Not all round the world tickets are offered by big airline alliances – sometimes it’s just a few airlines getting together and coming up with a RTW ticket option for travelers. Such is the case with The Great Escapade – it’s a partnership between three airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, and Air New Zealand. Given this ticket’s limited number of partner airlines, you likely won’t be surprised to learn of its limited geographic coverage. Still, if your RTW itinerary is concentrated on the regions The Great Escapade ticket covers then that shouldn’t be a problem.
The Great Escapade is a mileage-based ticket, although unlike other mileage-based tickets this one only comes in one mileage amount. It also only has two starting points – London and Manchester – so that’s something to consider if you live outside the UK. One major benefit of The Great Escapade is that it does allow backtracking in your itinerary.
Here’s what you need to know about The Great Escapade ticket when you’re comparing it against other RTW ticket options.
- What kind of traveler is this ticket best for? – The Great Escapade ticket is best for travelers based in the UK who can easily get to London or Manchester (the only two starting points for this ticket), and whose itineraries are concentrated in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. Outside these regions, it can be difficult to find flights with one of the partner airlines, making routing a challenge.
- What airlines can I fly with this ticket? – You can fly on Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, and Air New Zealand on The Great Escapade ticket.
- How long is the ticket valid once I start my trip? – The Great Escapade is good for 12 months from the date of your first flight on the ticket.
- How many flight segments are on this ticket? – Because The Great Escapade is a mileage-based ticket, there are unlimited stopovers allowed during your trip. The only barrier to adding more stopovers will be when you reach the maximum mileage allowed.
- Are there any required stops? – No.
- What’s the maximum flight mileage I can accumulate on this ticket? – The Great Escapade allows for 29,000 miles of travel, although you can purchase additional miles in 1,500 mile increments up to a total of 4,500 extra miles.
- What are the restrictions on this ticket? – You must cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans once each (but only once each) during your trip on The Great Escapade ticket, and you can only visit each stopover once (although you can use stopovers multiple times as long as it’s on an air transfer).
- Are there any bonuses that come with this ticket? – This isn’t technically a bonus, but it’s definitely a perk of The Great Escapade ticket – backtracking on this ticket is allowed, unlike most RTW tickets.
- Anything else in the fine print I should know about? – Business class fares are available on The Great Escapade ticket.
- How can I book this ticket? – There’s a route planner on The Great Escapade website that will tally your miles as you go, so you know when you’ve hit the 29,000 mile ceiling. To book the ticket, however, you have to call one of The Great Escapade ticket agents, a representative of Virgin Atlantic or Air New Zealand, or a travel agent who books RTW tickets.
>> More information about The Great Escapade ticket
photo by Simon_sees