I'd also love to slot in a Caribbean Island, everyone seems to use St Juan (probably because of all the connections for mileage runs) but I was looking at Saint Lucia with a week of kiteboarding lessons right near the airport http://www.slucia.com/kitesurf/index.html

Now the oneworld itinearary planner flash thing says there are no direct flights valid from JFK, however the oneworld timetable shows that today there is an AA 2009 JFK-UVF so do you reckon it's valid? Please let me know because I'd love to visit the Caribbean. As an Aussie I don't know much about the different islands, is any island better than another for independant travellers?

If so, then my final routing which I will book in 4 days will be this:

JNB-HKG-DEL-NRT-PEK-HKG-JFK-UVF-MIA-DFW-CUN//MEX-YVR-LAX-BRU//CAI-MAD-HEL-BUD-xLHR-NBO

MEX-YVR would be on JL, hope AA don't mind.
YVR-LAX is also coming up as invalid in mileage monkey, but there is clearly a codeshare with LAN.

Unless someone can figure out a better way to get into Cancun and out via Mexico City and a better use for that spare segment, like CPT-JNB.

Has anyone had any experience getting a courier to send you tickets from the AA office in Cape Town to somewhere in Johannesburg? Do you have a link?

I'm on the home stretch!