Hi
It's my first time trying to book a CRTWSTAR1 and I've used the online RTW calculator to create the following itinerary (which involved quite a number of LH flights). However, after reading abt the notorious LH fuel surcharges, I would appreciate your feedback in terms of which airlines you would recommend flying on.. as well as which carrier I should contact to issue the ticket.. (I've sent it to AC for now but have not heard back from them yet)

ICN - BCN* (LH, connecting through MUC)
BCN* - DUS* (LH)
DUS* - YVR (LH, connecting through FRA)
YVR - PVG (AC)
PVG - SIN (SQ, connecting through SIN)
SIN - SYD (SQ, on the 744)
SYD - ICN (OZ)

*I'm open to flying to BRU instead of DUS and/or another European city instead of BCN.

Any tips you can provide to help minimize the extra charges would be much appreciated!

Can you clarify something that will help people out here trying to help you...

You're okay with BRU instead of DUS. So does that mean it has to be either one or the other?

You're okay with some other city besides BCN? What does that mean? Are you just looking for any general European vacation spot and you picked BCN but would be okay with others?

You list SIN like a stop, but say you're just connecting, so you don't really need to visit SIN?

To put it another way: what are all the cities you must visit?

One more thing: since you're concerned with cost (re LH fuel surcharges) does that mean you want to avoid any SQ 77W or 380 because of the large surcharge for Biz? Or, is that something where you're willing to pay that surcharge to fly Biz on a 77W or 380?

Thanks. That should help people out.

Would ...-PVG-SIN-SYD-ICN even be legal in a RTW? It looks like backtracking to me.

Yes, it is legal. Just put it in the RTWMC and it will confirm it just fine.

There are no backtracking rules within a geographical zone in Star RTWs - the only prohibitions really are no intercontinental backtracking.

Isn't that exactly what the above itinerary has? Asia-Australia-Asia?

The real restriction is you can cross the pacific once and the atlantic once--you cannot go through originating city--backtracking is allowed--and if I am not much mistaken you cannot stopover at the same city twice but can make a connection.

I think they club Oz & Asia and one group, Africa and EU as another, S & N America as the third. One can backtrack amongst each group.

Apologies for any confusion.. just to clarify..
1) I indicated I was ok with BRU instead of DUS because both airports are close enough for me to still get to my destination and I thought it might help me avoid some of the LH flights going into Germany

2) You hit the nail on the head with BCN.. was just looking for a vacation spot in the middle of December and was ok with an alternative city..

3) Am just connecting through SIN and had thought it would be nice to have a short stopover on the way to SYD but certainly not compulsory

4) Must-visit cities are (i) BRU/DUS (ii) YVR (iii) PVG (iv) SYD

As you mentioned, I have indeed tried to avoid paying the SQ surcharges on my flights to minimize on the total cost.. I've flown regular SQ biz and was very satisfied with their product as is.. so would like to cut costs where possible..

Thanks again!

I think that must be it.. I plugged it in the RTWMC and was pleasantly surprised that it was considered a valid itinerary..

Thanks. This will help if I ever book a RTW...

Does it have to be in that order? If you take AC YVR-SYD, i.e.,

YVR-SYD-SIN-PVG-ICN

rather than your proposed

YVR-PVG-SIN-SYD-ICN

you can save about 2 500 miles, which could then be used for one or two additional point-earning and/or enjoyable side-trips.

cheers,

Henry

Thanks for the tip, Henry! Unfortunately it does have to be in that order as we need to be in YVR at the end of this year and SYD sometime next year..:S