I got it to ticket for 140k & $184.94

JFK-NRT (NH F) overnight sub-24hr stop
NRT-ICN (UA F) overnight sub-24hr stop
ICN-PEK (CA J) overnight sub-24hr stop
PEK-ULN (CA Y) destination
ULN-PEK (CA Y) overnight sub-24hr stop
PEK-HKG (CA J) layover long enough to go into town and eat at my fav place
HKG-TPE (TG J) overnight sub-24hr stop
TPE-PVG (CA F) stopover
PVG-ICN (OZ J)
ICN-FRA (OZ F) overnight sub-24hr stop
FRA-BRU (LH J)
BRU-EWR (UA F)

Will obviously cross my fingers for LH F to anywhere in the CONUS to open closer in and then I will go direct from FRA.

well done then.
on the phone? from scratch? spoonfeeding?

sounds like a US award where the agents are clueless in geography and you can sell them almost anything.

This was during the SQ mistake award redemption festival. SFO-HKG, SIN-MUC and DME-IAH all SQ F

On the phone. I had mapped all my segments. Read them out to her, she fed them to the computer and the computer priced it. I think there is no rhyme or reason to the system anymore. Luck of the draw.

I think you are absolutely right.
Also proves, spoonfeeding is the best way. Homework can save you a lot of hassle.

I've been booking some convoluted QR awards this past week, but I found for those you had to book the QR segments online, and then you could call in to play around with all the feeder star alliance flights - agents were hopeless finding QR space.

Max number of segments on an e-ticket seems to be 16 these days.

No MPM
 

On the phone right now with an agent who talked to the rate desk, and confirmed there is no more MPM, but there are other restrictions, especially if you have commenced travel (e.g. can't change origin / destination regions).

Perhaps OT ?, but in general what system is everyone using to check routes/availability? Expert flyer? KVS? Is it even reasonable to try on UA.com?

Very. Other than LH F phantom inventory it is quite reliable IME.

It is not currently showing any SQ C availability.

Other than these two problems it might be reliable but it also covers a small portion of *A carriers.

United.com covers ALL Star carriers, even the most obscure ones and Aer Lingus, interisland HI/WP on top of Star.

The only problems as mentioned are SQ C, LH phantom.

16 is really the max. I have a 16-segment reservation.
 

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I'd like to second what sbm12 said. MPM doesn't matter anymore. It's now an urban legend. 3 weeks ago I traveled on an extended itinerary (South Asia-North Asia-Japan-Oceania) that would have exceeded MPM by at least 40%. The agent told me that they stopped using MPM in March 2012. I booked my award ticket in May and traveled in September.

What sbm12 said is also true in my experience. I currently have a reservation that has 16 segments (round trip). I tried to add 2 more segments and that didn't work. Perhaps 16 is the max. But no agents can give you a simple answer to a seemingly simple question "How many flight segments can I have under 1 reservation?" The answers I got so far range from 12 segments, 16 segments, no max.

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I agree. I currently have a 16-segment reservation (South Asia-North Asia-Oceania), all J, 50K. I tried to add 2 more to test the system but it didn't work. One agent told me there's no limit but you have to follow United rules, which nobody really understands. Perhaps 16 is the limit. For now.

I realize that we are going to the same destination ULN from PEK and will have to travel in Y because J or F seats were not available at the time of booking. My trip is next May. I'll be doing a 16-segment trip in J (whenever available) from Singapore to Oceania and North Asia for 50K.

*sigh* I miss the days just after the merger when this could be done for 32.5k in J :(

ULN-PEK never has seats in J for awards.... EVER.

So is this a legal one way award from Phnom Penh to Las Vegas? All stops under 24 hours of course.

PNH-BKK-SIN-CAI-BEY-IST-GVA-YUL-EWR-LAS?

The "YUL" stop is optional if that's a dealbreaker.