Thanks for all your observations, suggestions and queries, FTers. All your feedback is much appreciated.

Alliance fare sales procedures: Thanks to all for their input to this debate. We are conscious that the current process for buying oneworld fares, such as Explorer, Circle and Visit passes, could be smoother. Because of the huge number of options they offer, they are complicated things to support, from the sales technology standpoint. All I can say at this stage is that we are working on developments which take account of aq number of the key issues raised in your postings, so please be patient for a while longer and, as they say in the ad industry, watch this space!

Open-dated segments: This is one of the difficult issues the industry is having to come to terms with as it flies into the all e-ticket era. While some individual airlines have found ways of allowing open-dated segments with their e-tickets, there is (as far as I am aware - always dangerous to say things like that!) no internationally-accepted industry-wide process or procedure for dealing with them. Things are moving pretty fast in this overall area, however, so keep watching this space, as they say...

headinclouds: Not only did I get your name wrong first time around, but I think I failed to respond to your question, too! So double apologies. BA, Finnair, Iberia, LAN, Malev and Qantas all currently use Amadeus, with Cathay Pacific in the process of moving to it. AA uses Sabre, JAL uses Axess and RJ SITA.

kiwiflyer: Thanks for your input re Star's RTW rules. I note you said they state that various airport co-terminals are NOT to be counted as a segment or transfer. That's the same as oneworld. So transferring from, say LHR Terminal 1 to LHR Terminal 3 is not a segment. But if you have to transfer between different airports - eg LHR to LGW, or DFW to Love Field - that is counted as a segment.

manar: Remind me, if we ever meet, that I owe you a beer!