Originally Posted by
number_6
Sometimes I buy tickets with an extra first leg, eg. CBR-SYD, which I fly just to activate the ticket, and then the subsequent segments are fully changable (often free, sometimes with a small fee) and good for a year. This works well when you don't know your initial travel date for certain and can afford an extra first segment.
I do that too on tickets purchased in NZ. Baffled my TA (why waste a segment in economy on a first/business ticket?) until I explained why I do it. (I have other reasons for doing this as well - this is just one justification.)
Incidentally the same "trick" is possible on some other non-RTW/circle fares as long as stopovers are allowed in the country of origin.