You might be familiar enough with the Virgin brand to know that its founder, Sir Richard Branson, isn’t afraid to buck trends. Which means that no matter how many individual airlines are discontinuing their personally-branded RTW tickets, the Virgin Round the World is still very much available.
There are only two itineraries to choose from with a Virgin Round the World ticket, limited in part because of the limited scope of Virgin’s airline family. But you’re free to add in flight segments on other airlines (at an additional cost, of course) to supplement the basic itineraries.
The Virgin Round the World ticket isn’t a mileage-based fare, since you choose from two itineraries, so all you have to do is decide which direction you want to circle the globe. Also note that both itinerary options start in London, so if you’re outside the UK or can’t get to London easily then these tickets aren’t the ones for you.
Here’s what you need to know about the Virgin Round the World ticket when you’re comparing it against other RTW ticket options.
- What kind of traveler is this ticket best for? – The Virgin Round the World ticket is best for travelers based in London (or near London) who are willing to supplement a limited itinerary with their own travel arrangements, at their own expense.
- What airlines can I fly with this ticket? – You can fly on Virgin Atlantic and V Australia on the Virgin Round the World ticket.
- How long is the ticket valid once I start my trip? – This information is not provided on the Virgin website.
- How many flight segments are on this ticket? – There are three stops included on a Virgin Round the World ticket (outside of London, which is the start and ending point). If you want to visit other places outside the three included on the ticket, you need to book that travel separately.
- Are there any required stops? – The three required stops on a Virgin Round the World ticket are Los Angeles, Sydney, and Hong Kong. The only question you have to answer is whether you’ll do them in that order, or reverse the order – flying east or west.
- What’s the maximum flight mileage I can accumulate on this ticket? – The Virgin Round the World ticket is not a mileage-based ticket, so there’s no maximum mileage to worry about.
- What are the restrictions on this ticket? – You have two options for a Virgin Round the World ticket ticket – either you buy a Virgin Global West ticket and fly from London to L.A. to Sydney to Hong Kong and back to London, or you buy a Virgin Global East ticket and fly to those same cities in the opposite order. If you want to add in other stops to your itinerary, you are free to do that – at your own expense and on other airlines – so long as you get yourself back to another airport with service from Virgin Atlantic or V Australia to pick up your itinerary again.
- Are there any bonuses that come with this ticket? – There is an “Upper Class” option on the Virgin Round the World ticket, which is Virgin’s version of Business Class, as well as the regular Economy Class. Prices vary depending on when you begin your trip, so you can adjust the cost of the ticket by changing your departure date.
- Anything else in the fine print I should know about? – The “fine print” for the Virgin Round the World ticket isn’t on the Virgin website, so before you book it you should ask to see the complete terms and conditions.
- How can I book this ticket? – You can’t book the Virgin Round the World ticket online, you need to call the Virgin reservations phone number or contact a travel agent who specializes in round the world travel.
>> More information about the Virgin Round the World ticket
photo by Moody75