FirstClassFlyer

A clever, premium-travel, around-the-world ticket strategy using the high-octane (and well-connected) Alaska Airlines loyalty program.

As Jules Verne wrote in his classic novel, Around the World in Eighty Days, “It’s really useful to travel, if you want to see new things.”

If that describes you, you’ll want to consider Alaska Airlines powerful loyalty program, which offers a unique and very inexpensive way to see new things—all around the world.

The Alaska Mileage Program

Alaska’s awards allow you to book a different partner in each direction and/or to book one-way awards (all of its partners are priced on a one-way basis, so a round-trip is simply double that amount), plus Alaska’s awards program is especially high value because it allows one stopover on each one-way ticket (or two for a round-trip).

Many carriers don’t allow stopovers at all, or they might allow one on a round-trip ticket. So, suddenly the world opens up with extra destinations on the same trip for no extra money—just by using Alaska’s loyalty program.

On top of that, Alaska is very well connected through its airline partnerships (17 partner airlines). Because it has a perception of being out of the way (up and over…there), Alaska has to work harder to get its share of the sky market.

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AROUND THE WORLD IN BUSINESS CLASS FOR 132,500 MILES

This premium ticketing strategy proposes that you combine two one-way Business Class tickets, each with a free stopover.

The outbound ticket is A (home) to B (first free stop) to C (final destination) on airline X.

The return ticket is C (destination) to D (second free stopover), to A (home) on airline Y.

For example, you could fly with Alaska Airline’s partner Cathay Pacific (airline X) to Johannesburg and get a free stopover in Hong Kong. From there, you could return by flying on partner Y (British Airways) and stopover in destination D (London). So, you can get two stopovers and your final destination—three different places (Hong Kong, Johannesburg, and London)—all for the price of one.

As in this case, it could be three continents. Three bucket-list-busting cities you’ll tell all your family and friends about. The slide show will be epic; even the PowerPoint presentation.

“It may be taken for granted that, rash as the Americans are, when they are prudent there is good reason for it.”
― Jules Verne, Around the World in Eighty Days

ALTERNATIVE ROUTES

Fly from the U.S. to India on Cathay Pacific, stopping in Hong Kong, and return on a second one-way ticket on British Airways, stopping in London.

Or:

Fly from the U.S. to the Middle East on Cathay Pacific, stopping in Hong Kong, and return on a second one-way ticket on British Airways, stopping in London.

So many options are possible—well over 80 if the truth be told. See charts below for possible pre-baked trips in Business Class on British Airways and Cathay Pacific. Note that partner award space using Alaska miles is at times similar to the operating airline.

All these options cost 132,500 miles in Business Class (plus taxes). To put this deal in context, consider that Delta charges 150,000 miles for a Business Class round-trip between the U.S. and Europe, and 170,000 miles for one to Asia.

AIRLINE / STOPOVER-CITY OPPORTUNITY SUMMARY:

List of Alaska partner airlines this could work with shown by each region (cost varies by airline and regions).

To Asia: Cathay Pacific (free stopover on one-way ticket: Hong Kong), Emirates (Dubai), Japan Airlines (Tokyo), Korean Air (Seoul)
To India and South Asia: British Airways (London), Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong), Emirates (Dubai), Korean Air (Seoul)
To Africa: British Airways (London), Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong), Emirates (Dubai)
To Australia/New Zealand: Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong), Emirates (Dubai), Fiji Airways (Nadi), Korean Air (Seoul)
To the Middle East: British Airways (London), Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong), Emirates (Dubai), Korean Air (Seoul)
To the South Pacific: Fiji Airways (Nadi) and Korean Air (Seoul)

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

How to Search for Availability: Some airlines, including Air France and British Airways, require you to sign up for their mileage programs to check award space online. Alaska doesn’t– you can see what’s offered by its partners, even before you join. Note: To find availability on Cathay Pacific or LAN, you have to call Alaska at 800-252-7522; all others are booked online.
Credit card point transfers can be done with Marriott/SPG points.
For information on how to book a stopover with Alaska go here.

ADD EVEN MORE DESTINATIONS TO YOUR RTW TICKET!?

Want more than three cities on your “thank you, Alaska” around-the-world tour? With British Airways short-haul awards (get miles easy via Amex points transfers, Chase, and/or Marriott/SPG), you can, for example, make a side-trip to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Milan, Munich, Nice, Paris or Zurich from London for only 8,000 miles in coach or 15,500 in Business Class round-trip.

You can also use Cathay Pacific miles to jog from Hong Kong to Hanoi, Manila, or Taipei for only 15,000 miles in coach or 32,000 in Business Class round-trip.

Or just buy separate cash tickets to and from the stopover city.

“Monsieur is going to leave home?” “Yes,” returned Phileas Fogg. “We are going round the world.”
― Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days

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Other FCF Around-the-World Favorites

Amex points partner All Nippon, here (fly around the world starting at 105,000 miles in Business Class).

Marriott/SPG and Barclays point partner Japan Airlines, here (fly around the world starting at 120,000 miles in Business Class).[/aside]

Pre-Baked Trips in Business Class on British Airways for 70,000 Miles One-Way

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[["Routes","Depart","#colspan#","#colspan#","Return","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","4 to 8 Days Per Month","9 to 12 Days Per Month","13+ Days Per Month","4 to 8 Days Per Month","9 to 12 Days Per Month","13+ Days Per Month"],["<big>North America<\/span><\/strong><\/big>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["Atlanta - London","April","Aug., Oct., Nov.,<\/span> May","Oct., Nov., Dec. through March, June<\/span>","Oct.<\/span>","Aug., Sept., March<\/span>","Nov.,<\/span> Dec. through Feb.,<\/span> March,<\/span> April, May, June<\/span>"],["Boston - London","Aug.","","Nov. through May,<\/span> June<\/span>","Oct., June<\/span>","Aug.","Nov. through May,<\/span> June<\/span>"],["Calgary - London","Sept., May,<\/span> June","Aug.,<\/span> Oct., April<\/span>","Aug., April, May<\/span>","Sept., May, June","Aug.,<\/span> Oct.,","Aug., April<\/span>"],["Chicago - London","Aug., Oct.","Nov., April,<\/span> May<\/span>","Dec. through March,<\/span> April,<\/span> May, June<\/span>","Aug.","Nov., April, <\/span>May<\/span>","Dec. through March,<\/span> April,<\/span> May, June<\/span>"],["Dallas - London","Aug., Dec., March, April","Jan., Feb.,<\/span> June","Jan., Feb.","Dec., April, May","Jan.,<\/span> March, June","Feb.<\/span>"],["Denver - London","Oct., Feb.","Jan.,<\/span> March, April, June<\/span>","Nov., Dec.,<\/span> Jan., April, <\/span>May, <\/span>June<\/span>","Dec.,<\/span> Feb.","Dec.,<\/span> March","Nov., Jan., April through June<\/span>"],["Houston - London","Oct., Jan. through June<\/span>","Aug., Nov., Dec.<\/span>","Dec., Jan. through June<\/span>","Sept., Oct., April, June<\/span>","Aug., Nov.,<\/span> May<\/span>","Jan. through June<\/span>"],["Las Vegas - London","Aug., Jan.,<\/span> May, June","Feb.,<\/span> March<\/span>","Dec. through Feb.,<\/span> March<\/span>","Dec.,<\/span> March,<\/span> April, May","Dec., Jan., Feb.,<\/span> March","Jan., Feb.,<\/span> June"],["Los Angeles - London","Nov., April","June","Dec. through March<\/span>","Nov., Dec.<\/span>","April","Dec., Jan. through March,<\/span> June"],["Miami - London","Aug., Nov., Jan., Feb., May","","June<\/span>","Dec., April","Aug.","Jan. through March, May, June<\/span>"],["New York - London","","Aug.,<\/span> Oct.<\/span>","Aug., Oct.,<\/span> Nov. through June<\/span>","Aug.,<\/span> Sept., Oct.<\/span>","Nov.<\/span>","Aug., Nov.,<\/span> Dec. through June<\/span>"],["Pittsburgh - London","April<\/span>","","April through June<\/span>","April<\/span>","","April through June<\/span>"],["San Francisco - London","Aug., April, June","Dec.,<\/span> Feb., March<\/span>","Dec., Jan.,<\/span> Feb., March<\/span>","Feb., March,<\/span> May","Dec., <\/span>Jan.,<\/span> April, June","Jan. through March"],["Seattle - London","Oct., Jan.,<\/span> April","Dec., March","Jan., Feb.<\/span>","Feb., June","Dec., Jan., <\/span>March","Jan., Feb.,<\/span> April"],["Toronto - London","Nov., Dec., May<\/span>","Jan., March<\/span>","Jan.,<\/span> Feb.,<\/span> March,<\/span> April,<\/span> May, June<\/span>","Jan., March, May<\/span>","Nov., April<\/span>","Dec., Jan.,<\/span> Feb.,<\/span> March, April., May, June<\/span>"],["Vancouver - London","March","May<\/span>","Nov. through Feb.,<\/span> May","","",""],["Washington, D.C. - London","","Oct., Nov.,<\/span> May, June<\/span>","Nov., Dec. through April,<\/span> May, June<\/span>","Oct., March, June","Nov.,<\/span> Feb., April, May<\/span>","Dec., Jan.,<\/span> Feb. through June<\/span>"],["<big>Africa<\/span><\/strong><\/big>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["London - Johannesburg","Dec., Jan., March<\/span>","Feb., May","Jan., March, June<\/span>","Jan.,<\/span> June","Jan., March, <\/span>May","Dec., Feb., March, June<\/span>"],["London - Nairobi","Nov., Jan., Feb.<\/span>","Oct., Dec., March through June<\/span>","Nov., Jan. through June","March","Nov., June<\/span>","Nov., Dec., April, May,<\/span> June"],["<big>India<\/span><\/strong><\/big>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["London - Mumbai","Oct.,<\/span> Nov., Dec., June<\/span>","Sept.","Aug.,<\/span> Oct.,<\/span> Jan. through May,<\/span> June<\/span>","March","April through June<\/span>","Aug.,<\/span> Sept., Oct.,<\/span> Nov., Dec., April through June<\/span>"],["London - New Delhi","Jan., Feb.","Aug., April<\/span>","Aug.,<\/span> March,<\/span> April, May, June<\/span>","April<\/span>","Jan., March, June<\/span>","Sept., Oct., Feb., March, April,<\/span> May,<\/span> June<\/span>"],["<big>The Middle East<\/span><\/strong><\/big>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["London - Abu Dhabi","Dec., Feb., March, April<\/span>","Sept.,<\/span> Nov., Jan.","Aug., Sept., Feb., March,<\/span> April, May,<\/span> June<\/span>","Nov., Dec., Feb., March,<\/span> April","Jan., Feb.","Aug., Sept.,<\/span> Oct., May, June<\/span>"],["London - Dubai","Oct., Nov.,<\/span> May<\/span>","Sept., Dec., April<\/april>","Aug., Nov., Jan. through March,<\/span> April, June<\/span>","Nov.,<\/span> May","Oct., Feb.<\/span>","Aug.,<\/span> Sept., Dec., Jan.,<\/span> Feb.,<\/span> March,<\/span> May, June<\/span>"]]

Months in black at least one seat available; in blue at least two seats; in green at least four seats.