Great input! Looks like the consensus is that I'm OK on this one, which is good.
Patron: I'd seen the rule referencing the middle east, but the wording "For the purposes of
this rule..." had thrown me, if that applies to the whole Starfile, then I agree I'm covered (twice, actually, since CAI-FRA is international, and if CAI isn't considered Europe, I don't need to start with an intercontinental flight anyway!).
gnaget:
You can probably get this as a Star1 if you go CAI-DXB-SIN-SYD. Unless you have a compelling reason to visit FRA. Another bonus is flying SQ vs. TG or LH.
Ahh, but I can't use my
ukstatus upgrades on SQ, so I'll be avoiding them like the plague (especially as they consider J on their transpacs to be F!). As I said, the intention is to maximise the ability to upgrade the longer segments to F, which looks like it would put me on TG a lot. In any event, this is just the core route - with the small incremental cost of a CSTAR2 vs CSTAR1 ex CAI, I might as well embelish the trip with some detours!
That raises an interesting philosophical point, when planning an RTW (real or imaginary) I start with a backbone route, covering the main long-hauls and the overall routing, then I optimise what is left of the mileage by adding side trips and stopovers. Is it just me?
The choice of FRA is mainly to maximise upgrade chances, as I said (by chioce we'll go TG in F, but LH is there as an option, if we have trouble). I considered a routing starting CAI-FRA-LHR-NRT....., but decided that I would be pushing my luck trying to get two seats in F on the premium NH LHR-NRT with those vouchers, and since only NH flies the route, if they won't play ball, I'll be stuck! Most of the other routings seem to have this problem too, and in any event, if I want to get to australia in F, without going on SQ, them I'm going to end up wanting to go to BKK in any event! (No F to Asia-Aus. on NH, or NZ...). Any tricks I've missed in that regard are greatly appreciated, of course!
So, as far as the starting blocks go, I'm pretty much all set. Since it looks like a few of you have done something similar before, perhaps a few more Qs:
Who did you guys ticket with in CAI? Any E-Mail addresses you could share in a PM, perhaps?
Does LH still have F on CAI-FRA? Is it worth dropping an upgrade voucher for it?
Does TG consider FRA a "premium" route? i.e. does it sell F, and does it use the newest equipment (3 rows in F) on it?
Any suggestions as to how I might get between BNE/SYD/MEL (or even CNS!) on *A
other than backtracking to AKL?
The aim is to generate a 3-phase trip:
CAI-FRA-BKK-SYD-(Possible side trips in Oz)-AKL-(Poss side trips in NZ)-LAX//Return via seperate ticket to UK.
Then at a later date: LAX-(poss side trip to Canada)-ORD-MAN//
(By that time the *A upgrades will have expired, so I'm now selecting the best of J for my flights).
Then finally: (Any european hops I can fit in)-FRA/VIE-CAI.
The last RTW we did was bought in BKK, and having the last segs to BKK and back hanging over us turned out to be a bit of a problem in the end!
This RTW-ing is
addictive isn't it
Ken.
"Not that old 'smash the cistern' joke again...." - Message generated by "Hit toilet with sword" in MUD1 adventure game.