Round the World air ticket
By Su-Ann Mae Phillips
A Round the World (RTW) air ticket is a single ticket that allows a traveler to take one-way flights to multiple destinations in the world. A RTW is usually valid for one year and provides overall better value than separately purchasing one-way tickets for different destinations.
A RTW air ticket is customized to your travel needs, and the price for a RTW air ticket will change according to your needs. Different RTW air tickets will also have different formulae and conditions attached to the air ticket – understanding these terms and conditions and incorporating them as “upper limits” into your RTW trip can save you a lot of additional charges and headache later on.
In order to be quoted a fare that reflects your needs, the RTW provider will need to know your intended itinerary. For this, it is advisable to spend some time figuring out which cities and countries you want to go to, and prioritize them. Even if you stretch your RTW ticket for a full year, it is not possible to cover all the cities in the world in one RTW trip. A RTW specialist will be able to recommend some RTW itineraries for consideration.
A typical RTW itinerary is likely to include air travel to more than two continents. Planning your itinerary by deciding which direction you want to go is a good starting point. Start with your end in mind. “Round-the-World” means exactly as it is – you do not pass the same city or ocean twice. The world is literally your oyster, and with a bit of creative planning, you should be able to come up with an itinerary that will meet your travel needs and budget. If your starting point is the US, you can head out east (across the Atlantic) or west (across the Pacific), and head back from the north (from Canada) or south from South America.
It is important to keep in mind the principle of traveling in one direction when deciding which European cities to visit. When in Europe, a popular alternative to travel via land (the Eurorail is a good option). RTW air tickets have a strict upper mileage limit. Plan and calculate your mileage distance before heading out, to avoid paying hefty charges later on. Different RTW air tickets have different ways of measuring mileage. Some RTW tickets include land distance from one airport to another. For example, if you fly into Perth, Australia, drive across the Australian continent, and fly out of Sydney, the land distance between the two airports can be counted as part of the mileage traveled.
Most RTW air tickets will indicate a minimum and maximum number of stops. The number of maximum stops you wish to make can affect the price for the RTW ticket. Some RTW travelers combine air travel with other transportation options, such as by sea. In Asia, many ferries can take you to different cities and countries. If your budget permits, consider a cruise to vary the pace and travel experience.
When taking a RTW trip, do note that no one airline can offer flights to all destinations in the world. RTW air tickets are usually offered by airline alliances and not individual airlines. There are several airline alliances offering different RTW air tickets, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Depending on your desired destinations, your local travel agent is the best person to advice on the range of RTW tickets available.
Finally, sign up for a frequent flyer program with the airline alliance from which you bought your RTW ticket from. With all the mileage you will be chalking up, you will be able to accumulate enough points for another trip – for free.