Round the World Fares

You could start by researching the "around the world" fares. Once you have some basic info on the cost, maybe create a spreadsheet or some kind of table that you could use to compare them. After that, start to narrow it down a bit (I think that Google will be your friend here, maybe with a bit of help from AI). There's a ton of info on the web about traveling around the world, so I would look at that first. Maybe try FlyerTalk.

I did find a few threads when I did a quick search on the forum, however.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/around-the-world-airline-tickets-any-thoughts
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/travel-partners/travelling-around-the-world-in-2024
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/around-the-world-in-80-days-85afeb3b-a795-4a3e-b75f-bf2368658561
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/around-the-world-plane-tickets
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/beyond-europe/your-recommendations-for-an-around-the-world-trip
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/around-the-world-airline-tickets-any-thoughts

Thanks! I will check these out.

Just curious. Is this the great value it used to be? Years ago I occasionally met travelers who were doing round the world trips for about what I paid for a single return trip.

We used the Star Alliance (United) version years ago when I was based in Singapore in order to combine my business and leisure travel. Probably did it 10-12 times between my wife and I. It's a great deal if you have the time. The rules are pretty similar for the other alliances (One World and SkyTeam) as I recall, but best to do a deep dive into the individual alliance websites to familiarize yourselves with their specific terms and conditions and maybe do a comparison check, though the one associated with your home airline will be likely be most convenient and cost-effective.
One suggestion: though the rules state that you have to keep moving east or west on the RTW fare (ie no back-tracking or side trips) I found that by selectively using local regional airlines to supplement my RTW trips I was able to stretch things out and explore further afield without affecting my RTW itinerary.
Used to be that I only had to confirm the date of the first leg of my trip and was then able to plug in the dates for my other stops as the trip progressed, so the added flexibility was a big help for me. Not sure if that's still the case but might be worth checking out.
In my case the cost of the RTW ticket was less than a round trip fare from my home base in Singapore back to my company headquarters on the US East coast. Like I said - it's a great deal.

The main sources for RTW tickets remain member airlines of the two big alliances, Star Alliance and Oneworld. (Skyteam also had an RTW product but it didn't survive Covid.)

Star Alliance's RTW is priced base on the number of flown miles (with mileage tiers ranging from 26,000 to 39,000 miles. Oneworld's main product, the Oneworld Explorer, is priced based on how many continents are touched, from 3 to 6.

Both tickets are good for a year, allow up to 16 segments, and require that you cross both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in the same direction. You can zigzag and backtrack within individual continents or regions, but not across oceans. With a couple of exceptions, you have to end in the same country from which you started.

One very important thing to know is that prices of the tickets vary hugely depending on where the trip begins and ends (not on the country of residence of the travelers. For example, a Star Alliance 29,000 mile business class ticket starting and ending in Japan has a base price of around US$4500. The same ticket starting and ending in the USA has a base price of around $11,500. So it can behoove one to "position" in a "cheaper" country if it means saving half the price or more on the ticket. At present Japan is the cheapest "origin" country for business class RTWs with both alliances; for Oneworld Norway stoll.has the best fares, again, running around half the US base fares.

For Americans or Canadians, one benefit of starting overseas is that it's easy to break up a year's flying with an extended "stopover" at home, maybe for months. For example, start in Japan then head to Australia or New Zealand. Travel around, then fly home to North America and resume your lives (or use the ticket to travel around - Alaska? Central America or the Caribbean?

Then, later, it's across the Atlantic. Bounce around Europe or maybe a safari in Africa. Then back to Asia, maybe via the Maldives or Thailand, as long as you end up back in Japan before the ticket turns back into a pumpkin at 12 months and one day.

There's a.lot of information on these.products on the "Global Airlines Alliances" boards on Flyertalk. Maybe have a look and start working on that bucket list.

While of course you can travel around the world by buying a sequence of one-way flights, you can often save.money (sometimes a LOT of it) by buying an alliance-based RTW ticket.

These are offered by member airlines of two big alliances, Star Alliance and Oneworld. (The third big alliance, Skyteam, dropped their RTW product after Covid.)

The RTWs offered by both alliances are similar in that they require that you travel around the world, crossing both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in the same direction, and that you start and end in the same country. The tickets allow up to 16 flights (takeoffs and landings) and are good for 12 months from the date of the first flight. You can travel east-to-west or v.v. but zigzagging or doubling back within continents or regions is okay, as long as you don't cross any oceans. They're all sold with the.option of traveling in economy, business or first class.

All the Star Alliance and one of the two Oneworld RTWs are.priced based on how.many miles are flown, with.mileage tiers ranging from 26,000 to 39,000 miles. The.popular Oneworld Explorer is priced depending on how many continents are touched, from 3 to 6.

One VERY important factors that the base prices of the tickets varies - sometimes hugely - depending on where travel begins and ends. For example a business class Star Alliance RTW good for 29,000 flown miles has a base price of around US$4500 if travel starts and ends in Japan. The same ticket with travel starting and ending in the USA has a base price of around $11,500. Similar differentials apply to Oneworld RTWs starting in Japan or Norway. So sometimes it can behoove one to "position" to a cheaper origin country if it means saving half the cost of the ticket.

For travelers in North America, starting overseas can help in turning the ticket into two separate trips with a stopover at home part way through the year. Say you start in Japan, then visit Australia or New Zealand (or both) before returning to home in North America. You "stop over" for A few months - back to work or use the ticket to travel around - Alaska? Central America or the Caribbean? Then, later, it's off to Europe, or maybe a safari in Africa, before making your way back to Japan before time expires.

Unlimited possibilities. Work on your bucket lists.

Sorry for the duplicate postings. I thought the first one had vanished.