world trip airfare

Round The World Airline Tickets

Fly rtw with one world member airlines.

one world's Round The World tickets give you unprecedented access to hundreds of destinations in 170 territories. We offer three types of Round The World trips:

one world Explorer: a continent-based fare,

Global Explorer: a distance-based fare,

Circle Pacific: an inter-continental journey to explore continents that border the Pacific Ocean.

Where to first? The whole wide world is waiting for your Round The World trip.

one world Explorer

Continent-Based Air Travel

No matter where business or pleasure takes you,  one world's vast network means your Round The World trip via  one world Explorer fare makes it easy to travel from city to city, and continent to continent. And, for every dot you connect, you earn more miles and points to spend across the  one world Alliance.

Global Explorer

Distance-Based Air Travel

For an even wider choice of where to travel, book your Round The World trip via Global Explorer, which grants you access to an even more extensive list of airlines, including Aer Lingus, Bangkok Airways,  one world  connect   partner  Fiji Airways , Jetstar, Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Japan, Jetstar Pacific, WestJet, and  Qantas  code-share flights operated by Air Tahiti Nui.

Circle Pacific

Multi-Continent Air Travel

If you prefer to visit multiple continents without actually flying all the way around the world, our Circle Pacific fare lets you explore the continents that border the Pacific Ocean. You can choose to start and finish your journey in one of the following continents:

Asia  (Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam)

Southwest Pacific  (Australia and New Zealand)

North America  (USA and Canada)

South America

Contact a  one world member airline or your travel agent to plan and book your Circle Pacific trip now.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a round the world ticket.

The one world Alliance offers a way to visit many countries, around the world, all in a single itinerary.

On oneworld.com, you can choose to book either one world Explorer, where the fare depends on the number of continents you visit, or Global Explorer, where the fare depends on the distance you travel.

Circle Pacific, an inter-continental journey to explore continents that border the Pacific Ocean, can be booked by your travel agent and is not currently available for booking on oneworld.com.

Where Can I Fly With Round The World?

For one world Explorer and Global Explorer, one world member airlines and affiliate airlines cover six continental regions: Europe/Middle East (including Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen); Africa (excluding countries listed above); Asia (including the Indian subcontinent, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, but excluding countries named above); Australia, New Zealand, and the South West Pacific; North America (including the Caribbean, Central America, and Panama); and South America. Currently, it is not possible to begin your itinerary through Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) through one world member Qatar Airways. Book both one world Explorer and Global Explorer on oneworld.com.

Through the one world Circle Pacific fare, one world member airlines and affiliate airlines cover four continental regions: Asia (including the Indian subcontinent, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan); Australia, New Zealand, and the South West Pacific; and North America. Ask your travel agent about booking a one world Circle Pacific fare. Routes are subject to change.

Where Can I Travel Now, Given COVID Restrictions?

View entry restrictions and COVID-19 travel requirements for countries around the world on our the one world Travel Requirements Information Portal . Use the map to get information on travel restrictions by country, including entry restrictions, as well as COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and quarantine requirements.

Is Round The World Ticket Business Class An Option?

Yes, Round The World tickets are available in Economy, Business, and First class. On our oneworld.com booking tool, there is a drop-down menu to select your preferred cabin class. Premium economy upgrades will show where available when you select flights.

Is Round The World Ticket First Class An Option?

How much does a round the world ticket cost.

Your Round the World fare is based on a few factors: the number of continents you visit or pass through or the distance travelled, the travel class selected, and the number of travelling passengers. Read on for more information about full fare rules and conditions [Note: Links open PDF in browser]:

What Are The Round The World Rules?

Read on for Round The World rules and conditions [Note: Links open PDF in browser]:

What Should I Know To Help Me Plan My one world Explorer Itinerary?

When planning your one world Explorer itinerary, here are tips to keep in mind:

Destinations are grouped into three zones and six continents:

Zone 1: North & South America

Zone 2: Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Zone 3: Asia and the South West Pacific

Your trip must be in a continuous forward direction, East or West, between Zone 1, Zone 2 and Zone 3. Backtracking within a continent is generally permitted, however some exclusions apply.

Your adventure can last from 10 days up to a year. Travel must be completed within 12 months of your original departure date.

Your trip must start and finish in the same city.

You must cross both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean on your journey.

Your journey can include three to six continents, and anywhere between three and 16 flights.

Review complete one world Explorer fare rules and conditions .

Can I Change Or Update My Round The World Itinerary?

Yes, one world Explorer, Global Explorer and one world Circle Pacific itineraries can be modified to accommodate changes to your Round The World plans.

If you booked your Round The World trip through oneworld.com, contact the ticketing airline (the airline you are flying on the first leg of your journey) to make changes to your itinerary.

If you booked your Round The World tickets through a travel agent, please contact the travel agent to make changes to your itinerary.

Will I Earn Frequent Flyer Points On A Round The World Trip?

Short answer: Yes, you will earn frequent flyer points on your Round the World trip.

Long answer: Yes. one world works in collaboration with all of our partner and member airlines to ensure that you’re rewarded no matter where you travel. On all eligible flights, you will accrue points or miles toward the airline of your choice and toward your one world tier status .

How Can I Pay For A one world Round The World Trip With Frequent Flyer Points?

Currently, it is not possible to use frequent flyer points to pay for a one world Round The World trip.

Does Your one world Explorer ticket include checked-in baggage?

Two free pieces of 23 kilos each shall be permitted. Additional allowances may apply. Refer to individual carrier websites.

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Round the World

Buying a multi-destination ticket has never been simpler.

Do you want to travel the world? Are you excited to discover and experience different countries and cultures? Are you looking for the best value for travelling to the world’s top iconic cities?

Our Star Alliance Book and Fly tool helps you plan and book multi-destination fares online. Certain exceptions apply. Alternatively, contact a member airline or your travel agent.

One Star Alliance ticket. Limitless travel possibilities.

Imagine embarking on a journey that takes you all around the world. Picture all the places you will go, the sights you will see, the people you will meet. Now imagine doing all of that and more, with just a single ticket.

The Star Alliance Round The World ticket offers you a travel experience unlike any other.

Journey across the world and visit up to 15 cities, while enjoying the kind of seamless flexibility and outstanding value for money that only the world’s largest airline network can offer. Where will your Round The World journey take you? Imagine your trip and make it a reality—all in just a few clicks with our Star Alliance Book and Fly tool. Certain exceptions apply. Alternatively, contact a member airline or your travel agent.

• Terms and Conditions

Book and Fly

• Single ticket valid on all Star Alliance members
• Every journey is different
• Follow our tips and reminders while booking

How to Map Your Journey

• Start and end in the same country
• Follow one global direction (East or West)
• Cross both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
• Have a minimum of 2 stops and maximum of 15 stops
• Travel between 10 days to 1 year
• Transits must be less than 24 hours
• Stopovers are more than 24 hours
• Check the terms and conditions for detailed inclusions

Flexibility

• Save your itinerary at any time
• Contact support 24/7
• Accrue frequent flyer points or miles
• Upgrade your flight or entire itinerary at any time, subject to availability

Round The World in Just a Few Clicks

Select your destinations.

Start by entering your Origin City. Then add destinations by entering the city name or by selecting cities on the map.

Choose Your Flights

The system will automatically select the flights for each segment, but you may also pick flights from the Star Alliance network that best cater to your needs.

Enter Your Details

Provide the necessary travel details such as your contact information and identification documents to help us secure your booking.

Pay Seamlessly

Enter your payment details to complete the transaction.

Circle Pacific

The itinerary can be accessed and changed by visiting staralliance.com and entering the Itinerary Code under 'Open Saved Itineraries' in the booking tool. Thank you for using the Star Alliance booking site for your journey.

• Planning: Please save your itinerary and copy the 20-character code for us to better assist you.
• Booking: We kindly ask that you refer to the terms & conditions for further booking details and reservation requirements.
• Availability: Please be reminded that pricing and availability is subject to change at any time without notice.
• Payment: If you experienced a problem with completing your payment, please indicate this when reaching out to our dedicated team of specialists.

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Frequently asked questions

Round the World Tickets: The Ultimate Guide (Updated 2024)

Y ou've probably heard about round the world tickets, a one-stop shop approach to cross-continental flying. But let's be real: it's never been easier to book flight tickets yourself, and round the world tickets are pricey. So why do people book round the world tickets, and are they  actually worth the cost?

The quick answer is, it depends . If you're pressed for time, have a seriously fixed itinerary with many international stops to make, it can be cost-wise. However, if you have a whimsical, budget-conscious trip in mind, or are focusing on just one part of the world, there are cheaper options out there that you should know about  (like finding fares yourself on Skyscanner on Kiwi.com ).

So, here's everything you need to know about round the world tickets, followed by our DIY approach that could save you even more money!

• 1 How do Round The World tickets work?
• 2 How to book a round the world ticket
• 3 What are the restrictions and/or setbacks?
• 4 The alternative: book separate flights yourself
• 5 How to book your own round the world trip
• 6 So, what's the cheapest option?
• 7 A Thrifty Case Study: A Round the World Trip from New York City
• 8 What are the alternatives?
• 9 So, is a round the world ticket worth it?

How do Round The World tickets work?

Round the world (RTW) tickets are flight packages that let you visit a number of destinations around the world for one price. These tickets are offered by airline alliances like SkyTeam, Oneworld, and Star Alliance. All the flights in your itinerary must be served by airlines within the chosen alliance.

RTW tickets require you to select your destinations and departure dates in advance. This means you prepay for the pass and book all of your flights before your trip. Note: you don't have to actually fly “around the world” with these tickets , they're also sold as multi-city flights, continent-based travel, or by miles.

The perk of RTW tickets is the ability to book all flights at once at a discounted price, plus ensures a mass accumulation of frequent flyer miles since you'll only be flying partner airlines. You can even purchase part or all of your RTW ticket with relevant miles, where permitted.

How to book a round the world ticket

Round the world tickets can be purchased directly with airline alliances or via  travel agents .

Airline Alliances

• OneWorld Alliance
• Star Alliance

Each alliance offers an online trip planner that allows you to put in every stop of your itinerary and get a price quote. It also makes it easy to work around the restrictions of round the world tickets, warning you when your planned route doesn't meet the requirements. All alliances offer online booking, or you can call one of the participating alliance airlines directly.

Travel Agents

• AirTreks (U.S. – our top choice & has 32+ years experience in RTW planning)
• Liberty Travel (U.S.)
• Flight Centre ( Australia , U.K. , Canada )
• RoundAbout Travel (Australia)
• Student Flights (Australia)
• A travel agent local to you

Travel agents have exclusive access to flight deals, plus receive discounts accessible only via their IATA code. They also save a great deal of time and money whilst adhering to your budget and needs. Find an agency that specializes in round the world tickets, so they're aware of the restrictions and can secure the best price.

What are the restrictions and/or setbacks?

RTW tickets often more expensive than a DIY approach (covered later), especially given they exclude budget airlines. Furthermore, there are restrictions to follow, so ensure you've read the fine print. Such restrictions typically include:

• A minimum number of flights to book (typically three), as well as a maximum
• Flights usually must be within the same airline alliance. This can sometimes result in obscure stopovers to stay with partner alliances.
• Restrictions on the direction of travel (e.g. East to West only) and/or requiring you to cross both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at least once
• 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)
• A minimum number of stopovers
• Additional surcharges for itinerary changes and/or flying to certain destinations
• Missing a flight in your itinerary could result in the remaining flights being cancelled, even if days or weeks away

Whew! Though there are many restrictions, most will come up when making your booking . Simply use the round the world ticket planners provided by each alliance, put in your desired destinations, and the options and costs will be presented automatically.

The alternative: book separate flights yourself

The value of a round the world ticket depends on the route you're taking and the flexibility needed. More often than not, you'll find it's cheaper, easier, and more flexible to book your own round the world trip online across several bookings using multi-destination flight search engines like Kiwi.com  and Skyscanner . You also can mix and match airlines, and aren't confined by the restrictions that accompany an actual RTW ticket.

Credit card points programs also allow multi-city flight bookings, effectively allowing you to book your own round the world trip via points or a combination of cash and points. You can readily rack up a significant amount of miles just by hitting the minimum spend within a set time. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is our top pick as a beginner card. On hitting its minimum spend, you can earn up to 60,000 points worth $750 – more than enough for an international flight .

Flight deal subscriptions like Scotts Cheap Flights compile discounted airfare to your inbox, based on the desired departure airports. Whilst this doesn't include RTW flights, this could help you cover some of the legs of your trip, as it has majorly discounted international flights departing the U.S. For those outside America, similar services exist in the U.K. ( Jack's Flight Club ) and Canada ( Next Departure ).

The only major drawbacks with booking a RTW ticket yourself is the time and patience needed to make the booking. Additionally, you may end up with frequent flyer miles spread across a variety of programs, without enough miles in any program to use them. Most likely though, you'll come out ahead financially doing it yourself.

How to book your own round the world trip

Kiwi.com  and Skyscanner are the two flight search engines we recommend for booking your own tickets for a round the world trip. They include budget airlines and let you search multi-destination flights, letting you see prices for your entire itinerary at once.

The key difference between the two is that Skyscanner prefers results from partner airlines , while Kiwi.com will always  mix and match airlines (including budget airlines) for the cheapest price . Either booking site can be beneficial depending on your trip, so to get the best price, be sure to compare results and follow these tips:

• Experiment with  the order of your destinations for the best price. Just because a flight is shorter doesn't mean it will be cheaper.
• Experiment with the  dates of each flight . This can be time consuming, but if you're dedicated, you can shave hundreds of dollars off your total cost by simply finding the cheapest dates for each flight.
• 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.
• Skyscanner prefers partner airlines that can fulfil the entire itinerary you submit, which doesn't always get you the best price on complex itineraries. So if you have a lot of destinations, split your searches into 3-4 destinations at a time . For example, instead of submitting New York > London  > Paris > Beijing > New York as a single search, try searching New York > London > Paris as one search, and Paris > Prague > Beijing > New York as a second search. You don't have to worry about this on Kiwi.com , which always mixes and matches airlines to get the best results.

So, what's the cheapest option?

In our tests, the DIY approach is always cheaper, but it depends on the kind of trip you're taking. Round the world tickets can cost anywhere from $1,500 USD to $20,000 USD . The price varies greatly, and depends on your departure point, number of flights, distance flown, continents flown to, and flight class.

On the other hand, regular flight ticket prices are all over the map, dependent mostly on supply and demand. Sometimes a flight across continents can be even cheaper than a flight within your own country. Since regular flight tickets include budget airlines , sale and error fares , and you can still take advantage of discounts with partner airlines,  booking your own flight tickets has always been cheaper for us .

The only way to know for sure is to compare. Use the links provided in this guide and see what gives you the best result!

A Thrifty Case Study: A Round the World Trip from New York City

As an example, let's find the best price for the following round the world trip:  New York City > London > Paris > Prague > Beijing > Hong Kong > New York City . We want to go in  April and May , and we are booking now in  January . We'll start on Tuesday, April 10, and schedule each consecutive flight for the following Tuesday.

Option 1: A round the world travel agent

Booking with AirTreks also gives you a team with over 32 years of experience in RTW planning, all your tickets in one spot (instead of many confusing separate bookings), 24/7 support, and better routes (less layover time, more baggage, etc.) If you do find a cheaper fare yourself, let them know – AirTreks tells us they're confident they could beat it!

Option 2: A round the world ticket booked directly with airline alliances

Putting in the same itinerary into each of the airline alliances' round the world trip planner gives us the following totals:

• OneWorld: $3,738.86 USD
• SkyTeam: $3,904.28 USD
• Star Alliance: $4,543.84 USD

Not exactly thrifty, and up to 3x the advertised price of the travel agent! True round the world tickets require strategic planning, so using a travel agent's expertise can save you time and money. But let's take a look at booking regular airline tickets yourself…

Option 3: Book your own tickets using Kiwi.com and Skyscanner

Using the Kiwi.com multicity search feature, we enter our full itinerary, and within minutes, we have a variety of options from $1,390 – $1,434 USD .

As we mentioned, Skyscanner usually just shows results from  partner airlines that can fulfill a ticket for the entire route. This route is pretty complex, and it's unlikely one airline alliance could fulfill it all, so let's  break it up .

After half an hour of trying different combinations of multi-city and one-way searches, the cheapest combination I could find for these dates was

• New York City > London > Paris > Prague: $390 USD
• Prague > Beijing: $283 USD
• Beijing > Hong Kong: $119 USD
• Hong Kong > New York City: $493 USD
• TOTAL TRIP COST: $1,285 USD

This is the cheapest option, beating Kiwi.com by only $105. What's going on here? In short, trial and error. The first batch of airlines aren't partners, but Skyscanner sometimes lets you mix and match airlines by using Kiwi.com for booking. And although there are partner airlines to fulfill the rest of the route, Hong Kong Airlines is an independent budget airline with competitive pricing, so it ended up being cheaper to book the flights separately in order to include their fares.

You can take this even further by testing different dates in your itinerary, as well as the order of your flights. As you can see, the process can be time consuming, but a little time rewards you with hundreds or thousands of dollars saved!

What are the alternatives?

Regional flight passes.

While not a round the world ticket in itself, this type of flight pass might be more sensible for your trip, depending whether you'll be flying a lot in one region versus globally. For instance, if you are planning to take more flights around South America than across continents, then you may be better off investing in one of their regional passes (check our guide here ).

Some examples of regional flight passes include:

• OneWorld single-continent passes: available for Africa, Asia, Japan, Australia & New Zealand, Malaysia, South America, Europe, North America, Middle East, South Asian Sub-Continent
• OneWorld multi-continent passes: rather than flying all the way around the world, these passes let you fly in a circle around one smaller area of the world
• SkyTeam regional passes : available for Asia & Southwest Pacific, Africa, Asia, Europe, Greater China, Russia, and USA & Canada
• Independent airline passes in South America : these work within specific South American countries (check our comprehensive list and guide here )
• Qantas Explorer pass : a flight pass for exploring Australia and New Zealand

Building your own stopover

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.

Essentially, you find a flight fare that includes a layover, but instead of rushing to your connecting flight, you spend days or weeks in the layover destination, visiting 2 destinations for the price of 1. Whether you go round the world or not, it's a great way to squeeze more travel value out of your flight costs.

So, is a round the world ticket worth it?

In short, for most travellers, the answer is probably no. There are a certain set of criteria where it could be more cost-effective, and some travellers may prefer the ease of having all of their tickets booked in one pass anyway. However, the fixed timing, many restrictions, and high price are likely to be unappealing to those who are seeking a thriftier approach, especially when it's so easy to book yourself for less with Kiwi.com and Skyscanner .

The Thrifty Gist

• Round the world tickets are usually pricier than self-booking, but offer peace of mind and a pre-set itinerary
• A dedicated RTW agent such as AirTreks can save you a lot of time, with the added benefit of 24/7 support, having all of your flights in one place, established airlines with shorter routes, and over 32 years of experience in RTW planning. AirTreks tells us they're confident they could beat the other prices in this post, so if you find a cheaper fare yourself, let them know!
• Round the world tickets can be booked with airline alliances or travel agents, while self-booking regular flight tickets can be booked using the multi-destination features of Skyscanner and Kiwi.com
• Self-booking is usually the cheapest approach to a round the world trip, but can also be more tedious
• 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

Our website contains some affiliate links in relevant areas. This means we get a small commission, at no extra cost to you, for recommending a product we personally use, trust, and own.

trying to fin d the cheapest country to start a Oneworld 4 continent ticket July 2022, it used to be South Africa or Jordan, any update links?

Please send complete information for my round the world travel for 2 – up to a year.

Skyteam RTW tickets are not available currently, and haven’t been since the start of COVID. The Star Alliance RTW business ticket I just booked was half the price of using the DIY method.

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Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from the united states to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more., which are the most popular places to fly to from the united states, based on kayak flight searches, the most popular place to fly from united states is new york (23% of total searches). the next most popular destinations are seattle/tacoma intl (11%) and las vegas harry reid intl (11%)., what are the most popular international flights out of the united states, there are many international destinations you can fly to from the united states. the most popular international destinations among kayak users are athens , rome and paris ., what are the most popular countries to fly to from the united states, based on kayak flight searches, the most countries to fly to from the united states is united kingdom (8% of total searches). the next most popular destinations are mexico (7%) and canada (7%)., which cities can i fly to direct from the united states, there are loads of places you can fly direct to from the united states. the most popular destinations for direct flights among kayak users are chicago , phoenix , new york , los angeles and washington, d.c. . on average, the cheapest of these destinations on kayak over the last 2 weeks for a return flight was chicago at $179, while the most expensive was washington, d.c. , at $212., which international cities can i fly to direct from the united states, there are many international destinations you can fly to non-stop from the united states. the most popular international destinations from kayak users are mexico city , milan , paris , taipei city and manila . on average, the cheapest of these destinations on kayak over the last 2 weeks for a return flight was guadalajara at $240, while the most expensive was taipei city , at $897., what is the longest direct flight from the united states, the longest direct flight you can take from the united states is to beijing, with a duration of 20h 20m. the next longest is singapore at 19h 10m, followed by a flight to chengdu at 18h 05m., good to know, faqs for booking united states to worldwide flights, where can i fly to for cheap from the united states.

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Top 5 airlines flying to Anywhere

A regional sized plane was used for a cross country flight with no overhead bin space. I had to "pink check" my laptop and my medications. I was NOT pleased!!!!

Absolutely nothing flight was cancelled and delayed for 2 days. Barely a heads up I want a full refund

The plane from SNA wouldn’t start after 5 tries. The team gave me an option of flying direct from LAX and giving me a Lyft ride there! Perfect!

Best airline! Always friendly and welcoming. Skyclub was great and loved the fast free wifi on board. I also love that you can pre-order your meal on the app!

Atlanta boarding crew at gate were filled with arrogance and were disrespectful. In flight crew showed indifference to the needs of passengers. This is about the flight from ATL to BDL.

The plane was FREEZING SEATS UNCOMFORTABLE Otherwise smooth Thank you

Boarding was chaotic. I didn’t finish dinner because I went to bed early. Breakfast omelet was overcooked and tasteless but croissant was better than usual. Plane was dirty—crumbs in every seam and lavatory was poorly maintained (paint peeling, etc.) and toilet paper had not been refreshed before takeoff. No cubby for storage in first and seat was narrow.

Boarding was somewhat chaotic. Unable to evaluate crew or food/drink because captain kept them seated due to turbulence. Have no idea if entertainment was offered.

West Jet has a horrible boarding process and the seats have no cushion.

Everything went smoothly. I didn’t like that when I booked in the main cabin my wife and I weren’t seated together. One would think when booking on an option that allows picking your seat. They would put you and your travel partner together. Had to call to get it sorted. They did fix.

Not a fan of the diagonal partially enclosed business class seats or how they have to be converted to beds manually by crew. I prefer more isolation and user control for switching to lie flat.

No lounge access with “United First” ticket. False alarm about late flight, jeopardizing connection. Wrong meal. Loose power socket would not hold plug, could not charge device. In-flight access to text messaging did not work. Toilet seat on plane would not stay up.

We ended up with seats in the very back. So they did not recline. Have no idea why, we reserved and checked in very early. The isles were very narrow and the seats had very little leg room. But they did give us water, and a snack.

Energetic crew - flight full of swiftied going to Taylor's opening show in Paris! Long lines for bathroom made out kind of suck though

Check in etc was very good. As for on the plane, it was like flying in a freezer. It was so cold, i have flown for years and never been so cold on a plane. Staff on board said its always cold when flying which is a load of rubbish. They wouldnt put any heating on and now i have the flu because of this .

I’ve had a couple flights this week on United that were delayed by an hour or more

Flight was delayed 2.5 hours - a big deal on an overnight when you plan to sleep.

I feel like they have upgraded the app since I last flew United and I found it to be super helpful. I had stopped flying United unless absolutely necessary and my experience on this trip indicates they have been working hard to improve their services.

Surprisingly easy! I was hesitant to try this, but the cost swayed me. I actually felt like I had less stress than all the taxiing and possible delays that occur with short regional flights where you spend less time in the air than getting to and from the plane..

This flight was delayed multiple times and eventually canceled around 2-3ish. Original take off time was around 10:30am. By 3, there were no other options out of Houston, so stuck in Houston for from 3pm - 11am the next day.

Tray table was filthy when I sat down. I needed to have someone come clean it because there was food and stains on it WiFi didn’t work after paying for in flight WiFi Food was terrible and was not filling at all Chicken was rubbery Flight attendant had an attitude, interrupted me and wasn’t able to answer basic questions about the food selection such as “does the chicken have red sauce in it”. If your flight attendants are not going to know what is in the meals so we can make an educated decision based on dietary restrictions, they shouldn’t be on the plane. My 1.5 year old niece was sleeping and dropped her binkie. I went on the ground under the chairs looking for it. It was at that time that she came up to me as I’m CLEARLY on all 4s with a flashlight and said “I need to get by”. I said one moment please I’m getting something from under the seat (while my head was literally under the seat). Her reply was “no you need to move now” and proceeded to almost push me out of the way. I looked up and all I saw was her toes under my eyes. When I looked in front of me, her private parts were inches away from my face. I then made a comment “you couldn’t waited 2 seconds?” and her response was, “no I need to use the bathroom”. I understand that and would never want to be the reason someone couldn’t get to the bathroom but I was under the seat. She could’ve gone around the other way instead of harassing me, basically placing her private parts on my head and borderline pushing me out of the way. You don’t pay (especially this much) for this deplorable experience. This was by far the worst experience I have ever had on American. I will be absolutely thinking twice and thrice about flying American Airlines again. I would rather pay more to fly delta because at least I know their WiFi will work and their flight attendants won’t have a terrible attitude for no reason, nor will they act the way this woman did. Unacceptable.

Tray table was filthy when I sat down. I needed to have someone come clean it because there was food and stains on it WiFi didn’t work after paying for in-flight WiFi. Food was terrible and was not filling at all Chicken was rubbery Flight attendant had an attitude, interrupted me and wasn’t able to answer basic questions about the food selection such as “does the chicken have red sauce in it”. If your flight attendants are not going to know what is in the meals so we can make an educated decision based on dietary restrictions, they shouldn’t be on the plane. My 1.5 year old niece was sleeping and dropped her binkie. I went on the ground under the chairs looking for it. It was at that time that she came up to me as I’m CLEARLY on all 4s with a flashlight and said “I need to get by”. I said one moment please I’m getting something from under the seat (while my head was literally under the seat). Her reply was “no you need to move now” and proceeded to almost push me out of the way. I looked up and all I saw was her toes under my eyes. When I looked in front of me, her private parts were inches away from my face. I then made a comment “you couldn’t waited 2 seconds?” and her response was, “no I need to use the bathroom”. I understand that and would never want to be the reason someone couldn’t get to the bathroom but I was under the seat. She could’ve gone around the other way instead of harassing me, basically placing her private parts on my head and borderline pushing me out of the way. You don’t pay that much for this deplorable experience. This was by far the worst experience I have ever had on American. I will be absolutely thinking twice and thrice about flying American Airlines again. I would rather pay more to fly delta because at least I know their WiFi will work and their flight attendants won’t have a shitty attitude for no reason, nor will they act the way this woman did. Unacceptable.

Liked - nothing. Disliked - delayed 35+ min sitting on the plane. Caused me to miss my connection in Charlotte. American Airlines is the worst US Air Carrier company with atrocious customer service.

Worst situation ever! I booked my tickets for this trip on Alaska Airlines. I guess AA is a partner and we flew nonstop from Eugene to PHX on an AA jet. I had to pay for luggage from PHX to EUG. And this was an Alaska Airlines reservation paid for with Alaska airlines credit card! Got to the PHX airport and was not able to check bags because of some weird issue with the AA software. My reservation had to be the-entered by the agent. I will never pick another American Airlines flight on the Alaska Airlines website. While on vacation, I tried to upgrade our seats for the trip home. The request just buffered and never went through. I tried four times and was charged four times on my credit card. The card was charged but the seats were never changed. What a wreck!

Left from gate 30 minutes before flight. Never been late to a flight ever. It says 15 minutes before explicitly on the ticket.

I like the boarding process, it was fast. The seat doesn’t have a TV for a long flight and food wasn’t served, just snacks.

Use planes with TVs on flights over 4 hours. The free entertainment was a cheap in between solution for a very long flight that you don't even bother providing meals or decent snacks.

Even though we left CMI late, we mostly made up the time.

Delayed almost 4 hours for a 45 minute flight with no explanation.

Again, multiple delays and I eventually just canceled and drove!

Never been on this flight as i had missed it due to delayed connecting flight

Horrible. Delays, no customer support and fake promises and everything. i am suffering to help as due to connecting flight getting missed no support on ground and customer support window is closed and we are sitting o ground without anything

Missed our departing flight due to poor baggage drop staff. At the airport with 2 & 1/2 hours to spare and waited in bag check in until 15 minutes prior to gates closing before baggage staff asked us to move to the front of the line. We weren’t the only passengers that missed the flight. Poor organizational operations by Spirit staff. Otherwise , the return trip was fine.

My experience with Spirit was perfect. Did not expect it to be this good

Worst airline experience ever. Lost my IPad going thru security. Charged for my dog carriage at the gate not at ticket counter. Gave away my seat 6D. Expressed I wanted my seat back after charging me 99 for dog carriage. Should have thrown it out. Had a 16 yr old Yorkie heading to Boston after being a snowbird. Seats small. Very bad experience. Still don’t have my IPad. Horrible

My mother was HARASSED AND ACCOSTED by the gate agent for her bag. I pre purchased the bag fee and the gate agent made my 78 year old mother board, deplane, re pay for her bag fee and board again. The gate agent made my mother pick up her own bag and REFUSED to help her, she is an older woman who wasn’t bothering anyone on a flight that had maybe 30’total passengers. I am going to sue this airlines for their HORRIBLE customer service and treatment of my mother, and all this occurred the day after Mother’s Day!!!

The boarding gate was moved so many times that I missed my flight. No attendants would help me. The wrong gate was even on my boarding pass. I had to repurchase everything. I’ll never fly again. Really a terrible day as I had planned to see a former student who is dying in Louisville Never ever will I forget that day. Your airline is totally uncaring.

Horrible, first flight delayed. They switched my connecting flight while I was en route and even though I was originally supposed to be on the flight going back home to boston, refused to let me board and told me I would have to wait for next flight that was 14 hours later. Ended up renting a car and driving 6.5 hours back home. Still getting messages about flight and it is now showing that the other flight they put me on is now canceled and I would have to wait 24 hours for the next one. I will never book with spirit again

Hated it I would not use Kayak or Spirit ever again.

They stuck us with multiple extra fees. I will never fly spirit again

Check in online was easy. Seats aren’t very comfortable

Fecal matter in seat back pocket. Presumably from a kids diaper.

Worst airline to travel with. They treat you like a prisoner in a jailhouse barking out orders and threats. Nickle and dime you to the same price or higher than a respectable airline like one of the big 3 . Might as well fly with standard airlines

Well I mean u get what u pay for so 🤷‍♂️

Over an hour delay in departure but I was notified beforehand. Another delay on tarmac upon arrival at LGA. We ended up departing the plane almost 2 hours later than expected

I fly Frontier because it’s affordable. I understand that the seats are tight and not the most comfortable…but that’s part of it. The problem with this flight was that there was a group of travelers directly behind me at the back of the plane who were ridiculously loud and obnoxious the entire flight. I’m pretty sure they were drunk and I could periodically smell an odd odor that I believe was one of them using a smokeless vape pen. The stewards had to remind them to keep quiet during the pre-flight instruction, but that was it. They never said another thing to them for the rest of the flight. It was a miserable.

I checked a bag because it was $5 less than carry on. They managed to lose my bag on a 2.5 hr direct flight! Frontier has no airport staff at baggage claim to help. As soon as I got home around 11 pm I tried to use their online system to file the claim for lost bag - system wouldn't take the # on my baggage claim ticket - said it was not the correct number. Also said that I had not checked a bag, which wasn't true - even my online boarding pass showed that I had checked a bag. Wasted about an hour on that process with no luck. Tried again in the morning - same thing. So tried online chat with Frontier bot - waited 35-40" twice to be connected to a baggage agent and it never happened. Eventually drove to PDX after work and waited 2 hrs for the Frontier ticket agents to arrive prior to the next Frontier flight out of PDX and FINALLY got some help from one of them, to take me to lost luggage area where I was able to retrive my bag. Probably took 4-5 hrs. of my time and endless frustration to get my bag. This was my first -- and LAST -- experience flying Frontier Airlines. Check-in was also extremely difficult and time consuming. The flight itself (and staff) were fine but everything else about the experience was a total disaster! The fact that Frontier literally has NO WAY to connect to a human voice for customer service (in this case for lost luggage) is the WORST!!!!!

Frontier is a crappy airline nothing about it is honest

I didn't get to do this flight l, hard to review

Not good 😐 Over priced baggage fees Small hard seats No wifi or entertainment options 😕

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Here's what you need to know to plan a trip around the world

Dec 29, 2021 • 7 min read

Don't start planning your round-the-world trip without reading this guide © Getty Images

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. 

You might not have the same worries as those early aviators, but planning a round-the-world trip has never been a more complex process. As COVID-19 continues to alter world travel , heading out on a multi-country trip might be more complicated than it has been in decades. While it might not be the right time to hit the road, luckily it's never too early to start figuring out the logistics of a trip around the globe. After all, who doesn't have a lot of pent-up wanderlust at the moment? 

When it comes to booking your trip, there are several options for booking your airfare, as well as flexibility on timing, destinations and budget. But don't let that overwhelm you – start here with our handy guide on how to plan that round-the-world trip you’ve always dreamed of.

Where and how to get a round-the-world plane ticket

The most economical way to circumnavigate the globe is to buy a round-the-world (RTW) plane ticket through a single airline alliance. These are confederations of several different airlines that make it simple to maximize the number of places you can travel and pay for it all in one place or with points. There are three primary airline alliances to choose from: Star Alliance, OneWorld and Skyteam.  Star Alliance is a coalition of 26 airlines that fly to 1300 airports in 98% of the world’s countries.  OneWorld includes 14 airlines traveling to 1100 destinations in 180 territories.  Skyteam is made up of 19 airlines that serve 1000 destinations in 170 countries.  

Read more:   How to save money when you're traveling

Once you pick an airline alliance, whether because of a loyalty program you’re already a member of or because you like its terms, conditions and destination list, you can purchase a single RTW airline ticket made up of several legs fulfilled by that alliance’s partners. The RTW ticket rules vary between each of the airline alliances, with particulars like Star Alliance’s rule that a RTW ticket can include two to 15 stops. But there are some general principles that apply to most RTW tickets, no matter which airline group you go with. 

You typically must follow one global direction (east or west – no backtracking); you must start and finish in the same country; and you must book all your flights before departure, though you can change them later (though this could incur extra charges). Typically you have one year to get from your starting point to the finish line.

How long do I need for a round-the-world trip?

You could whip around the world in a weekend if you flew non-stop, especially with the advent of new ultra-long-haul flights that can clock in at 20 hours of flight time. However, the minimum duration of most RTW tickets is 10 days – still a breathless romp. To get the most out of your round-the-world ticket, consider stock-piling vacation days, tagging on public holidays or even arranging a sabbatical from work to take off at least two months (but ideally six months to one year). Because most airline alliances give you up to a year to use your ticket, you can maximize your purchase if you plan well.

When should I travel on a round-the-world trip?

The weather will never be ideal in all your stops, so focus on what you want to do most and research the conditions there. In general, city sightseeing can be done year-round (escape extreme heat, cold or rain in museums and cafes), but outdoor adventures are more reliant on – and enjoyable in – the right weather.

Research ahead of time if any must-see destinations or must-do activities will mean facing crowds. For example, if you’re hoping to be in Austria for the famous Salzburg Festival, you’ll want to plan ahead and book your tickets months in advance. If you’re hoping to fit a shorter thru-hike into your round-the-world trip, you’ll want to make sure you’re going in the correct season and starting in the right spot. You won’t get far or have as enjoyable an experience if you’re, say, attempting the Tour du Mont Blanc during the dates of the annual winter marathon or headed northbound on the Pacific Crest Trail in July, missing most of the warmer months. 

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?

The classic (and cheapest) RTW tickets flit between a few big cities, for example, London – Bangkok – Singapore – Sydney – LA . If you want to link more offbeat hubs ( Baku – Kinshasa – Paramaribo , anyone?), prices will climb considerably. The cost of the ticket is also based on the total distance covered or the number of countries visited.

Remember, you donʼt have to fly between each point: in Australia you could land in Perth , travel overland and fly out of Cairns . Or fly into Moscow , board the Trans-Siberian railway  and fly onwards from Beijing.  Pick some personal highlights and string the rest of your itinerary around those. For instance, if youʼre a keen hiker, flesh out a Peru ( Inca Trail ) – New Zealand ( Milford Track ) – Nepal ( Everest Base Camp ) itinerary with stops in Yosemite , Menz-Gauassa and the Okavango Delta .

If budgetʼs an issue, spend more time in less expensive countries and plan budget city breaks along the way. You’ll spend more in metros like Paris, Dubai and San Francisco than in Nusa Tenggara , Budapest  and Buffalo . 

Tips, tricks and pitfalls of round-the-world tickets

Talk to an expert before you book a round-the-world ticket: you may have an itinerary in mind, but an experienced RTW flight booker will know which routes work best and cost least. A few tweaks could mean big savings in time and money. Hash out a budget well ahead of time, not only for your RTW ticket, but also for the whole trip. Reach out to friends or travel bloggers who have done a round-the-world trip or are full-time travelers because they can offer tips on how to budget for a trip around the world .

Be flexible: moving your departure date by a few days can save money. Mid-week flights are generally cheaper, as are flights on major holidays such as Christmas Day. Avoid days and times popular with business travelers to escape higher prices and more crowded cabins.

Think about internal travel: it can be cheaper to book internal flights at the same time as booking your RTW ticket, but with the global increase of low-cost airlines, you may find it better (and more flexible) to buy them separately as you go.

Be warned: if you donʼt board one of your booked flights (say, on a whim, you decide to travel overland from Bangkok to Singapore rather than fly it) your airline is likely to cancel all subsequent flights.

You might also like: 10 destinations perfect for solo travel Can visiting lesser-known places offer a better travel experience? 6 things I learned from flying 6 days in a row

This article was first published Mar 20, 2012 and updated Dec 29, 2021.

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A Simplified Guide To Buying an Around the World Ticket [2023]

Christine Krzyszton

Senior Finance Contributor

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Table of Contents

What is an around-the-world ticket, how to buy an rtw ticket with an airline alliance, how to buy an rtw ticket using airtreks [easier method], how to buy an rtw ticket using points or miles, a do-it-yourself, free-form rtw ticket, earning miles on your rtw ticket, tips for buying an rtw ticket, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

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.

But let’s say you do have the time, the money, the miles, or the points to make this epic adventure a reality. Where do you even start ? Is it currently possible to purchase such a ticket?

Today you’ll discover that it’s not only possible, but it’s probably less expensive than you thought — and of course, there are even ways to pay for it with miles or points.

As usual, we’re up for the challenge of providing you with the information you need to begin exploring the option and book an around-the-world ticket (we’ll use the common “RTW “ for short).

In today’s article, we’ll cover RTW ticket options available with each airline alliance, an affordable third-party RTW provider, using points or miles for an RTW ticket, and some creative ways to build your own around-the-world itinerary.

We won’t go into the nitty-gritty details of every possible RTW booking option, but we’ll provide a basic roadmap for you to start looking for RTW tickets and tips for booking your around-the-world experience.

An around-the-world plane ticket is generally a series of flights that start and end in 1 country after circling the globe in 1 direction and stopping at several cities en route.

You could think of this ticket as a “world airline pass” that allows you to build a custom itinerary of your choice within the guidelines of the airline alliance or another provider selling you a single ticket.

Changes are usually allowed , and you should have the ability to schedule enough time between destination cities to visit the surrounding areas. Most RTW tickets are valid for up to 1 year.

You’ll understand more about whether an RTW ticket is right for you once we’ve explored the possibilities for purchasing an RTW ticket and some of the pros and cons of doing so.

Airline alliances are groups of individual airlines with formal agreements in place that allow cooperation with each other. These alliances facilitate global travel for their customers by utilizing these partnerships to create a worldwide network that connects destinations.

Purchasing an RTW ticket from an airline alliance allows you to leverage the network of partner airlines to visit just about any part of the world, all on 1 ticket.

Another advantage of buying an RTW ticket with an airline alliance is that when changes need to be made, the airline making those changes for you has access to view/change your entire ticket .

Let’s explore the option of building an RTW ticket and purchasing it from 1 of the 3 major airline alliances, Star Alliance , Oneworld , or SkyTeam .

Star Alliance

The Star Alliance network reaches 1,300 destinations in 190 countries, with 50 hub cities, allowing you to reach every corner of the globe with its RTW ticket. You’ll start building your journey at its Round-the-World website .

The price of a Star Alliance RTW ticket is determined by the total mileage and class of service .

Here are the additional requirements for an RTW with Star Alliance:

• Minimum of 2 stops, maximum of 15 stops (defined as 24 hours or more)
• Cross the Atlantic Ocean once and the Pacific Ocean once
• Start and end the journey in the same country
• The minimum journey is 3 days; the maximum journey is 1 year
• 16 maximum flight coupons
• A maximum of 39,000 flown miles

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.

For example, starting out with an RTW itinerary of New York – Madrid – Cape Town – Hong Kong – Sydney – New York, I used the Star Alliance Book and Fly tool to build a sample ticket. The tool was easy to use but quickly priced out an economy ticket at $7,542.

With some practice, and after reviewing some sample itineraries, pricing 2 additional RTW itineraries proved much more productive:

• Athens – Cairo – Hong Kong – Chicago – Brasilia – Athens: $3,173 economy/$7,390 business
• Berlin – Istanbul – Singapore – Seoul – New York – Berlin: $3,181 economy/$7,270 business

You can book the RTW ticket online once you’ve completed an itinerary with which you’re satisfied. Changes are allowed but change fees can apply.

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 Alliance has 2 options for purchasing an RTW ticket:

• Oneworld Explorer — The fare is based on the class you choose to fly and the number of continents. You can include up to 15 segments and you can build and purchase this ticket using the Oneworld RTW tool.
• Global Explorer — The fare is based on the class you choose to fly and the total distance of the journey with a maximum of 39,000 miles.

Either way, the cost of your RTW ticket will vary significantly depending on where you begin your trip, the number of cities visited, and the class of service you select.

Here are the general rules for a Oneworld RTW itinerary:

• You must travel in 1 direction, east or west between the designated zones, and backtracking may be allowed
• The trip must be between 10 days to 1 year (from your departure date)
• Start and finish in the same city
• Cross both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans
• Include 3 to 6 continents
• Minimum of 3 flights, maximum of 16 flights

The base prices for an RTW Oneworld Explorer ticket depend on the number of continents you visit. Pricing for stops on 3 continents in economy class is $3,599, 4 continents is $4,999, 5 continents is $5,699, and 6 continents is $6,899, plus taxes and fees.

A sample itinerary in business class originating in Chicago and visiting Los Angeles, Auckland, Adelaide, Johannesburg, Cape Town, London, Bordeaux, and ending in Chicago prices out with a fare of $6,506 in economy class and $11,403 in business class .

You can create and price your own itinerary or follow the sample itineraries provided .

Booking your RTW ticket through the alternative Global Explorer option requires working with a Oneworld representative and then booking the itinerary with a member airline.

Hot Tip: The Oneworld Explorer RTW ticket allows you 16 total flights. Since it counts them all equally (whether 1 hour or 12 hours in length), you could purchase inexpensive short flights as needed and utilize the RTW ticket for just the long-haul flights to maximize its value. 

Unfortunately, SkyTeam no longer sells RTW tickets . However, it may possible to book an RTW with Aeromexico using points or miles. We’ll cover that option shortly.

Bottom Line: Star Alliance and Oneworld both offer RTW tickets and have tools to help you construct your own itinerary and provide sample itineraries for inspiration and to make planning easier. RTW tickets purchased via alliances can carry restrictions on the number of stops allowed, maximum distance, number of flights, and the direction of your journey. Tickets expire 1 year from the first travel date. 

The best is yet to come in our quest to find an around-the-world ticket. Now, we’re looking outside of the airline alliances to a popular third-party company known for its expertise in putting together affordable and creative RTW tickets.

AirTreks has been constructing RTW tickets since 1987, so it’s an established company with a wealth of RTW knowledge.

This is one of those sites you should visit when you want to daydream about travel because it allows you to play with different RTW itineraries and see the pricing immediately. It’s also possible you’ll start imagining yourself traveling on one of its sample itineraries !

Let’s look at some of these RTW economy itineraries and see how pricing and restrictions stack up against the airline alliances.

• New York City – Buenos Aires – Barcelona – Berlin – Bali – Chang Mai – New York City: $2,576 to $3,429
• New York City – Milan – Dubai – Johannesburg – Mahe, Seychelles – Mumbai – Bangkok – New York City:  $2,599 to $3,459
• London – Bangkok – overland – Singapore – Sydney – overland – Melbourne – Los Angeles – overland – San Francisco – London: $1,395 to $1,859

As you can see, the prices for RTW tickets booked with AirTreks are much lower than those booked through airline alliances. One reason is that AirTreks can use a combination of airlines and alliances and isn’t restricted to certain partner airlines.

On the flip side, because you select your fixed dates and flights up front, changes to your AirTreks RTW tickets can be subject to change fees. That said, you’ll pay much less for the ticket, so there’s certainly a trade-off here.

In addition to the price, AirTreks tickets allow you to begin and end your journey anywhere , travel in any direction, and fly on any airline without mileage restrictions . You’ll find the most competitive pricing for itineraries with more than 3 stops .

AirTreks will also help you build a custom itinerary if you desire, and support you after you depart on your RTW ticket, should you run into any transit problems along the way.

Hot Tip:  Selecting a sample itinerary and tweaking it to your liking can save you money over building an itinerary from scratch on your own. This is because the airline alliance or third-party seller has factored in all the rules that need to be followed to keep the cost down while maximizing the length and number of destinations allowed. 

While none of the domestic carriers currently offer the option to purchase an around-the-world ticket with miles, there are a few international carriers who do.

Booking RTW award tickets is not for the faint of heart. Finding award availability to complete an entire RTW itinerary can be daunting. Also, keep in mind you’ll be paying taxes and fees in addition to using your frequent flyer miles, some of which can be significant.

With those caveats as a foundation, let’s look at some options for booking RTW tickets using points or miles.

Using ANA Mileage Club Miles

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has, arguably, the best value when using miles for an RTW ticket. Pricing is based on the distance flown and the class of service and it’s possible (but time-consuming) to book the ticket online.

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 can learn more about the rules for the ANA RTW tickets, review the award pricing chart, and find out how to accumulate ANA Mileage Club miles in our guide to the best ways to redeem ANA Mileage Club miles .

Using Singapore KrisFlyer Miles

One of the most popular award redemptions for an RTW ticket is using Singapore KrisFlyer miles . The RTW ticket utilizes Star Alliance partner airlines and includes visits to 7 cities serviced by these airlines. You’ll need 200,000 miles for economy, 280,000 miles for business class, and 405,000 miles for first class .

Unfortunately, you’ll need to call Singapore Airlines (833-727-0118) or complete a form to book the ticket. A reservation fee of $250 has recently been added in order to book the RTW ticket. You’ll also want to consider any additional taxes and fees which can be significant when purchasing an RTW via KrisFlyer.

Accumulating Singapore KrisFlyer miles is made easier thanks to the number of transfer partners, including American Express Membership Rewards ,  Chase Ultimate Rewards ,  Citi ThankYou Rewards , and Marriott Bonvoy .

Using Lufthansa Miles and More

Lufthansa is another Star Alliance carrier that offers an RTW ticket you can purchase with Miles & More miles.

You’ll need 180,000 miles for economy, 335,000 miles for business class, and 500,000 miles for first class .

The RTW ticket with Lufthansa utilizes Star Alliance partner airlines and includes 1 Atlantic crossing, 1 Pacific crossing, a maximum of 10 flight segments, and 7 stopovers. There is also a requirement that beginning and ending intercontinental flights must have at least 10 days in between. You can book the RTW ticket by contacting Lufthansa Miles & More customer service .

There are plenty of ways to earn Miles and More frequent flyer miles .

Using Qantas Frequent Flyer Points

If you happen to have a healthy stash of Qantas frequent flyer points, you can use them to book a Classic Flight Reward itinerary and travel up to 35,000 miles when you combine 2 or more Oneworld partners. You’ll pay 132,400 points for the itinerary in economy or 318,000 points for business class, plus the cost of taxes and fees.

For a Qantas reward itinerary (and other RTW tickets that are distance-based) you can use the Great Circle Mapper tool to plot your course and estimate mileage.

Use the multi-city search tool on the Qantas website to search for availability and even attempt to purchase the ticket online. You may end up having to call Qantas (800-227-4220) to have your ticket issued as reports indicate there can be problems issuing the ticket online.

Using Aeromexico Premier Points

Aeromexico offers an RTW ticket beginning at 244,000 miles (actually, kilometers) in economy class and 352,000 in business class , but you must call (800-237-6639) to book it. And, while it may be possible to book such a ticket, it is not a popular option due to the potential difficulty of booking a complex itinerary with its customer service.

If you choose to go this route, be sure to do your research in advance and have your specific flight numbers, dates, and alternative options ready when calling.

Don’t have Aeromexico Premier Points? American Express Membership Rewards points can be transferred to the program at a ratio of 1:1.6. Don’t do this unless you’ve called and confirmed an itinerary with Aeromexico in advance.

Bottom Line:  It is possible to build your own around-the-world trip using points and miles versus purchasing an RTW ticket. Here’s an example of an incredible journey using a combination of points/miles/cash . 

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.

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.

For example, let’s say you find an affordable one-way flight or award ticket to Sydney (or any major city) that fits your allotted time frame. With that flight booked, you can use Sydney as the departing airport and utilize Google Flights or Matrix/ITA software to find an affordable flight or use miles to secure an award ticket for your next destination.

The best part of building a free-form RTW ticket is that you can use any combination of :

• Economy tickets or business class tickets
• Budget airlines
• Miles/points to purchase award tickets
• Your own timeframe
• Traveling in any direction
• Overland or water-based transportation as needed/desired

Letting the price of the ticket (miles or cash) determine your next destination could be the most affordable way to build the RTW ticket. While not for everyone, those who have managed to accomplish booking an RTW adventure using this method truly earn their place as world explorers.

Alternative Transport

Building an RTW ticket can be supplemented with ground or water transport between major cities to keep costs down. A good tool for booking alternative transport between cities, including the cost to do so, is Rome2Rio . Just plug it in any 2 destinations and the site will give you all the available options (train, bus, ferry, Uber, taxi, etc.), the associated duration, and the estimated price for each option.

Another choice for affordable alternative transport is a repositioning cruise . Repositioning cruises can be priced at a fraction of retail cost and can transport you across the Atlantic or from Brazil to Europe, for example, for as little as a few hundred dollars (see the actual listing above).

Train travel can be a great alternative for transiting from 1 city to another during an RTW trip. Seat 61 is an awarding-winning site that helps you find the perfect route, provides reviews of seats/trains, and facilitates booking tickets, all in 1 spot.

Hot Tip: Consider beginning your RTW ticket from a different country than your residence as your bottom-line RTW fare could be much lower (even adding the cost of a positioning flight). Try pricing your trip from Malaysia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, or even Indonesia to determine how changing the starting country can affect your bottom line price. 

One question that may enter your mind when building an RTW ticket is whether you’ll earn miles on your journey . The answer is generally yes, but it’s based on the airlines involved and fare classes within your itinerary.

There are several factors that determine the number of miles you earn on an RTW ticket or even whether you’ll earn any miles on a particular flight. Those factors include:

• Fare class of your ticket
• The airline’s rules for partner flights
• Which airline you’re crediting the miles to

When booking the ticket (whether it’s with one of the airline alliances or with a third-party such as AirTreks ), just let them know you want to earn miles and they’ll work with you to find flights that qualify.

You may have to purchase a slightly higher fare to earn the most miles from your trip, but that may be worth it.

No matter how you build and subsequently purchase your RTW ticket, there are a few tips to keep in mind that will help keep costs down, improve your experience, and assist if things go wrong.

• Stick to major cities for your RTW ticket and purchase or use miles for short-haul flights as needed.
• Consider alternative means of transportation between cities to maximize your experience and reduce costs.
• Consider starting your journey in another city that offers less-expensive airfare.
• Be flexible regarding your destinations and dates.
• Use frequent flyer miles for award tickets to supplement your journey, or position to a more affordable city to begin your journey.
• Compare prices between providers.
• Buy travel insurance . After all, you’re going on a trip around the world.
• Make sure you’re using a credit card that has no foreign transaction fees .

Keep in mind that rules change, options become unavailable, and pricing will be dynamic and constantly changing . Booking an RTW ticket takes a lot of work and patience but the results can be more than worth it.

Paying the extra premium to purchase an RTW ticket from one of the airline alliances may or may not be worth it to you. You may be able to save money by purchasing through third-party AirTreks with minimal sacrifice.

With that said, making changes appears more flexible and less costly with the airline alliances’ RTW ticket, but you’ll still have to follow their rules when building your itinerary. For example, you must travel in 1 direction with no backtracking, there is a restrictive number of stopovers, etc.

AirTreks’ RTW tickets aren’t as flexible when it comes to making changes, but you may be able to afford a few change fees and still pay less overall.

Purchasing an around-the-world ticket with miles is becoming a disappearing option — domestic carriers do not even offer it anymore. This is most likely because you can use one-way award flights to duplicate the same itineraries with greater flexibility.

If you want to purchase an RTW ticket, consider using an AirTreks itinerary that is affordably priced and tweak it to your liking. Or go completely wild and build your own free-form RTW itinerary where your destinations are determined by the cost (in points/miles/money) of the ticket.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a round-the-world ticket work.

A round-the-world ticket is a series of one-way flights that circle the globe and are all booked on 1 ticket.

You can purchase an RTW ticket from the airline alliances or from other third-party sellers. RTW tickets usually have restrictions and rules you must follow such as traveling in 1 direction, no backtracking, and beginning/ending in the same country.

How much does a round-the-world ticket cost?

The cost of an RTW ticket can vary substantially but you can purchase an RTW economy ticket with just a few stops for as low as $1,500.

The number of stops you make and the fare class of the ticket can affect pricing. For example, you may want to fly business class and visit a dozen cities so your cost will be higher.

In some cases, extra stops do not increase the price. RTW ticket sellers usually have sample itineraries illustrating a large number of stops so you can compare prices.

Where can I buy a round-the-world ticket?

You can purchase an RTW ticket from airline alliances such as Star Alliance and Oneworld, from some specific foreign airlines, or from third-party sellers such as AirTreks.

How long is a round-the-world ticket good for?

An RTW ticket issued by airline alliances, specific airlines, or AirTreks is generally good for 1 year from the date of purchase or from the first date of travel and cannot usually be extended.

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About Christine Krzyszton

Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.

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The In-Depth Guide to Buying an RTW Ticket

Last Updated: February 7, 2023

When it comes to planning an entire trip around the world , travelers have essentially two options: buy flights as you go or plan your route in advance.

Buying as you go gives you flexibility but risks you losing out if a flight is sold out (or overpriced).

Planning in advance requires more work upfront but makes for a more relaxing trip since all your planning is done before you go.

Both options have a place in your travel toolkit, but today, I want to focus on the latter.

Simply put, round-the-world (RTW) tickets are one of the most convenient ways to travel around the world. They make planning your trip simple and straightforward, allowing you to visit the destinations you want to see without having to worry about booking flights along the way.

You just plan your route, book your RTW ticket, and that’s it! They really take the hassle out of planning a complex trip over multiple continents and are a great choice for novice travelers who might not be comfortable improvising a trip on the fly.

And to top it all off, by purchasing your ticket in one bulk RTW package, you can usually save yourself some money too — which is always a plus in my book!

That said, knowing if a RTW ticket is the best way to get around the world really depends on the kind of trip you are taking. Round the world tickets come with many rules and conditions that might not work for you.

In this post, I’ll go over everything you need to know to help you decide if a RTW ticket is the right choice for you and your next globetrotting adventure.

Table of Contents

How Do Round the World Tickets (RTW) Work?

Star alliance round the world tickets, oneworld round the world tickets, skyteam round the world tickets, how much do round-the-world rickets cost.

• Where Can You Book an Around the World Ticket?

Are RTW Tickets Worth Buying?

• Book Your RTW Ticket

Before we begin, what exactly is an RTW ticket? RTW tickets are actually airline alliance flight passes. An airline alliance is a partnership in which airlines share seats on planes, passengers, and elite status benefits. You buy a ticket from one airline that can be used with them and their partners for one price that lets you travel around the world on that one ticket.

For example, if you book with United Airlines (Star Alliance), your ticket is only good for airlines that United partners within that alliance.

And if you book with American Airlines (which is part of the Oneworld airline alliance), you can only use their partners.

Since American Airlines doesn’t fly everywhere in the world, you’ll need to rely on its partners. Say you need to get from New York City to Nairobi, Kenya (a destination American doesn’t serve). You may technically book your flight with American Airlines for that route, however, you will actually fly one of its airline partners on the sections of the journey that American Airlines doesn’t fly.

It’s important to remember that none of these alliances include the world’s budget airlines such as Ryanair (Europe), Southwest (US), Air Asia (Asia), or Tiger (Asia/Australia). These airlines offer fewer amenities and cheaper fares than the “major” airlines of the world (i.e. large, international carriers that are part of an alliance).

But they also are less comfortable too, which is the trade-off.

RTW tickets can be purchased for seats in economy, business, and first-class. They also come with a number of terms and conditions. Generally speaking, a RTW ticket is valid for one year from the start date and requires you to end in the same country you start in. You don’t need to end in the same city but you need to end in the same country.

Here is a breakdown of the rules for each major airline alliance’s round the world ticket:  

Journeys need to start and end in the same country and go one direction: east or west. You’ll need to cross both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and can only do so once (so no doubling back).

You’ll get up to 16 flights on your ticket and the ability to cover up to 39,000 miles (which is enough to get you to almost every continent). They also provide free rebooking should you need to make any changes once you’re on the road (there are some caveats to that, which you can read int heir terms here .

Using their booking map, you’ll be able to create a 100% unique itinerary based on where you want to go. They also provide several thematic suggestions based on world history, romantic getaways, world wonders, food and wine, and more. Be sure to check them out for ideas and inspiration to get the ball rolling.

You can also have up to 5 “surface” sections in your itinerary. This just means you can travel from one destination to another 5 times outside of your RTW itinerary.

For example, you can fly to London as part of your RTW ticket and then have your onward flight depart from Paris . That will allow you to get to Paris from London via a cheaper flight or train ticket, allowing you to save money.

The distance between “surface” sections is still counted toward your overall 39,000 miles but surface sections can save you money when cheaper budget options are available (or if you’d just prefer to travel overland in certain regions/countries.)

They also have a second RTW ticket option, though it’s not a traditional RTW plan. It’s called Circle Pacific and it lets you travel in a circle around all of the countries that border the Pacific Ocean. So, instead of going around the globe you’ll be looping around the Pacific Ocean, starting and ending in the same destination.

The journey is good for up to 6 months (compared to the 1 year offered by their standard RTW ticket). Some of the most popular countries and regions included in this plan are Australia , New Zealand , Fiji , China , Japan , Southeast Asia , Vanuatu , Hawaii (and the rest of the US), and Canada .  

Oneworld Explorer is their segment-based pass, which focuses on continents. You can choose plans that offer access to 3, 4, and 6 continents. The more continents you plan to visit, the more expensive your ticket.

The plan also includes up to 16 segments (same as Star Alliance), however, there are no overland penalties. And since it’s continent-based, there’s no maximum mileage limit either. One of the benefits of this option is that every segment is counted the same — whether it’s a two-hour flight or a ten-hour flight — so you can really maximize long-haul flights and cover a lot of ground.

Their Global Explorer plan is the mileage-based pass (similar to the Star Alliance option). It has four options for milage: 26,000, 29,000, 34,000, and 39,000. Those (very roughly) translate to 3, 4, 5, and 6 continents.

The third option is Oneworld’s version of the Circle Pacific, which is effectively the same as the Star Alliance option.

Overall, Oneworld has access to slightly fewer destinations than Star Alliance (1,100 compared to 1,250) but all of the major regions are within reach. Unless you’re looking to get far from the tourist trail and visit obscure destinations, Oneworld will be able to get you to wherever you want to go.  

SkyTeam is the third option for RTW tickets. They have a plan similar to Star Alliance’s RTW ticket, however, they offer a rather limited version of it. The carriers and destinations are not nearly as comprehensive as either Star Alliance or Oneworld.

Personally, I wouldn’t even bother looking at their options. Both Star Alliance and Oneworld have much better products.  

On most RTW tickets, you can change the dates and times your ticket at no extra charge — as long as you don’t change the destinations.

For example, if you have a Tokyo to Los Angeles flight that you want to change, you can change the date and time without a fee. However, if you decide to fly from Tokyo to San Francisco instead then you have to pay a fee (usually around $125 USD).  

Where Can You Book a Round the World Ticket?

While you can book RTW tickets directly with the airlines above, you can usually find a better deal by booking through a third party.

Third-party bookers don’t just deal with one alliance — they mix and match from all available airlines (excluding budget airlines) to find the lowest price, which saves you money. Moreover, the overland mileage doesn’t count against your flight because there is no mileage limit.

In short, you’ll want to compare booking direct with booking via a third-party company, though it’s most likely that the third party site will have the better price.  

That depends.

RTW tickets are great for people with a set schedule. If you know your travel dates and destinations and don’t plan on changing your trip very much, an RTW ticket will save you a lot of time and a bit of money.

RTW tickets cost a lot, but if you pick one of the popular travel routes, you will find that you will save money in the end. Buying a ticket on a route like this will most likely cost less than if you were to book all your flights separately. You’ll also get more peace of mind since you have a company to help you with any changes you need to make, not to mention the fact that you’ll have everything planned before you leave home so that, once out in the world, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy yourself.

You should buy a RTW ticket if…

• You’re happy to fly on a set schedule
• You don’t plan to change your dates a lot
• You’re buying tickets for a big group like a family
• You don’t like budget airlines
• You’re visiting a lot of far-flung destinations and taking lots of long-haul flights
• You’re already a frequent flier and are looking to gain perks

If you are any of the above, a round the world ticket will probably save you at least 15-25% off the price of point-to-point tickets.

You should NOT buy a RTW ticket if…

• You want to fly a lot of budget airlines
• You don’t care about points or miles
• You have not set plan
• You’ll be gone longer than a year

If your trip matches any of these points, booking on your own, using budget carriers, and waiting for deals is going to work out a lot cheaper than buying a RTW ticket.

However, there is no definitive answer as to whether or not you should buy one of these tickets. It really depends a lot on your specific trip. A lot of people swear by around-the-world tickets and I believe that for the right trip, these tickets can be PERFECT.

You just have to figure out if your trip is the right trip for this kind of ticket.

To do that, use the interactive booking tools on the booking sites above. They all have websites where you can plan your route and get price estimates. That’s going to be the best way to compare prices and figure out which option is best for you.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

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Guide to Buying Around the World Tickets: A Cost Comparison

Last updated on January 24, 2024 by Shannon

Should you buy an around the world plane ticket or book as you go? This is the biggie question for many round-the-world travelers. Central to the question is: Which one costs more?

But it’s the wrong question. The right question is: Is an around-the-world plane ticket the best way to visit the countries you have planned?

I’ve traveled the world for 15 years now, and taken several RTW (which stands for round-the-world) trips—my first long-term trip was a yearlong journey through Australia , Southeast Asia , South Asia, and Europe. For the most part, I’ve skipped buying RTW tickets and instead booked flights as I traveled—and for really good reasons!

The worth of around-the-world planet tickets depends on the logistics of every single trip and every type of traveler. Even something as simple as traveling with carry on luggage can affect which option is more cost-effective for your trip. The other thing new travelers seldom fully grasp are the complex rules associated with an actual around-the-world ticket from an airline alliance (the three available being Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam).

Instead of drilling only into costs of an around-the-world ticket (which while valid eclipses some of the other major pros and cons), a better question is: Which flight ticketing option fits my travel style and trip goals?

Let’s look at an overview of what it takes to buy an around-the-world plane ticket (the rules, restrictions, and costs), and then the granular details of flights and country-level restrictions when booking long-term round the world travel.

Table of Contents

Buying Around the World Plane Tickets Through an Airline Alliance

Round the world tickets have a few key advantages that makes this an attractive option for certain types of trips. But there are drawbacks, too. Really, it’s a specific decision that appeals to some travelers.

If you’re keen to fly on a formal RTW ticket, your two primary options are Star Alliance  and OneWorld . These two around the world ticket providers are also the two largest airline alliances in the world. Between the two, they represent the vast majority of the world’s major airline carriers.

The third alliance is too small to be a viable option for most round the world trips, but for clarity’s sake that one is SkyTeam.

None of these alliances include the many budget airlines that have cropped up on nearly every continent.

If you book a RTW ticket through an airline alliance, there are a few industry conventions and rules you will have to follow.

How Oneworld and Star Alliance Plans Work

Both alliances offer total flexibility on which destinations you add to your itinerary—it’s completely customizable. That said, the rules dictate how many, the order of countries you visit, the number of overland segments you add, and the continents visited along your route.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s offered by the two airline alliances you may be considering for your RTW tickets:

• Star Alliance

A Star Alliance standard RTW flight package consists of 15 stops and 39,000 miles (that means 16 flights), all of your flights must be on Star Alliance airlines . You’re also offered five overland segments in your trip—you could land in Rome and fly out of London by doing the overland bit via Eurorail or budget flights.

Notable, however, is that the mileage on overland segments still counts against your total miles!

The other Star Alliance offering is a RTW-adjacent ticket called “ Circle Pacific ,” which only allows routes through countries bordering the Pacific—while it’s likely your trip will include more than these countries, there is a fair bit on offer so it’s worth investigating!

Oneworld ‘s offerings are a bit different—you can have a continent-based ticket (called one world Explorer) or a mileage-based one (called Global Explorer).

A continent-based oneworld Explorer ticket prices you based on the number of continents visited (three, four, or six) and then you can use up to 16 flight segments, which includes connecting flights. In this way, overland travel would not count against your RTW ticket. Obviously, the more continents you add to this segment-based itinerary, the more the ticket costs.

The Global Explorer, on the other hand, prices the RTW ticket by total mileage (26,000; 29,000; 34,000; or 39,000). If you’re skipping a couple of continents (I skipped three!), this can really work out in your favor and give you a lot of flexibility for the rest of your route. Like Star Alliance, Oneworld offers a Circle Pacific fare, which does not require you to cross both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans.

Pros of Buying RTW Tickets Through an Alliance

• RTW tickets can be a cost-effective option if you are planning to visit multiple destinations around the world.
• RTW tickets often include stopovers at no additional cost, which can be a great way to add extra destinations to your trip.
• RTW tickets can provide peace of mind, as all of your flights are booked in advance and you don’t have to worry about finding and booking flights as you go.

For the sake of ease, I will just list the most relevant rules you will have to follow if you choose to buy your flights on a round the world ticket through an alliance.

Cons of Buying RTW Tickets Through an Alliance

• RTW tickets may be more expensive upfront than booking flights individually.
• RTW tickets sometimes have restrictions and fees, such as change fees or blackout dates.
• RTW tickets rarely offer as much trip flexibility as booking flights individually— you’re committed to a specific route and cannot be able to make last-minute route changes (just date changes).

Alliances Rules for Around the World Tickets

• Because you bulk-buy your tickets at the beginning, there are sometimes real cost benefits—you are never buying last-minute tickets and scrambling on oversold flights at a busy time of year.
• They last a year.
• You’re booking with an alliance and can only sometimes redeem miles you may have earned through travel hacking. You do, however, earn miles along your route.
• You are limited to airlines within the alliance that you select.
• You cannot backtrack on your route. While you can move around a continent freely, your flights can never backtrack from the direction you choose around the world. (Here’s why I think picking a world travel itinerary that flies West is the best option for most.)
• You must start and end in the same country.
• You have to cross the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
• You eliminate a potential source of stress. You won’t need to spend a day searching flights and considering possible routes, you decided all of that before you left.

What does a round the world ticket cost?

Round-the-world tickets start around $2,500 USD for economy class and can go up to $10,000 USD—or far more if you’re flying business class to the maximum number of stops.

The cost of an round-the-world ticket varies significantly depending on: the airline or alliance you choose, the number of stops you plan to make, the class of service (economy, business, or first class), and the specific routes and destinations you want to include in your itinerary.

How many stops on a round the world ticket?

The number of stops varies depending on the alliance you used for your RTW ticket, and the tickets you bought. Star Alliance allows between 2 and 15 stopovers, while the Oneworld Global Explorer allows 16 total flights on your ticket.

Buying Piecemeal Flights Through an Airline Aggregator

Airline aggregators are how most of us book our flights. If you use Expedia, Skyscanner, or Kayak to book your vacations, then you know that these aggregators list the prices for a range of airlines flying your desired route.

For RTW tickets, a couple of specific search engines are designed to accommodate multi-stop trips. Start your search with Indie and Airtreks .

RTW tickets purchased on these special flight aggregators are not locked into the formal rules of a typical round the world ticket—but you also lose the benefits that come with the airline alliance tickets (date change flexiblity and such).

These RTW ticket aggregators mix and match airlines and airline alliances to find the best flight prices for every segment of your trip. These tickets come in at a much lower price than Alliance tickets, but offer few of the perks.

The only thing you really gain is that you have your flights pre-booked, which is ideal for trips up to six months. For longer trips, I find that booking a year’s worth of flights is impractical for most people. It locks you into a rigidly fixed route and timeline around the world.

Book-as-You-Travel

Your third option is to always be just a step or two ahead of your travels, booking the next segment from the road.

Pros of Booking Round-the-World Flights as You Go

• Booking flights as you go allows for more flexibility, as you can make changes or adjust your itinerary as needed.
• You may actually find better deals on flights if you book closer to the travel date.
• You will have more control over your route and the airlines you fly with—this can be good if you’re travel hacking on certain airlines to offset some of the cost of your round the world trip .

Cons of Booking Round-the-World Flights as You Go

Booking flights as you go can be more time-consuming, as you will need to research and book each flight. This is the main drawback—but if you’re on a long trip of six months or more, really you will have down time to research flights.

RTW Tickets vs. Booking-As-You-Go Showdown

• Many RTW ticket aggregators use only major airlines, so you may find better deals for segments of that trip on regional budget airlines.
• If you book through these aggregator companies, what you will have is a series of separate tickets. If you want to move your dates, you will pay the traditional fees associated with each airline impacted by your change.
• Pre-booking means your route and trip is pre-planned so you are relieved of the stress of planning as you travel.
• Both companies, AirTreks and Indie, offer guidance as you plan, which is a nice benefit if the flight planning part is high-stress for you.
• Budget airlines charge for a lot of “extras” that mainstream airlines do not, and many also arrive into alternative airports (these that may be far outside of your destination city and require hefty taxi fees or long bus rides after your flight).

In the years since my first long-term trip, I have used Indie for even just multi-stop tickets. The Indie search engine found a great deal for my Africa flights , which I booked from the U.S. into South Africa and out of Kenya. The BootsnAll crew is responsive and helpful and the search tool is intuitive.

How to Save Money on Around the World Flights

Plan in advance.

Start your research and booking process well ahead of time. Airlines often offer better deals when you book in advance, allowing you to secure more affordable fares.

That means you should be buying a RTW ticket at least six months before your trip to score the best deals. This is a way to save money while booking as you go, too.

Be flexible with your dates and destinations

Consider being open to adjusting your travel dates and exploring alternate routes. Sometimes, flying on weekdays or during off-peak seasons can result in lower prices.

Additionally, being flexible with your chosen destinations can help you take advantage of cheaper flights and optimize your overall itinerary—I share in-depth details about how to actually plan your route around the world .

Explore different airlines and alliances

Don’t limit yourself to a single airline or alliance. Research and compare prices across various airlines and alliances to find the best deals. Sometimes, combining flights from different carriers can result in cost savings. This is crucial when deciding if going with a single alliance’s RTW ticket is the best option for your trip.

Consider alternative airports

Research nearby airports in your departure and arrival cities. Sometimes, flying to or from a different airport can save you money, even when factoring in transportation costs to reach your intended destination. And consider even reversing your overland route, for example, if that lowers costs.

Don’t get stuck on flying into and out of Bangkok just so you could do the circular Banana Pancake Trail of SEA. Instead consider flying into Hanoi and then making your way to Thailand, for example. Or if you find an amazing deal into Kuala Lumpur, then you have a natural starting point for SEA.

Or travel through Africa north to south vs south to north. Basically, keep your brain creatively considering how to massage your routes into something you love, but that also takes advantage of flight deals.

Look for discounted or promotional fares

Keep an eye out for special promotions, discounts, or sales offered by airlines or travel agencies. Sign up for newsletters or follow them on social media to stay updated on the latest offers. This is incredibly true for puddle-jumpers! All of the discount airlines in the world offer flash sales with incredible deals.

Use a travel agent

Some travel agents and online travel agencies specialize in multi-stop itineraries (like AirTreks). They may have access to exclusive deals or be able to provide expert advice on cost-saving options.

How to Book Flights as You Travel Around the World

On my round the world trip, I tracked every single dollar spent on my round the world trip . And after it was over, I estimate that booking tickets as I traveled totaled out to slightly more than having purchased a piecemeal ticket before I left. And it was significantly less (by about $2,000) than a RTW ticket through an airline alliance.

I flew on one-way tickets around the world, and I booked many puddle jumpers on smaller, low-cost airlines too. Take a look at my route around the world . I visited 15 countries and several were grouped in regions of the world that facilitated overland travel.

On my route, I valued the flexibility of my trip far more than the idea that I could have saved a couple hundred dollars by having booked a pre-set route through one of the aggregators.

Booking as the year progressed also allowed me to take suggestions from other travelers and to adapt my RTW Itinerary to suit my evolving goals as I traveled (which embraced slow travel toward the end).

Also, to be honest, I didn’t have the money to spring for a ticket up front, and in the end I was grateful not to have to align myself with the rules and requirements and strict timetable of a RTW ticket. That said, some travelers rave about their RTW ticket experience.

Warning: Piecemeal Flights Mean You Have No Proof of Onward Travel

One big heads up —and it’s very important for anyone using this style of travel—some countries require that you have an outbound ticket before you can board the flight or enter the country.

In my more than 15 years of travel, this has cropped up twice as a big issue.

I was not allowed to board my flight from Melbourne to Bangkok until I had proof that I was leaving Thailand within 30-days of my arrival (North Americans are given a free 30-day visa on arrival in Thailand). This is not a rule that Thailand immigration enforces, but it was a random rule for the airline I had unwittingly booked. Australian airlines are notoriously strict about checking outbound flights.

Then, the same thing happened traveling from Mexico to Costa Rica—this is a hard and fast rule that is widely enforced for Costa Rica-bound travelers.

I write this so that you are aware of the possibility. Many long-term travelers fly on one-way tickets and show up with fingers crossed that they won’t have their outbound flights checked. You can mitigate this by planning the next stage of your trip, by booking a refundable plane or bus ticket to another country, or by arriving to the airport early and booking a ticket over wifi/cellular data if it’s required.

To my mind, booking airline tickets as you travel affords the most flexibility for any long trip, but the biggest benefits manifest on round the world trips that will last longer than six months.

If you decide to book your flights along the way, or to book each one independently, below I list my favorite flight search engines and route planning tools.

The Core Pros & Cons of Around the World Tickets

If you’re in a hurry, here are the five core points within the “Buy RTW Ticket” debate:

• Flexibility.  With the RTW plane ticket, you are locked into a firm route and you know the cost of your flights before you leave. If you book as you go, prices might rise as you travel but you’ll have the ability to change your route mid-trip.
• Type of Flights.  You will use the world’s major airline alliances on an around the world ticket. Booking as you go means you’ll likely spend more time flying on budget, low-cost, no-frills airlines.
• Planning Stress.  You either face the stress of spotty wifi on the on the road or you bite the bullet beforehand and add route planning into the madness of preparing for your round-the-world trip.
• Cost Comparison.  How do the airfare costs really stack up at the end of a trip? Since every person’s dream trip is different, you really have to price out the tickets yourself and see if the round-the-world ticket falls within your flight budget and goals.
• Amenities.  Decide the style of travel you prefer and then compare which type of planet ticket will offer the best all around—service, cost, and product—for your specific goals.

Are Around-the-World Tickets Worth It?

BootsnAll put together a free downloadable comparison guide for RTW tickets , and it has a sample of the different prices all of the various alliances would charge on sample routes—it’s a useful read! It’s older but still gives a good idea of what you’re facing when you buy an around the world plane ticket.

That comparison report has good average costs for round-the-world tickets. For your own trip, to budget for the expense, I recommend that you use the airline aggregators as a rough estimate of what you should save before travel .

Use Indie/ Airtreks to price out your route at the time of year you will travel (even if you’ll actually be booking flights in a couple years, try to align your search to a rough timeline of when you would be taking these flights).

Be generous with your estimates here. If there is one outlier flight route that comes up far cheaper than the others, go with an anticipated cost that sits in the median of those that come up in the search engine.

Pricing out daily travel budgets for various countries is easier than flights in many ways. Accommodation averages tend to stay steady over the years—the percent of increase year over year doesn’t noticeably affect a travel budget.

Airline prices, on the other hand, fluctuate on everything from current route competition to the global price of oil. If you’re creating an anticipated budget for future travel then budget high for the flights and you can adjust it as your trip nears and the flight prices become more indicative of the actual costs you will encounter as you travel.

If you’re undecided about which choice is best, know that there is no right answer here. They both work for different reasons.

My best advice is to plan just enough of your trip to stave off the panic attacks.

Leave the bulk of your trip planning to your actual trip. This works particularly well for trips longer than six months. That may sound crazy, but disassembling your life is enough work.

Once you are on the road, you will quickly learn how you want to travel and what you prioritize. I suggest that you book a hostel/hotel for the first week you land at the first stop on your around-the-world itinerary —then, I swear that the rest will work out.

You don’t have to plan the sights, the transport, the nitty-gritty details. That will all happen organically once you land and start talking to other travelers. Once I was actually on the road, I was amazed by how much I had over-stressed in the weeks leading up to my round the world trip.

And from a travel-hacking perspective on flights, if you’re keen to use airline miles and that sort of thing, Chris Guillebeau shared his round-the-world ticket buying strategies  and there are also programs online that teach you how to accrue miles and how to best redeem them for great flight deals.

I only lightly dabble in travel hacking (I own a Chase Sapphire Reserve card—arguably the best travel credit card —and use it exclusively when I am paying for anything and everything. I earn about one $800 flight each year, and I could do far better if I invested time in the travel hacking techniques that many friends successfully employ). But I love the perks of the card (free Priority Pass for airport lounges), too, so that has made it worth it.

How to Research Tickets and Prices

If you’re not completely sure which option works best for your trip, dive into the links below to price out various routes and options. Also, this post shares my exact process for finding great flight deals .

Search Engines for Regular Flights:

• Kayak : I usually start here for my flight searches to get a baseline on the costs, then I move on to a search engine that pulls in more of the low-cost carriers.
• Skyscanner : Use this as your first source for booking flights to or within Asia; the search engine pulls in a lot of the low-cost airlines too and can offer up some great fares you won’t find on the other aggregators.
• Expedia : I have been surprised by some of the great flights I find on here leaving from the US, particularly if you book in advance and have some of the major hub cities as stopping points.
• Google Flights : You know it’s good if it’s from Google, the king of search. This is a nice place to get a baseline for price estimates at the time of year you’ll be traveling.
• Matrix.itasoftware.com : Access to the backend that many travel agents use to find flight deals. It’s not in my regular lineup, but I always have this one in my back pocket.
• Research online : I found many tiny airlines in Africa that are not listed in any aggregator, so checking a guidebook or online for local low-cost airlines in some regions is a good idea.
• Amazing List of Low-Cost Flight Routes : This is a google map with flight routes many of the world’s low-cost airlines fly. Just glancing at it might inspire you to find some interesting routes to add into your travels.

Best Search Engines for RTW Flights:

• Indie  from Bootsnall
• STA Travel for students
• Flight Centre

Best Airline Alliances for RTW Tickets:

Planning your travels.

If you’re in the early stages of planning your travels, the following resources should help.

Dreaming of Travel » Letter to Travel Dreamers | How Do You Make Big Decisions? | Why I Decided to Travel the World | Creating Transformative Travel Experiences | The Best Travel Books

Affording Travel » How to Save for World Travel | How Much Does it Cost to Travel the World | Best Credit and Debit Cards for Travel | Using Geoarbitrage to Live Abroad | How to Work Remotely

Planning Travel » Plan Your World Travel Itinerary | Pack for Long-Term Travel | Homeschooling While Traveling | How to Purge Everything You Own | How to Pick the Right RTW Backpack | Buying RTW Flights

Staying Healthy » Safety and Solo Female Travel | How to Pick the Right Travel Insurance | Travel Vaccines 101 | How to Stay Healthy Abroad

8 thoughts on “Guide to Buying Around the World Tickets: A Cost Comparison”

My partner and I, we are traveling the world on May, We love the idea of the RTW ticket, the only problem is that we live in Middle east we really dont want to take the flight back to Dubai, is there a way to do the RTW without coming back to the initial country ?? Is bit of a shame to just dont take that flight and leave it to waste.

By the way great article we enjoyed reading it.

Have done this but must warn from experience that if you have not pre booked a certain flight out of certain countries you can get stuck for weeks relying on standby for availiabilty.This happened to me on the Bali Australia route and aslo Hawaii to Usa route(3weeks wait list each).and also Vancouver to Uk 2 weeks Also Srilanka to Uk was 2 weeks.Best to plan f your trips around flight dates in some parts of the world cos of waitlists

Thanks for this article, it’s so informative! I think though that you seem to be alright with budget airlines and smaller accommodation, so not going the RTW route and not making plans before hand as to where to stay, eat, see etc might work out for you. But I travel alone mostly, as a solo female, i think it’s imperative i have my accommodation sorted out before hand at least. And i only fly major airlines as i’m a nervous flyer as it is, and I just don’t do smaller planes/unknown carriers. So for me, the RTW makes the most sense. But your article is a good one nonetheless, and covered other angles. I enjoyed reading it.

I can completely understand using major airlines instead of lowcost ones, but I will counter your other point. There is no sane way to book a year’s accommodation ahead of time. I always advise all travelers to book at least a week or two in their destination where they’re landing, then it’s easy to figure out from there. And I was a solo female traveler for essentially all of my travels except some trips with my young nieces and nephews.

You are better off looking at an airlines financial results than going by the size of their fleet. Major airlines lose bucketloads most of the time. Budget airlines often have the newest planes. You can check that before booking. Most airlines have their planes maintained by service companies when they are away from base, so they all get the same treatment. In my experience almost all the incidents one is likely to encounter are caused by things like bird strikes, which no airline can protect against.

Shannon, this type of article has the danger of falling into over qualified “it depends” descriptions. You did a great job of avoiding that pitfall.

The link library at the end makes this a bookmark must.

Thanks for the wonderfulness.

II always aim for very specific and granular information and actionable advice that people can actually use to tweak and fit into their own travel plans. I am so happy to know that you’ve found it useful. Good luck with your traveling planning!

I am going on a round the world trip and having booked my flights in advance looks cheaper and more convenient. I will be working at the same time so I dont need the extra stress. As I also want to go to North Korea some expert advice is always welcome. Also, the necessity to show your outbound ticket in certain countries is a risk I definitely do not wish to take. I already know where I really want to go so I prefer it like this. However, some advice to people searching for RTW offers: NEVER contact roundtheworldflights.com. They are abrupt and unprofessional to say the least.

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• Guide to Round The World (RTW) Tickets

If you live in New York City and you want to visit Paris, booking an airline ticket is pretty straight forward. You can go on your airfare booking site of choice and compare the cost and convenience of various options. You would consider questions like when the flights leave, how many stops they make and what how long any layovers might be.

But, let’s say you want to do a longer trip and you want to visit Paris, Istanbul, Delhi, Tokyo, and Honolulu all on one trip. You can of course just book 6 airline tickets separately but you could potentially save a lot of money by buying a Round The World (RTW) ticket. This is a special class of ticket with different benefits and different restrictions.

Restrictions of a Round The World Ticket

Star alliance, what about other airlines, pros of a round the world ticket, cons of a round the world ticket, option 1 – get help, oneworld rtw ticket planner.

• Star Alliance RTW ticket planner
• SkyTeam RTW ticket planner

How do Round The World Tickets Work?

The simplest explanation for a round the world tick is that you can get a discount ticket from one airline for booking all those flights together, but… you have to book that ticket through that airline and its partners and, as a rule, you need to travel around the world in one direction, east to west or west to east to use a Round The World ticket .

• You must end up in the same city ( or country on SkyTeam and Star Alliance) you start
• All three airline alliances will let you make some number of segments via alternate transpiration (for example you fly to London and take the train to Paris) but will still count that as one of your segments and will count the miles towards your maximum.
• You must fly east to west or west to east the whole route (except Sky team)
• You must cross the Pacific Ocean once and only once
• You must cross the Atlantic Ocean once and only once
• You must book your ticket from one Airline Alliance and fly only on airlines that are part of that alliance.
• There may be a minimum and a maximum on the number of flights and stopovers
• There may be an extra charge to stop in particular destinations.
• There will be a limit on the total number of miles for the flights in the ticket.

Airline Alliances  (What Airlines are in What Alliances)

There are 3 major alliances of airlines, when you book a round the world ticket you will be using carriers (airlines) from only one of these airlines.

• Adria Airways (Slovenia)
• Aegean Airlines (Greece)
• Air Canada (Canada)
• Air China (China)
• Air India (India)
• Air New Zealand (New Zealand)
• ANA (Japan)
• Asiana Airlines (South Korea)
• Austrian Airlines (Austria)
• Avianca (Colombia)
• Avianca Brasil (Brazil)
• Brussels Airlines (Belgium)
• Copa Airlines (Panama)
• Croatia Airlines (Croatia)
• EgyptAir (Egypt)
• Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopia)
• EVA Air (Taiwan)
• LOT Polish Airlines (Poland)
• Lufthansa (Germany)
• SAS (Sweden)
• Shenzen Airlines (China)
• Singapore Airlines (Singapore )
• South African Airways (South Africa)
• Swiss International (Switzerland)
• TAP Portugal (Portugal)
• Thai Airways International (Thailand)
• Turkish Airlines (Turkey)
• United (USA)
• American Airlines (USA)
• British Airways (UK)
• Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong)
• Finnair (Finland)
• Iberia (Spain)
• Japan Airlines (Japan)
• LATAM Airlines (South America)
• Malaysia Airlines (Malaysia)
• Qantas (Australia)
• Qatar Airways (Qatar)
• Royal Jordanian (Jordan)
• S7 Airlines (Russia)
• SriLankan Airlines (Sri Lanka)
• Aeroflot (Russia)
• Aerolíneas Argentinas (Argentina)
• Aeroméxico (Mexico)
• Air Europa (Spain)
• Air France (France)
• Alitalia (Italy)
• China Airlines (Taiwan)
• China Eastern Airlines (China)
• Czech Airlines (Czech Republic)
• Delta Air Lines (United States )
• Delta Shuttle (United States)
• Garuda Indonesia (Indonesia)
• Kenya Airways (Kenya )
• KLM (Netherlands)
• Korean Air (South Korea)
• Middle East Airlines (Lebanon)
• Saudia (Saudi Arabia)
• TAROM (Romania)
• Vietnam Airlines (Vietnam)
• XiamenAir (China)

As you can see some alliances will have advantages if you plan to get to specific countries. Certainly, not all flights to Turkey will need to be on Turkish airlines, for example, but… Turkish airlines is going to have better connections to Turkey than any other airline.

Not every airline in the world is in an alliance. Specifically missing are budget carriers like Ryanair, easyJet, Norwegian, WOW, Germanwings, Frontier, or even some larger airlines in the USA like Southwest and Alaska.

As a rule then, you cannot fly an airline as part of your round the world ticket . But, they might still make up part of your itinerary. For example, you could fly to London on a round the world ticket and then do a round trip flight to Spain on a low-cost European airline like Ryanair from there, but it would not be considered part of your round the world ticket. That is one of the things that makes booking a round the world ticket a bit more tricky.

• Because you book all your flights at the same time you don’t have to worry about what happens if you can’t get one of the flights
• Because you book all your flights at the same time a round the world ticket may save you money
• Because you are booking through an airline alliance (Star Alliance, oneworld,  Sky Team) you can earn or spend your frequent flier miles in that program.
• Restrictions on directions of travel: go east or go west
• Like any ticket, if you miss a flight then the rest of your itinerary could be canceled. When this happens with a round trip ticket, you are probably still at home. When this happens on the 3rd flight of 6… things can get very complicated very fast.
• There will be charges to change your itinerary.
• Because you are restricted to one airline alliance, you may not be able to take some flights on other airlines that would simplify your routing.
• Low-cost airlines are not included, so you need to be careful that the round the world ticket is the best option as far as price.

How Do I get Started?

As you can see below the rules for booking can get complicated. If you want help booking I recommend AirTreks which has been in the business for years. I have known their CEO personally for over a decade. They have an easy trip builder . Add in where you want to go and they will give you a quick estimate of the price.

AirTreks also has example itineraries which has the advantage that some of them they have already figured out are relatively inexpensive. Click through one of these to get an idea of prices. Don’t worry, clicking won’t buy one 🙂

Option 2 – Book Your Own Round The World Ticket

Each of the airline alliances have a starting point and their own set of specific rules:

• Europe/Middle East/North Africa/Greenland
• Australia, New Zealand, and the South West Pacific
• North America including the Caribbean, Central America, and Panama
• South America
• Up to 26,000 miles
• economy class only
• You can visit from 2-5 regions above
• maximum of 2 stops in the same region
• Up to 29,000 miles
• You must visit at least 2 regions
• A maximum of 4 stops in the same region
• A maximum of 2 stopovers are permitted in the region of origin
• Up to 34,000 miles
• economy, business or first class
• maximum of 4 stops in the same region
• Up to 39,000 miles
• Up to 16 flight segments, you can travel between two airports (like London/Paris above) via surface transportation but they will count that as a flight segment as if you flew.
• Minimum trip duration 10 days
• Total trip duration less than 1 year
• Following your first flight between Continental Zones, all subsequent flights can be left open-dated, allowing you to schedule your trip as you go

Star Alliance rtw ticket planner

• Up to 16 flight segments
• At least 2 stopovers
• Up to 15 stopovers
• A stopover is a stay of more than 24 hours
• If your journey starts in Australia or New Zealand, minimum trip duration of 7 days
• If your journey starts in Europe, minimum trip duration of 10 days
• You travel needs to end in the same country, although not the same city
• Your itinerary may reflect travel greater than Round the World provided it is not via the point of origin and still terminates in the country of origin.
• In the entire journey not more than one crossing is permitted between Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia, Pacific.
• Specific flights must be booked 24 hours in advance
• Children (2-11years) are charged 75% of the available adult fare plus applicable fees, taxes and surcharges.
• Up to 5 segments can be made via surface transportation, but will still count towards miles and number of segments

SkyTeam rtw ticket planner

• – Go Round The World Fare 1 up to 38,000 miles
• – Go Round The World Fare 2 up to 33,000 miles
• – Go Round The World Fare 3 up to 29,000 miles
• – Go Round The World Fare 4 up to 26,000 miles
• At least 3 stopovers
• You can switch directions east to west and west to east
• You can only pass through a specific city twice
• A lap infant without a seat will be charged 10% of the fare
• A child 11 years old or less will be charged 75% of the fare

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by Chris Christensen

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House Republicans ditch their day jobs to stand with Trump, while legislating languishes

Donald Trump’s lawyers accused the star prosecution witness in his hush money trial of lying to jurors, portraying Trump fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen on Thursday as a serial fabulist who is bent on seeing the presumptive Republican presidential nominee behind bars. (AP video by John Minchello) (AP produced by Javier Arciga)

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks during a news conference near Manhattan criminal court Thursday, May 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., holds a photo of Former President Donald Trump as he speaks during a news conference at near Manhattan Criminal Court Thursday, May 16, 2024, in New York. Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal during the 2016 presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., speaks during a news conference at near Manhattan Criminal Court during the trial of former President Donald Trump, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in New York.. Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal during the 2016 presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during a news conference at near Manhattan Criminal Court Thursday, May 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., speaks during a news conference at near Manhattan Criminal Court during the trial of former President Donald Trump, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in New York. Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal during the 2016 presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., speaks during a news conference at near Manhattan criminal court Thursday, May 16, 2024, in New York. Former President Donald Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal during the 2016 presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla speaks during a news conference near Manhattan Criminal Court Thursday, May 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Leaving Washington behind, prominent far-right House Republicans who have repeatedly thrown this Congress into chaos showed up Thursday at Donald Trump’s hush money trial to do what they do best.

They stood outside Trump Tower filming their support for the indicted former president. They filed into the Manhattan courthouse “standing back and standing by,” as Rep. Matt Gaetz put it — invoking Trump’s call to the extremist Proud Boys . They were admonished to put down their cell phones.

And the House Republicans commandeered the spotlight — much like House Speaker Mike Johnson did earlier in the week — to rant against what they called the “kangaroo court” and the “political persecution” of Trump, as their day jobs waited for their return.

“President Trump is not going anywhere,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert , R-Colo., as hecklers interrupted.

“And we are not going anywhere either. We are here to stand with him.”

The split-screen scene between New York and D.C. provided one of the more vivid examples yet of how Republicans have tossed aside the de rigueur tasks of governing in favor of the engineered spectacle of grievance, performance and outrage that powers Trump-era American politics.

As much of Congress stalled out yet again, unable to legislate through the country’s challenges, the Republicans chose to spend the day going viral.

The excursion was all the more remarkable because it comes as House Republicans were focused Thursday on moving to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress — part of a broader campaign attack on President Joe Biden.

The House’s Oversight and Judiciary Committee Republicans are demanding the Justice Department turn over evidence in the classified documents case against Biden, including an audio interview that is potentially embarrassing to the president as he stumbles through some answers. The Judiciary panel soldiered on Thursday, while the Oversight committee punted its hearing to evening, once lawmakers return.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene , perhaps the most outspoken of Trump’s allies who joined him in New York when he was first charged in the case, lambasted her GOP colleagues for dashing to Manhattan when she said they should be back in Washington doing congressional business.

“I’m here doing my job,” Greene said on the eve of the trip.

Greene particularly criticized Johnson, the speaker she tried to oust , for “running up” to New York when she is pushing him toward her next big project, dismantling Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office and its federal indictments against Trump, including for trying to overturn the 2020 election in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

It all unfolds as Congress is on record as being among the most unproductive in recent times, with few legislative accomplishments or bills passed into law.

Republicans swept to House majority control in 2023, but became quickly consumed by infighting as traditional conservatives were pushed aside by Trump’s national populist Make America Great Again movement. They ousted their own leader, then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, derailed priority bills and left Johnson forced to rely on help from Democrats to stay in power, an unheard of scenario.

“The extreme MAGA Republicans have brought nothing but chaos, dysfunction and extremism to the Congress from the very beginning,” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader. “And they cannot point to a single thing that they’ve been able to do on their own to deliver real results, to solve problems for hardworking American taxpayers.”

“Get a job,” the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted on social media.

Outside the courthouse, the dozen or so Republican lawmakers didn’t dress the same, as others did with matching dark suits and Trump-styled red ties earlier in the week, but still formed a unified front for Trump.

“We’re watching the persecution of a patriot,” said Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn. “What a price to be a patriot President Trump has paid.”

Gaetz called it the “Mr. Potato Head doll of crimes” where the prosecutors had to “stick together a bunch of things” to make a case.

While some like Gaetz are among Trump’s biggest backers in Congress, others are working quickly to burnish their credentials with the MAGA movement that now defines the Republican Party for their own political survival.

The chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., had been late to endorse Trump, and now faces a difficult primary next month. His Trump-aligned challenger, Republican John McGuire, was able to ride with Good and the other lawmakers in Trump’s motorcade to the courthouse.

“We’re here to have his back,” Good said of Trump. “We’re here to defend him and to tell the truth about this travesty of justice, this political persecution, this election interference, this rigging of elections.”

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., holds a photo of Former President Donald Trump as he speaks during a news conference at near Manhattan Criminal Court Thursday, May 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who had been a supporter of his home state presidential contender Nikki Haley, derided the “kangaroo court” prosecuting Trump.

Arizona Rep. Eli Crane said Democrats are prosecuting Trump because “they can’t beat him” at the ballot box in November.

Crane said he and other Republicans are fighting to “Make America Great Again,” which after the afternoon of heckling, drew a round of cheers.

By day’s end, they were back at the Capitol, several of them recounting their visit in a series of late-evening floor speeches, all caught on the cameras, before they finished up for the night, and closed out the House.

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The huge solar storm is keeping power grid and satellite operators on edge

Geoff Brumfiel

Willem Marx

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of solar flares early Saturday afternoon. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there have been measurable effects and impacts from the geomagnetic storm. Solar Dynamics Observatory hide caption

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of solar flares early Saturday afternoon. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there have been measurable effects and impacts from the geomagnetic storm.

Planet Earth is getting rocked by the biggest solar storm in decades – and the potential effects have those people in charge of power grids, communications systems and satellites on edge.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there have been measurable effects and impacts from the geomagnetic storm that has been visible as aurora across vast swathes of the Northern Hemisphere. So far though, NOAA has seen no reports of major damage.

The Picture Show

Photos: see the northern lights from rare, solar storm.

There has been some degradation and loss to communication systems that rely on high-frequency radio waves, NOAA told NPR, as well as some preliminary indications of irregularities in power systems.

"Simply put, the power grid operators have been busy since yesterday working to keep proper, regulated current flowing without disruption," said Shawn Dahl, service coordinator for the Boulder, Co.-based Space Weather Prediction Center at NOAA.

NOAA Issues First Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Since 2005

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"Satellite operators are also busy monitoring spacecraft health due to the S1-S2 storm taking place along with the severe-extreme geomagnetic storm that continues even now," Dahl added, saying some GPS systems have struggled to lock locations and offered incorrect positions.

NOAA's GOES-16 satellite captured a flare erupting occurred around 2 p.m. EDT on May 9, 2024.

As NOAA had warned late Friday, the Earth has been experiencing a G5, or "Extreme," geomagnetic storm . It's the first G5 storm to hit the planet since 2003, when a similar event temporarily knocked out power in part of Sweden and damaged electrical transformers in South Africa.

The NOAA center predicted that this current storm could induce auroras visible as far south as Northern California and Alabama.

Extreme (G5) geomagnetic conditions have been observed! pic.twitter.com/qLsC8GbWus — NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) May 10, 2024

Around the world on social media, posters put up photos of bright auroras visible in Russia , Scandinavia , the United Kingdom and continental Europe . Some reported seeing the aurora as far south as Mallorca, Spain .

The source of the solar storm is a cluster of sunspots on the sun's surface that is 17 times the diameter of the Earth. The spots are filled with tangled magnetic fields that can act as slingshots, throwing huge quantities of charged particles towards our planet. These events, known as coronal mass ejections, become more common during the peak of the Sun's 11-year solar cycle.

A powerful solar storm is bringing northern lights to unusual places

Usually, they miss the Earth, but this time, NOAA says several have headed directly toward our planet, and the agency predicted that several waves of flares will continue to slam into the Earth over the next few days.

While the storm has proven to be large, predicting the effects from such incidents can be difficult, Dahl said.

Shocking problems

The most disruptive solar storm ever recorded came in 1859. Known as the "Carrington Event," it generated shimmering auroras that were visible as far south as Mexico and Hawaii. It also fried telegraph systems throughout Europe and North America.

Stronger activity on the sun could bring more displays of the northern lights in 2024

While this geomagnetic storm will not be as strong, the world has grown more reliant on electronics and electrical systems. Depending on the orientation of the storm's magnetic field, it could induce unexpected electrical currents in long-distance power lines — those currents could cause safety systems to flip, triggering temporary power outages in some areas.

my cat just experienced the aurora borealis, one of the world's most radiant natural phenomena... and she doesn't care pic.twitter.com/Ee74FpWHFm — PJ (@kickthepj) May 10, 2024

The storm is also likely to disrupt the ionosphere, a section of Earth's atmosphere filled with charged particles. Some long-distance radio transmissions use the ionosphere to "bounce" signals around the globe, and those signals will likely be disrupted. The particles may also refract and otherwise scramble signals from the global positioning system, according to Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist with NOAA. Those effects can linger for a few days after the storm.

Like Dahl, Steenburgh said it's unclear just how bad the disruptions will be. While we are more dependent than ever on GPS, there are also more satellites in orbit. Moreover, the anomalies from the storm are constantly shifting through the ionosphere like ripples in a pool. "Outages, with any luck, should not be prolonged," Steenburgh said.

What Causes The Northern Lights? Scientists Finally Know For Sure

The radiation from the storm could have other undesirable effects. At high altitudes, it could damage satellites, while at low altitudes, it's likely to increase atmospheric drag, causing some satellites to sink toward the Earth.

The changes to orbits wreak havoc, warns Tuija Pulkkinen, chair of the department of climate and space sciences at the University of Michigan. Since the last solar maximum, companies such as SpaceX have launched thousands of satellites into low Earth orbit. Those satellites will now see their orbits unexpectedly changed.

"There's a lot of companies that haven't seen these kind of space weather effects before," she says.

The International Space Station lies within Earth's magnetosphere, so its astronauts should be mostly protected, Steenburgh says.

In a statement, NASA said that astronauts would not take additional measures to protect themselves. "NASA completed a thorough analysis of recent space weather activity and determined it posed no risk to the crew aboard the International Space Station and no additional precautionary measures are needed," the agency said late Friday.

People visit St Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay to see the aurora borealis on Friday in Whitley Bay, England. Ian Forsyth/Getty Images hide caption

People visit St Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay to see the aurora borealis on Friday in Whitley Bay, England.

While this storm will undoubtedly keep satellite operators and utilities busy over the next few days, individuals don't really need to do much to get ready.

"As far as what the general public should be doing, hopefully they're not having to do anything," Dahl said. "Weather permitting, they may be visible again tonight." He advised that the largest problem could be a brief blackout, so keeping some flashlights and a radio handy might prove helpful.

I took these photos near Ranfurly in Central Otago, New Zealand. Anyone can use them please spread far and wide. :-) https://t.co/NUWpLiqY2S — Dr Andrew Dickson reform/ACC (@AndrewDickson13) May 10, 2024

And don't forget to go outside and look up, adds Steenburgh. This event's aurora is visible much further south than usual.

A faint aurora can be detected by a modern cell phone camera, he adds, so even if you can't see it with your eyes, try taking a photo of the sky.

The aurora "is really the gift from space weather," he says.

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