Just booked my first OWE, and I like this!... My next booking will be a circle pacific.

I would like- if possible- to have
a HK-US rt in the middle through Cathay Pacific (to pick the Repeat Reward offer)

I thought in two alternatives based if I start the trip in the US, or if I start in Asia (considering I flew there first by Cathay through another ticket)

Alternative -1:
JFK-HGK Trough route: JFK-LAX (transit) - HGK (Stopover -1-) Flying AA and CX
HGK-SIN (Stopover -2-) Flying CX
SIN-SYD (Stopover -3-) Flying QF
SYD-JFK Trough route: SYD-HGK (transit) - LAX (transit) - JFK (end) Flying CX and AA

Alternative -2:
BKK- SYD (Stopover -1-) Flying BA
SYD- JFK Through: SYD- HKG (transit) - LAX (transit) - JFK (Stopover-2-) Flying CX and AA
JFK- HKG Through: LAX (Transit) - HKG (Stopover -3-) Flying AA and CX
HGK- SIN (Stopover -4-) Flying CX
SIN- BKK (End) Flying CX

What made me think that this could work is that I read in the rules that that if travel does not originate in HK, I can transfer twice there....

Your help is appreciated. Thanks!

55N ROUTING 1. MUST INCLUDE TVL VIA THE SOUTH PACIFIC
56N . IN ONE DIRECTION AND THE NORTH/CENTRAL
57N . PACIFIC IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. NO
58N . SURFACE TRANSPACIFIC. TRAVEL MUST BE IN A
59N . A CLOCKWISE OR COUNTER-CLOCKWISE DIRECTION.
60N . REVERSAL OF DIRECTION IS NOT PERMITTED.
61N . EXCEPTIONS -
...
70N . 3.TRAVEL TO/FROM/VIA ASIA - EXCLUDING
71N . TRAVEL ORIGINATING HKG -
72N . 2 TRANSITS VIA HKG PERMITTED - ONLY ONE
73N . STOPOVER AT HKG PERMITTED

Both of these clearly violate the rules. You have to make one crossing of the Pacific from Australia to N America directly. your routings don't have a crossing of the South Paciifc. Moreover they clearly reverse direction. Have you considered looking at a map?

Christep, thanks for your feedback. Your point is exactly my question. As you can see both alternatives do have Australia -> North America. However, it is not direct as you mentioned.

The reason for my question/doubt is because I read in the rules (see above exception lines 70-72) that HK could work as transit, thus I thought, if I want to go from Sydney to LA in Cathay Pacific, Cathay will do it changing planes in HK, thus my question is: Would this two flights in CX qualify as a trip from Australia to the US since HK is just a transit city, and would qualify as exception described in the routing rules printed above?

No, clearly not - your itinerary does not include any travel via the South Pacific.

If CX sold a single flight number, single ticket SYD-LAX then you might just have a case. But they don't so you don't.

[This message has been edited by christep (edited 01-12-2003).]