- How to book a round the world ticket
- What’s the cheapest way to book a round the world flight
- Can you make changes to a round the world ticket
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What is a round the world (RTW) ticket?
A RTW ticket allows you to fly from country to country, continent to continent or city to city on a multitude of different airlines. Round the world tickets are sold from airline alliances. There are 3 major airline alliances, all of which have different route availability.
Which airline alliances offer round the world tickets?
One World, Star Alliance and SkyTeam are the main 3 alliances. Their tickets are sold in miles, and when considering which to fly with, you should consider their partners and the routes they fly. For example, if you book a RTW ticket, you may need a route to Northern Europe from New Zealand. This makes One World ideal, as they have Qantas and Finnair as partners.
One World Explorer
Mileage: 17,000, 21,000 or 25,000 miles
Stops: 16 flight segments, and 5, 6 or 7 stops
Airlines you can fly with:
• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Lan
• Malev
• Qantas
• Royal Jordanian
World Discovery/Plus
Mileage: 29,000 miles
Stops: 6 stops max
Airlines you can fly with:
• Cathay Pacific on some selected routes
• British Airways
• Qantas
• Australian Airways
Star Alliance
Mileage: 29,000, 34,000 or 39,000 miles
Stops: Minimum 3, maximum 15
Airlines you can fly with:
• Air Adria
• Air Canada
• Air New Zealand
• ANA
• Asiana Airlines
• Austrian Airlines
• Bmi
• Croatia Airlines
• LOT Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Scandinavian Airlines
• Shanghai Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• South African Airways
• Spanair
• Swiss
• TAP Portugal
• Thai Airways International
• United Airlines
• US Airways
World Walkabout
Mileage: 25,000 or 29,000 miles
Stops: 6 stops
Airlines you can fly with:
• British Airways
• Qantas
Great Escapade
Mileage: 29,000 miles
Stops: Unlimited
Airlines you can fly with:
• Silk Air
• Singapore Airlines
• Virgin
• Air New Zealand
World Journey
Mileage: 26,000 or 38,000 miles
Stops: 16 stops
Airlines you can fly with:
• Air Caledonie
• Air Europa
• Air Pacific
• Air Tahiti Nui
• Air Vanuatu
• Alaska Airlines
• Continental Airlines
• Copa Airlines
• Emirates
• Jet Airways
• Kenya Airways
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
• Malev
• Malaysia Airlines
• Northwest Airlines
• South African Airways
• SriLankan Airlines
The Global Explorer
Mileage: 26,000 or 39,000 miles
Stops: 16 stops
Airlines you can fly with:
• Aer Lingus
• Air Pacific
• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Dragonair
• Finnair
• Gulf Air
• Iberia
• Jalways
• Japan Airlines (JAL)
• Japan Asia Airways
• Lan Airlines
• Lan Argentina
• Lan Ecuador
• Lan Peru
• Malev
• Qantas
• Royal Jordanian
What’s cheaper, a round the world ticket or booking multi-city flights myself?
Many of the world’s low-cost carrier airlines (Ryanair, AirAsia and Tiger to name a few) are not included in the airline alliance programs, which means you won’t be able to take advantage of those cheap flights across Europe. However, if you find yourself flying from continent to continent, the round the world ticket may work out to be much more affordable. Compare flights around the world using the multi-stop flight search on Skyscanner.
How many stops on a round the world ticket?
When you buy a ticket, you’ll be permitted either a certain amount of miles, or a certain amount of stops. Check the variations on the tickets above to find your ideal ticket.
Can I change my flight details as I travel?
It’s best to check with the alliance and the individual airline you are travelling with, as some airlines charge a fee for changes, whereas on others it’s fee-free.
Do I have to go in one direction?
No. You are able to turn back on yourself, however this will use up valuable miles on your ticket. Check out the terms and conditions of your ticket to see if if you do an overland ‘surface sector’ on your ticket, which may help you save miles.
Can I buy extra miles?
If your planned journey exceeds the number of miles allowed by your ticket, then you can purchase extra miles or you can buy a different ticket which allows you to travel further. For example, the World Journey fare allows you to purchase a ticket with up to 40,000 miles of travel available.
Start designing your RTW ticket
How long are the tickets valid for?
Most round the world tickets are valid for one year from the date of the first flight shown on the ticket. This means you could stay in one destination for 3 months, and take advantage of that city’s location (for example, booking your first flight to Madrid, and exploring Portugal and Spain before flying back out of Madrid too). Always check your airlines terms and conditions before booking though.
Are there restrictions on my ticket?
This will vary with the type of ticket you’ve purchased. Watch out: some fares have a ‘minimum stay’ clause of anything up to two weeks which is designed to deter business travellers from taking advantage of lower fares.
Do I need an onward ticket before landing in some countries?
Yes. Travellers should check with their travel agents and the safetravel website for visa information to find out which countries require proof of a ticket for departure. Ticket rental services like FlyOnward can buy you more time if you’re not ready to book your next flight yet.
Should I deal directly with the airlines?
When looking for information on round the world tickets, it’s best to go directly to the alliance. If you need information about baggage, routes or restrictions on the flight, go directly to the airline.
Here are a few examples of great RTW tickets for Europe, Asia and America
What’s the best round the world ticket for Europe?
Fly out of New Zealand, up to Asia (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur have some of the best European connections). This is 5,000-6,000 miles, and the remaining connection to London, Barcelona or Rome will take 5,000-6,000 too. Factor in a few more stops in Europe, and you have your ticket. Aer Lingus has many connections around Europe, and they’re a partner for Global Explorer.
What’s the best round the world ticket for America?
American Airlines are on the One World Explorer ticket, and the have the best connections internally for North America. Global Explorer have more South American airlines – ideal for Ecuador, or Peru.
What’s the best round the world ticket for Asia?
Consider where you want to visit in Asia. Asiana and Thai Airways are partners of Star Alliance, but Japan Airlines is a partner of One World.
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