The easy way to get around the world with one payment!
Have you ever heard of a Round the World ticket? Well, not too many have; it's almost like a secret that big airline companies keep to themselves. Basically, a Round the World ticket (RTW) is a way to book multi destination tickets that can be used over a span of a year. This makes it possible to visit the continent you never wished you could get to or the city that always seemed out of reach!
A RTW ticket can sometimes be cheaper than booking a series of one way tickets because many times the fees from all the different flights end up out weighing the fact that you may have gotten a cheap flight. This is perfect if you know your schedule ahead of time and exactly where you'll be. If you travel for business or family many times a year this might be the better way to do it.
Here are some key facts behind the RTW tickets and a few booking tips:
• You have one year to use the ticket, no exceptions!
• RTW Tickets aren't cheap all the time, it may not work for a budget traveler (be on the lookout for deals)
• If you want to plan as you go through your travels a RTW ticket is not for you, plans must be made ahead
• Most airlines are a part of an alliance, ex: American Airlines is a part of OneWorld alliance and United Airlines is a part of Star Alliance. This is helpful to know because if American Airlines doesn't fly to the destination you want than one of their partner airlines would be used in the RTW ticket instead.
• It is a lot easier to book directly through the airline, but sites like Airtreks and STA travel can find a series of one way tickets and create their own "RTW" ticket (the upside is that these sites would not be restricted one airline alliance program)
• Cost: anywhere between $1,500 and $10,000. It really depends on if you do the research to find deals and the destinations you choose.
• The more popular your destinations (i.e. Los Angeles, Miami, Paris) the cheaper it can be
• You MUST end you trip in the same country you started in
• You can earn many miles with a RTW ticket which can gain you access to Elite status on the airline which brings many benefits
• Most alliances have different RTW programs based on the miles you are going to travel not how many counties or cities you will be visiting
A RTW ticket could be a major advantage to you when planning a graduation trip or vacations in advance. This obviously just makes me want to go to every continent, so I should probably stay away from flight websites for a while if I want to stay in school....
