Consider alternative means of transportation between cities to maximize your experience and reduce costs. Booking a Star Alliance RTW world journey starts with understanding the rules that apply. Image Credit: Star Alliance To give you an idea of fare pricing, a 35,000-mile itinerary will cost 160,000 miles in economy, 240,000 miles in business class, and 320,000 miles in first class. An itinerary ranging from 44,001 to 50,000 miles will cost 200,000 miles in economy, 300,000 in business class, and 450,000 in first class. You’ll need 180,000 miles for economy, 335,000 miles for business class, and 500,000 miles for first class. In 1924, a team of aviators from the USA successfully completed the first-ever circumnavigation of the globe by airplane, a feat that took 175 days, 76 stops, a cache of 15 Liberty engines, 14 spare pontoons, four aircraft and two sets of new wings. This achievement ushered in an era of international air travel, and nearly a century later, travelers are still creating their own round-the-world itineraries.

Multi-city and return flights are often better value than booking many one-way flights when they can all be fulfilled by the same airline/alliance. For example, Virgin Atlantic has routes from New York to London, London to Shanghai, and Shanghai to New York, so making one multi-city booking with this single airline will be cheaper than several individual bookings with different airlines. There are plenty of ways to earn Miles and More frequent flyer miles. Using Qantas Frequent Flyer Points A lifelong fantasy for many travelers is to leave their everyday existence behind and take a trip around the world. Even if you’re fortunate enough to have an extended amount of free time to circumnavigate the world, putting together a round-the-world itinerary can be complicated and potentially expensive. The Star Alliance Book and Fly planning tool is user-friendly, but it’s easy to make mistakes, go against the rules, and default to trial and error. The tool won’t let you continue with an itinerary that is invalid but it’s not always easy to determine why it’s invalid. You might want to start by reviewing some sample itineraries to become familiar with the process. A stopover – that is, an extended layover where you can actually leave the airport for 1 or more days or weeks – can be added for cheap or free to any trip, all by yourself. Our how-to guide here explains exactly how to do this.

Reasons to self-book include the abundance of available error/sale fares, budget airlines, the ease with which self-booking can be done, and that stopovers can easily be added to any trip Accept youʼll be in some regions at the "wrong" time – though this might offer unexpected benefits. For example, Victoria Falls has a dry season each year, which means a slightly less thunderous cascade, but it does open up rafting opportunities and a chance to swim right up to the lip of the falls in The Devil’s Pool. Going to Venice in the winter might mean grayer skies but fewer crowds. Heading to Kenya and Tanzania in April is likely to mean fewer humans, but not fewer chances to spot wildlife, all while saving money on safari. Also keep in mind that mom-and-pop locations have their downtime and holiday seasons as well; don't be too surprised if your local bakery in Paris is closed for a holiday week or two in August. Where should I go on my round-the-world trip? Hot Tip: The Star Alliance suggested itineraries are worth reviewing because they automatically apply the maximum mileage and stopover limitations that keep pricing under control. Maximizing these restrictions when building your own itinerary from scratch, even using the Book and Fly tool, is more challenging. Customizing the suggested itineraries may serve as a better starting point. Oneworld Stops vs mileage: Some alliances will give you a maximum number of stops, while others only care about mileage.

If you select all the places you want to visit in advance, you may end up with an expensive adventure. But if you start by allotting a time slot for this journey and are flexible with your destinations, you can begin your trip with an affordable flight and build from there. By now, you’re probably realizing how complicated it can be to build an around-the-world itinerary. But if you’re savvy at booking flights, it’s entirely possible to do it yourself. And, you may save some money when you do so. Flights

Premium Economy round the world flights from £2,500 - £5,000 per person

SkyTeam regional passes: available for Asia & Southwest Pacific, Africa, Asia, Europe, Greater China, Russia, and USA & Canada All flights must end in the city you started from and connect from city-to-city (i.e. you can't fly into London, then take a train to fly out of Paris)