For pure point to point LHR-SYD you may be able to get a better deal, particularly in business if the SQ fare quoted above is available. For first (on a leading airline) I don't think you'll beat a Cairo AONE4 ticket.

First class AONE4 is roughly GBP 2855 from Cairo. Bought in the UK it is GBP6619 (!!!).

If you have any BA miles you can use them to go to Cairo. Otherwise discussions here show tickets (in economy) for 300 gbp or so.

It is easier to arrange the ticket in advance, and essential if you plan to do a quick turnround in Cairo. Many threads here discuss how to do this.

Yes, in principle both of you need to go to Cairo because if you don't use the first segment (CAI-LHR) of one of the tickets then you are breaking the rules and OW could just refuse the next segments.

Yes you would get full BA miles for the trip - it is booked in A class, which is a full first class fare for mileage purposes.

Yes you can can go and get tickets now. The only time limit is that the last segment (presumably LHR-CAI has to be within 12 months of the first segment. If you get addicted to these tickets, as some of us here have, then you use the last segment to go and pick up the next one. Otherwise there is nothing to stop you simply throwing away the last segment.

The great advantage is that if you have time on your hands you can see all sorts of other places round the world on your way. You can have up to 20 flight segments in total so you could do something like this:

CAI-LHR(transit)-MAN (stop back at home, assuming that's where home is)

MAN-LHR-HKG (stopover to see HK)

HKG-DPS (take a few days break in Bali)

DPS-HKG-PEK (go and see the Great Wall, Summer Palace, etc)

PEK-HKG-SYD (do whatever you want to do in Sydney)

SYD-WLG-AKL (stoping over to see bits of New Zealand)

AKL-LAX (go to Disneyland?)

(or alternatively, do HKG-AKL-WLG-SYD then fly to the US via a break in Honolulu)

LAX-SFO (do all the SFO stuff)

SFO-ORD-JFK (see other bits of the US)

JFK-YVR (get some more of that CX First class - "would you like a refill on the caviar?") Go skiing in the Rockies.

YVR-LHR (stopover here as far as the ONE ticket is concerned - use some of the many miles you have accumulated to get LHR-MAN flights)

LHR-CAI to get you next ticket now that you are addicted.

This is all is some of the best first class cabins in the world for a total of around 3000 pounds including taxes. There are even two more segments available that I haven't thought of a place for.

I can't wait to retire and have the time to do this sort of thing at leisure.

[This message has been edited by christep (edited 10-18-2003).]