Thanks for the good advice and info everyone. I had not thought about the no stopover twice part. Ergh. That may require me to rethink splitting the trip into 3 parts. Or maybe I can insert a cash/award ticket in somewhere to get home, though that will require more advanc planning.

One more general question then:
If I'm going to insert a cash or award ticket in here to get myself the extra stopover at home, am I better to do it ex-Asia or ex-SA?

Scenario 1: Open jaw myself to Asia, get ticket, start xONEx, fly around Asia, take end leg of open jaw home to NA. At some future date fly to Asia open return or something, take transcon to SA via NA no stop, fly around SA, fly to NA and stop. Then last leg Europe/Asia and home on back leg of open return. End.

Scenario 2: Open return myself to Asia. Get ticket, start xONEx, fly around Asia, take transcon home. Stop in NA. At some future date fly around NA. At some yet future date fly to SA. Fly around SA. Then get myself an open return SA to NA to get home. Future date take the return leg to SA, then transcon to EUR via NA. On to Asia. And home on the back leg.


Oy. I think I would prefer #2 b/c it would let me use flight coupons to get to and from ACA for a vacation, or buy extra flight coupons to do so (ORD-ACA looking in the $350-$600 range right now). I'm assuming that is a smart/economical way to go-- more research to do there.

Thoughts?

Many thanks...