7 August 2013
Travel
  1. Your round-the-world ticket is not actually one piece of paper. It's a booklet of several passes, each one valid for a different flight.
  2. The airlines that provide your flights are part of alliances. Star Alliance and OneWorld are the two biggest ones. You can only fly on airlines that are in the alliance you booked with. Alliances can and do change, for example, a new airline may join.
  3. There's a maximum number of flights you can take on a round-the-ticket. It depends on your ticket but is generally between about 10 and 17.
  4. There's also a minimum number! Usually 4 or 5.
  5. There are a limited number of miles that your ticket will cover, so some destinations will be off-limits because they are too far out of the way. Again, the mileage limits vary according to your ticket.
  6. Tickets are also time-limited - you have to complete your trip within a year.
  7. The trip can include one or more overland portions - for example, you might fly into Bangkok and be expected to make your own way to Singapore for the next leg.
  8. You can change your flights (except the first one) if you decide you want to be somewhere earlier or later than you originally planned. Whether or not you have to pay for the privilege depends on the ticket. Do check this before you buy as round-the-world travellers very often change their plans!
  9. They aren't as expensive as you would think. The cheapest we've found is £745! Normally you would pay at least £1,500 though.
  10. Most of them go through Australia and/or New Zealand, which is one reason that they are the top destinations for career breakers.

 

Are you planning a round-the-world trip? Is there anything else you need to know? Ask us in the comments!