Thomas I understand what they are saying if you head east (i.e. Asia first) as you can only have 1 crossing between IATA2 & IATA3, meaning you would have to do your Euro-Sth Africa-Euro before crossing the IATA area into Asia, (as you wouldn't be able to go back into IATA2 from IATA3) OR after you get back from crossing the Atlantic.

I don't understand the ruling the other way though and have never heard of anything about longtitude conditions relating to a trip.
Reading the rules of the *RTW, there is nothing to stop you doing your Euro-Sth Africa-Euro before you head west over the Atlantic if you wanted to, nor to head east either for that matter.
I don't understand why they would not let you do that part of the trip until after you had gone in one direction or the other.

The rules do clearly state the trip can be greater than RTW provided you do not transit your originating country. Under that rule, what they were telling you about Sth Africa being further than CAI is wrong - you can go further than RTW if you wanted to and your mileage limits allowed, providing you don't transit country of origin.

Maybe I am missing the point somewhere??!!

[This message has been edited by Al B (edited Jan 13, 2004).]

In terms of the FF Status, I was wrong, you will be close to getting Senator with a RTW 39k on C Class.

Here is the math,
If you live in Canada/US, you can have the 25% status bonus kick in after 35,000 status miles (or at 17,500 flying miles * 2 for C class).

So,
17,500 * 2 = 35,000 status miles
21,500 * 2.5 = 53,750 "

Total = 88,750 status miles

And if you have enough miles, I'm sure you can do your eur - africa - eur - africa routing just because *A doesn't have an Africa airline as a partner. If you want to go from CAI to Cape Town, you have to transit thru FRA. So technically, you are not really backtracking intentionally. You are being restricted by the route map.