Well i'm tossing up between going with Star or Oneworld. If i was to choose oneworld this is how my flight will look like. I'm also a QF FF member. It's all in economy as well.
MEL-LAX-NYC-LHR-FRA-LHR-CAI-LHR-SIN-MEL
also there will be an option of a sidetrip either FRA or LHR to NYC most likley with a oneworld carrier.
What kind of status will i be looking at as well?
This ticket will be purchased in Australia, as it's part of my round the world trip.

MEL-LAX-NYC-LHR-FRA-LHR-CAI-LHR-SIN-MEL is 9 segments and 29558 miles flown.

You could consider a 4 continent Oneworld Exploxer RTW ticket (LONE4)at AU $2939 plus about $350-500 in taxes from Qantas. Allows 20 segments in total with up to 4 in South West Pacific (Aust - NZ etc), 6 in North America, 4 in Europe and 4 in Asia.

There is also a 29000 mile & 34000 miles tickets available
http://www.qantas.com.au/regions/dyn...cials/rtwFares

What are your aims?
What QFF status do you have now ?
Do you want to maximise miles and status credits or have the minium flying time?
How flexible are your destinations?
Would you visit other places if you got more miles or status?
Are you restricted on the total duration?
If you are determined to maximise miles and status a bit research is needed.

For example you could go MEL-SYD-JFK-LAX-LHR-FRA-LHR-CAI-LHR-SIN-HKG-NRT-MEL for 38782 miles flown and 12 segments. Miles from http://gc.kls2.com/

However in Jan 2004 the QF frequent flyer miles earned on Oneworld Exploxer tickets (L class) reduce to zero on some airlines so these RTW tickets in economy are not as good a deal as they are now. 30,000 miles in the QF Freq Flier will get you from MEL to Perth or NZ for example

If you look at other posts on this forum you other RTW itineraries for many ideas.

well next year i'll be in the US for a few months, doing the sumemr camp thing i've done for the past 2 years. SInce i'll be taking the semester off from university, i want to travel to europe for a little while, my parents want me to visit them in cario while they are on holidays there, and then i want to spend about a month or little longer back in the US from early december to early jan for new years etc. in the US. I am restricted a little with time but if i add more segments on to it, what is the min stay at those locations?

i am a bronze member at the moment. hope to qualify for silver. just want to make sure, if i get 350 status credits and get my silver, i hold that for one year, so the next year, while i'm still silver, i get another 300 credits in that year i then become life time silver?
i could also put a stop in Seoul as well to visit family for a few days or a week.

[This message has been edited by flyinghighboy (edited Dec 05, 2003).]

[This message has been edited by flyinghighboy (edited Dec 05, 2003).]

No restrictions at all. You can stop (transfer) for 1 hour (to change aircraft) or 1 month or 11 months or what you want. The only restrictions on a OnewWorld explorer RTW are 5 day (?) minimum up to 365 days for the complete trip. Once ticketed you can change dates at no cost. A destination change costs USD$100 (or it may be $75). You can get an open dated Onewworld explorer RTW ticket (apart from the first sector).

There are many rules with a Onewworld explorer RTW ticket you need to be aware off. Go visit a QF travel agent or QF in Collins Street to get more information. You cannot back track. Your LHR/FRA to USA in Dec would have to be a separate ticket as indicated in your first post.

With status at the anniversary of your QF enrolment your status credit drops to zero. So the starting date of the ticket, the anniversary of your QF enrolment and how many status credits you have before starting are important.

As time seems no problem for you maximising miles and credits is an option. For example NRT-MEL is 5060 miles so gets you 40 SC. NRT-SYD is 4845 miles and only 25 SC

Life time silver needs 7000 status credits. Have a good look at QFF pages on qantas.com.au and how you earn points and SC. With good planing you could get to QFF Gold, depending on when and where you go on a RTW.

For Seoul (ICN) you could go MEL-SYD-JFK-LAX-LHR-FRA-LHR-CAI-LHR-SIN-HKG-ICN-HKG-NRT-MEL (14 segments 41350 miles flown) You still have 6 segments in total to go including up to 5 more in the US. Swiss (LX) joins Oneworld so more destination and routes will be available. The only extra cost is taxes over the base fare cost.


[This message has been edited by Mwenenzi (edited Dec 05, 2003).]

wow thanks for all of that info, i will look into that for sure and see how i can maxamise my chances