paul4471 wants to buy an around the world ticket.  Like many FTers, paul4471 has read up that the fare varies considerably by originating country and that surcharges also vary considerably by ticketing airline.

paul4471 also read that the RTW desk of American Airlines, based in USA, has knowledgeable agents and you can make a booking there and transfer to another American Airlines office for ticketing at a lower price than that offered ex-USA.

So far, so good.  Where it started going wrong is unclear but recently paul4471 had difficulty in getting the right fare for ticketing.  paul4471 was in contact with the Japan ticket office of American Airlines, having previously booked the trip through the US-based round the world desk and paying with an Australian credit card.  The agent was based in Australia, but answering the phone line for Japan, and was confused over what was the right fare to charge (the ex-Japan price if you’ve been following closely enough).

Ah, the globalised aviation industry and rules, with FT playing it’s part too.

The saga isn’t over yet – read about it here.