Hi all!
I'm finally about to book my very first RTW ticket through Star Alliance.
I've never done this before, so bear with me if I'm sounding ignorant about a few of the steps. There's a lot of info out there about how to do this, sometimes conflicting, which is why I am here - to get some clear(er?) answers!
Here's my miles/points breakdown:
Chase UR points -
187,422
American Airlines (AAdvantage) - 53,772
US Airways (Dividend Miles) - 53,542
United Airlines (Mileage Plus) -
21,647
Delta Air Lines (SkyMiles) - 2,212
Southwest Airlines (Rapid Rewards) - 6,589
I already identified award seats in Economy for the dates I want. Here is what I hope will be my itinerary:
City-to-City flights - Segment Miles
New York -> Amsterdam - 4520
Amsterdam -> Cologne - 462
Cologne -> London - 330
[ Open Jaw ]
Paris -> Johannesberg - 5663
Johannesberg -> Bangkok - 5590
Bangkok -> Bali - 1860
Bali -> Sydney - 6540
Sydney -> Auckland - 1340
Auckland -> Japan - 5490
Tokyo -> San Francisco - 5110
San Francisco -> New York - 2580
TOTAL:
34503
My questions:
- I saw somewhere that there was an increase from 180,000 miles to 200,000 miles to pay for Economy Award seats in miles. Can someone confirm this for me?
- Based on the above info, I can book the RTW through United, yes? I just have to transfer my Chase UR miles into my United account and then I'm good to go?
- What is the best step-by-step process for purchasing the RTW? I've read that I need to have the exact award seats picked out before I call United. And then I may have to go through several agents at United to find one who is familiar with booking RTW tickets.
- Do you pay in miles right over the phone with the representative? Or do you call back at a later date to finalize and pay?
- Any suggested alterations/additions to my itinerary that you think I should consider?
- Any other advice/tips on the RTW planning/purchasing process based on the info I've provided above?