2.1 Airlines

Online Airline Information FAQ at iecc.com
Official Aviation Guide
Wikipedia's List of Airlines
Airline Route Maps
WebFlyer: The Frequent Flyer Site
Upgraded Points
The Flyer Talk
Airline Meals
Best Way Downtown From More Than 100 Airports: International
Best Way Downtown From More Than 100 Airports: US Cities
"The Air Traveller's Handbook" at faqs.org
Flight Stats: Flight and Airport Info

"The Worldwide Guide to Cheap Airfares" by Michael McColl

Over 40 airlines on 6 continents participate in partnerships for RTW tickets. Programs and regulations vary considerably. You will usually have to supplement RTW with other tickets to satisfy your specific interests. Even those on business trips can fly cheaper using first-class and business-class RTW tickets, rather than regular long-haul and full-fare point-to-point tickets. Areas not covered can usually be added as a discounted side-trip. Flights in the southern hemisphere are US$5,000 to US$6,744 for first-class, US$4,500 to US$5,200 for business-class, and US$3,000 to US$3,300 for economy. Flights in the northern hemisphere are US$4,300 to US$5,100 for first-class, US$3,000 to US$3,700 for business-class, and US$2,200 to US$2,600 for economy. Some programs allow you to use frequent flyer miles for RTW tickets.

• 14-day or 21-day advance purchase for first leg.
  
  
• Usually, only the first date and destination must be firmly set, but some require the first few be set.
  
  
• Specify destinations, and usually the dates at the time of booking.
  
  
• Date changes are free, but each destination change costs a small fee ($25-$50). Some allow one free destination change. It is important to realize that routing changes are permitted only within the permissible routings. It's actually rather uncommon for a desired change of destinations to be possible within the routing options of the original fare.
  
  
• Most are valid for one year from the date issued, not the date of the first flight, some only for six-months, and a few for only three months. Factor in the time for advance purchase and for checks to clear the bank.
  
  
• Must continue in one direction, east or west, with no backtracking. There are exceptions in the US, Canada, and Australia. Also, Global-Explorer-type fares go by mileage rather than routing rules.
  
  
• Most have unlimited number of stops, some limit you to 4-6 stops in the US.
  
  
• Most require a minimum of 3 stops.
  
  
• Some require a minimum stay of 6-14 days.
  
  
• Some have a maximum allowable miles restriction, like NW/KLM 20,000 miles.
  
  
• Flat-rate price for each seating class.
  
  
• Children's fare is usually 67% of full adult fare.
  
  
• Infants (less than 2 years old) fly for 10% of full adult fare.
  
  
• Refund is 100% if cancelled two weeks or more before departure.
  
  
• Refund is 75%, minus the value of the flights taken within two weeks of departure.

"For most RTW fares, it is OK to miss a reserved flight. Your tickets are issued for departure cities -- NOT TIME (this is the opposite for bucket shops). Just call the airline and make a new reservation (and hope they have room). To actually change your itinerary, you pay a 're-ticket' fee (mine was US$50 in 1992) where they actually take your old tickets back and re-issue a new set of tickets. Make as many changes as you want, but try to do them together since the re-ticket fee is fixed regardless of how many stops are altered. You *must* have your tickets re-issued by the airline who sold the RTW fare. I used a NorthWest/KLM partnership RTW-fare issued by NorthWest, and KLM *COULD NOT* re-ticket my itinerary -- only NorthWest could. Unfortunately, I found this out in a city not serviced by NorthWest." <Alan Nelson>

"Missing a reserved flight is usually not a problem. Usually they will put you on the next available flight. However, if it is a seldom travelled route or high tourist season, you may end up waiting days or even weeks for the next flight! Usually a good idea to double-check the time and date. I've heard of people showing up at 3:00pm for a flight leaving at 3:00am." <Dave Patton>

ADVANTAGES

• One less financial worry on the road.
  
  
• No worries about whether you will be able to get to the next destination.
  
  
• You always have proof of onward passage, which is required in many countries before they will grant you a visa or allow entry.
  
  
• Frequent flyer miles. Even more if charged with a credit card that gives FF miles. Some have a 50% mileage bonus in business-class which may justify the extra cost. (Delta Medallion Status example: 35,000 miles, plus 17,500 mile business-class bonus, plus 3,500 miles for credit card matching, equals 56,000 FF miles). FF miles depend on the carrier and class.

• Rarely the best deal.
  
  
• Limited stops due to airline routes.
  
  
• Some airlines dead-end in the Mideast and India, leaving you with no connection eastward to the rest of Asia. For example, many people buy a one-way ticket between Bangkok and Nepal.
  
  
• Many try to restrict you to the North or South side of the equator.
  
  
• Infrequent flight schedules.
  
  
• Some have US$25-$50 fees for changes in itinerary.
  
  
• Backtracking and side-trips can be very costly, but necessary if you want to see most of Asia.
  
  
• The least flexible since plans may constantly change.

Programs and prices differ depending on the country you purchase tickets in, and where you start your trip from. Sometimes it is cheapest to start with a one-way ticket from your starting point to a country where it is cheaper to originate an RTW fare. The airlines are starting to put basic RTW information on their web sites, so this set of links should continue to expand.

The following programs are available in the US, and are here only as examples of what is available from the airline industry. The list starts with British Airways programs, then US airline programs in alphabetical order, and finally non-US airline programs that are available in the US.

An alternative to all of the above is "Global Explorer", a mileage-based RTW fare that allows backtracking and zig-zagging. It was started by British Airways and has become better known through a group of airlines called One World Alliance.

Similar programs are offered by Star Alliance and SkyTeam.

A Distance Calculator will help with some of the options. The Great Circle Mapper is also useful for determining distance and displaying the route on a map.

Wiki maintains a good summary of current plans at RTW Flights.

• BritishAir/Qantas/AmericanAirlines "Global Explorer".
  Valid for 1 year. Limited to 28500 miles and 6 free stops, one of which must be in Europe (maximum of 4 in Australia and two in the US.) Either Asia or Africa, but not both. To add a stop, it is US$175. A stop is defined as any landing and takeoff along the flight, not just your origin-destination, so look out for non-direct flights. Backtracking and zig-zagging is permitted. One departure/arrival per country. The first time you change the routing, re-issuing the ticket is free, all other re-issues cost US$100. However, if you change three destinations at the same time, it counts as only one routing change. Only one trans-Atlantic flight is permitted. Economy = $3089, Bus. Class = $5355, First Class = $6999 in April 1998.
  
  
• BritishAir/Qantas/AmericanAirlines/EmiratesAir Southern Hemisphere
  US, Europe, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, and Hawaii. Side-trip options in Europe. Economy = $3344, Bus.Class = $5458, First Class = $7105 in April 1998.
  
  
• BritishAir/AmericanAirlines/AirNewZealand Southern Hemisphere
  US, Bermuda, Europe, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Islamabad, India, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Raratonga, Tahiti, and Hawaii. Maximum mileage: 27,000. May side-trip through a city only two times. Economy = $3344, Bus.Class = $5458, First Class = $7105 in April 1998.
  
  
• BritishAir/Qantas/UnitedAirlines Southern Hemisphere
  US, Europe, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Japan, Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, and Hawaii. Side-trip options in Europe and Africa. Economy = $3344, Bus.Class = $5458, First Class = $7105 in April 1998.
  
  1991 Sample: Dallas to Los Angeles, Hawaii, Fiji, Auckland (NZ), Cairns (Aus.), Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Kathmandu (Nepal), Delhi (India), London, Athens, London, Dallas for $3,400 due to the $345 Royal Nepal Bangkok-Nepal-Delhi flights, and $128 BA round-trip from London to Athens.
  
  
• BritishAir/Qantas/AirNewZealand Southern Hemisphere
  US, Europe, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Tokyo, Taipai, Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Raratonga, Tahiti, and Hawaii. Side-trip options in Europe. Economy = $3344, Bus.Class = $5458, First Class = $7105 in April 1998. Fare is $3,023 if itinerary does not include domestic US travel on United.
  
  
• BritishAir/UnitedAirlines Southern Hemisphere
  US, Europe, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, HK, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Australia, Auckland, and Hawaii. Side-trip options in Europe. Backtracking from Australia/New Zealand to Bangkok/Singapore to Hong Kong. Economy = $3344, Bus.Class = $5458, First Class = $7105 in April 1998.
  
  
• BritishAir/UnitedAirlines Northern Hemisphere
  US, Europe, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Hawaii. Side-trip options in Europe, South America (economy fare), and Hawaii. Economy = $2274, Bus. Class = $4187, First Class = $5840 in April 1998.
  
  1992 Sample: An RTW ticket for $2241 from United covered: Newark, Beijing, Tokyo, Manila, Taipei, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Delhi, London, Munich, Berlin, Paris, Athens, Washington DC, Newark. This gets a lot more of the Orient and Europe, but none of the Pacific, like Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia.
  
  

Economy, Business, and First Class

Prices in $US for June 1995, which haven't changed much as of June 1998. Some programs may have been discontinued.

AirCanada/AllNipponAir: $2,358, $3,319, $4,605
AirCanada/CathayPacific: $2,570, N/A, $5,019 (6 months)
AirCanada/CathayPacific/AirSeychelles: $3,103, $4,754, $5,892
AirCanada/CathayPacific/KenyaAir: $3,103, $4,754, $5,892 (3 months)
AirCanada/JAL: $2,570, N/A, $5,019 (6 months)
AirCanada/MalaysianAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
AirCanada/SingaporeAir: $2,358, $3,319, $4,605
AirCanada/SwissAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,154 (6 months)

AirNewZealand/AirArgentina: $3,154, $4,795, $6,239
AirNewZealand/AirMauritius: $3,217, $5,133, $6,682
AirNewZealand/Alitalia: $3,272, $5,133, $6,682
AirNewZealand/CathayPacific: $2,979, $4,452, $5,892
AirNewZealand/KLM: $2,853, $4,796, N/A
AirNewZealand/SingaporeAir: $2,592, $4,441, $5,782
AirNewZealand/SwissAir: $2,995, N/A, N/A
AirNewZealand/ThaiAir: $3,274, $5,180, $6,744

American/ChinaAir: $2,199, $3,099, $4,299
American/JAL: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019 (6 months)
American/KoreanAir: $2,570, N/A, $5,019
American/Qantas: $3,247, $5,180, $6,744
American/SingaporeAir: $2,476, $3,485, $4,835
American/ThaiAirline: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
American/ThaiAirline/SouthAfrican: $3,515, $5,451, $6,506

CanadianAirIntl/Alitalia Northern Hemisphere: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
CanadianAirIntl/Alitalia Southern Hemisphere: $3,272, $5,133, $6,682
CanadianAirIntl/Cathay/AirFiji: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019 (6 months)
CanadianAirIntl/EmiratesAir: $2,570, $3,618, $4,621
CanadianAirIntl/KLM Northern Hemisphere: $2,570, $3,618, N/A
CanadianAirIntl/KLM Southern Hemisphere: $3,272, $5,133, $6,682
CanadianAirIntl/Lauda Northern Hemisphere: $2,353, $3,316, N/A
CanadianAirIntl/Lauda Southern Hemisphere: $2,979, $4,752, N/A
CanadianAirIntl/PhillipineAir N. Hemisphere: $2,570, $3,618, $4,621
CanadianAirIntl/PhillipineAir S. Hemisphere: $3,217, $5,180, $6,239
CanadianAirIntl/SingaporeAir/SilkAir: $3,198, $5,180, $6,620
CanadianAirIntl/SouthAfricanAir: $2,999, $4,599, $5,599
CanadianAirIntl/SwissAir: $2,541, $3,581, $5,154 (6 months)
CanadianAirIntl/ThaiAir: $2,654, $4,195, $5,138

CathayPacific/AirArgentina: $2,979, $4,751, $5,892 (6 months)

Continental/AirIndia: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
Continental/CathayPacific: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
Continental/KLM Northern Hemisphere: $2,570, $3,618, N/A
Continental/KLM Southern Hemisphere: $3,198, $5,180, N/A
Continental/MalaysianAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
Continental/ThaiAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019

Delta/CathayPacific: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019 (6 months)
Delta/JAL: $2,570, N/A, $5,019 (6 months)
Delta/PhilippineAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019 (6 months)
Delta/Qantas: $3,217, $5,180, $6,682

Delta/SingaporeAir/SwissAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019 (6 months)
Delta/SouthAfrican: $3,516, $5,451, $6,506 (6 months)
Delta/ThaiAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019

NorthWest/AirFrance: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
NorthWest/AirIndia: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
NorthWest/CathayPacific: $2,353, $3,316, $4,493 (6 months)
NorthWest/Cathay/SouthAfrica N. Hem.: $3,516, $5,451, $6,506 (6 months)
NorthWest/Cathay/SouthAfrica S. Hem.: $4,363, $6,814, $8,154 (6 months)
NorthWest/GarudaAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
NorthWest/GulfAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
NorthWest/KLM Northern Hemisphere: $2,570, $3,618, N/A
NorthWest/KLM Southern Hemisphere: $3,217, $5,132, N/A
NorthWest/KLM/EmiratesAir: $3,139, $4,458, N/A
NorthWest/MalaysianAir Northern Hemisphere: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
NorthWest/MalaysianAir Southern Hemisphere: $3,250, $5,180, $6,744
NorthWest/PakistanAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
NorthWest/Qantas: $3,247, $5,180, $6,744
NorthWest/SaudiAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019 (6 months)
NorthWest/SingaporeAir Northern Hemisphere: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
NorthWest/SingaporeAir Southern Hemisphere: $3,247, $5,180, $6,744
NorthWest/SouthAfricanAir N. Hemisphere: $3,278, $4,042, $4,928
NorthWest/SouthAfricanAir S. Hemisphere: $3,449, $5,085, $6,620
NorthWest/SwissAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019 (6 months)
NorthWest/ThaiAir: $4,629, $4,035, $5,701

Qantas/AirCanada: $3,247, $5,180, $6,744
Qantas/AirFrance: $3,247, $5,180, $6,744
Qantas/KLM: $3,092, $4,841, N/A
Qantas/CathayPacific: $3,247, $5,180, $6,744

SingaporeAir/AirArgentina: N/A, N/A, $6,181
SingaporeAir/KLM: $2,570, $3,618, N/A

TWA/CathayPacific: $2,353, $3,316, $4,493
TWA/ChinaAir: $2,087, $3,149, $4,619
TWA/JAL: $2,570, N/A, $5,019 (6 months)
TWA/KoreanAir: $2,087, $3,149, $4,619
TWA/MalaysianAir: $2,199, $3,099, $4,299
TWA/Qantas: $3,247, $5,180, $6,744
TWA/SingaporeAir: $2,358, $3,319, $4,605

United/AirFrance: $2,548, $3,586, $4,974
United/AirIndia: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
United/Alitalia: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
United/CathayPacific: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
United/EmiratesAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
United/KLM Northern Hemisphere: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
United/KLM Southern Hemisphere: $3,217, $5,132, N/A
United/KoreanAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019
United/Lufthansa Northern Hemisphere/ThaiAir: $2,548, $3,586, $4,947
United/Lufthansa Southern Hemisphere/ThaiAir: $3,217, $5,132, $6,682
United/ScandinavianAir: $2,358, N/A, N/A
United/ScandinavianAir/ThaiAir: $3,247, $5,180, N/A
United/ScandinavianAir/Varig: $2,837, N/A, N/A
United/SouthAfricanAir: $3,247, $5,180, $6,744
United/SwissAir: $2,570, $3,618, $5,019

USAir/CathayPacific/Kuwait: $2,358, $3,319, $4,493
USAir/AllNipponAir/Finnair: $2,570, $3,618, N/A

Varig/AllNipponAir: $3,312, $5,284, $6,879
Varig/ThaiAir: $2,702, $4,115, $5,815

VirginAtlantic/AllNipponAir: $2,570, $3,618, N/A
VirginAtlantic/MalaysianAir: $5,140, N/A, N/A

When calling for general information (not prices), avoid calling airlines during the business hours of 8am - 8pm EST. Short, or no waiting on Sunday. Request a timetable, which has all the stops, to see if they cover your areas of interest. Most international desks can answer RTW questions. They like to ask you for the destinations you are interested in, because their goal is to send it to the "rate desk" to manually determine the price. Just tell them you need some details about their RTW program. Each agent and airline will give you slightly different information, so call each a few times. The "rate desk" can take many days to get a quote back to you.