Saving money on round-the-world (RTW) flights is key to making your adventure affordable and accessible. RTW trips can be expensive due to the multiple stops, international flights, and airline fees involved. However, with some smart strategies and planning, you can save a significant amount. Here’s how to save money on RTW airlines:
1. Use an Airline Alliance RTW Ticket
- What It Is: Many major airline alliances, such as Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam, offer RTW tickets. These allow you to book multiple flights with one ticket, visiting several destinations across the globe.
- How It Saves You Money: RTW tickets are often cheaper than booking individual one-way flights for each leg of your journey. The cost is typically based on the total number of miles flown, the class of service, and the number of stops you make.
- Tips:
- RTW tickets are usually more affordable when booked well in advance.
- Stick to one continuous direction (eastward or westward), as backtracking can incur higher costs.
- Take advantage of any free stopovers or additional stops allowed by the airline alliance.
2. Book Your RTW Flight in Advance
- What It Is: Booking your RTW flights several months (or even a year) in advance ensures that you get the best deals. Airlines often offer discounts or lower prices for early bookings, especially on international routes.
- How It Saves You Money: Booking early can help you lock in lower prices, avoiding the surge in ticket prices that happens closer to the departure date.
- Tips:
- Set price alerts on flight comparison sites like Google Flights, Skyscanner, or Kayak to track fare drops.
- Be flexible with your travel dates to find the most affordable options.
3. Be Flexible with Your Route
- What It Is: If you’re willing to adjust your travel route slightly, you can find cheaper options.
- How It Saves You Money: Direct routes or less popular destinations might be more expensive. Opting for connecting flights or adding layovers in major hubs (like Singapore, London, or New York) may help reduce costs.
- Tips:
- Instead of flying directly between far-flung destinations, look for cheaper stopovers.
- Use online tools like ITASoftware Matrix to find different route options and their corresponding prices.
4. Take Advantage of Airline Stopover Programs
- What It Is: Many airlines offer stopover programs that let you stay in a city for a few days without paying extra for the additional flight. For example, airlines like Icelandair, Emirates, and Singapore Airlines offer free or low-cost stopovers in their hub cities.
- How It Saves You Money: These stopover programs let you visit an extra destination for little or no additional cost, helping you make the most of your RTW ticket while keeping costs low.
- Tips:
- Look for airlines with stopover-friendly routes to places like Iceland, Dubai, or Singapore.
- Consider adding a stopover in a city that you’d like to explore to make the most of your journey.
5. Use Travel Hacking Techniques
- What It Is: Travel hacking involves using rewards points, credit card bonuses, or frequent flyer miles to reduce the cost of flights.
- How It Saves You Money: You can use frequent flyer miles to book flights for free or at a reduced cost. Using points earned through credit cards can also help reduce your ticket price.
- Tips:
- Sign up for travel rewards credit cards that offer large bonuses or miles for sign-ups (such as Chase Sapphire Preferred, American Express Platinum, or Citi Premier).
- Join frequent flyer programs with airlines that are part of RTW alliances (like American Airlines AAdvantage or United MileagePlus).
- Check for promotions or sales on award flights with airlines that partner with the alliance you’re using for your RTW ticket.
6. Consider Budget Airlines for Some Legs
- What It Is: Instead of flying with expensive major airlines for every leg of your RTW trip, you can save money by using budget airlines for shorter regional routes.
- How It Saves You Money: Budget airlines (such as AirAsia, Ryanair, or EasyJet) typically offer much cheaper fares than traditional airlines, especially for short-haul flights.
- Tips:
- Be mindful of extra fees (e.g., luggage, seat selection) when booking with budget airlines.
- Plan ahead for short regional hops that could save you significant money.
7. Book Multi-City Flights Instead of One-Way Tickets
- What It Is: Instead of booking separate one-way tickets for each leg of your RTW trip, consider multi-city tickets. These tickets allow you to fly into one city and out of another on a single booking.
- How It Saves You Money: Multi-city tickets can often be more economical than booking each flight individually.
- Tips:
- Use booking sites like Skyscanner or Google Flights to search for multi-city options.
8. Monitor Flash Sales and Airline Promotions
- What It Is: Airlines often have limited-time flash sales or promotional fares for RTW trips. These deals can offer significant discounts on ticket prices.
- How It Saves You Money: Booking a flight during a sale can save you hundreds of dollars, especially for long-haul international flights.
- Tips:
- Sign up for airline newsletters and alerts for the latest sales or promotions.
- Follow airlines on social media to get updates on flash sales.
- Use deal websites like Secret Flying or Airfarewatchdog to catch discounted RTW deals.
9. Avoid Peak Travel Seasons
- What It Is: Traveling during peak seasons (like Christmas, New Year, or summer in the Northern Hemisphere) can significantly increase the price of flights. If you have flexibility, traveling during shoulder seasons (just before or after peak travel periods) can result in lower fares.
- How It Saves You Money: Flights are generally cheaper during off-peak months, as fewer people are traveling.
- Tips:
- Avoid traveling during school holidays or public holidays in the destinations you plan to visit.
- If possible, plan your trip in the shoulder seasons or off-season for better rates on both flights and accommodations.
10. Use Flight Alerts and Price Tracking Tools
- What It Is: Flight comparison websites and tools allow you to set up price alerts for your specific travel dates and destinations, notifying you when flight prices drop.
- How It Saves You Money: You can wait until the best price appears, ensuring you purchase your ticket at the lowest possible cost.
- Tips:
- Set up price alerts on websites like Skyscanner, Google Flights, or Hopper to track your desired routes.
- Book when the price reaches its lowest point for the best deal.
11. Be Flexible with Dates and Airports
- What It Is: If you’re flexible with your travel dates and departure airports, you can often find cheaper flights.
- How It Saves You Money: Slightly shifting your dates by a few days or flying from a nearby airport can result in significant savings.
- Tips:
- Use flexible date search features on booking sites to explore cheaper options.
- Consider flying into or out of secondary airports near major cities to save money.
