Comment |
Oneworld offer an excellent website
that tells you everything you need to know to understand their pass. |
Star offer a dreadful website that
hides as much information as possible.
A trip calculator function is nice
and clever, but takes a long time to work through and requires you to
give personal details and email address before it will cost out the
fare. |
Unhelpful website |
Due to the limited number of
participating airlines, these fares are not as flexible with many fewer
options. But the pricing is considerably lower, too, and if you're
just thinking of going to a few different places, this might be a good
option. |
The multiple airline fare is
flexible and comparably priced to the Star product. |
Seasonality |
Mainly year round, some high/low season rates for coach
class if travel commences in UK or Australia |
None |
None |
Prices vary by season (details not
known), by a few hundred dollars. |
No |
Minimum Stay |
10 days |
10 days |
10 days |
Saturday night |
10 days for the UA product
No minimum for the multiple airline
product |
Maximum Stay |
12 months |
12 months |
12 months |
12 months |
12 months |
Open sectors |
Yes but not first flight |
Probably yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
How far in advance to book flights |
Must book first flight at least
seven days in advance.
It seems no minimum advance booking time applies, 'local
service fees may apply' |
Must book first flight seven days in
advance if on the 26,000 mile fare, otherwise no advance booking on
first flight
No advance booking requirement on
other flights for business and first class fares, at least a day for
coach class fares. |
First flight and ticket issuance at
least seven days prior to departure
No charge to confirm open sectors,
but $100 charge to change flight details |
Seven days advance purchase, or 14
days with the Eva Air combination |
Both products require 7 days advance
for reservations/ticketing |
Change itinerary |
Yes, doesn't say how much notice, and 'a charge may be
payable' - typically $125 |
Yes, but details not known |
$100 per change |
$100 to change prior to departure,
no charge for changes subsequently |
Yes, $125 fee applies |
Earns miles |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Participating airlines |
10 member airlines plus their regional affiliates |
19 airlines |
11 airlines and 3 associate airlines |
Has several different RTW fare
types, variously in association with :
Air New Zealand (NZ) and Singapore
Airlines (SQ)
All Nippon Airlines (NH); or
Eva Airways (BR); or
Malaysian Airlines (MH); or
Singapore Airlines (SQ); or
Thai Airways (TG) |
One RTW fare with UA only
One other RTW fare with multiple
other carriers :
Jet Airways (9W)
Alaska Airlines (AS)
Continental (CO)
Air Pacific (FJ)
KLM (KL)
Kenya Airways (KQ)
Malev (MA)
Malaysian Airlines (MH)
Northwest Airlines (NW)
South African Airways (SA)
Air Caledonie (SB)
Air Tahiti Nui (TN)
Sri Lankan Airlines (UL)
Copa Airlines (CM) |
Method of charging |
You pay so much per continent you visit, and can have up
to four flights in each continent (and six in the US). Two extra
flights per continent can be purchased.
The world is divided into
seven continents, and the fare allows for travel to up to six of them. |
Mileage based, with choices between 26,000
(coach class only), 29,000, 34,000 or 39,000
miles.
Even though the earth has a
circumference of a maximum 25,000 miles, it is surprisingly difficult to
have a varied itinerary fit within 26,000 miles, and more detailed
itineraries can readily go over 34,000 miles. |
Mileage based, with four different
mileage levels : 26,000, 29,000, 34,000 and 39,000 miles.
Presumably if you exceed 39,000
miles, you then need to buy some separate tickets for part of the
journey to keep the distance on the RTW ticket within 39,000 miles. |
The fare with both NZ and SQ is
mileage based, all the others are restricted to specific and fairly
limited route options |
Fare with UA = anywhere the two
airlines fly, but with some limits on backtracking
Fare with multiple airlines is
mileage based, with pricing for 30,000, 35,000 and 40,000 miles of
travel. |
Max number of flights |
A maximum of 20 flights per ticket. |
Maximum of 15 stops, except for the
26,000 mile fare which has a maximum of 5 stops. |
15 stops maximum |
Mileage based restrictions, and can
buy some extra miles if needed. |
No limit on UA fare
10 stops maximum and 24 tickets
maximum for combo fare. |
Open jaws |
Yes, but it is counted as if it were a flight for
calculating max flights. |
Don't know |
|
|
Yes |
Backtracking |
Allowed within each continent, but not allowed between
continents |
Don't know |
|
Backtracking is allowed when moving
to a new location. However passengers can not re-visit a location unless
just traveling through to a new location. |
Some backtracking allowed |
Lowest season coach fare and dates for travel from US |
$3900 all year for three continents
$4100 for four continents
$4900 for five continents
$5300 for six continents
Extra flights are $150 each
Book in L class |
$4069 for presumably 26,000 miles
$5511 for 39,000 miles |
€2099 for 26,000 miles
(ie about $3150 @ 1.5)
€3049 for 34,000 miles
(ie about $4600 @ 1.5)
$5511 for 39,000 miles |
$3149 with NZ/SQ
$3800 with NH
$2570 with BR
$3089 with MH
$3600 with SQ
$2647 with TG |
$4119 with UA
$4069 for 30,000 mile fare
$4687 for 35,000 mile fare
$5511 for 40,000 mile fare |
Highest season coach fare and dates |
No seasonal rates, same price all
year |
No seasonal rates, same price all
year |
|
$2609 high season 10 - 23 Dec |
No seasonal rates, same price all
year |
Premium economy |
Yes - applies to BA World Traveler Plus only, $300 extra
per flight, or $450 if flying between LON and MEL or SYD |
No |
No |
sometimes, extra cost per flight |
No |
Business |
$7500 all year for three continents
$8300 for four continents
$9500 for five continents
$11100 for six continents
Extra flights are $400 each
Book in D class except for JL domestic in Y and AA flights 3000-5599
in Y and sometimes US domestic upgraded to A |
$7880 for 29,000 miles
$10,558 for 39,000 miles |
€6562 for 34,000 miles
(ie about $9850 @ 1.5)
$10,558 for 39,000 miles |
$6800 with NZ/SQ
$7400 with NH
$3618 with BR
$4850 with MH
$6660 with SQ
$3727 with TG
|
$7930 with UA
$7880 for 30,000 mile fare
$9013 for 35,000 mile fare
$10558 for 40,000 mile fare |
First Class |
$10600 all year for three continents
$11400 for four continents
$13100 for five continents
$15400 for six continents
Extra flights are $550 each
Book in A or D class, sometimes Y, depending on airline |
$11,440 for 29,000 miles
$15,400 for 39,000 miles |
€12,127 for 34,000 miles
(ie about $18,200 @ 1.5) |
Note - VS doesn't have first class
on its planes
$5170 with TG |
$11490 with UA
Not offered on multiple airline fare |
Child and Infant Fares |
Children are 75% of adult fare, infants are 10% |
Discounts apply, but details not
provided. |
|
Children are 75% of adult fare, infants are 10% |
75% of adult fare for children, 10%
for infants |
Notes |
Taxes are extra
Travel - even with no stops - between
Australia and Europe is counted as going through three continents
(Australia, Asia and Europe). |
Taxes are extra |
|
Single crossing of the Atlantic and
Pacific. |
Taxes are extra |
General information |
link |
link |
link |
link |
Nothing published online |
Detailed fare sheet |
link |
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