Is a surface sector considered a stopover? I was hoping to be able to use both stopovers in Perth.
The oneworld booking tool seems to be saying I am having more than 2 stops in continetn of origin.

I believe a surface sector induces one stopover automatically.

Note that stovers are only limited in your continent of origin (2). Since you are commencing in SWP which encompasses Oz and NZ, this is an issue.

I paid for 2 LHONE4 tickets for myself and Mrs serfty last March; they emailed the form.

See the thread on AFF that I linked to.

I guess it's a YMMV on this one ...

Ah - yes. I can't see a way of doing what you want (start in NZ, two stopovers in Perth, one before and one after SEL), assuming you do actually want to go back to NZ to finish. Otherwise you could do: AKL-SYD-PER-HKG-SEL,HKG-NRT-DFW-LAX-ORD-LHR-HEL-NRT-PER,MEL-AKL and either buy a PER-MEL or simply throw away the MEL-AKL.

Thanks Christep an excellent option and dropping out ORD which is not needed buys me another sector. I'm now looking at a slight modification to the effect that I throw an overnight to SEA and back for mileage run while in the US. Looks like this now:

AKL-MEL-PER-HKG-SEL,HKG-NRT-DFW-YVR-DFW-LAX-LHR-HEL-HKG-PER,MEL-AKL

Also changed to HEL-HKG-PER because AY have a code share on the Perth leg and being in the AA program much better earning than the QF or CX flight # options^

Well managed to book this all fine last night but today they have come back with a price of $4910NZD. Includes taxes of $1078NZD. Does this sound right given that I am in transit for MEL, HKG, NRT, LAX, LHR, HKG. Seems way more than I have ever been charged for an AA xONEx booking. Is SEL incredibly expensive??

Which airline did you price with? Remember QF (and others) have high fuel surcharges that AA does not have.

Everything done with AA, booking, pricing, ticketing etc. Called Aus/NZ AA desk to pay and was informed of the taxes?

My impression is that it does sound about right
I paid approx AUD1,100 in taxes etc on my LLONE4 last October (from memory AUD505 was fuel fines for my AA flights being PER-SIN-NYC and BOS-LHR)
I presume the NZD has fallen against the major currencies about as much as the AUD has which will add extra cost.
Also you are entering the US twice, which is not a cheap exercise
And if your NRT-DFW and LAX-LHR flights are with AA, then you'll have fuel fines for them (~USD300?)

AA in Australia faxed me a breakdown my charges, so if you ask you should be able to get your breakdown.

Spoke to the RTW dek - apparently there is a YQ tax (Fuel levies) of $645NZD on the ticket. This is indeed an alarming development if AA are now adding these and at these levels. Especially since QF just dropped the domestic fuel charges and you'd have to think others would be dropped on international routes soon?

Have asked for Dublin to review and reprice it - will let you know tomorrow.

Do you have any intercontinental flights using AA flight numbers - AA will charge their YQ on such segments - but not on the flight numbers of other carriers.

Assuming the following two flights are AA, then according to itasoft the YQ charges are:

NRT-DFW JPY22,000 (~NZD390)
LAX-LHR USD145 (~NZD240)

OK well that makes sense thanks guys. I'm actually not re-entering the US. I changed YVR to SEA yesterday.

Serfty - the transcontinentals are AA metal from NRT to DFW and AA metal LAX to LHR unfortunately because I want the points earning and the opportunity to use the EVIP's I specifically set it up this way - it's a catch 22 by the looks of things. Thanks for the info nonetheless because I'll remember this for my DONE5 booking in a few weeks as flight numbers and carrier are less important for AAdvantage earning.

Interestingly the AA RTW Agent I spoke to said she's never seen YQ tax (I said it's fuel and she said no, no it isn't!!) or anything like that high in a single tax amount on the calcs?? Never know your luck maybe Dublin will feel sorry for me (of course maybe they'll calculate it higher as well )

NZD has fallen a lot against USD (not quite as much as AUD) and unfortunately many fuel surcharges are expressed in USD.

QF did not drop fuel surcharge on international routes. Most airlines are being slow to reduce the fuel surcharges - I expect AA is the same. If you want to pay less tax then wait a few months. Of course that may create other issues (like fares going up, rule changes invalidating routing, schedule changes causing problems, etc).