Hi this is my first post on this thread, so if I say something which shouldn't be, sorry. Please treat me nice, please, please.

I have read the excellent FAQs on this board, which have helped me greatly, but I have a few questions if I could.

I've got a few weeks off in between jobs and am thinking about doing one of these round the world trips with one world.

My potential iteniary is XXX-LHR-NYC-LAX/SFO-HKG-BKK-LHR(-XXX).

The XXX will be an ex-EUR destination (from what I've read ex-WAW works out the cheapest or maybe ex-IST). If I do this I'm guessing I would have to start the journey from WAW. However do I have to end it there, or can I just end it in LHR? If I end in LHR will I get all my relevant miles and tier points up to then?

If I book ex-WAW who do I book through? Can I book direct through BA / AA Poland or via a TA (I have looked at previous posts on this point, but am not sure what is going).

The American section. I would ideally like to hit LAS (instead of LAX/SFO), but it seems AA doesn't fly there from NYC. What options are there? Could open jaw? Or should I fly to LAX/SFO and then get a return with another airline to LAS?

Is there anything else I'm missing here. Please be gentle as its my first time on this board.

Thanks

Few quick questions to help. First, I'm assuming if you're based out of London you want to maximize BA status? Second, are you interested more in visiting those cities per se than doing mileage maximization? Thanks and welcome aboard.

Hi

Yep, based in London. I will have roughly 400 tier points before I start this trip, so I should hit silver while on the RTW.

I would like to hit those cities, however would be interested to see how I could increase my miles.

Hope that helps

First off, yes, AA flies from NYC to LAS, but requires a connection in either DFW or ORD. Secondly, you can book your ticket to return in WAW, making it's intermediary connection in LHR. Just get off the plane and make sure that the BA staff in NYC only check your luggage to LHR and not through to WAW. Tell them something about having to clear customs, etc... Just make up a story. BA will do nothing to penalise you for not taking that last leg to WAW. Incendentally, if you were planning on doing more travel within the US than just NYC to LAS, then you could still purchase a RTW ticket, however AA offers a Visit USA programme where you can purchase up to 10 flights on AA within the US at lower rates than what you might be able to get when buying point to point.

Welcome to FT. I have been here only a few short weeks and have learnt so much about this FF game

I can't answer all your Q's but as to the LAS question. You have 6 segments you can use in NA so, unless you wanted to do more you could look at a connecting flight.
From JFK, LGA you could fly to DFW and then to LAS
From EWR you could fly via ORD to LAS

You can fly LAS direct to LAX to get you to the west coast

Or you could just back track from LAX - LAS - LAX - HKG...

There are better people to answer the intra-continent origination/ending rules; I always get confused with them. In general believe the consensus is that no one has yet been busted for not taking that last leg going from LHR-XXX but IIRC the rules are such that if they do bust you, you're liable for full fare on all the segments. In general, more prudent to book an award or cheap Y ticket to get you to the origination and treat it as a final mileage run at the end of the trip, turning around with the aircraft you came in on.

As far as planning out mileage/tier maximizing, consider a few additions:

1. LHR-DXB-LHR is a great additional couple segments in Europe (although you have to watch your stopover time on any other European segments to run not afoul of the no-more-than-2-stopovers-over-24-hours-in-Europe rule), and there are plenty of other intra-Europe/Middle East options you can take if you want to go elsewhere. I believe there's a thread someplace on the 747/777 routes with real Club World/F service rather than Club Europe that could give you additional options.

2. Consider doing the US East Coast after you go out West. There are plenty of BA options non stop options there from LHR, and the beauty of going to HKG as your first Asia stop is you can do the CX flight from JFK. So essentially you get the miles of two US transcons (overflying from LHR and going from JFK) in addition to the one allowed one per the OWE rules. Once you get out there, depends on what you want to do.

LAS is a bit of a pain to build in a good mileage run around given it's ground zero of leisure travelers (the LCC's favorite target and the legacies can't make money with directs there meaning you're need a hub). AA does go there from LAX (it's a little RJ for a short trip), so something like LHR-LAX-LAS-ORD/DFW-someplacefar-ORD/DFW-LAX/SFO-JFK-HKG would work. Or to not waste a OWE segment on a 246 mile trip, book a separate return ticket from LAX-LAS (usually pretty cheap) and find someplace else to go from LAX or SFO. Where to go from ORD/DFW/LAX depends on your time of year traveling; there are some good seasonal routes, like ORD-ANC.

3. There are a couple threads on Asia mileage runs; not my area of expertise. Plenty of good places to go from HKG, like Japan.

Generally, the best bet is to book the ticket through your airline RTW desk, and then buy it at their office in your destination city. Can also outsource to travel agents but many won't mess with the 20 segment paper ticket.

Hope that helps.

Hi guys

Thanks for all your help. I'm planning on hitting NYC first and BKK last, I'm presuming that doesn't really matter in terms of bookings, etc.

Also the DFW-LAS-LAX is a possibility. Now would that be in effect one flight (the NYC-DFW-LAS bit) or would that be two flights (therefore getting the extra tier points).

The reason for my iten is to catch up with people I know in those cities I have mentioned. I do want to relax on my trip. Plan is to go away for three weeks. Is the original iten a "good" one in terms of RTW or would there be a cheaper way of doing it?

Thanks again.

Just an update on prices for a (WAW-)LHR-NYC-LAX-HKG-BKK-LHR(-WAW) ticket.

Called BA in London for an LHR start. Was quoted �1169+tax for economy and �3905+tax for business.

I also called American Airlines in London for a WAW start. Was quoted $2329+tax (�1298) for economy and $4400+tax (�2453) for business class.

Would probably be e-ticket (as would be flying BA,AA and CX) and could pay in either US$ or UK�.

I don't think I understand the question, but let me say one segment is one flight number (non-stop or not, it does not matter) and takes one coupon and that is what will be credited to you. Anything else, like connecting to a flight with a different flight number, or stopovers, means more than one segment, with each segment credited independently.

Thanks for that, I think that is the what I was thinking, just wanted to double check.