1. All are safe - maybe with the exception of LA - probably only truly dangerous place on your list. Italy is also dodgy some places, beware of pickpockets. Less so in Prague and Budapest, but keep common sense with you in tourist areas
2. There are enough decently priced small hotels and guesthouses, there is no need for a hostel in Bangkok. Bangkok is very safe - but keep an eye out on the flooding situation
3. Yes, you have access to all lounges, but not all are created equal - best one will be in Istanbul
4. Depending on your connection timing - you may qualify for a free tour of Istanbul from Turkish Airlines - google it.

It's funny (and sad) that your #1 is so true. I took a drive through LAX not too long ago... and it's scary how different the areas are. Hit up Little Tokyo, and it's almost like being in Tokyo, complete with tourists. West Hollywood is all local who's who. And then other areas.... You don't know if your car will be there when you get out of the Taco Bell. :P that and nobody walks on the street. Istanbul for instance, is nothing like tha. It was a normal city, heh.

Make sure to see the Hagia Sophia and the blue mosque in IST.

Awesome thanks guy. I am trying to plan a 4 week itinerary for Aussie, and 2 week for Thailand (debating to change this to 3 weeks, and Rome to 3 weeks).... any must sees here?

Italy I will be with family in the burbs'.

Hello folks,

I am considering booking my first RTW trip ever for next year. This is my desired itinerary:

YUL-SFO (AC-J)
SFO-ICN (OZ-J)
ICN-BKK (TG-J) Stop (two weeks)
BKK-IST (TK-J) Stop (a couple of days)
IST-PRG (TK-J) Stop (a couple of days)
PRG-BRU (SN-J) Cnx
BRU-YUL (AC-J)

Is this a valid route?

Also, I have 135K miles in AP, is it worth to pay for the missing miles to book some segments in F?

Thanks!

It seems valid to me (the regulars will chime in on any irregularities) but I wouldn't spend the extra on F - not unless you are taking the long legs in F. The only "spectacular" leg that you would experience in F would be SFO-ICN, as none of the other routes you mention have a 3-cabin configuration. I would also avoid AC if I were you - YUL-SFO should be doable on UA, and PRG-YUL should be doable on LH through MUC perhaps?

BKK is a first for me as well, so not sure. I've been recommended the Emerald Buddha and a restaurant on a pier - since you're spending more than 10 hours in BKK you should plan some proper sightseeing. Grab the iPad app, there's some good ideas there!

Trying to understand Published Routing Rules.
My planned trip is YYC-LAX(SFO)-BKK(ICN,NRT)-SIN (Stop)
SIN-SYD (stop)
SYD-AKL (stop)
AKL-LAX(SFO)-YYC.

YYC-SYD going this way is over MPM but I have been told via SIN it is allowed as it is a SQ published route. This is what i found on EF and just need some help deciphering it:

PUBLISHED RTG YYC-SYD/SQ700 /TAR-TPRG EF-24JAN11 DIS-INDEF

/VIA THE PACIFIC/
1. YYC-AC-YVR-SQ/AC-LAX-SQ-TYO-SQ-BKK-SQ-SIN-SQ/MI-SYD
2. YYC-SQ/AC-LAX-SQ-TYO-SQ-BKK-SQ-SIN-SQ/MI-SYD
3. YYC-US/AS-LAX-SQ-TYO-SQ-BKK-SQ-SIN-SQ/MI-SYD
4. YYC-AC-YVR-SQ/AC-SFO-SQ-SEL/HKG-SQ-SIN-SQ/MI-SYD
5. YYC-SQ/AC-SFO-SQ-SEL/HKG-SQ-SIN-SQ/MI-SYD
6. YYC-SQ/AS-SEA-SQ/AS-SFO-SQ-SEL/HKG-SQ-SIN-SQ/MI-SYD
7. YYC-AC-YVR-SQ/AC-LAX-SQ-TPE-SQ-SIN-SQ/MI-SYD
8. YYC-SQ/AC-LAX-SQ-TPE-SQ-SIN-SQ/MI-SYD
9. YYC-US/AS-LAX-SQ-TPE-SQ-SIN-SQ/MI-SYD

Does this look like the PR? Does it mean I can go via BKK? Does it specify which carrier I have to use via BKK, or is that irrelevant when redeeming on a Star Alliance award?

Go here if you want. I did it and it was fun. I don't know if the flood has affected it much. The place is at Samut Songkhram.

Yes. I think you can do this with the first few routings as listed although it's over the MPM. You have to tell the agent about the routings and ask him/her to validate it.

oh damn! always wanted to go there (having seen that vid) but it never clicked that that was BKK too bad I'm with a baby this time. Not sure the wife would approve

whoa, so does that mean that based on that, yvr-lax-nrt-bkk-sin-syd is a valid routing to SYD?

Don't know about YVR. YYC is, based on that published routing.

If you feel comfortable carrying the baby for about 1 hour, you should be perfectly fine. The market is not gross or anything. It's just not very convenient to use a stroller.

Err, I stand corrected, YYC.

The way I understand MPM, you can build your own routing as long as you're below it - and if you're over MPM, then only allowed when on a published routing. Does that mean that if this routing pushes the trip over MPM, the return segment HAS to be done per published routings OR whatever is shortest, or are "going" and "return" treated separately?

Specific example - knowing that there is an NZ flight serving the route, would SYD-AKL-RAR-LAX-YYC appear to be a permitted return in the above situation?

Cool - good to know, thanks for the heads up. On the list it goes. :]