Originally Posted by wingzing

1. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think you have a choice of the ticketing carrier on an ex-Japan RTW. It defaults to JAL and AA acts as the ticketing agent for JAL. [edit: misread the question - this is only true if first flight is JAL.] I was able to complete the itinerary and price it on-line, but couldn't get the on-line tool to accept payment. I then tried to pay by phone via the AA RTW desk, but AA wouldn't give me the ex-Japan price with a US addressed credit card. I then set it up with CX Japan via e-mail.

2. I would also like to know how difficult it is to make changes to a CX issued RTW. As a practical matter will other carriers touch a CX issued ticket? I would love to have the AA desk make changes - I have had success with them in the past.

3. dunno

Also, my experience suggests that different carriers have different interpretations of the routing rules. I had an itinerary (simplified) NRT-DEL-LHR-JFK-HKG(transit)-AKL-..... This itinerary was no problem with the on-line tool and with the AA RTW desk. However, CX would not let me pass through HKG on my way from NYC to AKL. They forced me to use an extra segment and go NYC-LAX-SYD-AKL. I believe CX correctly interpreted the rules.