OK, so go easy on me as I'm very new to all things miles and points. Just started following closely in August. I've already redeemed a trip to mexico for this winter and I'm hooked! However, my next award trip I'm planning is much more difficult.

Brief Intro:
I'm planning on a RTW trip for myself and my girlfriend from Jan 2013 - Summer of 2013 (no planned end date), but these will be with AAdvantage miles. Unfortunately, we have had some troubles getting enough AA miles, so we can't do the full 50k mile award trip anymore. We both were denied on the citi AA Amex.

The Plan:
Why I posted this in the CO forum is because we do have quite a few CO/UA miles in the bank to help us "get started" on the RTW itinarary. We would like to visit south africa on our trip, but it's so far out of the way that we can't include it with the AA miles. I had in mind a crazy routing to include a trip to JNB and end in AKL (where we would "begin" the RTW trip).

Would it be possible to redeem a roundtrip ticket from my home airport of MSP and open-jaw end it in AKL? Using the airline route mapper tool it is possible, but idk if CO would allow it. The proposed route would be: MSP-CLT-JFK-JNB(long stopover)-PER(destination)-AKL(open-jaw end).

I'm sure it's wishful thinking that this would work, but would I have a chance? I figured that both South Africa as well as New Zealand cost 80k miles roundtrip economy so there's a chance it would be allowed. I'm trying all sorts of creative ways to get a great RTW with AA and CO miles with as little out of pocket since we will both be new college grads who are strapped for cash.


EDIT:
I see in other threads that someone from NZ said CO has maximum permited routes rather than MPM. If I am over, I could always find my own way to JFK on a paid ticket, so it would only be 3 segments. If possible, maybe I could even add an extra segment on to CNS, NRT, PEK, HKG, or BKK. Then the new routing would be JFK-JNB(stop)-PER-AKL(destination)-NRT/PEK/HKG/BKK (open-jaw end).

As you can see, I'm basically trying to stretch the limits of CO's award tickets and find a way to include both a South African award AND an Oceania award

Typically the open jaw segment has to be the shortest, but rules are bent sometimes. I know someone did south africa for a stopover from an asian itinerary (maldives maybe).

Are you trying to have PER-AKL be the open jaw or AKL-MSP?

Well that's good news that it has been done!

I am trying to have AKL-MSP be the open jaw since I won't actually be heading back to MSP for a long while.

If it doesn't work out, that's fine. I'm still in the very early planning stages so there's plenty of time to figure out alternatives

I might be missing something, but why would you need it to be an open jaw? Couldn't you just include flights from AKL back to MSP and then just not use them if you don't need them? Sure, you'd have to find award availability, but if they're flights you're not going to use then any old crappy Y seats would do.

I think it is going to be very difficult to have AKL-MSP be the open jaw.

Note: As of June 15, CO rewards actually get one stopover and two open jaws. You are pretty much guaranteed having to call in if you want to book all of those as I don't think the website can price out both open jaws.

I was able to get the CO website to price out MSP-JNB (stopover) JNB-BKK (stopover) BKK-AKL for 62,500 miles. Whenever I try to throw in the AKL-MSP leg it breaks though. You may be able to get them to make this happen if you do some open jaws that are short instead like MSP-CPT (open jaw) JNB-HKT (open jaw) BKK-AKL (destination) AKL-Europe (stopover) Europe-MSP. Theoretically you could price that entire itinerary for 80,000 miles, but I don't know if it's possible. That would be a RIDICULOUS ticket.

The only firm telephone agent rule is that you must cross the same ocean as you did on the way otherwise it becomes RTW.

I'm just very new at this and didn't know what would happen if I didn't show up for my flight haha.

Wow that would be insane! So how exactly do you go about pricing those out like you mentioned? Do you simply type in each segment one by one at CO's website?

Also, I thought CO only allowed one stopover, but it looks like you have 2 stopovers in the first situation, and 2 stopovers + 2 open jaws the second situation.

Sorry for asking so many questions, but would calling different booking agents result in different answers regarding the routing rules?

There were 2 stopovers in the first one. It let me price it out, so there it is!

Also, it was my understanding that you get a destination, a stopover and then 2 open jaws, so that would work. I could be off now that you mention it.

As far as agents are concerned, it can be hit or miss on how skilled they are. If you call in and spoon feed them the flights and they are willing to price it out manually, then you will have much less problems. If you cross both oceans and do a RTW they are going to say no, but I don't know if they have a little book that says you can't transit the US to Australia via Africa. I really think it might work.

PS: At any given time the UA and CO rewards desks could merge and all of this fun would be over assuming they keep the UA rules.

Thanks for all the help, I'll have to give it a try!

I have a C award booked for 120k for LAX-TPE / SIN - JNB - LAX (via LHR).

On Thanksgiving day I wanted to make a change to get on an OZ flat bed. The agent had difficulty and said my ticket wad booked in error and flagged it as a round the world trip. Now when I call them they transfer me to the *A desk. They won't make any changes because there is now documentation for my PNR stating that I can't do this.

All I want to do is to change the dates . I am willing to drop the LHR crossing and go back through the Pacific to LAX. But some Continental agent is refusing to hear me out. Should I keep it or try to call them again.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

You book this through the website? Typically the only RTW trips that CO will do is via the website. I vote try another agent but insist on having it changed back to a non-RTW trip, it's probably the only shot you have.

No I took FT advice and paid $25 to get a nice routing in SQ. It's too bad the only desk I'm allowed to talk to now just closed.