I searched using the search feature and couldn't find it, so here goes.

If I leave BKK or Chiang Mai the first of April and stay gone 4 to 6 weeks, can I fly around the world on one open ticket, either westbound or eastbound? The must-see places on my itinerary are Ireland (Shannon), Atlanta, Houston. Would like to see Australia/NZ, Spain, South America.

What are the pros and cons, restrictions, etc.?

Most travel agents offer a R.T.W.T...Round the World Ticket which are obviously priced at and depending on routes and stop overs.

From here (London) the usual spin is something like UK-NY-Lax-NZ-Auz-HK/Bangers-Europe -Lon.(and vice versa).

You also (usually)have the options of jumping off to say the likes of Rio,Brazil (fab)internal US.and up to the likes of Japan/Korea.

Nobody however seems to want to go to Africa ...wonder why?

Cheapest tics that I have come up against tend to start at about $1k but student discounts are usually available.

Bangkok should be a good start.

I can recommend STATRAVEL . I booked the whole trip from London , 12 destinations of my choice for £1400 .You can pick and choose from 100`s of destinations.For e.g if you dont like the place or you want to stay longer you can change the day of departure for nominal fee $10(Thai Airways never charged me penny for changed date)..The cheapest ticket that time, 18 months ago was about £700.They have offices all over the world.Good luck!

Regards

Doodex66

FYI....STA... have one in tonights paper (London Evening Standard) for April.....

UK>> NY----bus to LA->> Cook Islands>> Fiji>> Auckland>> Hong Kong...then walk to Shanghai...>>UK

From .£729-00.

www.statravel.co.uk

For RTW tickets ex-Thailand, the following is a good site:

http://www.traveltech2000.com/roundtheworld.asp

here's a progress report, if I may report.

STA requires a plugin which my Thai computer doesn't know how to plug in. Besides, does one need to be youth or student? how about old foget/fart teacher retiree?

Travel tech only wants 108,000 baht. Star Alliance wants 166,000 baht. I can do it myself (through Travelocity) for 66,000. Should I go to travel agent in Chiang Mai?

here's a progress report, if I may report. 

STA requires a plugin which my Thai computer doesn't know how to plug in.  Besides, does one need to be youth or student?  how about old foget/fart teacher retiree?

Travel tech only wants 108,000 baht.  Star Alliance wants 166,000 baht.  I can do it myself (through Travelocity) for 66,000.  Should I go to travel agent in Chiang Mai?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Last time I bought a ticket through travelocity, I had to pick it up at a travel agent in central Bangkok (on Surawong Road). Maybe they had an option to deliver, don't remember. (if they did I don't think it was free - or I wouldn't have gone...).

Actually Mike, ever since I was in Tapachula, Chiapas in 2000 trying to get to Chiang Rai (there's another story), I just do it like this:

Use travelocity or other website to build an itinerary complete with flight numbers and times. Print it and walk into the travel agency and say, "Match this." If I've done my homework well, the agency will undercut it less than 10% and issue me the ticket on the spot.

You hit it right on the head Peace Thats all Travelocity is good for IMO. How many times have you tried to book a flight on Travelocity and clicked on a day that was marked as "fare offered" only to get "So-and-so does not have service to said airport on this day". After a half our on no service notices one day I just noted the airline, cost, dates, and took it down to Flight Centre and actually got a better price.

Travelocity is a pain, and in many cases just doesn't work.

Trouble is, its the best one out there .

cv