I am contemplating a SYD-NBO-BKK-HKG-SYD trip. It appears that the easiest way and cheapest (AUD3299?) to get the most direct flights on this itinerary is to buy the Oneworld Circle Trip Explorer, and this will also allow a few side trips for fun.

For the first leg SYD-NBO, will I be able to use the EK flights that QF is about to codeshare? And will flying through DXB (or DOH on QR later this year if flights on EK are not allowed) constitute a stop in "Europe" and force this into LONEWC4 instead of 3? Flying via JNB does not appear to be an option at the moment given no OW operating JNB-NBO (someone in OW should force BA/Comair to do this!!!)

For NBO-BKK it is a shame that QF will be ditching the QF4052/4 codeshare with KQ so again it looks like a transit through DXB/DOH will be required with the same questions above...In addition, if LONEWC4 is indeed required does this mean this is a 'backtrack' and not a valid itinerary?

Rules for a mid April flight start date show that EK is not listed as a permitted carrier on the LONEWCx ticket. Indeed, codeshares on OW metal are only permitted:

TRAVEL IS NOT PERMITTED ON ANY CODESHARE
SERVICES OTHER THAN THOSE OPERATED BYAY/BA/CX/
IB/JL/KA/LA/MH/NU/QF/RJ/S7/AB/HG.
OTHER CODESHARE SERVICES ARE NOT PERMITTED WITH
THE EXCEPTION OF QF CODESHARE SERVICES
OPERATED BY JETSTAR / JQ /

LONEWC3 AUD3299+tax
LONEWC4 3899+tax

any flight through DXB or DOH counts as entering "europe", so it would be an LONEWC4 if QR is used.

You wouldn't have been able to use it on this type of ticket anyway. Every oneworld ticket has the QF code on JQ exemption, only the Global Explorer (mileage based RTW) has the limited QF coded non oneworld metal exemptions. It appears to be an invalid itinerary. The transfer exemption listed in the xONEx rules doesn't appear to exist in the xONEWCx rules.

Thank you Himeno and OG. Shame about QR's transit being counted as part of Europe, QR could have presented the circle explorer with the only way out of East Africa.

Looks like i'd have to go through JNB and stump up a JNB-NBO return, and do CX's JNB-HKG if i want to do lonewc3.