I've had about a dozen around the world trips, all by air going west.  The first was around 40 years ago on  Pan Am 1 .  Since then, perhaps a dozen or so with Star Alliance. I thought I'd do one more, so this spring I'll be heading west again on plane and ship.  Three cruises will be part of my global adventure.   The way the itinerary settled, with United and Star Alliance now a shadow of what they once were, I selected flights from whatever airline had the best time in business class, for in going west, it's best to leave in the late afternoon, so you can get to your destination before it gets dark.  You can't do this in an eastward direction. Plus, Emirates Air could take me from Bangkok to Dubai, with a nice three hour rest in their lounge, then on to Munich, all in First Class, at a fabulously low cost.  6773 miles for $3675.  In comparison, a one-stop Lufthansa flight from Munich to San Francisco, a distance of 5862 miles, costs $8000 in first class.  But mor