... or start in Melbourne instead of Sydney; but as christep says, the rules (as we know them today) no longer prohibit a transit through the city of origin, so there is really no reason not to insist, although I must admit that, as Darren says, sometimes it is just not worth it.

There is in the archive a thread about this, with CX absolutely refusing to accept this point, but the OP, thanks to advice from this board, kept at it, again and again, until the CX ****heads relented and 'saw the light', with apology included.