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I’ve now finally booked my epic round-the-world trip to get the amazing bonus of 1 million SAS points (worth ≈ $10,000 to UNLIMITED). I’m sharing my detailed itinerary with you until I share a better and cheaper itinerary that’ll be completely turnkey (in case you also want to take advantage of the absolutely amazing promotion).

Sorry about the delay. It took several hours to build and optimize and get the 15 airlines of the SkyTeam alliance that are eligible at the best price in November (while trying to go where I wanted to go the most).

I’ve also been pretty busy with my preparations for the 2 sessions I’m giving this weekend at the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference and with my beloved When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas last weekend (plus putting my condo up for sale between the 2 weekends).

Here’s my round-the-world travel itinerary, with the context and the price.

 

Basics of the SAS promotion

I won’t repeat everything about the best promotion seen in at least a decade that has the whole travel rewards community excited; you can read our guide to the SAS EuroBonus Millionaire promotion.

(By the way, I was on a panel on the subject last night here in Chicago with 3 other speakers who will also be taking advantage of the promotion. This was added to the event agenda because many of the 200+ participants present were interested in this wild trip!)

 

Overview of my round-the-world trip for the SAS promotion

Despite having visited 70+ countries, it will be my first time doing the classic complete round-the-world trip in one same journey! 

Here’s a map of my itinerary, which includes 13 of the 15 required airlines in an epic and intense trip.

sas round the world trip itinerary map
Itinerary (image credit: OpenFlights)

 

I share a teaser of the detailed itinerary flight by flight at the end of this post.

This map excludes the positioning flights at both ends of the itinerary in the U.S. as well as the 2 North American airlines (as my situation is somewhat particular).

It’s really cheaper to buy transatlantic and transpacific flights to/from American airports. That’s not always true, but it’s certainly true when restricting the search to SkyTeam alliance airlines. You just need to complete that with separate flights. In my case, I’ll take the train to New York to save a bit of money. And to return from Seattle, I’m actually flying straight to Miami, not to Canada. So that’s not that relevant on the map.

For the 2 other airlines missing to complete the 15 (the 2 North American ones; Delta and AeroMéxico), I was lucky enough to be able to do them through my already planned trips. So that’s 2 less to fit into the already very frenetic main itinerary, but most importantly they’re at absolutely no cost to me since they replace flights I already had to book anyway for separate trips.

Here’s the table with my flights, dates, prices, and fare classes (pay attention to these if you want to do the promotion; it’s important).

list of flights for sas itinerary
List of flights (image credit: Andrew D’Amours/Flytrippers)

 

That’s a total of C$3,050… but it’s actually much cheaper. I’ll explain in the price section below.

In short, it’s a pretty cool itinerary.

I’ll go through 15 countries (not counting Canada), but unfortunately only a few of those are countries that I haven’t visited yet. In total, this itinerary includes 13 separate plane tickets: 11 regular ones, 1 that combines 2 of the promo’s airlines, and 1 for positioning flights.

It’s a total of 21 flights in 24 days, so it’s obviously very packed. This can be optimized to do a bit less if you want.

I have many inefficiencies in terms of connections and even detours, and I also have that plane ticket with 2 positioning flights in Asia that I could’ve easily avoided (although just one isn’t too bad for such a complex itinerary). I’ll explain all this in the next section.

(Other more intense travelers plan to try and do all 15 airlines in less than 15 days, but that’s very risky in case of a canceled or delayed flight!!!)

I’ve made it a bit more condensed at the beginning, to try to spend as little time as possible in ultra-expensive Europe and therefore as much time as possible in ultra-affordable Asia. But also because it’s more expensive to get to Asia, so I want to maximize my time there as much as possible since I’m going.

(Flights to Europe for $500 roundtrip are so frequent, so it’s easy to get there for cheap. Especially with the new airline, which will further lower prices to Europe from my airport in Montreal, as I discussed in a TV interview this summer!)

 

Context of my round-the-world trip for the promotion

My round-the-world itinerary is certainly not the cheapest possible, hence why I’m going to share a better one with you in the next few days.

It really can be improved if you want it to be cheaper (and also more efficient).

Make sure you receive our free newsletter for the best itinerary to copy in the next few days! If you want to do it yourself before, carefully read the warnings in our guide about the promotion (which aren’t as clear on the SAS website directly, especially fare classes, airlines to avoid, and the true deadline)!

There are 5 main reasons why my flight itinerary cost a bit more:

  • I had no flexibility at all on dates
  • I wanted to visit specific places while I was at it
  • I prioritized places with cheaper Marriott hotels
  • I didn’t want to do the Chinese visa
  • I took a low-risk approach to avoid missing out on the bonus

 

No flexibility

My itinerary isn’t optimal because I already had 4 trips planned from mid-October to early December. I had extremely fixed dates: I couldn’t leave before November 11 and I have to be in Miami for Art Week with a friend on December 4. Zero flexibility.

It’s not complicated to travel for less: always be flexible on as many things as possible! And here, the 15 airlines are not flexible and neither are my dates. Doing as many airlines in just 3 weeks is pretty restrictive too. It gives no wiggle room, or almost. Just 1 extra week to space them out would make it so much easier to find cheaper flights!

 

My splurging

You can do this for cheaper (and with less flights, layovers, and detours) if you aren’t picky on the destinations. I’ve decided to splurge and pay a bit more for flights to places I wanted to visit. Might as well while I’m at it, right?

The thing is this intensive trip replaces my planned trip to Asia and takes away a lot of exploration time that I’ll be spending on airplanes and airports instead. A sacrifice well worth it for me, to be very clear! But I was okay with paying a bit more to choose some destinations over others.

 

Marriott hotels

I have to spend nights in Marriott hotels for my elite status.

So sometimes, even if the flights were a little more expensive, it’s to go to a place where the Marriotts were cheaper. So I took that into account too; for me that comes out cheaper overall. The overall price is always all that matters if you know how to do math.

 

China visa

I paid more to avoid having to do the Chinese visa. The visa is somewhat pricey, but it’s mostly for the convenience (it’s a real visa, not an e-visa). I am spending only 10 day in Canada from mid-October to the trip, so the logistics are complex.

The 144-hour visa-free transit rules are that you can’t take domestic flights and must depart from a different country than the one you arrived from, which added costs and detours for me.

 

Risk minimization

Finally, the most important. I really don’t want to miss out on the million!

So I’ve often paid a little more to have a buffer and make sure it doesn’t disrupt the whole itinerary if a flight is cancelled or delayed. I also paid a bit more to (almost) avoid tickets that combined 2 airlines, which are cheaper but also can cause problems if a flight is canceled or delayed.

 

Price of my round-the-world trip for the promotion

First, obviously do not count any accommodation costs for the promotion. I was already going to do those nights in Asia in November before the promotion came out, so I would have paid for that accommodation anyway. Zero extra cost.

Speaking of, I repeat that making this trip almost only makes sense if you already had a trip planned (or if you’re doing it as a replacement for another trip), as was the case for me.

In short, as estimated when the promotion was announced, it’s possible for you to get away with paying less than $4,000 in flights. That’s a great profit, given the $10,000 bonus!

But the net cost is so much cheaper if you were already going to travel and if you take advantage of the expenses to unblock an extra welcome bonus (welcome bonuses are the key to earning more rewards)!

In my case, at first glance my round-the-world trip costs me $3,050 in flights.

(All figures are in Canadian dollars, so Americans get a 28% discount on those prices!)

But I would have paid about $1,500 (or the equivalent in points) for flights to go to Asia, given the high prices of transpacific flights these days. So, that obviously reduces the true net cost of taking advantage of the promotion for me. So let’s say $2,030 net ($3,050 minus $1,500).

Then, paying for all these flights also allowed me to unlock one more welcome bonus than I’d planned for this year! ! So let’s say $825 in extra rewards approximately — the amazing increased offer of $825 free with the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card ends on October 31 (and I’m doing a special live video about it Sunday morning)!

I’m now at only $1,205 net! To get points worth $20,000 (and even more) because I’m going to use them to travel in business class more often. A phenomenal deal!

Okay, to be very precise, I’ll add $180 for positioning to New York City where my itinerary starts ($110 train and $70 hostel). However, my positioning flight from Seattle where my itinerary ends is at no cost to me (flying from there to Miami, where I need to be, is actually cheaper than it would’ve been from Montreal).

Seriously, a net cost of $1,205 is really not bad, considering that building any round-the-world itinerary would cost you that amount at the very least (and you would get maybe 5 stops and certainly not 11 as I will)!

Personally, I don’t need to calculate the cost of the flights on the other 2 airlines (Delta and AeroMéxico) at all. They replace flights I had to book anyway in October and November. So they’re at no cost to me. For you, they’ll add at least a few hundred dollars for sure.

 

Detailed itinerary of my round-the-world trip for the promotion

Here’s a teaser of each step.

I’ll be doing a separate post on my accommodation choices very soon for those who have asked — but it’s so easy to find cheap accommodation anywhere!

 

Airline #1: Virgin Atlantic

I fly Virgin Atlantic from New York to London, UK.

It’s one of only 2 airlines (along with Saudia) that don’t have many flights that are cheap and short, so it must be the transatlantic flight. I bought it from New York because it’s the cheapest and it gave me the option of taking the affordable train to get a full day of work done comfortably before starting the intense journey.

I won’t leave the airport in London to wrap up the Europe part as quickly as possible.

 

Airline #2: SAS

I fly SAS from London to Paris, France. I have a layover in Oslo, Norway.

I have an evening in Paris, a city I don’t adore, but which still has its positive aspects, obviously. 

The Marriott hotel at CDG airport was surprisingly affordable in points. And having to spend a night in any of the SAS hubs is absolutely to be avoided (Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm are extremely expensive cities).

 

Airline #3: Air France

I fly Air France from Paris to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

This flight was bought on the same ticket as the following KLM flight (which is riskier in the event of flight disruption, but KLM has fifth freedom routes in Asia that are my Plan B). So I only have a short layover.

 

Airline #4: KLM

I fly KLM from Amsterdam to Bucharest, Romania. 

I have a whole day in Bucharest, a city I loved and wanted to explore a little more. 

As an avid traveler, I can’t repeat it often enough: go East, the best part of Europe! Away from the hordes of tourists and the high prices.

 

Airline #5: TAROM

I fly TAROM from Bucharest to Amman, Jordan.

I’ve left myself 3 full days in Jordan, because I’ve never visited the country and I want to at least get to Petra, a place I’m so looking forward to discovering, to have one highlight in this intense trip. 

And it gives me a buffer period in case of problems with my European flights, which I’ve deliberately planned in a very, very condensed way compared to the rest. The longest and most expensive flights are the ones you should always have a buffer before… every time you use the self-transfer trick (one of the best ways to save so much money on flights).

 

Airline #6: Saudia

I fly Saudia from Amman to Singapore. I have a layover in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

I love Singapore, even if it’s the most expensive city in a radius of hundreds of kilometers. I’ll spend a day there since I like it a lot, but not more so I can go to more affordable spots. I don’t have time to leave the airport during the layover in Jeddah.

As mentioned, Saudia is the other less flexible piece that almost absolutely has to be the flight from Europe to Asia to minimize costs. They had much cheaper ones, but I wanted to visit Jordan since I won’t have much time to see much anywhere. And I wanted to avoid the Egyptian visa (which will soon be eliminated) and the other options like Tunisia and Saudi Arabia itself weren’t as tempting to me.

 

Airline #7: Garuda Indonesia

I fly Garuda Indonesia from Singapore to Bali, Indonesia.

Going to Jakarta would have been cheaper and would have simplified logistics, but there are such beautiful, cheap Marriotts in Bali, and it’s an island I really loved despite it being so touristy.

I’m going to spend a few days there to relax a bit after an intensive start to my trip.

 

Positioning flights

I fly the ultra low-cost carrier Scoot from Bali to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I have a layover in Singapore.

I’ll be able to spend a day in the Vietnamese metropolis I’ve never visited. That’s worth the $35 Vietnam visa to me.

As I just said, these flights on an airline that isn’t required for the promotion could have been avoided but I was willing to pay more and make a detour to go to Bali. 

 

Airline #8: Vietnam Airlines

I fly Vietnam Airlines from Ho Chi Minh City to Guangzhou, China.

In addition to the 2 Chinese SkyTeam alliance airlines, the stop in Guangzhou is mandatory to do the next airline without going to Africa (which would’ve added a lot of cost and time). 

It’s an incredible city that I’ve really enjoyed, so I’m spending a few days there to take advantage of Marriott hotels that are even cheaper than in other places, too.

 

Airline #9: Kenya Airways

I fly Kenya Airways from Guangzhou to Bangkok, Thailand.

I explained fifth freedom flights in our guide about the promotion. 

It also allows me to visit Bangkok for the 1st time and spend a day with Kevin, Flytrippers’ other co-founder, who will be there at the time. He’s been to Bangkok about 10 times, so he’ll be able to show me around!

 

Airline #10: China Eastern

I fly China Eastern from Bangkok to Seoul, South Korea. I have an almost full-day layover in Nanjing.

I’ll be able to visit a new Chinese city (one of the 4 historical capitals) and then spend a few days in Seoul, a city that looks absolutely fascinating. I can’t wait to get some Korean barbecue.

 

Airline #11: Korean Air

I fly Korean Air from Seoul to Xiamen, China.

The next airline was one of the hardest to find at a low price, so I had to go through Xiamen. It’s a city I haven’t visited yet.

Since I’m going through China and can visit visa-free thanks to this transit, I decided to take advantage of it and stay there for a few days. Also, the Marriott hotels are very nice and very inexpensive.

 

Airline #12: Xiamen Air

I fly Xiamen Air from Xiamen to Taipei, Taiwan.

This is the last stop, so I’ll be spending a few days on this island I’ve been so looking forward to visiting. It looks amazing!

It gives me a buffer too, which again, is always important to have before the long, expensive flight across an ocean when you’re making any kind of itinerary.

 

Airline #13: China Airlines

I fly China Airlines from Taipei to Seattle, USA.

For my date, it was cheaper to cross to Seattle than to Los Angeles or San Francisco, the usual hubs with the lowest prices.

I won’t be able to visit because I have to meet a friend in Miami the next day. But I’ve been invited to speak at another travel rewards event in Vancouver next September (I’ll share the details later if you’re interested), and I could visit Seattle afterward since it’s one of the few big American cities I haven’t explored.

 

Airline #14: AeroMéxico

I fly AeroMéxico from Chicago to Guadalajara, Mexico. That’s tomorrow, well before the main trip.

I was supposed to spend the week in Chicago before going to Louisiana for an entrepreneurship event I’m hosting next weekend, but I’m going back to Guadalajara. I went in September and really enjoyed it.

It happened to be the cheapest AeroMéxico flight, and I know the Marriott hotel there, which is not expensive at all, is great! I was just there. 

 

Airline #15: Delta Air Lines

I fly Delta Air Lines either to return from Louisiana in a week or from Miami in December.

In all cases, it replaces a flight I had to book anyway, as mentioned.

 

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Summary

This round-the-world trip isn’t the cheapest but it’s a perfect way for me to take advantage of the SAS EuroBonus Millionaire promotion. Since I already had 4 trips planned in the coming weeks and that I also wanted to do my nights at Marriott hotels to get my elite status, it’s a bit more expensive than it could have been, but it’s totally worth it, as the reward value in points could exceed $20,000! If you’re looking to do the same, flexibility will help you save even more — if you are interested, I’ll share an optimized itinerary soon!

 

What would you like to know about the SAS round-the-world trip? Tell us in the comments below.

 

See the flight deals we spot: Cheap flights

Discover free travel with rewards: Travel rewards

Explore awesome destinations: Travel inspiration

Learn pro tricks: Travel tips

 

Featured image:  Seoul, South Korea (photo credit: Unsplash+)

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Andrew D'Amours

Andrew is the co-founder of Flytrippers. He is passionate about traveling the world but also, as a former management consultant, about the travel industry itself. He shares his experiences to help you save money on travel. As a very cost-conscious traveler, he loves finding deals and getting free travel thanks to travel rewards points... to help him visit every country in the world (current count: 71/193 Countries, 47/50 US States & 9/10 Canadian Provinces).

This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Daniel Burkett

    Hey Andrew, I am also doing the Million Mile Challenge! Where did you find your resources on the China Visa on Arrival? My itinerary is BKK-CAN-TPE-PVG-ICN so I should be ok according to your post, but would love to read those requirements you quoted.

    1. Andrew D'Amours

      Nice! Yes that seems good if each time you’re in China is for less than 144 hours and there are no domestic connections in between the cities you listed. At least that’s my interpretation, based on this official website and everything else I could find online.

  2. Morgan

    Question for you! Surprisingly, one of the blockers we’re finding for our itinerary is that with some of these airlines we can’t find the fare class of the ticket. Specifically we’re having trouble with the fifth freedom flight on Kenya Airways and we want to be positive before booking. How did you find the fare class? Thanks!

    1. Andrew D'Amours

      Great question! Usually, most airlines clearly state the fare class on their website as you probably saw. But indeed I remember Kenya Airways not listing it, I think it was the only one with this issue out of the 15.
      A quick way is to use Expedia to check, as it always shows the fare class clearly for the cheapest ticket (click “Show details”). Normally booking with the airline will give you the same, and that’s preferable to booking with a third-party. I’d still double-check the fare class listed in your e-ticket just in case, but in my case it matched what Expedia said.

  3. Alice

    Oh Wow! I wish I could do this but I’m already committed to a housesit in Panama from now until Christmas. (But it will be lovely also.) Staying in the Aloft Marriott in Panama City for 10 days before starting the housesit. It’s a great points deal also.

    1. Andrew D'Amours

      Hi, yes the Panama City hotel is often a great use of points! Enjoy the housesit, that does sound pretty nice too haha!

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