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Airline Information Guide: Round-the-World Flights
Australians are in a unique position when it comes to booking Round The World flights. In many cases, the best-value options aren’t full alliance RTW tickets, but specially designed EH/AP fares built specifically for the Australian market. These fares have been refined over many years and can offer exceptional value—often turning a simple return trip to Europe into a full RTW journey with stopovers in Asia, North America, or beyond.
Explore which airlines offer Round-the-World flights and the flexible options available.
Finnair
Finnair have some incredible fares to Europe that can be used to build round the world itineraries.
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines have the largest international network of any airline in the world, and they have some amazing airfares originating from Australia that allow us to take advantage of said incredible network!
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is one of the big three global airline alliances and have a variety of top tier airlines as members.
oneworld
oneworld is one of the big three global airline alliances and is the most popular for Australian travellers due to the reach they have as a result of Qantas being a founding member.
Swiss Airlines
Swiss International Air Lines have some of the most flexible and versatile return fares to Europe on the market.
Qantas
Qantas multi continent fares are a great option for itineraries that include multiple stops in the Americas, including Hawaii.
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific has some fantastic fares to and from Europe and North America that include a stop in Hong Kong in each direction, but their most exciting multi-continent fares work a little differently.
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines is recognised worldwide for its award-winning service, premium onboard comfort, and seamless global connectivity, making it one of the most reliable choices for travellers seeking a smooth, hassle-free journey.
How Do Round-the-World Airfares Work?
Whether you’re planning the holiday of a lifetime or need to travel to multiple countries for business, round-the-world trips are your best bet. When you buy one of these airfares, you can customise every facet of your trip – including where you go, how you get there, and how long you stay.
To get the most for your money, Airfare Geeks recommends choosing a direction (either east or west) and following it all the way around the globe. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to visit multiple continents and explore them at your own pace. For example, you could travel from Australia to the Americas to Europe to Asia and back to Australia.
During these stop-overs, you can choose which cities you visit. In many cases, you can depart from a different airport to that which you arrived, giving you the opportunity to travel around a country without having to fly in and out of the same city. As an example, you could fly into London as part of your round-the-world ticket, spend time exploring the UK before taking the train to France, and catch your next flight from Paris.
Set Your Goal
Define whether your trip is for leisure, business, or adventure.
Select Your Direction
Decide on an eastward or westward route around the globe.
Pick Your Stops
Identify the cities and countries you want to visit on your journey.
Customise Stopovers
Pick arrival and departure airports to enhance your itinerary.
Plan Your Schedule
Finalise the timing and details for a smooth and efficient trip.
Types of Round-the-World Tickets
At Airfare Geeks, we cater to all types of travel budgets. Whether you’re looking for cheap flights or a luxury business class experience, we’re here to bring your travel dreams to life. You can even mix and match different fare types on your round-the-world itinerary. Here’s an explanation of the cabin types that you can book with us.
If you want the journey to be just as enjoyable as the destination, business class is the perfect choice. Whether you’re travelling for work or simply want an upgraded flight experience, Airfare Geeks offers a variety of business class flight deals to multiple destinations around the globe.
As the name would suggest, premium economy is an elevated version of economy class. Specific perks vary by airline, but in general, you can expect a more comfortable flying experience, with extra legroom and a wider seat than experienced in economy. Depending on your carrier, you may also get priority boarding, additional baggage allowance, or extra amenities.
Economy class is an excellent option for the budget-conscious world traveller. Because we work with the top airlines in the world, our economy travellers can expect a pleasant flight with key perks like food and beverage service, baggage, and entertainment all included.
Ready to book round-the-world flights online? Fill out our contact form or give us a call on (02) 9188 7823 to get started with our team of travel experts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about this deal, including routing, stopovers, and cabin class options.
Still Have a Question?Talk to Us
In the vast majority of cases, the most cost-effective way to travel around the world is to continue in the one direction, either East or West, the whole way. So you might travel from Australia to North America to Europe to Asia and back to Australia. Or Australia to South America to Europe to Africa and back to Australia.
Keeping Europe in the middle of the itinerary is also important as it allows you to use a return fare to Europe with stopovers in other continents. This means that Europe will be the destination and, for example, your stops in the USA and Asia will be free stopovers on the way to and from Europe. These fares are generally much better value than full alliance RTW airfares.
It is possible to use a mix of cabins on an around the world itinerary! It is usually best to change classes at the point of turnaround which will generally be Europe. This means that you can, for example, fly from Australia to the USA to Europe in Business Class and then from Europe to Asia to Australia in Economy or vice versa.
It depends on the exact itinerary. There are several fantastic airfare options for travelling around the world and they all have their pros and cons. The main deciding factor will usually be the destinations you wish to visit as these airfares all have some routing and destination options that aren’t permitted with the others. It also depends on your preferences with regards to airlines and frequent flyer programs. For example, if you are keen on amassing a giant pile of Qantas Frequent Flyer status credits, a Finnair itinerary can be an amazing choice. Or if you are a Krisflyer member, in love with the hospitality of Singapore Airlines, then a Lufthansa or SWISS option might be the better choice.
Usually the most cost effective, in terms of dollars per status credit, round the world airfare for earning Qantas Frequent Flyer status credits is going to be a Finnair fare. Finnair’s global fares that allow multi-continent trips around the world, it is possible to use Qantas or a full oneworld member on every leg of the journey. This also means that if you have existing status with Qantas Frequent Flyer, you can enjoy the perks at every airport and on every flight along the way!
Generally, the best airfares for round the world travel for earning with Star Alliance frequent flyer programs will be either with Lufthansa or SWISS. These airfares allow you to travel the entire way around the world flying with Star Alliance partners on every leg. As Star Alliance programs vary hugely in both their earning rates on each airline as well as their rules (especially with regards to earning on codeshares), please make sure you let your consultant know which program you’re planning on crediting your flights to if earning towards status with a Star Alliance partner is important to you.
If obtaining status with a frequent flyer program is important to you, there are several ways to maximise earning when planning a round the world trip. This can often mean making your flight path less direct, for example adding an unnecessary domestic connection on the way out of or back into Australia. Sometimes it just means choosing one carrier over another. At Airfare Geeks, we are experts at maximising frequent flyer earnings on round the world travel.
