Some more info is needed to advise. Do you have more money or miles? Do you mind losing status if you do take a 9-month break from the rat race? I would advise against buying an coach RTW. Coach on the long-haul segments on non-AA planes can be very tiring. Plus no miles on CX, less than 100% on QF and IB. Also, my copy of the rules state that upgrades on AA segments can only be done with miles, so the VIPOW may not be useful in this case. Tell us more for better opinions.