Why do you need to keep the relationship going for open dated tickets. Just give the carrier a ring and quote your PNR reference and get a confirmation of seat availability/waitlist. Now if it was as easy as that then the carriers could form an alliance and work together to bring global benefits to their passengers.

Ah, an airborne swine has just passed the window.

You will probaby not need to call you TA in Australia just to confirm a flight.

As for the DXB and VIE being different continents, yes, they are but not as far as the xONEx ticket is concerned, Middle East and Europe are lumped together. And we all know that Egypt is actually in Europe don't we....