How to Find the Best Round the World Airfare Specials from Australia

The best round the world airfare specials are not always the fares with the lowest advertised price. A good deal needs to cover the destinations you actually want to visit, provide workable flight times and avoid unnecessary additional costs.

For Australian travellers, there is also more than one way to build a round-the-world itinerary. Alongside traditional airline-alliance tickets, specially constructed Australian-market airfares can turn a return journey to Europe into a multi-continent trip with stops in Asia, North America or other regions.

The right option depends on your route, dates, cabin preferences and the flexibility of the fare. Before comparing prices, decide which parts of the journey are essential and where you are willing to adjust the itinerary.

Start with your essential destinations

Begin by separating your destinations into two groups.

Essential destinations are the places you need to visit because of a wedding, family commitment, cruise, conference, booked tour or other fixed plan. Flexible destinations are places you would like to include but could change if another routing produces better flight connections or value.

For example, you may need to be in London and New York but be equally happy stopping in Tokyo, Hong Kong or Singapore on the way home.

This distinction gives an airfare specialist more room to compare different fare structures without compromising the purpose of the trip.

It is also useful to decide:

●        Your preferred departure city in Australia

●        Your earliest and latest possible travel dates

●        How long you want to spend in each region

●        Whether you are open to nearby arrival or departure airports

●        Which long-haul sectors matter most for cabin comfort

●        Whether earning frequent flyer points or status credits is a priority

The more clearly these requirements are defined, the easier it becomes to identify which round the world airfare specials genuinely suit the journey.

Compare different types of round-the-world airfares

Many travellers assume a round-the-world trip requires a formal airline-alliance ticket. These products can be useful, but they are not the only option available from Australia.

Traditional alliance fares follow defined rules. Oneworld, for example, offers the oneworld Explorer and Global Explorer products. Oneworld Explorer is priced according to the number of continents visited, while Global Explorer is based on the total distance travelled.

The oneworld Explorer product can include between three and six continents and three to 16 flights. The trip must follow a continuous eastward or westward direction between its global zones, although some backtracking may be permitted within a continent.

Australian travellers may also be able to use specially constructed airfares built around a return journey to Europe. Often referred to within the industry as EH or AP fares, these may allow stopovers in regions such as Asia and North America on either side of the European destination.

For the right route, this can provide better value than purchasing a full alliance RTW ticket. However, the best structure depends on the cities, airlines, availability and fare rules involved.

Follow a logical eastward or westward route

Most efficient round-the-world itineraries move mainly in one direction.

An eastward journey could follow:

Australia to North America to Europe to Asia to Australia.

A westward itinerary could follow:

Australia to Asia to Europe to North America to Australia.

This reduces unnecessary backtracking and allows each long-haul flight to move the traveller closer to the next planned region.

Keeping Europe near the middle of the itinerary can be particularly useful when an Australian-market return fare to Europe forms the foundation of the ticket. Stops in North America may be incorporated on one side of the journey, with stops in Asia on the other.

Open-jaw routing can make the journey more practical. Instead of arriving and departing from the same city, you might fly into London, travel through Europe by train and take your next flight from Paris.

This avoids returning to London simply to continue the airfare and allows the ground journey to become part of the holiday.

Compare the full cost of the trip

A low headline fare can become expensive when it does not cover the complete itinerary.

One airfare may appear cheaper but require separate flights to reach two priority destinations. Those additional tickets can introduce extra baggage charges, airport transfers, accommodation and connection risks.

When comparing round the world airfare specials, consider:

●        The base fare, taxes and applicable charges

●        Additional flights not included in the main ticket

●        Baggage and seat selection costs

●        Ground transport between open-jaw cities

●        Overnight accommodation required by flight schedules

●        Change and cancellation conditions

●        The value of included stopovers

●        Frequent flyer points or status credits

Separate tickets also require careful connection planning. When two flights are held on different bookings, the second airline may not be responsible for rebooking you if a delay on the first ticket causes a missed connection.

A slightly higher fare with better connections, more included destinations and suitable change conditions may provide better overall value than the cheapest advertised option.

Keep flexible dates around fixed commitments

Airlines divide seats into different booking classes. A flight can still have available seats after the lower booking class required for a particular special fare has sold out.

Moving one sector by a day or two may make the preferred fare available again.

Start by protecting dates that cannot change, such as a wedding, cruise departure or organised tour. Give the remaining flights a reasonable window wherever possible.

Flexibility can be especially valuable during:

●        Australian school holidays

●        Christmas and New Year

●        Easter

●        European summer

●        Major international events

●        Peak travel periods in individual destinations

A round-the-world itinerary crosses several aviation markets, and demand may be different in each one. A date that works well for the Australia to North America sector may create limited availability on a later flight between Europe and Asia.

It is therefore better to assess the itinerary as one connected journey rather than searching for each flight in isolation.

Consider mixed cabin airfares

Travelling in the same cabin for every flight is not always necessary.

Some Australian-market fare constructions allow cabins to be mixed around the main turnaround point, which is often Europe. A traveller could fly Business Class from Australia through North America to Europe, then return through Asia in Economy or Premium Economy, depending on the fare conditions and availability.

This can provide additional comfort on the sectors where it matters most without paying for Business Class across the entire itinerary.

When comparing cabins, consider the flight duration, departure time, aircraft, seat type and price difference. A daytime flight of seven hours may not justify an upgrade as strongly as an overnight sector lasting 14 hours.

Frequent flyer earning should also be checked before booking. The operating airline, flight number and booking class can all affect how many points or status credits are earned.

Oneworld advises that eligible flights on its RTW products can earn points or miles, subject to the rules of the chosen frequent flyer program.

Review fare rules before paying

Round-the-world trips are often booked months in advance and may continue for several weeks or longer. This increases the possibility that dates or plans will change.

Before booking, check:

●        Whether travel dates can be changed

●        The fees and fare differences that may apply

●        Whether routing changes are permitted

●        The maximum journey duration

●        Stopover and transfer limits

●        Cancellation conditions

●        What happens after the first flight has been used

Formal RTW tickets have their own limits. The oneworld Explorer journey, for example, can last from 10 days to 12 months, must begin and end in the same city and must cross both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Other fare constructions may work differently, which is why the rules need to be assessed against the planned itinerary rather than assumed from the words “round the world”.

Check passport, visa and transit requirements

An airfare is only workable when the traveller can legally enter or transit through every destination on the route.

Visa and transit requirements vary according to the country, passport, length of stay and reason for travel. Some countries also require travellers who are only changing aircraft to meet specific entry or transit conditions.

Before ticketing, check the relevant destination advice through Smartraveller and confirm current requirements with the destination’s embassy, consulate or immigration authority. Entry conditions can change, so they should be reviewed again before departure.

Passport validity is another important consideration. Some destinations require a passport to remain valid for a minimum period beyond the date of entry or departure, including during transit.

Find an airfare that supports the whole journey

The best round the world airfare specials from Australia combine the required destinations, suitable dates and workable fare conditions at a competitive total cost.

Start with the places that matter most, then arrange them into a logical eastward or westward route. Compare formal alliance products with Australian-market fare constructions, use open-jaw sectors where they improve the itinerary and keep dates flexible around fixed commitments.

Most importantly, judge the airfare by the complete journey rather than the headline price. A well-designed ticket should reduce unnecessary flights, provide useful stopovers and make the trip easier to manage from the first departure through to the return to Australia.