There is almost nowhere on the planet that travelers can’t reach with the aid of a well-chosen airfare. However, there is so much choice of airlines and airfares on the market that deciding on the best air ticket for your travel plans, can be confusing.
In order to ascertain if an around the world airfare, circle trip airfare or airpass can save you money, you need to plan your route, work out which airlines service that route, and research the cost of buying the flights separately. It may seem like a lot of work initially, but it could save you hundreds of dollars.
The following flight information applies to airfares available from New Zealand but may apply elsewhere given that both of the largest airline alliances i.e. Star Alliance and One World, service Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa and the Southwest Pacific.
Around the World Airfares
It’s not always cheaper to buy a cheap return ticket and then sort out the regional or domestic airfares separately. Whilst around the world airline tickets can initially seem expensive, they can actually save you money but only if you choose the right one.
You choose the right one by planning where you want to travel and which airlines service those routes. A quick and easy way to find out which airlines service a route is by looking at Skyscanner or Which Budget. If you can fit the airlines into one of the two large airline alliances i.e. Star Alliance or One World, then an around the world airfare may be the cheapest way to fly.
On a One World Explorer airfare, the fare charged is determined by the number of geographic continents in the itinerary. This is a good option for travel plans that include a number of stops within the same continent. The One World around the world airfares are especially good for itineraries that include South Africa and South America.
The Star Alliance around the world airfares are based on miles flown, of which there are three mileage brackets. The Star Alliance airfares are especially good for destinations around the South West Pacific and Europe.
Circle Trip Airfares
Even if you are only wanting to travel to two or three cities in one area of the world, air tickets may not be cheap. This is especially true if the cities are not serviced by a single airline, or when the distances are huge and involve crossing oceans. But instead of buying three one-way air tickets, there may be a circle trip airfare that can be applied which will be more economical.
The One World Circle Pacific Explorer airfare is economical for travel between the Southwest Pacific/Asia region and North and South America. For example, one could fly Auckland – Melbourne – Sydney – Tokyo – Kuala Lumpur - Hong Kong - New York – Miami – Mexico City - Santiago – Auckland by flying the One World alliance carriers Qantas, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, and Lan Chile.
The Star Alliance Circle Asia airfare is economical for travel between Southwest Pacific, Southeast Asia and North Asia. For example, one could fly Auckland – Tokyo – Seoul – Beijing – Shanghai - Singapore – Bangkok - Auckland by flying the Star Alliance carriers Air New Zealand, Asiana Airlines, China Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Thai airlines.
International Airpasses
As opposed to buying individual flights within a country or continent, it may be cheaper to investigate an airpass. An airpass usually consists of a minimum of two and a maximum of ten flights. Airpass airfares are often based on a flat fee per sector system. The flat fee is usually determined by a mileage range. If you are taking many flights at the higher end of a mileage bracket, then an airpass might cost you only half of what you would normally pay when buying sectors individually.
The One World Visit North America airpass has six mileage brackets ranging in cost from USD102 through to USD337 per sector.
The Star Alliance Europe airpass is especially good for travel within Europe as Star Alliance carriers Lufthansa, Swiss Air, and Scandinavian Airlines have extensive networks in this region. There are nine mileage brackets ranging from USD85 to USD270 per sector.
Amongst other airpasses are a Lan Chile airpass applicable in South America, a Continental airlines Micronesia airpass, a South African Airlines airpass for Africa, and an Emirates airpass around the Middle East.
Around the World Airfares, Circle Trip Airfares and Airpasses
Depending on the route for travel, an around the world airline ticket, circle trip air ticket or airpass may serve the purpose more cheaply than a cheap return airfare with individually purchased sectors.
Sources
- Skyscanner website
- Which Budget website
- One World website
- Star Alliance website
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