Even before Continental Airlines switched from the SkyTeam airline alliance to the Star Alliance, the SkyTeam Round the World Pass was not the top choice among RTW tickets offered by airline alliances. Still, when you’re comparing round the world tickets it’s always good to know about all your options – and if you’re already a member of the SkyTeam alliance then earning those RTW miles on the account you already have miles on is a good thing.
Be sure to read our review of SkyTeam Alliance’s RTW plane tickets. If you’ve used SkyTeam Alliance for your RTW ticket, you can leave your own review, too.
In addition to any loyalty you might have to SkyTeam and its partner airlines, one big reason to look at the SkyTeam Round the World Pass is where they fly. Many airline alliance RTW tickets have mediocre-to-bad coverage in parts of the world where SkyTeam excels, so depending on your itinerary the SkyTeam Round the World Pass could be the best option for you.
Here’s what you need to know about the SkyTeam Round the World Pass when you’re comparing it against other RTW ticket options.
- What kind of traveler is this ticket best for? – A SkyTeam Round the World Pass is a good option for travelers whose itineraries include stops in Russia, Africa, and China, as those tend to be destinations where other RTW tickets offered by airline alliances have less coverage. These tickets are also good for RTW travelers who don’t know what their precise itinerary will be, since you can book your tickets as you go along instead of booking your entire trip at the start and being forced to either stick to it or make changes en route.
- What airlines can I fly with this ticket? – With a SkyTeam Round the World Pass you can fly on any SkyTeam member airline or a SkyTeam associate airline. At the moment, that list includes: Aeroflot, AeroMexico, AirEuropa, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Delta, Kenya Airways, KLM, and Korean Air.
- How long is the ticket valid once I start my trip? – A SkyTeam Round the World Pass is good for 12 months from the date of the first flight on the ticket.
- How many flight segments are on this ticket? – With the SkyTeam Round the World Pass you can make between 3 and 15 stops on your itinerary.
- Are there any required stops? – No.
- What’s the maximum flight mileage I can accumulate on this ticket? – There are four different ticket options with the SkyTeam Round the World Pass, with four different mileage levels. You can buy tickets in the following increments: 26,000 miles, 29,000 miles, 34,000 miles, and 39,000 miles. Note that the 26,000 mile level is available only in Economy Class, while the other three are available in Economy, Business, and First Class.
- What are the restrictions on this ticket? – Your itinerary on a SkyTeam Round the World Pass has to include one flight each over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. You are allowed to backtrack within a continent, but not back and forth between continents. You must continue traveling in one direction (eastward or westward) from area to area (areas defined by SkyTeam). You have to return to the same country from which you departed, but not necessarily the same city.
- Are there any bonuses that come with this ticket? – With a SkyTeam Round the World Pass you don’t have to book your entire trip, you just have to book the first international flight – you can then book the rest of your trip as you go, whenever you want.
- Anything else in the fine print I should know about? – If you use ground transportation from one airport to another, that counts as a “flight” segment and the distance also counts toward your total mileage.
- How can I book this ticket? – You can book a SkyTeam Round the World Pass either with a travel agent or directly with one of the SkyTeam member airlines.
>> More information about the SkyTeam Round the World Pass
photo by Dtom
