Travel

'Around the World Travel' means trips where you buy a ticket (or a set of tickets) that allow you to make multiple stops and spend virtually as long as you wish at each place, flying either literally Around the World or around a part of the world (e.g. Circle Pacific or Circle South America). We specialize in designing these trips at prices you won't believe. You tell us all the places you want to visit, and we find the lowest fare!

Not at all - you fly on regular scheduled flights of reputable US and international carriers with confirmed reservations. Seat reservations, frequent flyer mileage, special meals etc. are handled normally as per each carrier's policies. Our prices are much lower simply because we are experts in navigating through the airfare 'jungle' - especially when it comes to fares that are not published (e.g. consolidator fares, bulk fares etc). Besides, the volume of our business allows us access to lower fares, which we then pass on to the benefit of our clients.

You can fly virtually wherever you wish; some regions are more expensive than others (e.g. Combining Africa with Asia or Latin America with Asia is generally more expensive than, say, Europe and Asia). Within some regions (e.g. South America, Australia) you can buy an air pass to supplement your around-the-world ticket. Other areas (e.g. Europe) are more convenient to discover overland, by using a rail pass for instance. Your travel consultant will be glad to help you plan any aspect of your trip.

You can also fly in any particular sequence of destinations that you wish, though it is usually most economical to follow a particular global direction (e.g. East to West or West to East).

Most tickets sold by us are valid for a total duration of six months to one year. However, there are exceptions and tickets could be valid for as short as 30 days or as long as 18 months. The validity depends upon a number of factors such as the type of fare paid, the routing, the airline selected etc. We can tailor most tickets to suit the validity that you need, if you advise your travel consultant of such special requirements. Otherwise, we will always quote the lowest possible fare for the itinerary you selected. Please ask your consultant if you have any doubts or questions.

Changes to your tickets are best made prior to their being issued - that is when they are easiest and least expensive to modify. All changes are completely free of charge prior to your trip being confirmed. Once it is confirmed and prior to tickets being issued, changes can be made for a nominal fee of $50; please note that your fare may also go up or down depending on the change (i.e. new flight dates, routing etc.).

Once tickets have been issued, any change in the flight routing would result in a penalty. The old ticket has to be refunded and exchanged with a new ticket for the revised routing; there is usually a significant cost for doing this.

Changes in flight dates (without changing the routing) are much easier and often free of charge, except the first flight (from your departure city to your first international destination) which can be changed only by paying a penalty. After the first flight, changes to flight dates are either free of charge or incur a fee, depending upon the type of ticket, fare paid etc. An around-the-world or circle-pacific trip usually consists of multiple tickets, and each ticket may have different rules for flight changes. If in doubt, please ask your travel consultant who will be happy to clarify the rules associated with each ticket on your itinerary.

Make a list of places that you feel you must visit and another list of places that you would like to visit but which are not essential (i.e. sort your destinations according to priority). Decide on a budget for the trip and approximately how much you want to spend for the airfare. Complete our online inquiry form for a free quote and then work with your travel consultant to select the best trip that fits your needs and budget.

Important: Please do not book accommodations or tours until your air reservations have been confirmed. Advise your consultant of any dates that are important for you (e.g. you must be in Sydney to see X'Mas trees on Bondi beach) and your flights will be booked with that in mind.

Once you have decided on your travel route and dates of travel, it is always a good idea to book your trip without delay. Booking early is also crucial when your trip includes busy travel periods (e.g. X'Mas / New Year or the summer months when many Americans and Europeans take their annual vacations), as the most economical airline seats tend to get sold out very quickly during these periods. Most Around the World trips have an advance purchase requirement from anywhere between 21 - 30 days. In some cases it may be possible to book a trip earlier than the 21-30 day limit, but this would incur surcharges and / or rush fees.

Refund rules and procedures vary with each airline, type of ticket, fare paid etc. Only wholly unused tickets can be refunded - partially unused tickets have no refund value. Once we receive the unused tickets from you, we submit these to the airline along with a refund application. Processing and transit times through various channels differ, but generally the shortest time for obtaining a refund is about 2 months and, in some cases, it can take as long as 6 months.

World Travellers' Club is always available to help you in any way we can. Should you run into any difficulties or problems, please feel free to contact us for assistance. E-Mail is usually the best way of doing so, but you can of course also call us or send us a fax message (least reliable!). We also have a network of associate offices in most major cities throughout the world, and can draw upon their resources if need be.