Sorry to post this, since I know it has been discussed, but I can't quite make heads-and-tails of the searched posts I've found, and I'm hopeless at deciphering (viz. digesting) the OW xONEx starfile (i.e. the definitive rules in ALL CAPS)...

With respect to the NRT/GRU sector, which usually travels via JFK (IIRC). I remember hearing about a change of rules that says, according to at least Mileage Monkey, direct NRT/GRU is considered to "touch North America".

I'm slightly confused as to what this means. Does this mean that:

1. If you travel NRT-GRU, you cannot go to North America (because you've already "touched" NA and backtracking is not allowed).
2. If you travel NRT-GRU, you can still go to NA, but you need to count NA as a continent travelled through irrespective of whether or not you actually fly "back" to NA as part of a xONEx.

For example, given a trivial xONEx NRT-GRU-SCL-FRA-NRT, does this mean that under the old rules, you could book a xONE3 to achieve this itinerary, but now you must book a xONE4 to do the same itinerary?

I had designs on doing a DONE4 along the lines of NRT-GRU-SCL-IPC-SCL-DFW-ANC-DFW-JFK-HEL-LHR-MCT-LHR-SIN-HKG-DEL-NRT. In this case, the new rule really should have no effect on booking this itinerary. Correct?

I guess one has a similar dilemma when creating an itinerary with MEL-LHR or SYD-LHR direct (c.f. SYD-SIN-LHR or MEL-BKK-LHR or whatever).

Finally, and this is slightly O/T: Does anyone think trying to get NRT-GRU on a DONE4 is a waste of time? I have heard that D class is extremely difficult to get on this sector (viz. in the same difficulty as SYD-JNB). My other design was to try something like NRT-LAX-SJU-DFW-ANC-DFW-SCL-IPC-SCL-FRA-HEL-LHR-MCT-LHR-SIN-NRT if NRT-GRU would almost certainly have to be flown in L (i.e. Economy).....