Originally Posted by
The Narwhal
First, thanks everyone for all the input. It's all super helpful and much appreciated.
re: the suggested route: NRT-SEA-PHX-MEX-PHX-SEA-DFW-SCL-MIA-SEA-DOH-BER-MAD-DOH-KUL-NRT, I didn't realize I could go back to SEA that many times. Anytime I included it more than once on the OW tool, it broke so I wasn't sure if it was the defective tool or against the rules. This will be super helpful.
The rough plan is Tokyo in January, Mexico City in February, Santiago in March/April, Europe by way of Helsinki in May, and then back to Europe and on to SE Asia in Sept/Oct. That aligns with the seasonal routes to SCL and HEL and hits some of my favorites times to be in these spots.
And I don't care too much about maximizing miles, probably? I'm admittedly keeping this pretty simple the first time just to see how it works out. I'm sure by the next one I'll be geeking out and squeezing every last drop from my 16 segments...
I'm sure I'll be back with more questions, but again thanks everyone.
The online tool has a lot of problems... and Oneworld has no incentive to fix the tool or improve it. After all, why allow users to create complex (yet allowable) itineraries for ticketing? The airlines would love to passively force the traveler into simplifying their RTW trip, so that the online tool will accept it.
Yes, you can return to SEA multiple times as long as you are following the various other rules for flights.
Looks like AA has already suspended DFW SCL after March, so it may be similar for 2027.
Finnair has SEA-HEL scheduled for Sun/Tue/Fri this year, starting at the end of May. Again, prob a similar sched for 2027.
When booking these tickets, I always advise people to focus on visiting the cities you want. If you aren't trying to achieve a certain status, then forget about mileage maximizing.. though you may choose to fly (or avoid) certain carriers which will then impact your routing choices. There will be plenty of people who look down on RTW tickets < 16 segments.. ignore them and focus on what works for you.
Last but not least, you don't have to wait until November to book your ticket if it ends in October. Date changes are free (after you take the first flight) so all you need to do is get the routing correct at ticketing AND ensure your first flight is on the correct date. After you fly the first segment, "expand" your trip out to the proper dates as time progresses.