How to Book a Round-the-World Trip Using Points and Miles?

You may have a dream of flying around the world. However, you may find it very costly, as many destinations are involved when booking with any airline. But what if you can fly to distinct destinations without breaking into your banks? Yes, you heard it right. Many airlines offer you the option to book a round-the-world trip using their miles and points, making your expenses comparatively less costly. Read the article below till the end to fulfill your dream and learn how to book a round-the-world trip using your travel rewards.

What Do You Mean By Round-The-World Trip?

A "Round-the-world" trip is a special type of ticket that refers to a single itinerary that allows you to circumnavigate multiple destinations worldwide on a single ticket. Here, you purchase a single ticket instead of booking individual flights, enabling you to visit various destinations in various countries. These tickets are mainly offered by airline alliances, such as Star Alliance, SkyTeam, OneWorld, and specialist travel agencies. 

How Many Points or Miles Do I Require To Book A Round-The-World Flight?

Airline miles are one of the best options for travelers to book "round-the-world" (RTW) trips, as they help them use their points efficiently and minimize out-of-pocket expenditure. Though the points and miles required to book the trip may vary based on the loyalty program and the fare class you select, you can expect to drain at least 100,000 miles from your accumulated reward points. The detailed expense of the points in different airlines can be seen as follows:

Oneworld

Many airlines under Oneworld offer RTW trips, including American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and many more. Among them, Classic Flight Rewards of Qantas offers you one of the best options for booking your RTW flights. The total mileage that you travel in your itinerary is used to determine the number of points required. There are ten different "mileage zones" in the Qantas, ranging from 1,200 to 35,000 miles. Some of the classifications can be seen as:

• A trip up to 1,200 miles may cost you 20,000 points for the economy and 55,000 points for the first-class fare.
• A trip between 9,601 and 11,600 miles may cost you 75,600 points for the economy and 258,600 points for the first-class fare. 
• A trip between 19,201 and 35,000 miles may cost you 132,400 points for the economy and 455,000 points for the first-class fare. 

Note: You can find the best value in zone 10 for a trip between 19,201 and 35,000 miles. 

SkyTeam

You can book an RTW flight with SkyTeam using the reward points you earn through its frequent flyer program. Though not every airline of SkyTeam offers you an RTW trip, however, major airlines like KLM, Delta, and Air France include the option. The points you have to spend to book a flight will depend upon your airline, travel class, and the specific itinerary you have chosen. However, you can expect to pay around:

• Up to 180,000 miles for economy class.
• Up to 335,000 miles for business class.
• Up to 500,000 miles for first class. 

Star Alliance

Star Alliance determines the RTW fare based on the total number of planned trip miles, the number of stopovers in your itinerary, and the country of origin, i.e., where your trip starts, which can be seen as:

• The Standard fare for Round the World tickets includes up to 29,000, 34,000, or 39,000 miles. 
• For the Special Economy Round the World fare, you must spend up to 26,000, 29,000, 34,000, or 39,000 miles.  
• For the Special Business Round the World fare, you must spend up to 26,000 miles.

Note: Star Alliance does not offer special Economy and Special Business RTW fares for the itinerary that originates from Japan. 

How To Book Round-The-World Flights Using Points or Miles?

There are different ways to book an RTW trip using points or miles from various airlines. You can follow the below ways to book such a flight for some of the most prominent airlines across the globe:

Qantas

• Log in to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account
• Use the multi-city booking tool of Qantas
• Ensure to choose "Use Points - Classic Flight Rewards Only", provided at the top of the page.
• Afterward, you must go through each segment and choose your flights individually. 
• After selecting all the first-leg flights, go down the page and select "Continue". 
• Thereafter, you can choose the flights for the next leg. 
• If your travel plans align with the Oneworld Classic Flight Reward criteria, the Qantas points required will reach the maximum limit set at the Oneworld Classic Flight Reward pricing tier. 
• After choosing all the flights, you can check your itinerary simultaneously, along with the points and charges you must pay.
• Then, click "Continue" and pay the taxes and carrier charges to complete the process. 

Star Alliance

• Initially, enter your city of origin and add other destinations by entering the city's name. 
• Star Alliance's system will automatically select your flights for each segment; however, you can also pick any Star Alliance network airline that best suits you. 
• Provide them with all the necessary details, including your contact number and identification documents, so that they can secure your booking.
• Complete the payment transaction by entering the essential details and, afterward, receive your confirmed RTW itinerary. 

Are There Any Rules For Booking Round-The-World Flights With Points And Miles?

Though you have plenty of airline options when booking an RTW tour, each has its own rules, which you must follow when booking with them, which can be seen as: 

Qantas

• Book all your Qanats flights in one continuous direction, either from east to west or west to east. 
• Qantas divided its journey into three zones. You must visit each zone: Zone 1 includes North and South America; Zone 2 includes Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; and Zone 3 includes Asia and the South West Pacific.
• With Qantas, you can visit up to 16 cities, where any place you connect is considered a stop and counted as a different destination.
• If you arrive and depart from two different cities, they are considered a sector on your itinerary. 
• You have to end your destination within 12 months from the start of your journey. ​

SkyTeam

• The starting and ending destination of your trip should be the same. 
• Your travel itinerary must cross both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
• You can include the continents between 3 and 6 in your itinerary.
• You can have a total of 3 to 16 flights for your itinerary. 
• Your journey must end within 12 months of your departure date. 

Star Alliance

• Your itinerary must have at least two and a maximum of 15 stops.
• You must cross both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. 
• Your starting and end destination should be from the same country.
• At max, you are allowed to travel for 39,000 miles.
• You can travel in only one direction, either from east to west or west to east. 
• Your travel time must be between 10 days and 1 year. 

Note: If your itinerary doesn't fulfill any of the conditions or the airline won't have any flights for the chosen cities during your travel time, you will receive an error message. 

What Are Some Useful Tips And Tricks While Booking a Round-The-World Flight? 

Using reward points for traveling is an art that should be utilized wisely. It's up to you to use all your miles together or spend them so that you can save some and use them in the future. Here are some useful tricks that you can use to save some of your points or rewards.  

• Make your dates more flexible to work the RTW more effectively.
• You can use the destinations available guide, especially when you are traveling in business class, where it would be difficult to find the availability of the space if your dates and locations are set. 
• Try to make stopovers if you find them less costly than direct flights. Sometimes, direct flights can take up more of your reward points than stopover flights. Stopovers also allow you to explore a different destination.  
• Sometimes, traveling with local carriers within the continent can be less costly than using miles on a flight. Though you have to spend a few dollars, it will save you huge miles, which you can use for longer destination travel.  

FAQs

Q. Can my frequent flyer miles be used to book a round-the-world trip with miles and points?

Yes, your frequent flyer miles can be used to book an RTW trip, either directly or through an array of one-way trips using miles and points.

Q. Do I have to pay for the RTW trip after paying for it with my frequent flyer points?

You must pay taxes, fuel surcharges, and airport charges in addition to spending your reward points on your RTW trip. 

Q. How can I earn enough reward points to book a free round-the-world tour?

You can earn enough reward points to book a free round-the-world tour by flying with them regularly, making eligible purchases, signing up for bonuses, and not spending your earned points on small upgrades. 

Q. Can I combine my points and miles to book a free round-the-world flight?

No, none of the airlines allow you to combine your points and miles from different airlines to book a free round-the-world flight; however, if possible, you can transfer one reward point to another to use them together.