Thanks to all for your comments and help!

Seems to be unanimity that my plan will not work, and I will certainly not be volunteering to be the guinea pig to see what happens if I use the flights out of sequence!

I guess I get that fares are priced differently from different markets and that there is the potential for abuse/paperwork under certain scenarios, but then again my feeble mind thinks that I'm just one guy and so what if I'm not on the plane as long as I paid for it...

NickB: when I log into the AF website to manage reservations, I get the message "flights cannot be changed with this fare". It was an CAD$850 fare R/T to AUH so maybe this explains it. Though, I seem to remember reading that with the "free stopover in Paris" dealy, you were allowed changes to increase/decreae your time in Paris. Anyone familar with this? Which segment is adjustable, incoming to Paris or outgoing? I will also call AF and report back here.

And thanks for the suggestions of low-cost carriers to the UAE which I will go check out right now!

Finally, while I have you -- it will be my first time flying AF: 747 to CDG, 330 to AUH and back, then 777 back to YUL. Any tips? For instance, just found out (via FT) about Channel 9 after flying seven segments on United this summer

Thanks again.