Structuring a RTW for max advantage

[SheikYerbouti]

So next Feb-Apr I will need to travel around the world for several weeks, and before I get the agent to start planning legs for me, I thought that the brains trust here might be able to help with how to maximise benefits/status when doing this.

I'm currently Velocity Plat with Virgin Aus but will drop to Gold before taking this trip. I would like to maximise access to luggage allowance, lounge, priority check-in, and if possible cash upgrades (I have 150k VFF points now, and another 80-100k due) likely from economy to at least premium economy.

My itinterary will be US west coast - US east coast - UK - Portugal - Netherlands - Sweden - Australia.... I can also shuffle the order of the 4 Euro legs. This trip is paid for by a third party (not my employer) and I am not likely to be seeking the lowest possible flight prices, in terms of long layovers or 3rd tier airlines, but unsure if I'll be getting basic or flexible economy.

I am unsure if VA flight codes will be doable (I need 200 SCs from VFF on trips I have flown myself to requalify as Gold). But maybe there are Status Match programs around on other alliances where I can gain status for a pilot period, using it for this trip and extending it.

I have a couple of months or more to plan this, so please - hit me with suggestions!

 

[RooFlyer]

Carrier/FF program agnostic, but doing DONE4s I maximised SC earn by, for example, from Australia arrive east coast of USA, then worked westwards, then departed Nth America from west coast, to go as far east as I could get in Europe (usually Doha), worked westwards across Europe again, departed from western point in Europe to eastern point in Asia. Those extra-long flights between continents earned very well.

But of course that was fixed cost for X segments (airport fees and carrier charges varied); it'll probably increase your cost quite a bit, but maybe still within bounds.

 

[Scarlett]

@SheikYerbouti (best username on this site ), can you pay for the flights yourself and seek reimbursement up to a certain level. How about if you, or your agent, drew up an itinerary and used that as the agreed cost (maximum reimbursement amount), and then booked your own ticket to satisfy comfort and future status desires?

Doing it this way, I’d be booking whY or Y+ to south east Asia and then finding the best J fare to your , or destination. Then book internal EU flights in whY as they’re all likely short hops. Then nest in the best EU-US-EU ticket you can find (maybe a Condor J, or Azores Air, or IcelandAir???) for the transatlantic trip and do domestic US flights as J (First) as they can sometimes be good value.

Aus - south east Asia is the best option for the VA codes. Or VA to DPS and then something from there…

See if you can find any well priced QR flights to Europe.

Use BFOD for intra-EU?

Maybe UA for transatlantic and internal to USA so that’s more VA earn.

Then back to Europe for the legs home.

 

[SheikYerbouti]

Unfortunately we aren't allowed to backtrack - the trip must be taken in one direction.

 

[moa999]

Don't believe you can use VA points to upgrade on any other airlines metal, and I suspect if booking most of the RTW fares you won't be able to get a VA code

Suspect given the additional comments above you are looking at either a Star Alliance or SkyTeam RTW, and probably Star so you can fly direct to the US on United.