This is my first OWE and still a work in progress.

Proposed itinerary is

yyz-jfk-lax-den-bos-dfw-lgw-ams-lhr-dxb-lhr-hkg-nrt-hkg-kul-hkg-jfk-bos -- 40079 mi

(just transiting at jfk [both times], den, dfw; obeying the max of one stopover at each of lhr and hkg.)

Questions --

Better use of the NA segments? I do have business in each of YYZ, JFK [first transit], LAX, and DEN; the DFW transit en route to LGW is for a quick visit to the nearby Six Flags (!!). Any way to go to the Caribbean here? If I could save a Caribbean round-trip for the end of the itinerary, I might well do so. But it seems like I can't do a Caribbean r/t because of the rule (at lines 160-162 of OWE rules) that only one international departure and arrival are permitted from/to the country of origin. Certainly I'm making poor use of the proposed final segment (JFK-BOS) which is a $25 bus ride or $80 shuttle fare (thanks to corp discount), a segment that I perhaps ought to try to put to better use elsewhere.

Better use of the Europe segments? I actually have some business to do in DXB, so it's not a pure mileage run. And also business in AMS. But AMS is cheap and easy enough to get to that I could buy a separate r/t ticket for LHR-AMS-LHR and use my OWE segments to go elsewhere. Advice?

Better use of the Asia segments? I have business in KUL, but none in NRT. Chose NRT solely because I thought it would be nice to experience CX's special service in F on this route (assuming I end up booking in F). But maybe there's somewhere that's 1) further from HKG, and/or 2) a better tourist destination? I've been to Tokyo repeatedly, and love it, but probably wouldn't stay for long on this trip; another spot in east Asia might be better for me. Hmm.

Opportunity to add another continent? Fewmiles's RTW fares show 3-continent F OWE originating in Canada at 10500CAD, while 4-continent is only 700CAD more, 11200CAD. I guess I could add a pure mileage run to and from South America. In AA Flagship Suite F, it's perfectly pleasant to do this, and that's a lot of miles (including a lot of Q-miles) for 700CAD plus taxes.

Stopovers only count in the continent of origin. You can stop in lhr and hkg as many times as you want subject to the other segment rules. Also, there is the new limit of 20 segments for the entire journey. So you could only add 3 more segments if you add another continent. In Asia, I would opt for a RT to Bali instead of NRT. Need to know which cities are the stopovers in N. America, but if you have to go to those cities, not much you can do to improve the routing. I would also buy a separate LHR-AMS-LHR and use your segments elsewhere, maybe in S.America if you go there. If you travel after 1-Jul, you can earn AA miles on BA flights that depart from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Therefore, you could go DEN-DFW-MEX-LHR or DEN-DFW-YVR-LHR/HEL(on the AY codeshare) and give up the JFK-BOS segment.

You could put dfw-anc-dfw if you fly in summer. The rule about one international departure and arrival shouldn't hurt you going to the carribean since you are starting in Canada. You could do something like yyz-lga-dfw-anc-dfw-sju-lax-lhr-dxb-lhr-ist-lhr-nrt-hkg-cmb-bkk-hkg-jfk. That's about 50,000 miles.

alaska, puerto rico, constantinople (istanbul), tokyo, sri lanka, and bangkok. Not bad. From puerto rico there are lots of puddle jumper flights and cruises to further explore the carribean.

If you paid for an extra segment on the RTW (or bought the cheapest euro segment one way seperately) you could do something tricky like LHR-DXB-LHR-IST-MAD-AMS-HKG...
This gets you to AMS where you have business, Cathay flies from there to HKG, and you get to visit Madrid too. You could try IST-BCN instead since barcelona might be nicer. The Greek islands in the summer would be awfully tempting also.

For my own RTW I am carefully studying Finnair flights to Rhodes, Crete, Thessaloniki.

Since you are buying your RTW after april 15th, you'll have to think twice about adding another continent, since you will bump up against the new 20 segment limit.

Edit: I obviously forgot about the two stopover limit in continent of origin. Doh. This still works if you have less than 24 hours in New York (where you had quick business) and in DFW (where you just wanted to go to a theme park).

[This message has been edited by benoit (edited 04-16-2003).]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm still thinking through what to do here. Some immediate responses --

I do know about the 1 Jul rule change allowing AA mileage earning for BA flights other than those to/from the US. But I have to travel before then. Next time!

benoit, I know that the RTW rules say the US and Canada are one country for the purpose of RTW rules. It was with that in mind that I thought I'd have a problem, under the one-international-arrival/departure-to-country-of-origin clause, if I went to the Caribbean. No? Seems like we rarely see Caribbean routings on NA-originating RTWs, but maybe I just haven't been noticing / paying attention.

I like the DFW-ANC-DFW suggestion. Quite a mileage run. Will think about it.

The AMS-HKG tip is a great one. I thought about this, but my schedule is such that AMS probably has to be at the start of my Europe travels rather than the end. Otherwise I'd definitely do it and save a European segment that way.

headinclouds, as to Bali, that looks ilke quite a great place for a stop. More character, someplace I've never been before and might not get to otherwise, and of course far cheaper than NRT. But it has only two-class service from HKG, not three. I don't mind CX's regional business class, but 2000+ miles is more of it than I'd like, especially when I'm paying the higher fare for the A ticket rather than D. I don't suppose there's any destination that's both as desirable as Bali (along the axes sketched above) and also served by a three-class plane? Picky picky, I know!...

Thanks again, folks. It's such a pleasure to have this group to consult.

Sometimes CX has 3-class service HKG-DPS (some days/flights, I think the 3 class flights go on from DPS to elsewhere). The 744 nonstop service HKG-NRT has a special F service which is worth seeking out (the 744 that go HKG-TPE-NRT do not!).
AA operates ORD-ANC as well as DFW-ANC and STL-ANC in the summer and it is a great flight (magnificent scenery) but using 757 so not the most comfortable on AA.
I think the international departure rule effectively eliminates most carribean travel on RTW originating in US/Canada (which are considered as one country but Caribbean is not). I suppose the rule bears exploring but I think it won't be fruitful.

I don't know if this is the same situation, but we had no problem with YUL-LAX-(westbound to SWP, Asia, Europe) - LHR - LAX - SXM - MIA - YUL.

Puerto Rico (SJU) isn't international travel from the USA in any case. DFW-SJU-LAX is quite a few miles too. Puerto Rico is a major hub for Carribean flights and cruises also.

Its not a problem. Jokes about Canada being the 51st state aside, Canada is a different country. It is treated as the same country for purposes of an open jaw, so that you can start in Vancouver but end in New York, or vice versa. The only other place that it matters is that flying between CA and the US is not interntational travel. It says nothing about flying from the US to other countries. The rule exists primarily because of the seven day trip minimum. So when calculating the seven days, on a trip that went YVR-DFW-NRT-LHR-DFW-YVR, the clock would start ticking when you left Dallas, not when you leave Vancouver.

Last Nov, there was 1st class service on the Hong Kong to Jakarta run. True, it was the 'old' first class on an A-340, did not matter as there were only 3 of us in first for both legs. Also, there was an A-330 nonstop to NRT with all 3 classes and had the special Japanese meal service and new business class seats. I believe that there is a first class service on the HKG-BKK-SIN flight. Not really long enough to enjoy it though.