No restrictions at all. You can stop (transfer) for 1 hour (to change aircraft) or 1 month or 11 months or what you want. The only restrictions on a OnewWorld explorer RTW are 5 day (?) minimum up to 365 days for the complete trip. Once ticketed you can change dates at no cost. A destination change costs USD$100 (or it may be $75). You can get an open dated Onewworld explorer RTW ticket (apart from the first sector).

There are many rules with a Onewworld explorer RTW ticket you need to be aware off. Go visit a QF travel agent or QF in Collins Street to get more information. You cannot back track. Your LHR/FRA to USA in Dec would have to be a separate ticket as indicated in your first post.

With status at the anniversary of your QF enrolment your status credit drops to zero. So the starting date of the ticket, the anniversary of your QF enrolment and how many status credits you have before starting are important.

As time seems no problem for you maximising miles and credits is an option. For example NRT-MEL is 5060 miles so gets you 40 SC. NRT-SYD is 4845 miles and only 25 SC

Life time silver needs 7000 status credits. Have a good look at QFF pages on qantas.com.au and how you earn points and SC. With good planing you could get to QFF Gold, depending on when and where you go on a RTW.

For Seoul (ICN) you could go MEL-SYD-JFK-LAX-LHR-FRA-LHR-CAI-LHR-SIN-HKG-ICN-HKG-NRT-MEL (14 segments 41350 miles flown) You still have 6 segments in total to go including up to 5 more in the US. Swiss (LX) joins Oneworld so more destination and routes will be available. The only extra cost is taxes over the base fare cost.


[This message has been edited by Mwenenzi (edited Dec 05, 2003).]