Imagine being able to pack a bag and embark on a journey that takes you around the globe. For many, this is the ultimate dream. What if I told you that this dream is now more accessible and affordable than ever before?

Round-the-world (RTW) airline tickets have long been an option for travelers, but with rising airfare prices, these tickets now offer better value than booking multiple individual trips, especially for frequent flyers. Here’s everything you need to know about RTW tickets and why they’re a game changer.

Understanding Round-The-World Tickets
Purchasing a round-the-world ticket is more complex than buying a standard return flight. It requires careful planning and research into multiple destinations to ensure you get the most economical route in terms of both time and money.
Several airlines offer RTW tickets, but the two most well-known and reputable alliances are Oneworld and Star Alliance. These alliances allow you to fly with any of their member airlines, providing numerous options and flexibility.
However, each alliance has specific rules that vary, adding a layer of complexity to the planning process.

Star Alliance RTW Tickets
Star Alliance’s RTW ticket comes with a few important rules. Your journey must start and end in the same country, travel in one direction (east or west), and cross both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. You can include up to 15 stops on your itinerary, with a minimum of two stops. Travel duration can range from 10 days to a year.
If your dream trip fits these criteria, the world truly becomes your oyster. Ticket prices vary depending on the itinerary and travel dates. You can either create a custom itinerary or choose from pre-set routes offered by Star Alliance. Prices start at around $4,000, with some itineraries designed to take you to all seven wonders of the world.

Sample Itinerary
To illustrate, I created a sample itinerary departing from New York JFK on September 8, visiting five destinations: Rio De Janeiro, Paris, Istanbul, Dubai, and Tokyo, before returning to New York. The total cost for one passenger, including taxes and fees, was $3,532. For comparison, a Delta return flight to Tokyo for the same dates cost $1,899, and a return flight to Dubai cost $1,638. Clearly, a RTW trip to five destinations is comparable in cost to round-trip flights to just two destinations.

Oneworld RTW Tickets
Oneworld offers a slightly more complex system with three types of RTW fares: Oneworld Explorer, Global Explorer, and Circle Pacific. The Oneworld Explorer fare is based on the number of continents visited, while the Global Explorer is distance-based. Circle Pacific is similar to the RTW option offered by Star Alliance.

Sample Itinerary
For an example, I planned a winter itinerary departing from Los Angeles (LAX) on February 9, 2025. The route included Paris, London, Helsinki, Doha, and Seoul, before returning to LAX. The total price, including taxes, was $4,374. Adding an extra stop in Dubai only increased the price to $4,555.

Affordability and Value
While RTW tickets are not cheap, they offer more value than you might expect. If you typically take two or three long-haul trips per year, you could maximize your budget by opting for one RTW trip instead. These tickets offer limited flexibility with date and destination changes, so they are best for travelers with a fixed itinerary who dream of exploring multiple destinations.
Round-the-world tickets are a fantastic option for those looking to see more of the world in one go. For more information and to book, you can explore Star Alliance and Oneworld’s RTW ticket options through their respective links.
RTW tickets make the dream of global travel more attainable and provide significant savings for frequent travelers. If exploring the world has always been on your bucket list, now might be the perfect time to turn that dream into reality.