I have seen this asked before but haven't seen the specific answer so my apologies if I didn't search properly. What I'd like to do is do one herculean RTW in F to make EXP with one run. Ideally I'd like to do this in one shot over a 4-5 day period but if that isn't possible I'd like to make home (CRP) a stopover point and do one part over one 3 day weekend and the second part over another 3 day weekend.

I also suppose it would be possible to break the RTW up and use separate tickets to get home from wherever I am in the itinerary. What I'm wondering is, can anyone suggest an itinerary that would meet my needs? Honestly I have been reading about RTWs and am thoroughly confused about what qualifies, what doesn't qualify, etc. I'm assuming for this I'd need to do a Oneworld Explorer as I need to do continents vs. miles? HELP!!!!!

Here's one idea (I'm assuming DFW as the starting point):

Get a cheapo ticket dfw (AA) lhr (BA) jnb= 20,728 mls roundtrip = 10,364 Q-points

Get an F OWE ex-JNB with a routing like jnb-hkg-bom-hkg-del-hkg-jfk-sju-lax-dfw-anc-dfw-lax-lhr-dxb-lhr-hel-lhr-cpt-dur-jnb = 59,857 mls = 89,785 Q-points.

Total Q-points = 100,149 = EXP!

The fare is much lower ex-JNB than ex-USA, and you get your two parts of the trip automatically. You can do the outbound cheapo DFW-JNB + the OWE JNB-DFW in one (looong) weekend, stay in the US a while, then do the OWE DFW-JNB + the homebound cheapo JNB-DFW in another (looong) weekend.

If westbound travel is easier on your jetlag you can of course do the RTW in the opposite direction.

Have fun!

That should have read: DFW (AA) LGW / LHR (BA) JNB

And, note that DFW-ANC is a seasonal summer-only service.

Think I need some coffee...

My suggestion would be to route jnb-hkg-nrt-hkg-jkt-hkg-lax-scl-rio-scl-lim-scl-lax-mia-ord-lax-dfw-lax-lon-dxb-lon-jnb. That's 65K miles, all in first, and you are paying only a small amount more to do it. The only reasons that I make the suggestion is because first, there are several flights a day on most of these routes. Since you are dependant on making everything fit like a puzzle, it gives you a little leeway. Second, it is all in first class. If you are going to pay for first, fly in first. Finally, you avoid the problem of multiple bookings. Example: I did LHR-DXB-LHR-DXB-LHR. BA cancelled both of my flights of the second trip because the computer assumed it was a mistake and that it was double booked. This trip would give you 97.5K points, so you would only have to make another 2500 to get EXP. Assuming you take HV's suggestion of using AA and BA to get to JNB, you will do that easily. If you cashed a few miles to get to JNB, then you could just add a LON-HEL-LON trip into the mess. Or Stockholm, or Istanbul, or Athens, or etc.....

Oh, the joys....

BTW, Stop, smell the roses, and enjoy at least *one* of these places.

[This message has been edited by Darren (edited 12-21-2001).]

Thank you ALL for your suggestions. Now all I need to do is find the time, and schedule it, and most importantly, BUY it. There's no problem doing SOTO, correct?

Also, just so I have this straight. I could go CRP-JNB, then JNB-HKG-NRT-HKG-JKT-HKG-JKT-HKG-LAX-(DFW-CRP-DFW-LAX)-SCL-RIO-SCL-LIM-SCL-LAX-MIA-ORD-LAX-DFW-(CRP-DFW)-LAX-LON-DXB-LON-JNB-(JNB-CRP) and do the first portion say in Feb or Mar, the second in May and the third in Jul or so? Note that everything in parentheses would be separate tickets.

[This message has been edited by kanebear (edited 12-22-2001).]

No, you can't split it into three parts. You can only stop over in North America before or after your South American flights. The other time all stops must be less than 24 hours.

The rule is:

1 INTERCONTINENTAL DEPARTURE AND 1 INTERCONTINENTAL ARRIVAL PERMITTED IN EACH CONTINENT EXCEPT AS FOLLOWS.
- 2 PERMITTED IN NORTH AMERICA. 1 MUST BE A TRANSIT WITHOUT STOPOVER BETWEEN SOUTH AMERICA AND ANOTHER CONTINENT

Right, but :

1. A STOPOVER IS A BREAK OF JOURNEY OVER 24 HOURS.
2. STOPOVERS PERMITTED ANYWHERE.
3. MAXIMUM 2 STOPOVERS PERMITTED IN THE CONTINENT OF ORIGIN.

So, as I read it if I wanted to leave off the RTW itinerary and use a separately purchased ticket to come from and return to the point of stopover this would be permissable? Using my previous example, if I stopped in SCL (and returned home to continue on a few weeks later) instead of going on to DFW it would be legal? I now see that I can't do two NA stops within the rules of the RTW.

I only wish I had time to spend in all these places but I don't. Yet. Fortunately, with the work I'm doing now, someday I'll be able to do this properly and take a month or more for an itin like this!

yes...your are right.
so if you lives in SXM (Netherland Antilles) then you can take a short trip to CCS and enjoy a lof more "stopovers"

however, you can break your trip into 3 segments
1. JNB---USA (1st intercont arrival, say DFW)
2. ther first 5 segments in N.A.
3. the 6th segment in N.A.-SA-(via NA, transit, can be 23 hours in DFW) to europe to JNB,

in your example, this would be legal:
1. JNB-HKG-NRT-HKG-JKT-HKG-LAX-(DFW-CRP-DFW)
2. DFW-LAX-MIA-ORD-LAX-DFW-(CRP-DFW)
3. DFW-SCL-RIO-SCL-LIM-SCL-LAX(max 23 hours)-LON-DXB-LON-JNB-(JNB-CRP)

the is the most you can do, without buying a intercontinent RT ticket to break it into more (e.g. CCS/UIO-DFW, or LHR-DFW)

[This message has been edited by pegasus8228 (edited 12-23-2001).]

So how much (ball park) would this ticket be?

I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

Between $4000 and $4050

That's an incredible deal! Making EXP for $4K! I (read: my employer...) pay more for a BC JFK-LHR ticket!
Are you sure the $4K is in FC??

I suspect the $4000 is for the RTW ticket in F, ex-JNB. There's also the cost of the positioning flight (in this case, DFW-JNB) and any hotels etc. on the way. But I agree, it's an amazing bargain, especially in F!!

andrew

CX rated the ticket and didn't have any problems with it! Unfortunately, I had to redo the South American portion as there weren't *any* flights that worked GRU-SCL, even on other airlines. Either they left too early or got in too late. So, off it goes again to the rate desk. Makes me SO mad. Oh well, the new routing gives me more mileage anyway. Here it is.

jnb-hkg-cgk-hkg-nrt-hkg-syd-lax-dfw-gru-scl-lax-dfw-lax-sxm-jfk-dfw-lhr-dxb-lhr-jnb.

My total mileage is 66236 miles which will equal 99354 Q points. I'll be making at least two DFW-CRP-DFW connections on my own which, at 500 Q points per RT, will put me over EXP easily. The old itinerary priced out at $4206 base fare, with taxes the total was $4402.60. Incredible for F considering I spent more than that for IAH-HNL-GUM-TPExHKG-EWR-IAH-CRP!

CX was really a pleasure to deal with on this, although I'll withhold full praise until the ticket is actually in hand. So far though, they've been very easy to deal with (I offered to fax the itinerary and they said they'd be happy to take it over the phone if I wanted to do it that way.) and all but one of the phone agents have had decent RTW knowledge. It took them exactly a day to price the itin, despite it getting requeued to the fares desk 4 times! Hopefully they have it done as quickly this time.

As far as getting to/from, JNB is rather time consuming to get to, but worth it! Luckily, I found a very inexpensive fare home on SAA JNB-GRU in F, and I'll use mileage to get home on AA GRU-CRP.

Oh, and I'll only be in a hotel one night in HKG. The rest of the time, it's fully flat sleeper beds for me.

[This message has been edited by kanebear (edited 12-27-2001).]