Most economy-class RTW tickets range between $2,500–$10,000 USD. Depending on your mileage, route, class of fare, and the number of stops, that can drop down to as little as $1,500 USD or jump all the way up to $15,000. It really all depends on your trip! add baggage on flight
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. The best third-party options are:
- Airtreks (Global)
- Flight Centre(Europe/OZ/NZ)
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.
My preferred company is Airtreks.
They are the experts on RTW tickets and operate differently than the airline alliances. Instead of creating a single RTW ticket, Airtreks pieces together individual airline tickets based on the lowest available fares they find — which will save you a ton of money in the process. They are one of the few companies I would trust planning my flights (and I don’t trust many!).
Are RTW Tickets Worth Buying?
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. add baggage on flight
