We’re set to embark on a seven-month round the world trip in just a few weeks, and one question that keeps coming up from friends and acquaintances is: What are you doing about flights? So, I figured I’d write a quick how-to for anyone planning their own round the world trip—or even just a trip to the other side of the world!
Before You Start: A Few Tips
First off, know that this is a process—so stay flexible and enjoy it! There are countless options, the world is vast, and time is limited. But don’t worry, this doesn’t have to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (this is our second time doing it!). Be patient! You’ll be on booking websites multiple times, your itinerary might not work on the first try, and you’ll probably be on the phone with airlines a lot. But trust me, it’s worth it!
Planning Options for Your Round the World Trip
Alright, let’s dive in! Here are the main options to consider when booking your flights:
- Buy as You Go
Pros: Maximum flexibility.
Cons: Typically the most expensive option. - Buy a Skeleton Itinerary (Our Choice)
Pros: Less expensive, and ideal for planners who want some peace of mind by knowing where they’ll be and when. You can book a general route and stay somewhat flexible with dates.
Cons: Limited flexibility on the route. - Buy All Flights at Once
Pros: A solid, fully mapped-out plan for the whole trip, potentially cheaper than Option 1 but more expensive than Option 2.
Cons: Minimal flexibility, unless you’re willing to forfeit the cost of changes.
We chose Option 2—buying some flights but not all—and used a Round the World Ticket.
What is a Round the World Ticket?
A Round the World Ticket allows you to purchase a series of flights across multiple airlines within an alliance. Most airlines are part of an alliance, which is a group of airlines that share routes, operations, and sometimes revenue. For example, in the U.S., American Airlines is part of the OneWorld Alliance, while United Airlines belongs to the Star Alliance. Each alliance offers products that let you book a round the world trip with their participating airlines, each with its own rules and limitations.
Choosing Destinations for Our Round the World Trip
Before diving into ticket options, we needed to decide where to go. You can check out a separate post on how we chose, but in short, each family member got to pick a few countries. We landed on Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and later added Morocco and Malaysia to the mix.
Once we had our list, we started planning on both the Star Alliance and OneWorld Alliance websites. (There’s also a company you can hire to plan the itinerary for you, but to me, that takes the fun out of it!) Ultimately, we went with the OneWorld Alliance, as it aligned better with our itinerary and was less expensive.
Key Questions and Limitations We Encountered
Planning a round the world trip isn’t just about picking locations; it’s also about the details! Here were some of the main questions we faced:
- Should we go east to west or west to east?
- How long should we spend in each country?
- In what order should we visit the destinations?
- Should we fly business or economy?
And then, there were limitations we had to work around:
- The ticket allows a maximum of 35,000 miles.
- We couldn’t stop in the same city twice.
- Some cities didn’t have direct flights to our next destination.
- Limited flight availability on specific dates (e.g., we wanted to fly January 1st, but only December 28th was available).
As I said, it was a process. There was a lot of trial and error. Some dates didn’t work, some routes didn’t connect, and so we had to stay flexible. For instance, we initially wanted to fly from Japan to Qatar and then on to Europe. However, this added $2,500 in airport taxes, so we changed course and flew directly from Japan to Europe instead. Sorry, Qatar!
The Fun Part: Mapping Out Our Itinerary
Once we knew where we wanted to go, I asked our Family Travel GPT, “What’s the best order to visit these countries if we’re starting January 1st to ensure ideal weather?” Armed with this order, I used OneWorld Alliance’s AI tool to map our route. There was a lot of trial and error since certain routes would push us over the 35,000-mile limit or route us through the same city twice.
I have to say, though, the tool is incredible. It feels like the entire world is at your fingertips, helping you dream big while keeping track of what’s actually possible.
Booking and Final Itinerary
Once we settled on an itinerary that worked, we had the option to book directly on the website or call the airline for assistance with our first flight. We opted to call because the website didn’t show our desired flight.
Here’s our final itinerary:
- San Diego – Phuket (via SFO, HK)
- Phuket – Kuala Lumpur
- KL – Hanoi
- Hanoi – Tokyo
- Tokyo – Rome (via Madrid)
- Rome – Casablanca
- Casablanca – Malaga
- Malaga – Buenos Aires (via Madrid)
- Rio de Janeiro – Miami
- Miami – San Diego
The cost? $6,500 for economy or $11,000 for business class per person, including taxes. We compared these prices on Google Flights, and booking separately was nearly double the price for economy and three to four times as much for business class! Now, as we get closer to departure, a one-way ticket from San Diego to Phuket alone costs $1,600 in economy or $4,500 in business, so there’s definite value in booking a Round the World Ticket for business class.
Unfortunately, we had to pay for this trip in cash instead of using miles. Back in 2011, we used 190,000 miles each for our round the world trip, but OneWorld has since discontinued that option. I later learned that ANA Airlines offers a similar ticket with miles, but only after we’d booked our flights. From what I’ve heard, it’s even more challenging to book than with OneWorld, so I’m not too disappointed.
Final Thoughts
While planning a round the world trip isn’t as simple as booking a one-way flight, creating an itinerary and buying a Round the World Ticket can give you a structured plan and help you save money. Plus, you can use AI tools to simplify the process!
So, what are you waiting for? Hope you buy your tickets soon!
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