I'm too lazy to read the rules, and have never had occasion to do it myself, but I believe you can ticket now to have a plan locked in, and refund the ticket at no cost if a Plan B becomes essential.

My opinion is no chance of special dispensation from the airlines, particularly for a ticket that is not yet bought. With the OWE product allowing origination from any city served --- albeit at a different price -- there isn't too much reason to be starting at CMB from an airline perspective. CMB was back to normal in a couple of weeks after the last rebel raid, and that blew up half the airliners on the ground, so was a much more spectacular event. Given the nature of the threat there isn't too much doubt that CMB will be back to normal in a month.

As for picking an alternate origination point, the primary constraint is that you cannot leave the country of origin after re-entry. So picking an origin that is out of the way is a good idea if you want to use the last 4 segments. As for the fares, who knows what they will be next month, but right now I think NRT is the cheapest, however might be inconvenient with the country of origin rule, depending on your plans.

We were using CMB only due to the low cost- and the fact that using it collects just enough miles to put us into EXP with AA on the DONE4!

Our first stop is JFK, via HKG anyway, so if we change to TPE or ICN (NRT isn't that great- the flights out at the end of the DONE are pretty expensive...)then we'll still use that routing- CMBxHKG-JFK changes to ICNxHKG-JFK or TPExHKG-JFK, though I'l really have to work on finding a couple of mileage runs to make up the few 1000 miles missing CMB loses us...

I'll call the AA RTW desk tonight and see if they can change the ticketing date from April 9 to May. I can't see that being a major problem....

Agree. I'd be very surprised if they said no.

Wow, I must be unlucky. I've flown the route 5 times now, and never less than 10 in F.

However, I've never seen C more than 1/2 full. Just bought my first C ticket CMB-YVR on UA....I thought I'd read somewhere the SQ segments would still be in F, but UA is telling me D.

Well, I called AA RTW desk, and they changed the ticketing date until May 2, by when CX should have resumed service to CMB!

The price difference changing to another country for departure is quite a lot, so we'll leave it as CMB, and then if needed change at the last minute....

FWIW this week's Economist seemed to think that the situation in Sri Lanka is deteriorating, so it might be useful to have a thought-out Plan B in your pocket.

There have been some discussions here in the past month or two about cheap starting places, plus of course the excellent spread-sheet with prices from everywhere. One important element (besides the cost of getting there) is actually finding a GSA who'll sell you a ticket in Timbuktu - surprisingly difficult in many Timbuktus.

We are going to use ICN as our back up. We are living in Korean at the moment anyway, so having to leave and return here won't matter, at the end of the DONE4 we can visit friends here, and there are usually cheap D class fares with QF via NRT, about $1200, to get back to Australia if needed.

CMB is much cheaper, even when adding the cost of getting there. I hope that we don't have to use plan B, but it is there if needed!

Suggestions for Subsitition Turn-Around BKK-CMB-HKG
 

I am in the midst of DONE04 ex-CAI. I am to fly BKK-CMB-HKG-AKL...etc. on 4-18-07. Any suggestions for easy turnaround routes to accrue mileage?
DEL would require a visa, right?

Yes, US citizens need visa for India. $50 last year.

I'd go for NRT on the 744. Not quite the most miles, but you get long haul J, with AVOD.

Do you only have 2 segments available? Do they have to begin in BKK and end in HKG?

NRT?

India does require a visa, but there is a CX flight BKK-BOM, then connect to CX either in BOM again back to HKG on the one flight number via BKK, or leave from DEL and make your own way between the two. You could get the Indian visa from the enbassy in BKK, of you have time. If you don't have any time for visas, then the best flight to take would be to NRT, you could fly with JL from next week, and them back down to HKG with CX.

Original Poster - Suggestions for Subsitition Turn-Around BKK-CMB-HKG
 

1) I have 2 coupons (segments) available in Asia. Current coupons are:
#12 BKK-CMB and #13 CMB-(BKK)-HKG

2) I am in BKK, so I have to begin in BKK, not necessarily end in HKG. But my next continent is SWP (AKL). (Actually, I'm in MIA for a few weeks -- I am half way through a nested award ticket BKK-MIA-BKK and will rejoin my in-progress RTW in BKK in April).

Also, the OneWorld Planner is not showing JL flights even in April.

If I do NRT for a turnaround run for mileage, guess I will have to check with RTW desk and see what they will do to accomodate me.