Originally Posted by Gardyloo

Everyone has their own metrics for the "worth it" questions.

Yes, you can split up one RTW over two calendar years; AA will credit the flights and EQP to the year flown, not booked.

It's critical that one adds positioning costs into the formula. If it takes too much money or too many FF points to get to the origin point (e.g. South Africa in order to capture "cheap" ex-SA fares) - and to get home after - then the savings can be less spectacular, even moot.

The same goes for the taxes and fees totals added to the base price. A DONE4 ex-South Africa may have a base price US$1000 less than a DONE3 ex-Egypt or ex-Japan, but things like BA or Qantas fuel surcharges on the ex-SA ticket might reduce, or even neutralize the savings compared to an ex-Japan ticket issued by American Airlines.

There are several threads on this board about "maximizing" 16-segment RTWs. For 4- or 5-continent RTWs under the current rules, it's become increasingly difficult - not impossible, to be sure - to craft an itinerary that exceeds 60-62,000 butt-in-seat miles, hence something around 90-95,000 AA EQP. However, when one adds in positioning flights (if paid) then reaching 100,000 EQP is not especially taxing.

So if such a ticket cost US$6000 ex-SA (after taxes and fees) then it would work out to around 6 cent per EQP.

If you're keen to embark on this tack, don't forget some other opportunities lurking in the woods, mostly the result of currency fluctuations. For example, Circle Pacific tickets in business class ex-HKG start around US$5000. Or, given the weak Loonie, around US$6000 ex-Canada. And, of course, one can very often pick up cheap business/first class fares within North America, e.g. LAX-MIA-PTY round trip for $723, also around 6-7c per EQP, and easily done over a weekend.