Originally Posted by
Mama
I had a rtw trip this summer: U.S. - EU - Asia - U.S. total cost 115000 NH miles and $950 surcharge. It's a ripoff.
And rtw trip is very tiring. I now prefer single trip of no more than a couple weeks, with max of two destinations, come home, plenty of rest, then start another trip, instead of hopping places for an extended period in one single big trip.
The rtw ticket usually cost 110000 NH miles minimum, it is basically a three one-way longhaul (9+ hours) tickets combined. A roundtrip North America to Japan costs 750K miles. The price per mile with rtw ticket and round trip longhaul is about the same. I.e. you are not getting a bargain with this rtw thing. But the advantage is you get to visit more places. This could be a plus or a minus depending on your travel preference.
You are definitely doing something wrong. You're not supposed to be in this game if you come out of it feeling ripped off. All the hard work that you put into this hobby, you're supposed to come out of it feeling like you got a bargain. If you feel you got ripped off then it's definitely time to switch hobbies. It's not worth the investment to collect the miles and points, research how to use them effectively, then come away feeling ripped off in the end.