Percy - thanks for the info - I did go back and read your QR experience - and my trip does, indeed, have QR segments at the front end. This sounds like "cancel and re-issue" is not a great plan for me, at least not in the late stages (good availability in the early going).

I'm still don't see how else you would do it, though, if you want to book your award at its first appearance (360 days out) but presumably your return trip would be sometime later...clearly more than one year from booking the first departure.

I feel like cancel / re-issue would be the normal practice for every person booking far ahead - that doesn't seem right!

And yet I know people book return trips on the first day of availability...of the outbound leg, at least. If I were buying a round-trip - then I'd be forced to wait days or weeks past the 360 days (depending on the length of my stopover) - because I wouldn't be able to even search for availability until 360 days before my return flight...so in that case, seems like round-trippers suffer a little. UNLESS. They book a one way. Wait the "stopover" time, for more awards to appear. Then re-book as a round trip. Is this a "cancel / re-issue" ?

For MCA - I might have 5 or 6 airlines here, all told, including QR - am I risking this whole itinerary each time I call in to add a segment (as the awards appear...360 days out...)?