You're confusing yourself. Hartmann mentioned his friend's trip in his second post, without suggesting that it was in first class.

I had no point in posting my friend's routing except for the fact that he was doing a RTW without buying a RTW from one of the alliances.

As far as the original point of this thread, I was just trying to figure out how people take these extremely expensive trips that are talked about on this board that are in F.

Er, I work, I earn money, I spend it. US$8,000 for a AONE3 isn't that much money to someone who has been in mid-level or higher jobs for a few years. Most of the people I know from these boards who take premium class RTWs are at least mid-30s; there are plenty of retirees.

You called? Yep, here busy spending my children's inheritance. You are right, of course, but I think the OP was referring to some hypothetical $25K RTW fare in F which, if true (it's not), would be serious money for most.

All the FTers I know who buy RTWs in F are looking for value travel. We want a good ratio between the price we pay and the experience we receive. None of us are paying $25K for F RTWs; that's the point of this forum and the other alliance forums - we learn how to maximize the pleasure and minimize the price of our travel.

I earn money as well, I was just looking at ticket prices and some of the trip reports and doing the math in my head. This isn't an attack on people saying "Why are you spending your money that way?!", it's a question of how you make it affordable.

In the very near future I hope to take my girlfriend to a few far off destinations and maybe hop around a bit. I am just keeping this in the back of my mind as I write posts and try to figure out how to make that trip comfortable (hopefully in F or J) and as enjoyable as possible.

RTW's can be great deals if you can work within their limitations.

For a couple of years I was working at a company and we had facilities in London, Singapore, and Sydney (amongst other places). So the RTW represented a great value for what were typically two week trips.

My current booking, for example, will take me from Asia to Europe, flights around Europe, then back to the US, flghts within the US, and then eventually back to Asia. With some pretty decent flexibility -- flexibility that would -- priced out independently -- cost much more.

Steve

Sorry, Hartmann, you're too late. The goose has been slain, probably thanks in large part to forums like this one, which spread the word and generated more than enough leisure-travel (and thrifty business traveler) butts to use up every last excess butt-mile the airlines were carrying. And more.

The golden era when the great airlines of the world all rushed to install first-class flat beds, complete with flight attendants who would sing you to sleep on request, is fading fast. At least for the budget traveler, access to one of those seats is becoming ever more difficult and more expensive, and the FA's refuse to sing anymore.

For that particular scenario my suggestions would be: keep your expectations low; go for J, not F; choose either SA or SWP as your 4th continent and buy a DONE4, not a DONE5 or 6; start in Europe and get to/from there on an award; concentrate more on the destinations, less on the air travel (heresy around here, but that's what I think); give it at least 6 weeks or, better still, break it into two trips, with a mid-trip return to base (on another award).

deleted

Not a direct answer to the OP but still on topic, I hope:

Viajera and I recently returned from a 7 week DONEx, and as I usually do, just finished doing all the $$$ accounting for the trip. Boy, the OP is not really that far wrong wondering just how most can afford this stuff. Our grand total for this trip comes to the not so trivial amount of just under $35K, excluding shopping. We are budget travellers, who never get anywhere near a 5-star anything or drive anything much bigger than a compact, so hate to think what the total would be if we stay/eat at top places, or rented some sexy looking wheels. Now, time that x2 per year, all of it out of pocket, and we are talking about really serious money (for us anyway) over time. With that dough we could actually buy some of the places we stayed at. Anyhow, you can't take it with you...

I guess you're not in on the secret that when you fly AONEx the airlines comp you all your hotel and meal costs at 5* places during the entire trip.

It is 7 weeks afterall.

I find the value of the DONE4 can be maxed out when you break it into 2 trips as you suggested.

Generally for a maxed out 20 segment DONE4 incl tax will be around 7000-8000USD (based on the chepaer countries like BKK and NRT)

That buys you around 4 long haul J Class trips as well as 16 shorted flights. The miles per $ is actually not too different when compare to a normal point ot point (not even full) Y Class fare.

My calculus includes award mileage. First, I see a US$6500 DONE4 buying me 20 J or F segments at $325 apiece. May not be a barn-burner on LAX-SFO, but it sure wins on LAX-LHR.

Second, if our RTWs average around 55K BIS miles, with elite bonuses and COS bonuses added, they generate ~125K+ each in spendable miles. That pretty well covers a lot of of our travels outside the paid RTWs.

So we're using alternating-year RTWs to maintain status and to cover non-longhaul travel in the "off" years. So far so good. Add award travel "gifts" to family members (trips or eVips when applicable) and I see the product as having numerous benefits outside the straight travel value.

I think the key is that you have to plan it our carefully and be prepare to take some flights for the sake of the miles (eg. LHR-DXB turnaround ) I guess different people have different priorities.