Marisa Garcia Star Alliance has launched new themed round-the-world itineraries tailored to traveller’s passions, and shaped by leading travel influencers.
Star Alliance has offered Round the World fares for more than a decade, but themed itineraries are a fresh spin on the globe.
These new itineraries are focused around traveller interests including: World Food, World Wonders, Architecture Hotspots, Nature Trail, Aquatic Wonders, Ramsar Wetlands, Natural Wonders, Great Hotels, Sports Hotspots, Wine Tasting, Romantic Journey and Luxury Lifestyle.
Supporting the launch of the new Round the World themes, Star Alliance has engaged seven travel bloggers to travel on one of the themed itineraries and report on their journey.
- Mark Wiens will sample culinary delights across the globe.
- Scott Eddy will sample fine wines on six continents.
- Megan and Mike Jerrard will take a romantic journey.
- Justin Carmack will dive into underwater hotspots.
- Michael Schulz will photograph architectural wonders.
- Karen Day will take a “Professional Gap Year” tour.
- Oneika-the-Traveler will explore the world’s wonders.
To help passengers find and book these inspirational journeys, the Alliance’s online Round the World booking tool “Book & Fly” (available in English, German and Japanese) has been updated so that travellers can choose the closest airport to their home as the starting point for their preferred itinerary theme. Customers can also customise their itinerary by adding, removing or exchanging destinations.
The alliance has also integrated social media features to “Book&Fly” so that travellers can share their globe-trotting plans with friends and followers. After booking the flights, electronic tickets are issued directly via the online tool.
You Could (Sorta)Travel Round the Solar System
Individual itineraries can cover up to 26,000, 29,000, 34,000 or 39,000 miles; so you’re really flying around the world..plus.
Earth’s circumference is 24,889 miles, so you get more globe for your money with the smallest of these round-the-world itineraries. You’re travelling more than around Venus (23,617 miles), leaving Mars (13,256 miles) in the dust, and let’s not mention Mercury (9,522 miles).
Real adventurers could set interplanetary goals, by taking separate themed round-the-world itineraries.
Imagine telling your friends you’ve flown around Neptune (96,645 miles) for Nature Trail, Wetlands, and Aquatic Wonders.
Or you could have enjoyed Saturn (235,185 miles) for Architecture Hotspots, World Food, World Wonders, Wine Tasting, Romantic Journey and Luxury Lifestyle.
And if you get ambitious you could fly around Jupiter (278,985 miles) adding Sports Hotspots, and Great Hotels.
[I’m not doing the Uranus (99,739 miles) itinerary mix because that’s too hard for you to boast about while keeping a straight face.]
Anyway, Star Alliance round-the-world itinerary customers can build their own routes, within the maximum mileage of the selected fare level. Travel has to start and end in the same country and must be in the same direction, either East or West-bound (some zigzagging is allowed within a single continent), and you have to cross the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean once; which is what makes it count as round the world.
Not that you’d necessarily want to, but you cannot pull a modern-day Phillleas Fogg and just fly non-stop on a bet. The itinerary requires layovers of at least 24 hours in a minimum of three cities, and you can make up to 15 stops on your overall itinerary—though some Economy Class fares only allow up to five stops.
You can really stretch out the trip and enjoy the local culture. Depending on whether you book a First, Business, Premium Economy or Economy Class round-the-world trip, you can travel for up to six or twelve months.
You can bring the kids along for a truly global education, and there’s a discount. Children between the age of two and 11 pay 75 per cent of the applicable adult fare, while infants under two who do not occupy a seat can fly for 10 per cent of the applicable adult fare.
Customers can plan their Round the World journey from the comfort of their couch, 24/365, or travellers can work through any Star Alliance member airline or a travel agent to book their Round the World ticket.
People Enjoy It Enough to Pay Premium
The Star Alliance says its Round the World fare become the most popular of the seven Star Alliance fare products the alliance offers, and people who take on the itinerary tend to fly premium fares.
- More than half of Round the World travellers fly in Business Class
- More than a third fly Economy Class
- Around 8% fly First Class.
The Star Alliance says that round the world fares offer better value for money than individual one-way tickets on separate airlines for the same journey, though the actual price varies by market, by distance travelled, and by class flown.
Customers travelling on Star Alliance RTW fares can earn miles in any of the Frequent Flyer Programmes (FFP) offered by the member airlines. The collected miles count towards earning Star Alliance Gold or Silver status and can also get you more flights (free), upgrades, hotel stays, or your choice of goodies from participating partners.
The Star Alliance member airlines are:
Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Avianca Brazil, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United.
Combined, the Star Alliance network offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,330 airports in 192 countries.
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