I realize that starting from MRU or Sri Lanka will allow me to purchase an AONEx or DONEx for the lowest price. I live in New York, so the problem is getting to MRU or Sri Lanka. Getting there seems to be more expensive than the amount I'd save compared to buying a ticket in the US.

For example, the RTW spreadsheet shows I can buy a DONE4 for about $3,500 less in MRU than in North America, but it would cost over $3,500 to get to MRU in biz, let alone to fly round trip JFK-MRU. It would be cheaper just to ticket from here.

Am I missing something obvious?

Apologies if I missed a FAQ or other post on this.

Some people go to MRU on an award, or on economy on a nested LONEx, or have to go to somewhere in Africa anyway, or are doing back-to-back OWEs ex MRU, or wish to experience FC travel at a price they can afford, or wish to visit MRU, and a long etc. What I'm trying to say is that ex-MRU doesn't mean the same to all, and it makes a lot of sense for some, less sense for others. In my case I would not start there at any price (well, almost), so I guess that if after all that you still do not see the advantage of an ex.MRY OWE, that makes two of us.

And until CX resumes the CMB service or another oneworld carrier commences a service to CMB, you won't be able to ticket ex-Sri Lanka anyway.

For me I will be getting to my cheap origin using an award ticket. I anticipate that in future I'd just be doing back to back DONEs.

I'd thought of coach or award flights, but that does not seem appealing.

9,000 miles is a long distance to fly and takes lots of time, even to save about $1,800 ($3,500 less the $1,700 cost of the coach ticket, according to Orbitz; it's about 24 hours of flying). 150k miles (AA North America - Africa) and a day or so of flying is not a very good use of miles, IMO.

If I was in the neighborhood of one of the cheap origins on business or otherwise, ticketing ex-MRU or some such might be more attractive.

At least $8,300 for a RTW ticket is cheaper than this: http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/486.html

As I've mentioned otherwise, MRU is not the perfect starting place for everybody. You might want to look at the cheaper places in Europe.

Remember that besides ticket-cost savings, the advantage of starting outside NA is that when you get back here you'll be half-way around, with 6 (or 8) segments to spend as you like, roaming between Central America and Alaska, The west coast and the Caribbean. If you start here, you get only two stopovers in-continent.

Paid business class to everywhere I've looked exceeds the cost saving from buying a cheaper OWE ticket. Paid economy to Europe could end up saving about $1,000, but with a fair amount of extra flying. Business award travel could save about $1,900 at the cost of 90,000 miles, which is not that great a savings.

Good point about more stopovers in the neighborhood (Central America and Alaska, the west coast and the Caribbean). If I wanted the additional stopovers, starting in Europe, etc. could be an attractive option.

It really starts with you deciding where you want your RTW to take you. If you're not going to Africa anyway, then the marginal cost of MRU (or South Africa for DONExs) is not only excessive, but may well bump you into more continents than you would have planned in the first place.

A DONE4 starting in Japan, for example, will be around US$900 more than one starting in MRU. On the other hand, NRT can be done as a turnaround from N. America (even no hotel required if you can sleep on planes) so the all in cost (positioning ticket, ground logistics, etc.) may well be less. Same goes for Sweden ($400 more than Japan but maybe cheaper to get to than NRT.)

If elite qualifying segments/points are not your principal aim, and if your itinerary fits, there are other products that can get you around the world comfortably and more cheaply - the United/Emirates North Pacific fare ex-USA is $4850; the El Al/Qantas RTW is $4969 (plus $300 if via Africa)... and there are others.

Here's what I did.

I bought a RT Y ticket from BOS to LHR for US$700 and then used 75,000 miles for a J class award to MRU (later upgraded to an F award for 100K miles).

Also a lot of people are doing RTWs on a constant basis.
In that case you have to get to your starting point only once - then keep circling the planet.....
RTWs are very flexible (except getting to from the starting point). So you can change the routing (for a fee) or dates (free). Ideal for a lot of people who travel a lot. I know some people who have 3 or 4 RTWs open at the same time.

For me I wanted to visit Tokyo anyway (it would've been a stop on my originally planned exCMB routing) so it was just nice as a RTW starting point. Got a 80 000 miles OW J award MEL-NRT via HKG on QF/CX.

If exCMB still exists - it's not too hard to get to from MEL - 70 000 miles J award and I get to check out Sri Lanka as a bonus.

Pulling the DONE apart and viewing it as a few seperate trips - it's quite literally only US$2000ish per trip in J! Plus a few repositioning awards of course which to me is an effective use of miles.

MRU would pose a problem as I'd have to get an AONE5 and it wastes as at least 2 segments since I don't have any business to be in Africa. I'm only looking for a cheap but comfy way to travel so the higher cost of an AONE5 (plus staying in somewhere i dont want to be etc) compared with the DONE4 exNRT is not really worth it. Could get a DONE5 exMRU but that'd defeat the purpose. Thin service means my stay in MRU can't be quick, and from reading what other people have posted about MRU - the whole thing seems pretty daunting. Maybe one day when I visit Africa but for now I'm happy with DONEs exAsia.

I think this is the people for which it makes the most sense. As long as you keep using RTW tickets, then the hassle to get to the starting is only once, but the savings continue on. It also works when you travel between two cities constantly and the fare ex. your destination city is cheaper than the origin city.

In my case:

YYZ-KHI Air Canada Biz ~C$7,000
KHI-YYZ Air Canada Biz ~C$4,000

the one-way Toronto - Karachi ticket cost me almost C$2K on its own in Business (on PIA - I would never fly PIA normally,) but I fly to Karachi every summer and have been buying these tickets for a good seven years.

Cost: C$2,000 (once) Saving: C$3,000 x 7 = C$21,000 (and there are five of us!)

Cheers,

EK/UA RTW ex-USA is $4510 in J; taxes extra.

As long as you do a 360 at least once a year as others have said getting to the oiunt of origin is only a problem once.

My next AONE end/pickup I am taking a safari in Botswana (on horseback!), last time I did CPT, MRU itself is great for a day in the sun/windsurfing.

For me the best thing about taking ONE's away from where you live is to get the extra segments where you are based in the middle of the ticket.

I've also got used to A class and the next cheapest place doesn't come close does it? - where is it these days?

Also really important for e is baggage allowance and when in F (with the exception of AA) I have never been charged with stupid amounts of luggage including skis etc that saves both hassle and money.

OT, but to keep anyone from salivating too much, note that EK doesn't allow this fare to use any of their fancy new aircraft.

It looks to me as if RJ provides an exit from CMB to AMM (on RJ195 Thursdays & Saturdays). However, this sets you up going westward on your xONEx. If you then want to go into Africa, you seem to only be able to go to Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda. Kenya or Tanzania. Otherwise you may not be allowed to re-enter Europe to travel transatlantic. One emulation I've tried says this is not allowed, but the OW timetable RTW applet allows it. (I tried CMB - AMM - LHR - CPT - DEN (via LHR) & it was happy.)

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Russ