I've never thought about using CPSTAR or CASTAR tickets to maximize segments, but I do tend to use them to hit a cluster of cities in each of the regions on routes that can be painfully expensive. In fact, I now leave at least 2 open at any given time and come back and pick them up later (typically leave one in NASIA and one in SASIA). I used to book these trips as a sequence of widely expensive one ways (try PEK-ICN in C) and then learned about the circle fares- no thanks to my corporate travel agent of course. I have one CPSTAR2 parked in N Asia now with enough miles on it for a 4 country set of meetings in N Asia and am starting up a CASIA ticket and heading down to Aus/NZ. I find ways to squeeze all the miles out of them, but in reality for me the value is having an open ticket in NASIA and SASIA that I can pick up on a moments notice and use to cover some routes that would themselves cost almost as much as the entire ticket.
The additional "value" for me is getting to pick NZ across the south pacific and SQ across the north, as well as the NZ flights ex-NASIA. That is priceless!

You folks certainly have all this 'down pat"!!!

Ah well... I am slowly learning.. (at my age there ain't no other speed!!)

Not sure - can't recall it, but it's probably there somewhere.
Yeah, it's real tough on a Star1, but there has to be a way. It's much easier (in theory at least!) now that Lauda and Tyrolean folded into OS and RG went away.

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space have been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

Not really, the rules say: "Return travel from last international stopover must commence no later than 6 months after departure." but don't specify when you finally have to be back home...

So where exactly are you meant to go if you don't go home when you take your return travel from last international stopover? If you go somewhere else apart from home, then you're at another international stopover, non??!!
You certainly can't "transit-hop" on the way back home from the last stopover with -24hour overnights as the coupons on the ticket will have the not valid after date of whatever the 6 months date is and render them invalid for any booked dates after that.

Smiling Boy devised an itin for all 20 *A members (at the time) in 25,648 miles. Missing FM and CA of course.

Yes there is a 6 month limit... I should have made it clear I was talking about starting the second trip (ie flying the last few flights of CCP #1) within that timeframe!

Which is probably why trip 2 will NOT be another CCP... I can't do 2 trips every 6 months... (Recreational travel only for me!!!)