Not sure if this is the right forum, but I'm wondering if someone can advise the best way to book a OW RTW ticket in business class, starting in Melbourne or Sydney (then Asia, Middle East, Europe, USA, Australia).
The only fares I can find are costing around $14,000, and this seems insanely high.
Thanks.
The better forum to ask in is the Oneworld Forum. There a thread there specifically on the Oneworld Explorer ticket -
The oneworld explorer ticket FAQs
Your itinerary is a 4-continent ticket in business class (its fare basis is DONE4). The base fare for that ticket is $11,999. To this must be added the various fees, taxes and (sur)charges; while an extra $2,000 for these seems a little high to me, it is not outrageously high.
The base fare can be lower when starting in different countries. For example the base fare for a DONE4 starting in Japan is JPY780,400 (about $10,000 Australian).
Also, the DONE4 might not be the most appropriate product for you. It allows up to 16 flights, spread over a year. However if you are looking to stop at just a few places then it might be more cost effective to purchase individual tickets.
Feel free to ask over in the Oneworld forum - we are friendly bunch over there.