Thanks again,

I guess I'm a creature of habit. I was thinking of surfacing from SEA to YVR and flying YVR to SFO then Hawaii on UA. But I guess it's better to go YVR HNL on AC.

I haven't flown AC in a while. Do you still have that 3 by 2 seating in business?

To answer the question about what you do in a paid D class RTW on UA 2 class domestic, I refer you to this rule (ie: RUdi, I think you were ticketed incorrectly!):

Of course SFO-OGG is likely not considered part of "Continental USA" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

------------------
RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.

[This message has been edited by RichardMEL (edited 10-16-2001).]

whoops.. I did a bad thing here and deleted it!

[This message has been edited by RichardMEL (edited 10-16-2001).]

I don't know if it's the same there as in Australia, but for us the airlines charge full published rate for RTWs and some travel agents discount them by around 10%. Most online travel agents either don't do RTWs at all or don't allow you to book them online and therefore charge full service rates.

IME, the best thing to do is find a travel agent who understands RTWs or, at the very least, will just do as you ask and give you a good price. It can take some searching though.

RichardMEL: I don't think UA did wrongly (according to the rules) downgrade my ORD-SJU segments (which I was afterwards able to upgrade with 2*8'000 Mileage Plus miles for the return trip). Puerto Rico is not part of continental US/North America. And UA offers only eco and first-class for these flights.

I find that I travel agent by and large just gets in the way.

As you know, the airlines have put a cap on most tickets at $20. Does anyone know what the commission structure is on RTW tickets? Is it worthwhile for them to fool with these things? Or should I just go directly to an airline?

I, personally, always go to the airline ('my' LH downtown Zurich 'angel'). Even if I would miss some rebate, I win on upgrade 'influence' (on LH and UA segments) and I did profit in the past also, when 'things' didn't go 'smoth' (reimbursement of stolen items out of checked and first misguided luggage on Ansett in SYD; tf calls to book tickets a day before price-increases: I did profit twice for rtw-tickets in the last 24 months from this).

Thanks everyone for all the help -- especially Rudi.

Hey Rudi with all your experience with RTW's have you had difficulty getting first class seats? Do you think my lack of status with any airline will hurt? I don't want wait lists. And my last troblem is that all three of us must travel together.

the only waitlisted upgrade from paid business to first (for about 4 weeks until it cleared) on my last 26-segment rtw in sep-2001 was the (infamous for upgrades) UA NRT-BKK segment.

But I am an early 'booker' and I was travelling alone.

That's interesting. I guess you buy a business class ticket and upgrade with miles. You must have plenty.

Given my itinerary, I guess a UA/CX ticket would do just as well. I can save maybe $2,000 per ticket. The only downside I can imagine is that I can't use LH to run around Europe. But that's no problem for us. Can you see any downside to a UA/CX ticket vs. a RTW?

I guess the other problem is that I can't go NRT-FRA on CX or UA, I'd have to go to HKG. Well to save 6 grand I'll go to HKG.

Can anyone tell me how to go from Japan to Europe non-stop on CX/UA?

Throgh Hong Kong.

How much ar e the CX/UA tickets?

It's very expensive through Hong Kong for whatever reason -- about 7,000 USD's that twice as expensive as Thailand. Go figure.