Intercontinental Arrival Rule
 

I need some help with my next RTW in October. Everything is ready but I am having some problems with the ticketing.
It's a 20-flight-segment DONE4 ex BCN.

The first segments are BCN-LHR-JNB .......... leaving the three remainding European segments (open) as well as the two stopovers for the end.

I return ......... EZE-MAD (INTERCONTINENTAL ARRIVAL), use Madrid as one of my two allowed stopovers and Surface (on a separate ticket) at a later stage to London and fly LHR-DXB//-LHR-BCN (INTERNATIONAL ARRIVAL).

Would the arrival from EZE also count as an international arrival not allowing me to do LHR-BCN since I am entering the country of origin twice?

The best next option would be EZE-LHR, but no availability so far.

Qantas Spain has said no to the itn. Going to try Ba, not sure of the outcome with them. The Validator came back with an OK.

If BA says no, do you think I have grounds to argue with them?
Any advice much appreciated.

IMO, yes, once you get back to Spain, that's it, no more international departures.

Edited to add: No D availability EZE-LHR, on such a future date seems odd. May I ask what dates you are trying to book?

I concur. I reckon that breaks the rules.

Ah.. The validator approved the itin as you did an open jaw on your arrival MAD/LHR; it only checks departures, not arrivals.

A possible solution is to originate LIS-LHR-JNB instead of BCN-LHR, then it is Portugal that you cannot re-enter without disrupting your routing and that seems sufficiently convenient.