Scott Grimmer from MileValue.com explains how to use frequent flyer miles and credit card points to book EPIC, huge, once-in-a-lifetime, RTW trips.

1. Round-the-World Trips
Since the Death of the
RTW Award
Scott Grimmer
MileValue.com
Chicago Seminars, October 17, 2015

2. What Do I Mean by RTW?

Not roundtrip to
Europe

Any big trip with
many destinations
whether it literally
goes around the
world or not

3. Are RTW Awards Really Dead?

American and Delta killed theirs in 2014 and
2015

ANA, United, Aeroplan, Korean, and Cathay
Pacific still have RTW award possibilities

ANA, Korean, and Cathay Pacific are killed by
fuel surcharges

United costs 200k/350k/450k

Aeroplan costs 200k/300k/400k

4. How to Book a RTW Trip in 2015

A series of (mostly) one way bookings that
takes advantage of low-cost carriers, distance-
based miles (Avios), and region-based miles

Must have: a knowledge of several domestic
and foreign programs and their sweetspots

Must have: a knowledge of transferable points
programs

5. A series of (mostly) one way bookings that takes advantage of low-cost
carriers, distance-based miles (Avios), and region-based miles

Legs you can stand to fly
in economy (short)

On a Low-Cost Carrier
(Wikipedia list and
Wikipedia airport pages)

Most likely to find
unbeatable fares in
Southeast Asia and
Europe

Also see:
Mile Value Calculator

6. Best Cards to Get for “Cash” Flights

Arrival Plus

FlexPerks

ThankYou Premier

ThankYou Prestige
for $250 Air Travel
Credit

7. A series of (mostly) one way bookings that takes advantage of low-cost
carriers, distance-based miles (Avios), and region-based miles
Avios are best for:

short

direct

Economy flights

On partners with no fuel
surcharges

On flights that connect
regions

And have no cheap cash
alternatives

8. Best Cards to Get Avios

Chase British
Airways

Sapphire Preferred

Ink Plus

Membership
Rewards Earning
cards though 1,000 =
800

9. A series of (mostly) one way bookings that takes advantage of low-cost
carriers, distance-based miles (Avios), and region-based miles

Region-based miles are best
for long, premium-cabin
flights

Programs I'd focus on:
United, American, Delta,
Alaska, Singapore, Aeroplan,
Asiana, Air France, Korean

Transferable points: Ultimate
Rewards, Membership
Rewards, ThankYou Points,
SPG Starpoints

10. Region Based Miles

All about hitting sweet spots

And avoiding fuel surcharges

11. Sweetspots

40,000 American Airlines miles for Qantas First
Class (A380) DXB-LHR

60,000 American Airlines miles for Etihad First
Class (A380) AUH-SYD

40,000 United miles for Thai First Class BKK-
SYD

10,000 United miles Caribbean to Northern
South America

12,500 Flying Blue miles + $110 from select,
rotating American cities to Europe (Promo Awards)

12. Sweet Spots
The Page I Update with Region Based Sweetspots

13. Avoiding Fuel Surcharges

14. Best Cards to Get Region Based
Miles

Sapphire Preferred, Ink Plus, Freedom, SPG
personal and business, ThankYou Premier
and Prestige, and whatever Membership
Rewards card has the big bonus

United, American, Alaska, and Delta cards

15. Tactics

Avios across regions

Alaska award stopovers

United award stopovers

Asia Miles award within South America

16. Avios Across Regions

These awards are expensive with region-
based miles (but not necessarily cash)

Examples:
− Alaska Airlines flights to Hawaii
− SriLankan flights to India
− Iberia flights to Africa

17. Alaska Stopovers

One stopover per
one way award

Alaska awards can
only fly one partner
per one way (plus
Alaska)

18. United Stopovers

Zero stopovers on
one way awards; one
stopover in addition
to the destination on
roundtrips

“Roundtrip” has a
broad definition

19. Asia Miles Awards within South
America

Need to fly two oneworld
airlines and avoid fuel
surcharges

You can make a
maximum of five
stopovers, two transfers
and two open-jaws

LAN + TAM + AA in
South America

See here
2,754 miles →

20. Questions before the examples?

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21. Three Examples

Six Stop RTW

Americas Blowout

Pacific Hopp-est

22. Six Stop RTW

Los Angeles to Nadi to Sydney in Fiji economy: 40k Alaska +
$142

Sydney to Kuala Lumpur in Thai First: 40k Untied + $60

Kuala Lumpur to Delhi in Malindo Air economy: $187

Delhi to London in Etihad A380 First: 40k American + $40

London to Madrid in Ryanair economy: $36

Madrid to Los Angeles in American economy: 20k American +
$54

23. Six Stop RTW

Alaska stopover policy for free stopover in Fiji

United sweetspot Australia/New Zealand ↔ SE Asia

Cash fare over Avios fuel surcharges

American sweetspot Middle East/Indian Subcontient ↔
Europe

American off peak sweetspot

24. Six Stop RTW

40,000 Alaska miles

40,000 United miles

60,000 American Airlines miles

$519
Thai and Etihad First Class and lots of economy

25. Six Stop RTW

Alaska Airlines personal card

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Airlines Platinum personal card

SPG personal card

Barclcaycard Arrival Plus
Minimum spending requirements of $13,000 over the first
three months

26. Six Stop RTW

25,000 Alaska miles

49,000 Ultimate Rewards

53,000 American Airlines miles

28,000 Starpoints

46,000 Arrival miles
after meeting all minimum spending requirements

27. Six Stop RTW
Transfer 40,000 Ultimate Rewards to United miles, 15,000 Starpoints to Alaska
miles, and 7,000 Starpoints to American Airlines miles. Then you’d have:

40,000 Alaska miles

40,000 United miles

60,000 American Airlines miles

9,000 Ultimate Rewards (could transfer to Hyatt for free hotel night)

6,000 leftover Starpoints (could be as many as three free hotel nights)

46,000 Arrival miles

28. Six Stop RTW
Enough to book all the flight awards, four hotel nights, and use Arrival miles for
$483 off of $519 in airfare plus award taxes.
You pay $36 out of pocket for flights/taxes and a $75 annual fee on the Alaska
Airlines card–or $111 total for a RTW trip with six stops.

29. Americas Blowout

Begins and ends in Miami

Economy from Miami to Galapagos

Business Class from Galapagos to Miami

7,500 Avios

20,000 United miles

80,000 Asia Miles

35,000 Asiana miles

Sapphire Preferred

ThankYou Premier

ThankYou Prestige

SPG personal card

30. 7,500 Avios

31. 20,000 United Miles
United chart sweetspots +
stopover on “roundtrip”

32. 80,000 Asia Miles in Business

Flies two partners
(LAN and TAM)

60,000 in economy

Three Stopovers and
Two Open Jaws (5 + 2
+ 2 allowed)

33. 35,000 Asiana Miles in Business

34. Credit Cards

Sapphire Preferred

ThankYou Premier

ThankYou Prestige (8
days after Premier)

SPG personal card
$13,000 in four
months
$450 annual fee in
first year, but...

49,000 Ultimate
Rewards, transfer 20k
to United and 8k to
British Airways

106,000 ThankYou
Points, transfer 80k to
Asia Miles

28k SPG points,
spend $2k more,
transfer 30k points to
35k Asiana miles

35. Pacific Hopp-est

36. Big Picture

30k Singapore

87.5k United

10k Avios

40k Alaska

Two cash tickets (Arrival miles)

Starts in Chicago

Flat bed First Class to Hawaii

Economy to Manila

Thai First Class to Sydney

Economy to Chicago

Sapphire Preferred

United Explorer card

2x Alaska personal

Arrival Plus

37. 30k Singapore miles in United First

38. 47.5k United miles

Two stops along the way (in addition to
Honolulu and Manila)

Takes advantage of stopover on
“roundtrip” United award

Island Hopper 14 hour five-stop flight
on Monday and Friday from Honolulu to
Guam

I'm booked in January with stops in Pohnpei and Palau

39. 40k United miles in Thai First

Met at plane in BKK, hourlong massage

40. 10k Avios

41. Cash (Arrival miles) for flight or...

42. 40k Alaska Miles
Stop as long as you'd like in Fiji

43. Cash (Arrival Miles)

44. Credit Cards

Sapphire Preferred

United Explorer card

2x Alaska personal

Arrival Plus
$9,000 in four months
$150 annual fees in
first year on Alaska
cards

57,000 United miles +
49,000 Ultimate
Rewards, transfer 31k
UR to United, transfer
10k UR to Avios

50,000 Alaska miles

46k Arrival miles =
$483 in free flights
and award taxes

45. MileValue.com
The MileValue E-Book Launches October 27