Anyone book over 8 segment itinerary recently?

Hi,
I am looking to book an itinerary in Jan-Feb from LAX - MLE with a stopover. I have researched ana website as well as united.

I am coming up with 3 segments outbound and 5 outbound due to my stopover city. I have 2 questions.

1) I read somewhere that max segments is 4 + 4 = 8 in an itinerary. Anyone violate it making it 5.
2) My stopover is a non-star alliance hub city. anyone had any luck doing a stopover at a non star alliance hub city recently?

My itinerary is nothing crazy. and I will be well within the allowed MPM limits.

 

I have seen itineraries with more than 8 segments, including someone who had 10 segments with 6 outbound and 4 inbound on a recent trip. It's possible that US elite members get more leniency. In that itinerary, 2 of the 6 outbound segments were on US Airways flights to reach the international gateway city and 1 of the 4 inbound segments was on US, thus only 7 segments were on partners.

What is your LAX-MLE routing that you have searched and what is the stopover?

 

Me and my wife are planning to go to MLE (in J) and also visit my family at CCU with a 20 day stopover.
The shortest routing (not theoretical routing but rather with availability in J) I found is this
LAX - ICN - SIN - MLE (Destination) - SIN - CCU (stop) - BKK - ICN - LAX