either an open jaw OR a stopover but not both. I would ideally like to fly from LAX to JFK (or somewhere on East Coast) stay overnight less than 24 hours than fly on to Istanbul (via whatever the gateway city is without an overnight) to Istanbul. Returning from Zurich I would like to do the same....fly from Zurich to JFK (or east coast city with an overnight of less than 24 hours) then return to LAX.

I have existing miles in Continental but no other Sky Team airline; but have lots of Starwood which I can convert to any of the Sky Team partners. I really appreciate your help.

When do you plan on doing this? Anytime by the end of this year may be tricky. And the tough part with Delta is they can only hold em for 48 hours. I know. Its such a pain to be doing it on the Delta end too :)

I have 12 months to go...just trying to plan ahead if possible. Maybe Continental will be who I try to work through if they hold a reservation for more than 48 hours. I think AA has been the very easiest to work with in my experience....2 week hold, allow both open jaw and stop over but need to hold on to those miles for a South Africa trip in 2008.

Delta is starting ATL-JNB in Dec. Book South African travel NOW for FF everyone! Its not "that" widely known. And we're starting Accra and Dakar too in the near future. I'm sorry I'm getting laid off at the end of the month. I really like Delta.