Redemption Help RTW help... please?
Dec 27, 2018, 8:59 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Programs: BA Gold, M&M, PC PlatAmb, Marriott, SPG
Posts: 427
RTW help... please?
Hi all
I've been around for a few years, reading all the wonderful stories
I'd love to get some advice on a RTW trip. I recently hit over a million miles. Just with no status to speak of, as it always fell short of my usage (and I gathered most using Coop points, M&M credit cards, etc). Took about ten years...
As I recently got married. I now have an opportunity to do a Honeymoon RTW trip (she's ok to wait for this to be planned properly), and was thinking something along the lines of First class (or Business class) as follows:
CH (Geneva or Zurich), CA (Toronto or Montreal), US (first Las Vegas, then Hawaii), JP (Tokyo), AU (Sydney), SG (Singapore), TH (Bangkok), HK (Hong Kong), DE (Frankfurt probably... not picky) and back to Switzerland.
Plan is to do this between June and December of next year, can take up to 4 weeks if it has to... What do you think? Did I make a big mistake, are there some changes I should make, I'm not too bothered visiting New Zealand, mostly interested in re-visiting Hawaii, Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore and Hong Kong. The rest is less important.
Happy to hear some feedback. I understand sometimes availability would restrict us to business class. Ideally, I would love to experience First in as a large variety of airlines as possible (ANA, SIN, Swiss, LF...).
Thank you all!
I've been around for a few years, reading all the wonderful stories
I'd love to get some advice on a RTW trip. I recently hit over a million miles. Just with no status to speak of, as it always fell short of my usage (and I gathered most using Coop points, M&M credit cards, etc). Took about ten years...
As I recently got married. I now have an opportunity to do a Honeymoon RTW trip (she's ok to wait for this to be planned properly), and was thinking something along the lines of First class (or Business class) as follows:
CH (Geneva or Zurich), CA (Toronto or Montreal), US (first Las Vegas, then Hawaii), JP (Tokyo), AU (Sydney), SG (Singapore), TH (Bangkok), HK (Hong Kong), DE (Frankfurt probably... not picky) and back to Switzerland.
Plan is to do this between June and December of next year, can take up to 4 weeks if it has to... What do you think? Did I make a big mistake, are there some changes I should make, I'm not too bothered visiting New Zealand, mostly interested in re-visiting Hawaii, Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore and Hong Kong. The rest is less important.
Happy to hear some feedback. I understand sometimes availability would restrict us to business class. Ideally, I would love to experience First in as a large variety of airlines as possible (ANA, SIN, Swiss, LF...).
Thank you all!
Dec 27, 2018, 11:16 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: ZRH
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 258
I would take the normal star alliance RTW tool and get me the trip I would like and then check if I can get it also on miles
https://www.staralliance.com/en/round-the-world
Happy Flying
https://www.staralliance.com/en/round-the-world
Happy Flying
Dec 27, 2018, 11:41 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,992
...I'd love to get some advice on a RTW trip. I recently hit over a million miles. Just with no status to speak of, as it always fell short of my usage (and I gathered most using Coop points, M&M credit cards, etc). Took about ten years...
As I recently got married. I now have an opportunity to do a Honeymoon RTW trip (she's OK to wait for this to be planned properly), and was thinking something along the lines of First class (or Business class) as follows:
CH (Geneva or Zurich), CA (Toronto or Montreal), US (first Las Vegas, then Hawaii), JP (Tokyo), AU (Sydney), SG (Singapore), TH (Bangkok), HK (Hong Kong), DE (Frankfurt probably... not picky) and back to Switzerland.
Plan is to do this between June and December of next year, can take up to 4 weeks if it has to... What do you think? Did I make a big mistake, are there some changes I should make, I'm not too bothered visiting New Zealand, mostly interested in re-visiting Hawaii, Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore and Hong Kong. The rest is less important.
As I recently got married. I now have an opportunity to do a Honeymoon RTW trip (she's OK to wait for this to be planned properly), and was thinking something along the lines of First class (or Business class) as follows:
CH (Geneva or Zurich), CA (Toronto or Montreal), US (first Las Vegas, then Hawaii), JP (Tokyo), AU (Sydney), SG (Singapore), TH (Bangkok), HK (Hong Kong), DE (Frankfurt probably... not picky) and back to Switzerland.
Plan is to do this between June and December of next year, can take up to 4 weeks if it has to... What do you think? Did I make a big mistake, are there some changes I should make, I'm not too bothered visiting New Zealand, mostly interested in re-visiting Hawaii, Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore and Hong Kong. The rest is less important.
Route map, but very likely not all available as non stop flights. So will be more flights/airports.
Route is not that efficient. A lot of back tracking around getting/from SYD.
ZRH-YUL-LAS-HNL-NRT-SYD-SYD-SIN-BKK-HKG-FRA-ZRH -->Great Circle Mapper
What research have you done on award availability?
Many airlines/routes do not have first class. Aircraft with first class is decreasing. Some short routes may not have business class
Consider these Award booking services - a list and some reviews
Dec 27, 2018, 12:14 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: London, Paris
Programs: LH HON, AF Platinum
Posts: 2,001
I’m pretty sure you can’t backtrack on M&M RTW.
Flying in F will also be difficult, as you can’t book in LX unless you are at least a Senator. And LH award F availability for two is hard to come by without status.
Business is eminently doable here.
Flying in F will also be difficult, as you can’t book in LX unless you are at least a Senator. And LH award F availability for two is hard to come by without status.
Business is eminently doable here.
Dec 28, 2018, 3:13 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Stuck on this planet - mainly in STR and LAX
Posts: 5,019
Finding availability for such a ticket will be a major problem. You might find it easier to get a string of one way tickets and buy the shorter segments in between.
For F you need a lot of luck and the F version is more expensive, you would waste miles on the other flights where you cannot find availability.
A good starting point is the ANA website to search for more carriers than you can see on the LH/LX website.
I also believe you are trying to squeeze too much into 4 weeks.
For F you need a lot of luck and the F version is more expensive, you would waste miles on the other flights where you cannot find availability.
A good starting point is the ANA website to search for more carriers than you can see on the LH/LX website.
I also believe you are trying to squeeze too much into 4 weeks.
Dec 28, 2018, 3:16 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: FRA
Programs: LH SEN**, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 667
I would also suggest to play around with the star alliance RTW tool, which will give you an idea about the available connections, what is allowed in terms of stopovers etc.
Based on this, I would then discuss with my wife what your priorities are in terms of travel class vs. flexibility, e.g. do you accept being in a particular city two days less if a flight in F is available as opposed to a flight in C at an ideal date. To do the booking, call the LX call center in Basel. They are very competent and helpful.
In terms of F availability, as mentioned, not easy for 2 people with LH, essentially impossible for SQ flights, LX has OK availability, but you need to be SEN or HON, I have not experience with awards on ANA or Thai Airways.
Based on this, I would then discuss with my wife what your priorities are in terms of travel class vs. flexibility, e.g. do you accept being in a particular city two days less if a flight in F is available as opposed to a flight in C at an ideal date. To do the booking, call the LX call center in Basel. They are very competent and helpful.
In terms of F availability, as mentioned, not easy for 2 people with LH, essentially impossible for SQ flights, LX has OK availability, but you need to be SEN or HON, I have not experience with awards on ANA or Thai Airways.
Dec 28, 2018, 3:27 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 6
The M&M RTW is limited to 10 segments and 7 Stopovers. I see no availability of Star alliance flights between LAS and HNL (--> 2 segments) or NRT and SYD (--> 2 segments)
ZRH-YUL-LAS-HNL-NRT-SYD-SY-SIN-BKK-HKG-FRA-ZRH --> where do you stopover?
ZRH-YUL-LAS-HNL-NRT-SYD-SY-SIN-BKK-HKG-FRA-ZRH --> where do you stopover?
Dec 28, 2018, 1:15 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between DM464 and DM463 on the NAPSA26 RNAV TRANS in EDDM
Programs: this and that
Posts: 1,731
You can always bake in some "paid" segments/legs. A fried of mine is currently on a RTW ticket and he had to book the feeder flights to/from FRA and two segments as revenue tickets. The 10 segments & 7 stopovers can be the limiting factor, for sure.