You’ve probably seen those glossy Instagram reels of people waking up in Tokyo, eating lunch in Singapore, and grabbing a late-night wine in Paris, all on one trip. It looks like magic. Or maybe it just looks like they have an unlimited credit card limit. But honestly, most of those travelers aren't just booking one-way tickets on a whim. They’re likely using a specific type of ticketing structure that’s been around for decades but remains weirdly mysterious to the average flyer. When people search for an around the world ticket United Airlines offers, they aren't usually buying a single piece of paper from United itself. They’re actually tapping into the massive power of the Star Alliance network.
It’s a bit of a terminology trap. United doesn't "own" the world, obviously. But because they are a founding member of Star Alliance, your United MileagePlus account is basically a golden key. You can link together flights on Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, ANA, Thai Airways, and dozens of others into one giant itinerary.
Is it cheap? Not necessarily. Is it worth it? If you value seeing five continents in six weeks without losing your mind to logistics, then yeah, it absolutely is.
The Star Alliance connection you need to understand
Let’s be real: United Airlines is just the gateway. If you go to United’s website and try to book a flight from Newark to Sydney, then Sydney to Bangkok, then Bangkok to London, the search engine will probably just have a meltdown or give you a price tag that rivals the cost of a mid-sized sedan. That’s because the standard United booking tool isn't built for "Round the World" (RTW) logic.
To get an around the world ticket United Airlines travelers can actually use, you have to go through the Star Alliance Book & Fly tool. This is a dedicated platform where you can string together up to 16 flights. You have to follow some pretty strict rules, though. You generally have to travel in one direction—either east or west. No zig-zagging back and forth across the Atlantic like a confused bird. You have to start and end in the same country.
The cool part? You get access to over 1,200 airports. Want to see the fjords in Norway and then hit the beaches in Bali? You can do that. But you need to be strategic. The price is usually determined by the total mileage you fly—typically broken into tiers like 26,000, 29,000, or 34,000 miles—rather than just the specific destinations.
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Why people get the United RTW ticket wrong
Most travelers think they can just use their United miles to book a world tour for free. I wish. While you can use MileagePlus miles to book individual legs of a global trip, using miles for a formal "Round the World" ticket has become increasingly difficult as airlines move toward dynamic pricing. Back in the day, there were specific award charts for this. Now? It’s more about "Excursionist Perks."
United’s Excursionist Perk is a somewhat "secret" rule that allows for a free middle leg on a multi-city itinerary. For example, if you fly from Chicago to London, then London to Paris, then Paris back to Chicago, that London to Paris flight might cost you zero additional miles. It’s not a full around the world ticket, but it’s the "budget" way to mimic one.
The real RTW tickets are usually paid in cash. And they aren't exactly pocket change. You’re looking at anywhere from $4,000 for economy to $15,000+ for business class. But compare that to booking 10 separate international one-way business class tickets. Those could easily top $50,000. So, in that context, the RTW ticket is actually a steal.
The logistics of crossing oceans
Planning this is a headache. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. You have to cross both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans exactly once. You can’t just stay in the Northern Hemisphere if you want to see Australia; you’ve got to account for those massive flight times.
One of the biggest perks of doing this through United and Star Alliance is the lounge access. If you’re flying business class on an around the world ticket United Airlines facilitates, you aren't just sitting at a cramped gate in Frankfurt. You’re in the Lufthansa Senator Lounge. You’re in the ANA Lounge in Tokyo. For a trip that involves 100+ hours of travel time, that shower and hot meal between flights is the difference between a dream vacation and a grueling endurance test.
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Rules you can't ignore
- One direction only: You can't fly New York to London, then back to New York, then to Tokyo. Pick a direction and stick to it.
- Minimum stay: You usually need to stay at least 3 to 10 days before your final return flight.
- Maximum stay: You have one year to finish the trip.
- The 16-flight cap: This includes "surface sectors." If you fly into Berlin and take a train to Prague before flying out of Prague, that train ride still counts as a "flight" in your itinerary count.
Is the "Book & Fly" tool actually usable?
Honestly? It’s kinda clunky. The Star Alliance interface feels like it was designed in 2012. It’s prone to timing out, and sometimes it’ll tell you a route is impossible even when it isn't. Pro tip: use Google Flights or an app like FlightConnections to find which Star Alliance partners fly where first. Once you have a rough map in your head, then go to the tool to "lock it in."
If you get stuck, you can actually call United’s specialized international desks. They have agents who deal specifically with complex multi-city bookings. It might take an hour on hold, but they can see "hidden" inventory that the website might miss.
Practical steps for booking your global trek
Stop dreaming and start mapping. If you’re serious about an around the world ticket United Airlines offers through its partnership, here is exactly how you should handle the next 48 hours:
Check your MileagePlus status. Even if you aren't using miles for the whole ticket, having Premier status (Silver, Gold, or higher) changes the game. It means extra baggage allowance on every single one of those 15 flights. That saves you hundreds of dollars in "oversized" fees on regional partners like Ethiopian Airlines or Avianca.
Map your "must-sees" vs "nice-to-sees." Every stop adds mileage. If you go too far south (like South Africa) and then need to go back north (like Sweden), you might blow past your mileage tier and trigger a much higher price. Try to keep your stops along a relatively straight latitudinal line where possible.
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Verify the "Hard Product." Not all business classes are equal. If you’re booking this, try to ensure your long-haul legs are on United’s Polaris seats or ANA’s "The Room." Don't waste a long-haul leg on an older plane with 2-2-2 seating where you have to climb over a neighbor to pee.
Validate your visa requirements. The airline won't do this for you. If your RTW ticket has a 12-hour layover in China or a week in Brazil, you need to know the entry rules for your specific citizenship. A single missing visa can void your entire multi-thousand-dollar ticket because the airline won't let you board the first flight.
Book the "anchor" legs first. The hardest seats to find are the trans-Pacific ones (like San Francisco to Singapore). Find availability for those "big" flights first, then fill in the smaller hops like London to Zurich. It’s much easier to find a seat on a short European flight than a 15-hour trek across the ocean.
Instead of trying to find the "perfect" price, focus on the value of the experience. These tickets are about the freedom to move through the world with a single confirmation code. It’s about the simplicity of knowing your luggage is checked through and your seat is reserved from Istanbul to Ho Chi Minh City. Start by playing with the Star Alliance Book & Fly map—it’s free to experiment, and it’ll give you a very quick reality check on what your dream trip actually costs. Regardless of the price, there is no faster way to realize how small—and how massive—the world really is.