Advantage of e-RTW Issued Overseas ?????
 

Something has just occurred to me, and haven't seen posted here.
Now with RTW e-ticketing, is there any need to actually pick up the ticket in the country of issue? I have done many RTW tickets: ex... FCO, CAI, HKG. Now that I can be e-ticketed and only have to print out on my computer, isn't this an advantage to the new 16-segment restriction? Thoughts? Can't we just show up at the airport with our itinerary?

I just squeaked in my last 20-segment DONE04 ex-CAI departing 4/2009, and as this is still paper ticket, will have to arrange pick-up from Emeco in Egypt -- but they are very easy to work with.

Yes, it does make it easier in that way.

I use RTW tickets for business and I always get etickets for that reason. I don't have the time and energy to find a local agent when my plans change. One phone call and its done.

It's been posted regularly on this and many other fora of (in pre 16 segment days) booking a 16 segment itinerary so it can be e-ticketed, then once 4 or more segments had been flown, spending USD125 to get them re-issued with an additional 4 segments.

Unless there's been an unannounced rule change, you still have to have the ticket "issued" in the country of origin. If you have the AA RTW desk in the U.S. issue the ticket for you, you'll pay the U.S. price, not the country-of-origin price. The fact that the ticket is electronic doesn't change that.

When the online ticketing facility gets going, that may well change (and it wouldn't make any sense for it not to change). However, what will happen to prices at that point is unclear.

Star has already removed the "pay-the-higher-of-country-of-origin-or-country-of-purchase" rule from their RTW tickets, without any drastic effects (yet) on pricing. Probably the people flying halfways across the globe to begin an RTW in a country where the tickets are cheap are still a small minority.

Of course I'm aware of that. But I usually have to overnight in CAI 2 nights to arrange collection of paper ticket. At least with e-ticket I can pay in advance with AA/Egypt (as I do now), but not need to physically pick up a ticket. And as I finish 1 RTW in CAI to start a new one, I always feel safer leaving 1 extra day for collection of the new RTW ticket in case there are delays in connections at end of concluding RTW.

Exactly. Its not always about price.