For travelers taking journeys that involve several stopovers over a prolonged period of time rather than a journey from point A to point B and back again, a Round the World pass might be just the ticket. Round the World tickets allow you to make as few as three or as many as 20 stops in locations wherever the airline alliance flies, over a time period that may be as long as a year.
Airlines have made one-way airfares the stepchildren of the pricing world. If you want to go from London to Munich and then on to Budapest followed by Moscow, you will pay dearly for the privilege, unless you purchase a Round the World fare. You can fly in comfort up in first class, relax in business class or slum it in coach; Round the World fares offer both options.
Most single carriers don’t fly to enough locations to offer the pass without the help of their partner airlines. a Round the World tickets allows you to travel on partner airlines to offer more options. The largest airline alliance with 28 world-wide partners, Star Alliance, which includes such varied players as Lufthansa and Croatia Airlines, offer a Round the World pass in 29,000, 34,000 and 39,000 mile versions. This includes 15 stops.
A “Starlite” economy class-only fare that covers 26,000 miles and five stops is also available, if you have less distance to travel and more tolerance for economy class. The Oneworld and Skyteam alliances offer similar versions of the Round the World program. Skyteam’s World Walkabout Plus tickets pinpoints Australia and other areas in Australasia with their 29,000 miles offering that allows seven stops, including four inside Australia. Participating airlines include Qantas and most of their codeshares, Cathay Pacific, Air Pacific, and British Airways.
Round the World tickets do come with caveats. Generally, you can only go in one direction. In other words, you can’t criss-cross the Atlantic or Pacific; you can travel only in an east or westward direction once your meter starts ticking. You also cannot wander spontaneously from spot to spot; you must book all your stops at the time of booking. Change fees will apply if you alter your destinations.