Round the world in two weeks
 

LAX- PVG (1 week stay)- LAX International lounge so-so
PVG-CTU-BLR (1 week stay)- Business class on A319, not really business class, midnight plane change in Chengdu- twilight zone airport... Shanghai Lounge power outlet fried my laptop.
BLR-CDG (1 day in Paris layover). Bangalore lounge is crowded.
CDG-LAX on the A380 upper deck...very nice plane. Landed at LAX 2 in the afternoon....not good timing to drive back to San Diego.....

Last summer did a three week RTW with my teenage son on Star Alliance combining open jaw awards and one way awards with a forced stopover in ICN, a purchased Fifth Freedom flight on Ethiopian Air between BKK and KUL, a non-flying segment (train) between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, and a free stopover in Istanbul.

UA economy, open-jaw award: SFO-HNL-GUM-ROR
5 days in Palau

OZ business, one way award: ROR-ICN
12 hour forced stopover in Seoul
OZ business, continuation of one way award: ICN-HAN
5 days in Hanoi

QR business, one way award: HAN-BKK
3 days in Bangkok

ET economy, purchased: BKK-KUL
2 days in Kuala Lumpur

Overnight train to Singapore
2 days in Singapore

TK economy, open jaw award: SIN-IST
3 days in Istanbul

TK economy and LH economy, continuation of open jaw award: IST-MUC-SFO

Captioned photos from our trip at this: LINK

I did 3/4 in the 80's out of London as it was cheaper to buy RTW all in one tickets in those days, with far less restrictions than today...you could go Northern Hemisphere or Southern at no extra cost....none of this mileage nonsense.
Two other trips come to mind, although not RTW.
London to Minneapolis to pick up Christmas shopping at the Mall, returned on the same flight a few hours later, and London to Sydney for an 'important' meeting.....met by the Agent...meeting cancelled, returned on the same flight back, , again after a few hours in the airport.

Two so far. Both in a western direction.

2011: YVR-LAX-ICN-PVG-BKK-HKT-BKK-MAD-FRA-SEA-YVR (F)
2014: YVR-SEA-NRT-ICN-BKK-DXB,AUH-MCT-AUH,DXB-IST-ZRH-WAW-MUC-YVR (J)

Working on accumulating points for the third as we speak!!

AMS-MXP-FCO-NRT-TPE-SIN-KUL-RGN-NRT-HNL-SFO-LAX-SLC-SEA-AMS
all on error fares, discounted fares and one part on miles
part in A, ± € 350 in total

Great thread. I've got two--one earlier this year and one scheduled for next month.

My trip to SIN Do this January ended up being part of a piecemeal RTW:

ORD-HKG-SIN-HKG-FRA-IAH-ORD

ORD-HKG: UA J (upgraded from one-way W fare with GPU)
HKG-SIN: Jetstar Asia paid one-way.
SIN-HKG (this and all subsequent segments were on a J saver award booked with UA miles): SQ regional J, visited T3 SilverKris lounge--both Business and First Class sides thanks a friend who was flying F.
HKG-FRA: LH new J 747-8, visited TG lounge and United Club in HKG
FRA-IAH: LH old J a380, visited Z gates LH lounge.
IAH-ORD: UA domestic F, no lounges visited.

I've got meetings in CCU and CGK next month, so an RTW was really the only option. Here is what I have booked:

ORD-EWR-DEL-CCU-DEL-SIN-CGK-NRT-ORD. ORD-DEL and CGK-ORD are one United multi-destination W fare. Other segments were booked directly through the respective airlines. Details break down like this:

ORD-EWR: UA domestic F. Right now listed as INTL configured 757 with BF seating.
EWR-DEL: UA J, upgraded with GPU
DEL-CCU: AI Y on the 787. Will see what the buy-up asking price to J is, if available day of departure.
CCU-DEL: AI Y
DEL-SIN: SQ Suites (bought up from original Y ticket to F, since work will only spring for Y and anything better must be obtained with miles, instruments, or buy-up). Will visit new AI first class lounge in DEL and perhaps drop in on the SQ and LH lounges.
SIN-CGK: SQ F. Will access Private Room at SIN.
CGK-NRT: NH Y
NRT-ORD: UA J, upgraded with GPU. Pretty tight connection in NRT, so probably will not have time to visit lounges.

Currently in the last month of a 3 month backpacking trip. Mostly overland once I left Seoul

SLC-ORD-LAX-NRT
Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima
ICN-PEK
Beijing, Datong, Jinan, Tai'an, Xi'an, Jiuzjaigou, Chengdu, Chongquing, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Zhangjiejie, Changsha, Guilin, Yangshou, Nanning, Hanoi, Halong City, Dong'Hoi, Hue, Saigon, Phu-Quoc, Kampot, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap

Currently in Siem Reap and haven't really planned out the last 3 weeks, thinking Bangkok, Chang Mai, and possible one or two others.

Loving this thread, and this particular photo/trip report is really good--guidebook quality photos. Inspiring! Highly recommend you take a look. Thanks E.C. I'm going to go back through and see if anyone else has done this.

I've got one booked in December! My first RTW (I hope to have many more) and also my first time in premium cabins (I also hope to have many more times)! A bit schedule constrained so it's going to be quick and a bit rushed. :(

A combination of Alaska miles and Etihad mistake fare:

• YVR-HKG CX F
• 1.5 days in HKG
• HKG-SIN CX F
• 4 days in SIN
• SIN-CMB on ??? (to be booked - either CX J or UL J using Avios)
• CMB-AUH on EY J
• 3 days in AUH
• AUH-JFK-DFW on EY F (mistake fare)/AA F (EY codeshare)
• 4 days in AUS/DFW
• DFW-YVR on AA E+ (Avios booking to get home)

Multiple RTW's, including one as recent as last fall, which I did with my wife and two kids (4 and 1).

SFO-ICN-HKG OZ J 4 nights in HKG
HKG-PEK-FRA-SZG CA and LH J, 5 nights in Berchtesgaden, DE
SZG-FRA-SFO LH and UA J

The 1 year old mostly slept on the flights. The 4 year old chalked up 4 or 5 cockpit visits, which he still talks about.

I've got 'one on the books' with the family for early next year: SFO-LHR-CDG-DOH-NRT-ORD-SFO, which I guess is longer than a RTW. All in BA, QR and AA J.

I suspect I'm not the only FT'er to have a few 'longer than RTW's under his/her belt. The most notable of which was SFO-FRA-SIN-MNL-SIN-HKG-MUC-ORD-SFO with all but the last sector in either LH or SQ F. This was a UA award several years ago and I found an agent willing to be spoon fed the itin on my first try. Even in F, this trip hurt :D

December 2013:

YYZ-JFK-NRT-ICN-KIX-BKK-CNX-BKK-SIN-CGK-DPS-BDO/CGK-SIN-HKG-TPE-HND/NRT-FRA-JFK-YYZ, all in a combo of NH F, OZ F, SQ F, LH F

May 2014:

YYZ-TPE-HKG-KIX-HKG-SIN-FRA-YYZ, in BR J and LH F

November 2014: (in only 8 days!)

YYZ-IST-LHR-DUB-FRA-ICN-NRT-ORD-YYZ, in TK J, OZ F, NH F

April 2015:

YYZ-LHR-SIN-DPS/LOP-KUL-TWU-BKI-KUL-BKK-HKG-JFK-YYZ, in AC J, SQ J, CX F

April 2014 (a not-quite RTW, but longer than one)

YYZ-JFK-HKG-SIN-SYD-BNK/OOL-CNS-MEL-DXB-LHR-DME/LED-TXL-FRA-ICN-JFK-YYZ in CX F, SQ R, QF F, BA F, LH F and OZ F

I did something similar last year. Don't know if it counts
IAH-AMS-ZRH-FCO-CDG-VCE-ZRH-CAI-BKK-KUL-SIN-PVG-NRT-YYC-IAH
IN 15 DAYS...

AFAIK there are only two lounges in the international departures area in DEL T3. One of them is the Plaza Premium lounge, and the other is the ITC WelcomeGroup Green Lounge. Depending on the airline, you might be given access to either one. However, there is NO separate 'FIRST' class lounge in true-sense (or a LH/SQ lounge for that matter). All of the airlines use the two lounges.

In the domestic terminal, you have Plaza Premium Lounge as well as an AMEX Platinum lounge. There is also an arrivals lounge (I believe it is paid, but they might accept Priority Pass) operated by Plaza Premium.

However, I'm not a 100% sure on the lounges, as I visited them about 7 months ago, and there might be something new this time. People with more recent experiences/experts can weigh in. :) Good luck on your trip.

Thanks, AvidFlyer1990! I'll double-check. My understanding is that AI opened a new lounge "complex" in T3 toward the end of 2013 that includes both business and first class wings, and now that AI is part of Star Alliance, they are open to passengers on SQ and other *A carriers. I'm sure someone from the AI board could clarify, but there are some mixed messages. The media reports only mention a J lounge, but the Star Alliance lounge finder says that AI operates both J and F lounges at DEL. I didn't realize that there was an Amex lounge too, though. Last time I was in DEL, I was given a pass to the Plaza Premium lounge but went straight to the *A carrier lounges instead. Sorry to get off topic. :)

You might be correct. I believe this is a brand new lounge for F & J passengers (I guess less than 6 months old):

AIR INDIA LOUNGES

Apparently, there is also a paid version of the lounge for Y passengers with no status. Star Alliance website lists the lounges as:

Star Alliance F & J Lounge at DEL T3

Looks like new lounges to me.

I have a couple of AI J flights and LH F flights to/from DEL coming up. I would appreciate it if you can report your experience, zcat18. Thanks! :) And sorry for veering off the topic of the thread!